Abbotsford – The University of the Fraser Valley soccer teams released their 2019 Canada West conference schedules on Thursday, and both the men’s and women’s programs have an exciting slate of games featuring intriguing match-ups and elite opponents.
The Cascades men’s squad opens its campaign on Aug. 23, hosting the reigning CW champion UBC Thunderbirds. The following day, the team heads to Victoria for its first road game vs. the Vikes.
The UFV women’s team opens conference play two weeks later, with a road swing to face UVic (Sept. 6) and UBC (Sept. 7). Their home openers are the following week, with the Manitoba Bisons (Sept. 13) and Winnipeg Wesmen (Sept. 14) coming to Abbotsford.
Other key schedule details:
• For the fourth year in a row, the Cascades soccer teams will play their home games at MRC Sports Complex, Field 4.
• The women’s and men’s teams have unique schedules due to the fact that there are 16 Canada West programs on the women’s side and just 13 on the men’s. Cascades MSOC plays 15 conference games, while WSOC plays 14.
• The women’s and men’s teams have three double-header home game dates: Sept. 13 (WSOC vs Manitoba, MSOC vs. Calgary), Oct. 13 (both teams vs. Trinity Western), and Oct. 18 (WSOC vs. Thompson Rivers, MSOC vs. Victoria).
• The local derby vs. the Trinity Western Spartans – a highly anticipated annual home-and-home series featuring both the men’s and women’s teams – runs Friday, Oct. 11 at TWU’s Langley campus, and Sunday, Oct. 13 in Abbotsford.
• Men’s soccer has a bye week, Oct. 4-6.
• Both Cascades teams conclude the regular season on Oct. 19 – the women’s team hosting the UBC Okanagan Heat, and the men’s team visiting UBC. The playoffs begin the following week.
• The CW playoff format remains the same. The conference Final Fours will be hosted by the highest-seeded remaining Prairie Division team on the women’s side, while the men’s event will be hosted by the highest remaining Pacific Division squad.
