ON THE PITCH
鈥� TODAY
Quarter-finals
McMaster vs. UQAM, 11 a.m.
Victoria vs. New Brunswick, 1:30 p.m.
Toronto vs. UBC, 4 p.m.
Cape Breton vs. York, 7 p.m.
* All games at York Stadium in Toronto
听
The symmetry couldn鈥檛 be more fitting.
Cam Hundal began his University of Victoria soccer career by being named the 2011 CIS top rookie and also MVP of that year鈥檚 national championship tournament as the Vikes won it all on their home field at Centennial Stadium.
Hundal closes out his UVic career as the 2015 CIS MVP, becoming the first Vikes player to win the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy. The crafty and quick midfielder/striker was announced as the CIS player of the year Wednesday night at the awards banquet in Toronto ahead of today鈥檚 national championship quarter-finals at York University.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the perfect bookend,鈥� said Vikes head coach Bruce Wilson, from Toronto.
鈥淭his shows what a great player Cam has been for five years.鈥�
Wilson also cited fellow fifth-year UVic striker Craig Gorman, who came out of St. Michaels University School to join Terrace-product Hundal as the dynamic and explosive offensive rookie tandem that carried the host Vikes to the 2011 national title.
UVic had not been back to the CIS national championships until this season.
鈥淭his is a great way for them to end their careers,鈥� said Wilson.
It has been a reflective time.
鈥淲e [Hundal and Gorman] came into the program together, not knowing each other, but our on-field relationship grew and we got to know each other鈥檚 tendencies so well,鈥� said Hundal, at the start of the Vikes鈥� playoff run.
鈥淭hat helps in creating chances and gives an advantage against defences. No way does it feel like five years have gone by.鈥�
With Hundal scoring a conference regular-season third-leading eight goals and second-leading 13 points, UVic finished second in the Pacific Division of sa国际传媒 West at 6-3-3 before a 5-0 conference quarter-final victory against Mount Royal and tense 2-1 semifinal win over Trinity Western. The 2-1 overtime loss in the conference final to UBC last weekend was largely irrelevant because the top two sa国际传媒 West squads were guaranteed berths in the CIS national tournament.
The sa国际传媒 West runner-up Vikes are seeded No. 7 for the CIS tournament and meet the Atlantic Conference-champion and second-seed New Brunswick Varsity Reds today in the quarter-finals. sa国际传媒 West-champion UBC is seeded No. 4 and will meet the fifth-seed Toronto Varsity Blues today in the quarters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not too cold, but they are expecting wind and rain in Toronto and it could get ugly,鈥� said Wilson.
鈥淭he field is only 68 yards wide and has football lines all over it, so it could get treacherous. It is also artificial turf, while we play best on grass, like our home surface at Centennial Stadium. This is definitely not our surface. We have to play well and can鈥檛 make mistakes.鈥�
Wilson has studied tape of UNB鈥檚 run to the Atlantic title.
鈥淭hey like to build up their attack from the back. So we have to stay compact. It鈥檚 going to be a real battle amid the elements.鈥�
Wilson is after his fourth national championship in his 28 years on the UVic bench, hoping to add to the CIS titles his Vikes won in 1996, 2004 and 2011.
