It was Vikes-a-Palooza with action on several fronts Friday for University of Victoria teams.
On the pitch at Centennial Stadium, the UVic men鈥檚 soccer team (5-3-3) got two goals from Michael Baart and one from graduating veteran Cam Hundal for a key 3-1 victory over Fraser Valley (5-4-2) that could go a long way toward clinching a home-field quarter-final playoff game next weekend. UVic closes out the regular season tonight at 7:15 at Centennial against Trinity Western.
Meanwhile, Trinity Western鈥檚 1-0 victory over UVic in women鈥檚 soccer was book-ended by an early Vikes own goal on a Rachel Hutchinson shot off Samantha Lee at three minutes, and UVic midfielder Sarah Douglas鈥� point blank shot in injury time that was parried by Spartans goalkeeper Ally Williamson.
Both teams are playoff-bound in sa国际传媒 West, but the ramifications were huge for positioning and home-field advantage for next week鈥檚 quarter-finals as the Spartans moved to 10-1-2 and secured second place and a home quarter-final playoff date while the Vikes dropped to 7-3-3.
鈥淲e have to shake this one off and re-group tonight because tomorrow is another game,鈥� said Vikes midfield standout Stephanie Badilla-Gutierrez.
UVic closes out the regular season tonight against Fraser Valley.
鈥淲e are confident because there wasn鈥檛 a single moment when we gave up or thought that we couldn鈥檛 win tonight [against Trinity Western],鈥� added the third-year biology student Badilla-Gutierrez, following Friday鈥檚 game.
Meanwhile, the UVic women鈥檚 rugby team may have moved out of the long shadow of the starrier men鈥檚 Vikes team, which produced several alumni for sa国际传媒 at the 2015 World Cup. The UVic women had a Friday to remember by knocking off the three-time defending sa国际传媒 West champion University of Alberta 26-20 in the conference semifinals in Edmonton. The top-two teams advance to the CIS championships Nov. 4-8 in Kingston, Ont., meaning the Vikes have qualified for nationals for the first time since 2005. The Vikes, who got three tries from rookie Channelle Edwards-Challenger, beat Alberta for the first time in team history and will meet the Lethbridge Pronghorns in the sa国际传媒 West final on Sunday.
On the hardcourt Friday, Kristy Gallagher dropped 23 points on the Western Ontario Mustangs in a 72-67 Vikes women鈥檚 basketball exhibition game in CARSA. Rookie Avery Snider added 17 points for UVic (4-1 in pre-season). The Vikes continue the exhibition campaign Sunday at 11 a.m. against Ryerson.
The UVic men鈥檚 cagers (3-5 in pre-season) were in Hamilton, falling 95-78 to McMaster after beginning their Ontario tour with a 99-69 setback against Brock on Thursday. The Vikes conclude the swing tonight in Guelph.
