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They are one win away from a berth to the U Sports national championship, a position some outsiders felt the UVic Vikes women鈥檚 soccer team would never be in at the sa国际传媒 West regular season鈥檚 end.
But that鈥檚 why they play games. And the next one 鈥� today at 2:30 p.m. in Langley against the MacEwan Griffins of Edmonton 鈥� is the biggest one of the season for the upstart young Vikes, who have always had a belief in themselves and huge believer in head coach Tracy David.
Depending on the outcome of this sa国际传媒 West semifinal match, the Vikes will then play Saturday as Trinity Western and UBC do battle later today in the second semi. Today鈥檚 two winners advance to nationals at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Nov. 9-12.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say we鈥檝e overachieved. I think this group has had it in them for a while and I think you鈥檙e seeing it come to fruition,鈥� David said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e added a few pieces to it and I think it鈥檚 great that we鈥檙e in this position. We鈥檝e worked hard for it.鈥�
The standings dictated that as the Vikes rolled off an impressive 9-1-4 record for 31 points, equal to Trinity Western鈥檚 point total.
The Vikes allowed the fewest goals in the conference at just six. In 16 total games, they posted 11 shutouts 鈥� a remarkable ratio.
鈥淭hat speaks to our strength as a team. We all defend and we defend with numbers, for each other and with each other,鈥� said David. 鈥淏ut it also speaks to our back four and Puck [Louwes], our goalkeeper. There鈥檚 good chemistry there.鈥�
The back four include Elise Butler, Katie Carrothers, second-year Kennedy Martin and freshman Brea Christie. Louwes, a third-year, six-foot-one product out of Reynolds, has been outstanding.
Butler, Louwes and Emily Lieuwen were named sa国际传媒 West first-team all-stars on Thursday and Kiara Kilbey and Stephanie Badilla Guitterez were named second-team all-stars. Christie was named a rookie all-star.
鈥淸Louwes has] got all the tools 鈥� the height, she鈥檚 pretty mobile and she鈥檚 worked hard as well behind [graduated 鈥檏eeper] Meaghan Storie for the last couple of years, so she鈥檚 learned from her as well,鈥� David said.
With six all-stars (tied for the most in the conference along with Calgary), David is still keeping an even keel heading into this key matchup.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a playoff game and strange things happen in playoff games. That鈥檚 why we play the game that we do, because it鈥檚 so unpredictable,鈥� she said.
鈥淲hat people think should happen, lots of times doesn鈥檛 happen. Theoretically, we are the higher seed, but MacEwan has knocked off some pretty big teams to get here.鈥�
The Griffins were 8-5-1 this season for 25 points, but knocked off the University of Alberta Pandas last week. The Vikes downed MacEwan 1-0 at Centennial Stadium this season.
鈥淲e have to be firing on all fronts,鈥� David said. 鈥淢y desire and hope is we come out and have a very good game on the day, and if we can get our players thinking that way, I think good things can happen.
鈥淲e just have to score some goals and make sure we鈥檙e solid at the back, that鈥檚 a priority for us,鈥� she stressed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting. We just have to believe we can do it, belief is a big part of this. Let鈥檚 have that and see what happens.鈥�
The Vikes are also comfortable playing at Trinity Western, the host of the sa国际传媒 West Final 4.
鈥淲e鈥檝e played there so many times, it鈥檚 like playing at home,鈥� David said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like we鈥檝e played there once or twice, and it鈥檚 grass, so we鈥檙e comfortable there.鈥�
CORNER KICKS: Third-year Vike Isaac Koch was named a sa国际传媒 West men鈥檚 first team all-star on Thursday. Koch led the Vikes with four goals on the season while also adding three assists in 15 games played. He fired a conference-leading 49 shots toward goal during the season.
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