The Vancouver Island University Mariners have created one of the better traditions in Canadian college men’s soccer the past decade-plus, winning the national championship in 2017 and 2010 and placing as the national runners-up in 2019, 2014, 2013 and bronze medallist in 2012.
The Pacwest Conference champions continued that pedigree by opening the 2022 Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national tournament at Willoughby Community Park in Langley with a 5-2 victory over the Atlantic champion Holland College Hurricanes of Prince Edward Island in the quarter-finals Wednesday.
“[Past VIU head coaches] Bill Merriman and Larry Stefanek [the latter now head coach of the UVic Vikes in U Sports] built up such a good foundation for me to build on,” said current VIU head coach Kevin Lindo.
The current Mariners have stitched together a team of student-athletes that range from across oceans to across the Island. VIU is led by its four Pacwest all-stars. Matthew Coburn is out of Nanaimo District Secondary and fellow-defender Jonny McKenzie from Dover Bay Secondary. Midfielder Michael Heppelle is from Kamakura, Japan. The explosive forward Vasilis Bagiopoulos is from Thessaloniki, Greece, via a stint growing up in Powell River, and he had a hat-trick in the quarter-final victory over Holland College.
“It’s a great mix of players, from overseas, to quality lads from Victoria up to Campbell River,” said Lindo.
To all of whom the soccer world is opening up.
“This is a great time for our sport in sa国际传媒, obviously starting with the World Cup qualification, and with so many opportunities available now for these players from the VISL to League1 sa国际传媒 to the CPL,” said Lindo, who has also coached Nanaimo United to back-to-back VISL Jackson Cup championships.
The Mariners meet Ontario-champion Seneca Sting in the CCAA national semifinals today.
The host Langara College Falcons will take on the top-ranked Humber Hawks in today’s other semifinal.
CORNER KICKS: Lindo will have plenty of options to choose from coming out of the high school ranks. The Lambrick Park Lions won the Island Double-A championship this week at UVic. … The Island high school Triple-A championship will be decided today at 2:15 p.m. at Starlight Stadium. … Glenlyon Norfolk School defeated Oak Bay in their Lower Island high school Colonist Cup semifinal and will meet the Reynolds Roadrunners in the Colonist Cup final on Nov. 16 on the UVic turf field. Incorrect information appeared in Wednesday’s edition.
