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UVic Vikes soccer teams spring into action

Pro goalkeeper Mark Village, now with Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League, said that among his fondest memories from his university soccer playing career with the Fraser Valley Cascades was coming over each year for the annual Keg Spring Cup at
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UVic Vikes player Caitlin Millham tries to get to the ball between UBC Thunderbirds Daniel Steer, left, and Jessica Williams in CIS exhibition soccer action at Centennial Stadium in 2017. Millham's career as a Vike is coming to an end.

Pro goalkeeper Mark Village, now with Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League, said that among his fondest memories from his university soccer playing career with the Fraser Valley Cascades was coming over each year for the annual Keg Spring Cup at Centennial Stadium.

He isn’t alone.

“We have teams lining up to get in,” said University of Vikes head coach Bruce Wilson.

That’s because the rare shoulder season tournament gives U Sports teams in Canada West a chance to see what they have developing for the upcoming fall conference season, while giving their seniors a final farewell tournament in which to play.

“We get good quality teams coming in,” said Wilson.

Village’s alma mater has been a staple of the tournament, and the Cascades return on the men’s side, with a semifinal date against Wilson’s host UVic Vikes today at 4 p.m.

“My coach at the time at Fraser Valley was Al Errington and he prepared me for a pro environment and that helped me sign [with Vancouver Whitecaps 2 of the USL],” said Village, of the value of his U Sports career.

The other men’s semifinal today is at noon and is a marquee match-up featuring the UBC Thunderbirds against the Trinity Western Spartans in a battle between the 2018 Canada West champions and runners-up. As an indication of UBC’s strength, all three players selected by Pacific FC in the CPL U Sports draft and currently in the CPL pro club’s training camp at PISE — Nick Fussell, Thomas Gardiner and Zach Verhoven — are Thunderbirds. “It was a government draw and just happened that way,” said Wilson, with a chuckle, in discussing the Keg Cup semifinals, which have the top two teams from Canada West in the same bracket.

“Both UBC and Trinity Western went to the national championship tournament, so this is going to be a tough competition,” added Wilson, who captained Canada in the 1986 World Cup.

The Vikes graduate only captain Mackenzie Rigg, who plays his final fixtures as a Vike this weekend.

“We will have [injured] Isaac Koch back for training camp, and with the returnees, I think we are looking decent for next season,” said Wilson.

As for his recollections of Village, Wilson replied: “He was excellent and caused us a lot of trouble over those five years.”

Village, 27, will again on March 30 as UVic announced the Vikes will play Pacific FC in an exhibition game March 30 at Centennial Stadium.

Meanwhile, the women’s Keg Cup semifinals feature the Vikes taking on the Alberta Pandas this afternoon at 2 p.m.

“It’s a great opportunity to play Alberta. Because of the [unbalanced] Canada West schedule, we didn’t play them in conference last season and won’t again next season,” said UVic head coach Tracy David.

The other women’s semifinal features the defending Canada West champion and U Sports silver-medallist Trinity Western Spartans against UBC this morning at 10.

“It’s an opportunity for our younger players to show what they’re made of for next season,” said David.

At the other end of the career scale, these will be the final games for Vikes senior Caitlin Millham.

Sunday’s action at Centennial Stadium begins with the women’s consolation game at 10 a.m. and men’s consolation at noon. The women’s final is at 2 p.m. and men’s final at 4 p.m.