Bruce Wilson from the University of Victoria Vikes and Alberta Golden Bear's boss Len Vickery are the deans of coaching in Canada West men's soccer.
Wilson is entering his 25th year at the helm of the Vikes, while Vickery has been with the Golden Bears since 1985 (27 years). With more than 50 years of coaching experience between them in Canada West, there will be no surprises when the teams meet tonight at Centennial Stadium. Game time is 7: 15 p.m.
"I have been on some coaching courses with Len [Vickery] and I know him very well,'' said Wilson.
"Our paths have crossed many times and he always has a competitive team in Alberta. The Bears are always well organized and difficult to break down.''
The Bears come to Centennial as the No. 1-ranked team in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, while the Vikes are the defending champions.
Vickery has won two CIS titles, while Wilson's teams have captured three. The Bears are a perfect 5-0, while the Vikes have struggled with two wins, three losses and a tie.
"We had very high expectations coming into the year but the loss of so many senior players and their leadership is really showing, especially on the road,'' said Wilson. "We are disappointed with last weekend's performance [3-1 loss in Calgary and a 1-1 tie in Lethbridge]. We didn't play that badly but a couple of mistakes killed us.
"At Lethbridge, we were leading 1-0 with about four minutes to play when we had a breakdown and they scored on a breakaway. Earlier in the game, we had tons of scoring chances and losing those points is going to come back and haunt us. There are still lots of points on the table but we have our work cut out for us.''
Marcus Johnstone leads the Bears offensively with seven goals and three assists in five games.
Fourth-year goalkeeper Jay Vetsch for Alberta has collected four shutouts in those five games.
Cameron Stokes and Craig Taylor have been the most consistent offensive threats for the Vikes with three goals each.
The Vikes also play the No. 9-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies on Saturday. Game time is also 7: 15 p.m.
After posting two weekend victories, the women Vikes have climbed into No. 8 in the CIS rankings.
"It is the first time in two years that we have been ranked,'' said UVic coach Tracy David. "We have had a really good schedule and apart from Alberta, we will not play the traditionally stronger teams until later in the year.''
The Vikes have four wins and a tie and sit in second place. The Trinity Western Spartans lead the way with a 5-0 mark.
"With each game, we are building more and more confidence,'' said David. "I have a great group of players and they believe in themselves and each other. That shows the signs of a team maturing.''
The Vikes, who haven't allowed a goal in their last four games and only one all season, are back in action tonight at 5 p.m. at Centennial against the Winnipeg Wesmen. On Saturday, the Vikes will meet the Manitoba Bisons at 5 p.m. Winnipeg, a new team in the league this year, has one tie in six starts this year. Manitoba has a record of 2-4.
UVic has scored 26 goals this season and second-year player Emma Greig has done most of the damage with eight markers. Some of the others making offensive contributions have been Lindsay Hoetzel, Jana Yates, Sarah Douglas and Mallory Hackett.
"It is very entertaining to watch our team,'' said Vikes' goalkeeper Steph Parker. "At Lethbridge, we had seven different scorers and if that continues for us, some of the top teams will have trouble containing us.
"This has been a big change for me from the Highlanders [Peninsula Co-op] women's team where I was getting a lot of shots. I'm having a good time even though I'm not that busy some games.''
