A new era begins in University of Victoria men’s soccer when the Vikes open the 2022 Canada West season on the road tonight against UBC-Okanagan in Kelowna and versus Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops on Saturday.
For the first time in over three decades, someone other than Bruce Wilson, the former NASL pro and Canada World Cup captain, will be on the UVic bench as head coach. Larry Stefanek has replaced Wilson, who retired after 34 years at the Vikes helm.
Stefanek brings a Vikes pedigree to the mix, having played for Wilson at UVic from 1989-1992 as a defender and earning CIS (now U Sports) all-Canadian and Canada West conference all-star nods. Stefanek also represented Canada in the 1993 World University Games in Buffalo, with Wilson as Canadian team head coach.
Stefanek comes to the Vikes after spending the last four seasons as head coach at Vancouver Island University, guiding the Mariners to the Pacwest conference runner-up slots in 2019 and 2021 and a berth in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national championship game in 2019. He was named Pacwest coach of the year in 2019.
Everything is fluid in modern soccer and the Stefanek era will reflect that.
“We want to play good, attacking football and be solid defensively,” said Stefanek, who was also an assistant coach with the Vancouver Whitecaps Upper Island Academy Centre from 2015-2018 and technical director of the Upper Island Storm.
“It’s a hybrid style. We want to build up our attack but also be ready to play more directly when the situation arises. We want to use a variety of ways to create chances.”
The Vikes sent Wilson off in style last season by winning the Pacific Division and making the Canada West final and playing in the 2021 U Sports national championship tournament. Facing a bit of a rebuild, the Vikes are youthful and ranked seventh among the 13 teams in the pre-season Canada West coaches poll. The UBC Thunderbirds topped the poll with Mount Royal of Calgary second and University of Alberta Golden Bears second .
“It’s going to be a very competitive and strong conference,” said Stefanek.
The Vikes went 3-1-1 in the preseason against a mix of university and B.C. college teams. Named Vikes co-captains for the season are fourth-year goalkeeper Harjot Nijjar, who had six clean sheets last season, and defender Rees Goertzen, a Canadian Premier League draft pick of Pacific FC.
“Harjot has become a leader and bring experience in goal for us while Rees is a CPL draft pick who has a good skill set, is strong defensively, with a good head on his shoulders,” said Stefanek.
The Vikes are at the University of Northern B.C. against the Timberwolves in Prince George on Sept. 2-3 with the home opener against Fraser Valley on Sept. 9 at Centennial Stadium.
Meanwhile, former national-team player Tracy David is also facing a rebuild as she begins her 20th season on the UVic women’s soccer bench. The Vikes, ranked sixth in the pre-season coaches poll, open Canada West play on the road tonight in Langley against Trinity Western before meeting Fraser Valley in Abbotsford on Saturday.
“We graduated a majority of players and are very young, but it is a talented, enthusiastic and positive group, and you can do great things with youthful teams,” said David.
Key returnees include fifth-year Dari Cote, fourth-year Trinity Kettyls, third-year players Abby Mackenzie and Emma Skalik, second-year Tessa Vande Vegte and second-year goalkeeper Kayley Lidstone.
UVic is at UBC next Thursday before opening at home against defending the defending U Sports national champion MacEwan Griffins on Sept. 9 at Centennial Stadium.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
