An action-packed weekend for the UFV athletic department was highlighted by national medals for the golf teams, playoff berths for the soccer squads, and home-opening wins for the volleyballers.
The Cascade golfers traveled to Quebec City for the PING CCAA Golf National Championships, where they had dreams of defending the men’s and women’s titles they won in 2013. Strong play from their opponents and inclement weather conspired against them, but both teams ended up on the podium – the women won silver, while the men took bronze.
Friday’s third and final round of the tournament was cancelled due to rain at Club de Golf Lorette, meaning that the standings after Thursday’s Round 2 would stand as the official results.
Collectively, the UFV women were at +31, nine strokes back of the Champlain St. Lawrence Lions, the tournament host squad. Jen Woods led the way – she finished sixth in the individual standings at +14 after carding rounds of 79 and 81. Kelley Dalzell (80-83) was right behind her in seventh place at +17, while Natasha Mackenzie (93-83) was 19th at +31.
The UFV men finished at +7 overall, trailing the Holland College Hurricanes (+1) and the Camosun Chargers (+4). Aaron Pauls was the top Cascade, tying for seventh place at -1 for the tourney, with rounds of 69 and 74 on his scorecard. Kaleb Fisher (75-71) was T13 at +2, while Simon Blaker (74-74) was T17 at +4.
“Getting on the podium at nationals is a really great accomplishment,” head coach Chris Bertram said. “It’s a nice award for our hard work, and I’m really proud of how the players played all week.”
Soccer men clinch playoff berth
The soccer teams were on the road to wrap up the Canada West regular season, facing Trinity Western on Friday and the Victoria Vikes on Saturday.
The men earned a crucial 1-0 victory over the Spartans on Friday to clinch a playoff berth, with Kree Byrne notching the lone goal of the game. They fell 3-1 to the Vikes in Saturday’s finale, with Byrne scoring once again.
The women had already punched their playoff ticket, and they held an early lead against TWU, the top-ranked team in the nation, but ended up falling 4-2 despite two goals from Shelby Beck. On Saturday in Victoria, they built a 1-0 lead on Danica Kump’s goal, but ultimately settled for a 1-1 draw.
Both UFV soccer teams finished the regular season in third place in the Pacific Division, and both will make a return trip to Victoria on Saturday for Canada West quarter-final games vs. the Vikes. The women play at 5 pm, followed by the men at 7:15 pm.
Solid start for volleyball teams
The Cascades volleyball squads opened the PacWest regular season with a home-and-home set vs. the Columbia Bible College Bearcats, their crosstown rivals.
On Friday at the Envision Athletic Centre, the UFV squads swept to victory. The women outlasted the Bearcats in an epic five-set match, while the men won in four sets.
The next night at CBC, the women made short work of the Bearcats, winning in three sets while the UFV men lost in four sets.
The volleyball teams are back in action at home this weekend, hosting the College of the Rockies Avalanche on Friday and Saturday (women 6 pm, men 8 pm both nights).
Hoopsters make strides in preseason
With the Canada West basketball season fast approaching, the Cascades continued their preparation with a series of preseason games.
UFV played host to its annual preseason showcase, and the men split their two games, falling 57-56 to the Windsor Lancers on Thursday and beating the TWU Spartans 80-61. They also traveled to the B.C. capital for an exhibition game vs. the Vikes, which they lost 71-58.
The Cascades women took on a pair of elite foes in their preseason home games, dropping a 75-61 decision to the Queen’s Golden Gaels on Friday and falling 70-64 in an overtime thriller to the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday.
This week, the UFV men’s hoopsters travel to St. Catharine’s, Ont. for an exhibition tournament hosted by Brock University, while the women play Western Washington University on the road on Sunday.
Rowers excel at Western Canadians
The UFV rowing team participated in the Western Canadian University Rowing Championships in Calgary on Saturday.
The Cascades took a smaller contingent than usual to the event, and despite windy conditions, they found success.
In time-trial racing over a 1500-metre course, three UFV boats advanced to the A finals – the women’s coxed four (Ashley Bilodeau, Janelle Tucker, Suzanne Kubat and Arden Holmes), the men’s pair (Kyle Krahn and Stephen Wall), and Arden Holmes in the lightweight women’s singles. The women’s four placed third, behind UVic and UBC, while the men’s pair was fifth and Holmes finished sixth.
For more information, contact Dan Kinvig at dan.kinvig@ufv.ca
10/17/2014