Men’s Soccer News

Men’s Soccer

Weekend Watch: Vanier Cup champions and Canada West men’s soccer kick off 2019-20 season

U SPORTS Staff

Football

Defending Vanier Cup champions back on home field

Sherbrooke @ Laval

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m.

TVA Sports

The 2018 Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or kick off RSEQ play against the Sherbrooke Vert & Or on Sunday as the new season gets underway. The Rouge et Or lost some of their brightest stars in Lieutenant Governor Athletic Award winner Matthieu Betts, and Vanier Cup MVP Hugo Richard, so it will be a new look team than the one that hoisted the championship trophy on home field from last year.

Meanwhile, Sherbrooke are looking for redemption this season, after their season ended with a dreadful 40-0 loss to the Rouge et Or in the conference semifinal. The Rouge et Or appear to be rebuilding, with 30 new recruits and personnel changes at key positions, including at quarterback.

 

AUS champions look to carry momentum into 2019

Mount Allison @ StFX

Saturday, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

Bell Aliant Fibe TV1 & AUStv.ca

The StFX X-Men are looking to top the AUS once again. After an upsetting the top-seeded Saint Mary’s Huskies last year in the Loney Bowl, the team from Antigonish, N.S. got shut out 63-0 by the eventual national champion Laval Rouge et Or in the Uteck Bowl. StFX are poised at another run at the national playoffs, with returning key offensive and defensive players, including quarterback Bailey Wasdal and linebacker Gordon Whyte, who was selected by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in this year’s CFL Draft.

The Mounties, meanwhile, had to watch the AUS playoffs from home last year, after finishing their 2018 campaign 2-6, losing their last three games. However, things are looking up for the Sackville faithful. The Mounties won an exhibition contest against the Acadia Axemen, coming back from a 13-0 deficit. The Mounties are young and hungry and will look to put the AUS on notice with an upset over the conference champs.

OUA powerhouses clash in opening weekend action

Western @ Laurier

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

OUA.TV

The Vanier Cup runner up are also in conference play this week, as the Western Mustangs travel to Waterloo take on the Laurier Golden Hawks. The Mustangs steamrolled the OUA last season, finishing with a perfect 8-0. They performed on all sides of the field, leading the OUA in TDs, total offence, and points allowed per game. Signal caller Chris Merchant is back for one more season with the Mustangs but lost his leading pass catchers Harry McMaster and Brett Ellerman.

Laurier on the other hand, are looking to bounce back from a down year, missing the playoffs after back-to-back trips to the Yates Cup against Western, including a victory in 2016. Despite their record, the Golden Hawks were fourth in the conference in points scored, and third in the OUA rushing yards – they might just need to finish games if they want to return to their former glory.

With three conferences kicking things off, Canada West joins the fray next week.

Men's Soccer

Defending Canada West champs open new season at Fraser Valley

The UBC Thunderbirds enter the 2019 campaign as favourites to win their conference, as voted by the Canada West coaches in the annual preseason poll. They look to reassert themselves with a trip to Abbotsford, B.C. to take on the Fraser Valley Cascades.

The Thunderbirds are all warmed up, following pre-season trips south of the border and to China. With two players returning from summer stints with the Canadian Premier League, and a roster of veterans, it is no surprise why this team is so highly-rated.

The Cascades are no push over in the conference, finishing third in their division, with a goal differential of just nine. Top goal scorer, Gurmaan Jhaj, is back for his swan song with the Cascades and he will be sporting the captain’s band. The Cascades had a successful preseason tour through the state of Washington, finishing with a 3-2 record, and look to translate that into their conference kick off.

 

First kick is Friday at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. UBC will then host Trinity Western on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, with both games airing on CanadaWest.TV.

The defending national champion Montreal Carabins begin the road to hosting this year’s national championship on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT, hosting Sherbrooke to kick off the RSEQ season.

Watch all games on CanadaWest.TV, OUA.TV and AUStv.ca. RSEQ teams stream their games independently – check your local listings.