For the first time since 2016, the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades men's soccer team has opened the Canada West regular season at 2-0.
The club kicked off the 2024 season against the UNBC Timberwolves with games at Abbotsford's Rotary Stadium on Friday (Aug. 23) and Sunday (Aug. 25).
A rainy Friday saw UFV's Mateo Brazinha score a hat trick en route to a 4-1 win.
MSOC | The first goal of the CW season goes to.....Mateo Brazinha!!
— Canada West (@CanadaWest) August 24, 2024
The third year forward from Port Coquitlam gives the @UFVCascades a dream start just five minutes in 🏔️#CWSoccer x @USPORTSca pic.twitter.com/tPdw0LRiDV
Brazinha scored at 4:38 and added a second goal in the dying moments of the first half to put the Cascades up 2-0 at halftime. UNBC got on the board at 62:01, but the Cascades restored the two-goal lead just three minutes later when Joel Bangura tallied. Brazinha completed the hat trick by making it 4-1 at 71:19.
Brazinha, a third-year forward from Port Coquitlam, stated that the Cascades want to continue to exploit home field advantage.
MSOC | Brazinha Brazinha! 🏔️
— Canada West (@CanadaWest) August 24, 2024
What a start for Mateo Brazinha! An early brace to give the @UFVCascades a 2-0 lead in their season opener.#CWSoccer x @USPORTSca pic.twitter.com/hiundo6Y4T
It's import for us to turn Rotary into a fortress, and make sure that people don't want to come here," he said. "From the top of the league to the bottom, you aren't going to want to come here and play us."
Cascades head coach Tom Lowndes said this was the ideal way to start the season and that Brazinha was on a mission.
"We had a great preseason and scored some goals, but Canada West is a different beast and so to come in and score four goals… really happy with the result tonight," he said. "Clearly tonight [Brazinha] looked like a real handful. He was hungry for goals, his work rate is fantastic, so I'm really pleased for him and hopefully it's the first of many for the season."
Sunday's game was a closer contest, with UFV's goalkeeper Jackson Cowx making several key saves to help the Cascades blank UNBC 2-0.
UFV got a first half goal from Kevin Mailand and added a late goal from Ebi Igali.
MSOC | Kevin Mailand with his first of the year to put UFV up 1-0!#weclimbweconquer #rallyforthevalley pic.twitter.com/5bqlUCMcLG
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) August 25, 2024
Cowx, in his fifth year with the Cascades, said he's pleased with the team's start to the season.
"It's a great feeling," he said. "I think our resilience to bounce back after last season, from the spring to now, we're able to put in full 90 minute efforts like today."
Lowndes said opening the season with six points is massive.
"It's great to get off to a good start," he said. "To get six points in the opening weekend is huge, and hopefully something we can build on going into two tough games next weekend."
This marks the first time since 2016 that the men's team has opened a season at 2-0. They last did it in 2016 with wins over TRU and UBCO to start that season.
The Cascades now hit the road for games against the UBCO Heat in Kelowna on Friday (Aug. 30) and then Kamloops against the TRU Wolfpack on Saturday (Aug. 31). They return home to host the Saskatchewan Huskies on Sept. 13.
The UFV women's soccer team opens the season in Kelowna against the Heat on Sept. 6. Their home opener is against the MRU Cougars on Sept. 13.
