For the first time ever, the UFV Cascades women’s soccer team is hosting a home playoff game.
UFV clinched the home playoff date after a 2-2 draw on Saturday against the UVic Vikes. The single point ensured that the Cascades finished one point ahead of the Vikes for third place in the Canada West Western Division, and earned them home field advantage for round one.
The Cascades trailed 2-1 until midfielder Amanda Carruthers tied the game up in the 81st minute to knot the teams up for good. Brittney Zacharuk also scored. UFV finished the season with a record of eight wins, four losses and two ties. Head coach Rob Giesbrecht said it’s been a successful regular season.
“I’m very proud of my team and where our program has come, because of the quality kids we have,” he said. “We’ve showed throughout the year that we can get results against good teams. If you do that often enough, you earn the right to host a playoff game, and now we can focus on getting ready for next weekend.”
The Cascades and Vikes meet again in round one of the Canada West playoffs on Saturday at Abbotsford Secondary. First whistle is set for 4 p.m.
The UFV men’s team has also qualified for the playoffs and travel to Edmonton to take on the University of Alberta Golden Bears on Saturday. The men’s team finished the season with a 1-1 tie with UBC on Oct. 24, to end with a record of five wins, four losses and three tie.