OTTAWA (CIS) – The Trinity Western Spartans will try to reach the national final for the third time in four years when they host the CIS men’s soccer championship from Nov. 12-15, only this time they hope for a better result.
The eight-team, single-elimination championship, hosted for the first time in Langley, B.C., gets under way Thursday with the quarterfinal round. The semi-finals follow on Friday, while the bronze-medal game and national final are set for Sunday at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time, respectively.
SSN Canada will have live webcasts of all main-bracket duels (www.ssncanada.ca or www.cis-sic.ca).
New CIS champions will be crowned next Sunday as the York Lions, who edged the Spartans 1-0 in last year’s national final, were eliminated in the OUA quarterfinals a week ago.
Trinity Western, which took fourth place at this weekend’s Canada West Final Four, is one of three teams returning from last year’s tournament along with the Canada West champions Victoria Vikes and Quebec champion Laval Rouge et Or.
Laval was fourth at the 2008 championship held in Ottawa, while Victoria tied for seventh place.
Joining the three returnees on the west coast this week are the OUA champion McMaster Marauders, AUS champion Cape Breton Capers, OUA finalist Toronto Varsity Blues, AUS finalist UPEI Panthers, and QSSF finalist McGill Redmen.
Among the participating teams in the 2009 national championship, Victoria has claimed the most Sam Davidson memorial trophies winning four titles since the inaugural CIS tourney in 1970. McGill has three banners, while Toronto has one.
Thursday’s quarterfinal round will see Laval meet UPEI at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time, Victoria battle Toronto at 1 p.m., McMaster square off with McGill at 3:30 p.m., and Trinity Western face Cape Breton at 6:30 p.m.
For all the info on the 2009 CIS men’s soccer championship, visit: www.cis-sic.ca .
Note: a complete championship preview will follow on Tuesday.
PARTICIPATING TEAMS
Victoria Vikes (CWUAA champions / 8-5-1 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
McMaster Marauders (OUA champions / 6-7-1 regular season, 4-0 playoffs)
Laval Rouge et Or (QSSF champions / 8-2-2 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
Cape Breton Capers (AUS champions / 9-1-3 regular season, 2-0 playoffs)
Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA finalists / 11-1-2 regular season, 2-1 playoffs)
McGill Redmen (QSSF finalists / 6-3-3 regular season, 1-1 playoffs)
UPEI Panthers (AUS finalists / 8-5-0 regular season, 2-1 playofs)
Trinity Western Spartans (Championship hosts / 8-2-4 regular season, 0-2 playoffs)
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (All times local: PACIFIC TIME)
Wednesday, Nov. 11
18:00 All-Canadian Awards Banquet
Thursday, Nov. 12
10:30 Quarterfinal 1: Laval vs. UPEI (SSN Canada webcast)
13:00 Quarterfinal 2: Victoria vs. Toronto (SSN Canada webcast)
15:30 Quarterfinal 3: McMaster vs. McGill (SSN Canada webcast)
18:30 Quarterfinal 4: Cape Breton vs. Trinity Western (SSN Canada webcast)
Friday, Nov. 13
10:30 Consolation 1: Loser QF 1 vs. Loser QF 2
13:00 Consolation 2: Loser QF 3 vs. Loser QF 4
16:00 Semi-final 1: Winner QF 1 vs. Winner QF 2 (SSN Canada webcast)
18:30 Semi-final 2: Winner QF 3 vs. Winner QF 4 (SSN Canada webcast)
Saturday, Nov. 14
13:00 Consolation final (5th-place match)
Sunday, Nov. 15
13:00 Bronze medal (SSN Canada webcast)
15:30 Championship final (SSN Canada webcast)
- CIS -
