Bears open season with solid outings

By securing three of a possible four points to start the season, the Bears are off to a good start

On Saturday, the CIS number-eight ranked UBC Thunderbirds marched into Edmonton seeming to possess a distinct edge over their Canada West counterparts. Five minutes into the game, however, UBC realized the young Bears could play; when the whistle blew 85 minutes later, the Thunderbirds moved to 0–1 on the season, thanks to the Bears' 1–0 triumph at Foote Field.

Led by eminent coach Len Vickery, Alberta stifled their opposition from start to finish. Right off the top of the game, Kevin Perry chased down a loose ball, outrunning a sprawling UBC keeper and promptly crossing the ball to a flanking Cam Schmidt. The sophomore headed the ball into the net to provide the eventual game winning goal.

When the T-Birds did manage to breach the Bears’ defence, keeper Jas Gill was there to fend off the shot. Gill was excellent all weekend long and will be a key component for the Bears.

When asked about the third-year’s play against the T-Birds, Len Vickery’s response was laudatory: “Outstanding. We expect big things from him.” Gill was aided by his supporting cast, a relentless cohort of athletes donning evergreen jerseys which cleared any potentially dangerous ball swung into their defensive third.

According to Vickery, the win over UBC was significant in “getting the season kicked off in the right direction.”

As for Trinity Western, they entered the confines of Foote Field on Sunday with their dazzling number-two CIS ranking. The Spartans’ players, much to their dismay, were met with a formidable challenge from the Bears' side. At 1:30 into the first half, Perry headed a free-kick cross over the head of the boisterous opposing keeper Andrew Fink for a 1–0 lead.

The momentum was short-lived, however, as Alberta then spotted TWU a goal at 4:30 when Jason Wiens scored what proved to be the game-tying goal in a 1–1 draw.

“Given we’re the younger squad, the four points bode well on the future. Going into the weekend against two nationally-ranked teams, there was a good chance of losing both games with a fresh group of players. Fortunately, they got it together and worked hard,” Vickery said.

Going into the season, the Bears were labelled an inexperienced squad. According to Vickery, however, the Bears are “young chronologically, but not in experience.” Indeed, many of the team’s freshmen have already competed at high levels. Take for example, Scott Gilroy, who has captained Alberta, or Igi Broda, who won nationals with local club Southwest United last fall.

Still, Vickery states that the Bears youth must “grow quickly” if they wish to vie for a third CIS championship under his guidance.

“Ultimately, the teams that have a bit of extra talent in the lineup will compete for nationals,” Vickery said.
The strong start to the season is exactly what the Bears were looking for against two very tough opponents from the west coast.