CCAA Championship draws near

By Nicholas Naylor

For the first time in 16 years, Langara College is gearing up to host the top men’s soccer teams at the national championship.

Reigning champions Humber College Hawks, undefeated this season in their own conference, will top the billing.

The competition kicks off Nov. 9 at the Langley Events Centre and showcases teams from all six conferences in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association.

Getting back on track

After two years of COVID-19 disruptions and restrictive protocols, the league’s communication and events manager, Rodney Wilson, said he is looking forward to a tournament without any obstacles this year.

“It’s totally different than where we were a year ago,” he said. “Dare I say normal?”

In an email to the Voice, the league’s CEO Sandra Murray-MacDonell said student-athletes will be able to live the full national championship experience this season, complete with “opening and closing ceremonies, banquets and a complete game schedule.”

With Langara as host — providing live coverage of the event — the CCAA soccer championship returns to B.C., where the tournament was first held back in 1983. The first championship was played  at Capilano University in North Vancouver.

What to expect this year

Brandon Stone, manager of marketing and sponsorship for the league, said this year the league will be switching its official soccer ball to DerbyStar.

The Derbystar is used in the Canadian Premier League, where many aspiring athletes hope to compete one day.

The timing and format of the championship have changed slightly this year to spread out the matches, with three games on both Friday and Saturday.

As of Oct. 25, the league rankings put Toronto’s Humber College at the top of the list, followed by Langara, then the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology from Edmonton.

Humber will face St. Boniface from Manitoba in its first match, while Langara will square off against Southern Alberta Institute of Technology  in its first game on Nov. 9.