Coming off one of the most productive games of his four-year soccer career in the CIS, which led to a convincing win over the UBC-Okanagan Heat, Tofa Fakunle expects more of the same is in store this weekend for the UNBC Timberwolves.
They are bound and determined to make it into the Canada West Conference playoffs, but for that to happen, the T-wolves know they have to win their next four games, including their two-game series against the Victoria Vikes.
Originally slated to be played in the city this weekend at Rotary Soccer Field, Friday's snowfall left field conditions unsafe and the games have been moved to Victoria, Sunday at 4 p.m. at Monday at 3:15 p.m.
"Obviously they're big games for us and we're taking this as serious as we can, just worrying about ourselves, we're not really worried about our opponent," said the 20-year-old Fakunle, who potted two goals and an assist to beat the Heat 3-0 in the UNBC's most recent game, Oct. 2.
"That was just a good game for the whole team. Everyone did their job and I give credit to my teammates for putting me in position to score and for helping us get the win collectively."
All three UNBC goals that game came in the first half and Fakunle says the positive result was a product of the team buying into coach Steve Simonson's strategy to be more aggressive in the offensive end.
"We've identified that we need to be more aggressive to match the intensity of other teams and I believe our team plays football the right way," said the solidly-built, five-foot-four striker/midfielder, who moved to Prince George from Calgary in 2013 to enroll in UNBC's psychology program.
"We like to play on the ground and through teams. It's a rough league and some other don't like doing that and come at you physically and we need to be able to match their intensity physically, because it is a physical game.
"The best player in the game, Lionel Messi, is just a bit taller than me. I bring different skill sets and attributes that people need to be aware of and other teams know that, I think. I think people make size a bigger deal than it is. I play an aggressive style when I get the ball and I like to take people on and I like to score goals."
Fakunle leads the T-wolves in scoring with four goals and six points and his offensive outburst two weekends ago came at just the right time, lifting the T-wolves to their third win of the season. Now sitting with a 3-8-1 record, the T-wolves are tied with Victoria for last place in the seven-team Pacific Division.
Only the top four teams in each division qualify for the postseason and UNBC and Victoria, each with 10 points, are six points out of a playoff spot. Third-place Fraser Valley and fourth-place Thompson Rivers each have 16 points and UBC-Okanagan is also in the mix, sitting fifth with 14 points.
Simonson is in his second season as head coach as part of a staff which includes assistants Wes Barrett, Kyle Flannagan and Rob Lewis. Having had two seasons to implement Simonson's gameplan, Fakunle says the T-wolves are seeing the fruit of their own labour. Their 10-point season total is one better than 2014, when they had nine points in a 3-9 season - the most yet for the T-wolves in their five-year CIS history - with the chance for 12 more points still up for grabs over the next two weekends.
"We have more of an identity and we know how to do things now," said Fakunle. "Sometimes we put ourselves in trouble with how we like to play and we take more risks because we like to pass through teams, but we have more of a structure and that comes from our coaches - they give us the details in order to succeed.
"UBC has been around forever and Trinity Western has been around for awhile but whether they like to admit it or not, UNBC is closing the gap. We are right there amongst teams and I think that's evident for sure. We're confident to put a few in the back of the net this weekend."
Homegrown forward Cheona Edzerza has had a triumphant return to UNBC after a one-year hiatus, with two goals and two assists for four points in 12 games and forms a considerable threat blending in well with Francesco Bartolillo (2-3-5), while 17-year-old forward Owen Stewart has been a pleasant surprise for the T-wolves with two goals in his rookie season.
On defence, the T-wolves should have the services of veteran backs Gordon Hall and Conrad Rowlands, who both missed the Oct. 1 game against the Heat serving suspensions. That means freshman Jonah Smith will be able to play his usual midfield position. Mitch MacFarlane, a fifth-year senior, continues to supply solid goaltending.
This weekend, Simonson says he won't be fooled by Victoria's unimpressive record. The Vikes still have a long list of players who were on the team last year when they finished second in the Pacific Division and lost in the Canada West playoff final in double-overtime to UBC.
"We have to be aware of UVic's strengths which they have shown in the past and we're not looking at them as a team on the bottom, we're looking at them as a team that's motivated to make the playoffs like we are," said Simonson. "They've got the players to create a lot of chances and a lot of goals, I think the problem for them is they've had some injures this year which cost them.
"The teams that are fighting for the third and fourth playoff spots are all playing each other this next little bit so it's really up in the air. If we take points this weekend we give ourselves a chance. We're on the outside looking in, but a year ago we weren't in it at all. The guys have done enough to give themselves a chance to play for something still at this late stage of the year."
