Assuming the air is clear, Jonah Smith and the rest of the UNBC Timberwolves have a soccer game to be played Tuesday night.
It's not just a game. It's the start of a new era for the T-wolves, who will officially christen their new home at the refurbished Masich Place Stadium when they play the University of Victoria Vikes.
New turf, new dressing rooms and a new stadium feel at Masich give the T-wolves more certainty they will be able to play home games in their 16-game season on an all-weather field. The field turf eliminates most weather-related concerns that resulted in games being postponed or canceled in years past.
They can't do anything about the smoke that has plagued most of the province the past month. It delayed the start of the season for UNBC, forcing alternate plans for their two-game set against Victoria that was supposed to be played last weekend. The hope is the wildfires west of the city will continue to diminish in intensity, with firefighters getting a handle on the blazes and rain showers expected Sunday in the region to go with cooler temperatures and higher humidity.
Smith, a third-year centre midfielder from Victoria, has had his fill of indoor practices. The T-wolves have had only four or five outdoor sessions in the past month and several of their preseason games in August were canceled because of the air quality. While most Canada West teams are in action this weekend, the T-wolves have a bye in the schedule.
"We've had such a long preseason but it's just been extra preparation for us, having to miss last week and having the Labour Day (weekend) off," said Smith. "It isn't really an issue, it's just about us being able to prepare more than any other team in the country and just being ready to go for our first game, hopefully, on Tuesday."
The Vikes opened their season on the road at Trinity Western Friday night and are also scheduled to play Sunday at Fraser Valley before they make the trek to Prince George.
"They're always a tough team, they'll make it difficult, but they play two games this weekend and I think we'll have a bit of an advantage if we come out strong and kind of push them mentally and physically," said Smith, one of seven players on the UNBC men's team who call Victoria home.
"We're going to be playing in front of our home fans in a new stadium, it should be a good experience. It's a great field. The surface plays really well, it's nice and soft and it's going to allow us to play the way we want to - keep the ball and move teams around. Everything's brand-new for us, we're pretty lucky."
The field turf was laid on top of asphalt with fine rubber pellets poured into the turf and Smith says he's felt a bit more pain in his joints after practices because the surface doesn't absorb the shock of running as well as natural grass. But he says the pluses outweigh the minuses.
"I will say that Masich, for a brand-new field, is very good," said T-wolves men's team head coach Steve Simonson. "Sometimes new turf fields are a bit spongy and a bit awkward but it's fantastic. It just has a real good feel to it and our guys like being on it."
Despite the smoke and the cancellations, the team played seven preseason games in August and Simonson liked a lot of what he saw.
"We have a lot of players we can select from to play right now and we have a real good chemistry and cohesiveness about us early on," Simonson said. "There's a lot of carryover from last year with that but these guys have come in and really adopted into how we do things. There's more of an attacking impetus in our group this year, which is exciting."
Smith got a taste of the playoffs last year when UNBC made the postseason for the first time, losing an elimination game to Alberta. The T-wolves have lost some considerable firepower with forwards Cheona Edzerza and Tofa Fakunle graduated and Stewart Rowland taking a year off soccer. But recruiting has uncovered some gems to fill those holes and Smith likes the team Simonson has assembled.
Veterans Josh McAvoy, Francesco Bartolillo, Abou Cisse and Matt Jubinville are expected to take on bigger roles as instigators on offence with newcomers Michael Henman, Pierre Barrafranca and Anthony Preston on hand to help the carry out Simonson's plan to be more aggressive offensively.
Canada West all-star Gordon Hall, Conrad Rowlands and Emmanuel Drame anchor the defence and the goaltending is in good hands with Rob Goodey and Scott Brown, who played at Vancouver Island University, and Victoria high school grad Daniel Zadravec ready to step into the crease.
"I think this is the best team I've seen so far, it looks really promising," said Smith.
Kickoff time Tuesday is 6:30 p.m.
The T-wolves will also play later in the week at home, a two-game set Friday and Saturday nights against Trinity Western. Their second game against the Vikes, originally set for Aug. 25 at Masich, will instead be played in Victoria at a date to be determined, during a weekend UNBC will be playing in the Lower Mainland.
