The UNBC Northern Timberwolves have achieved a soccer milestone.
After opening the season last weekend with a win and a tie, the men's soccer team has earned a spot in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association top-10 list. The UNBC men are ranked 10th, the first time a UNBC soccer team has ever cracked the CCAA list.
"It's wonderful, we have a team in first place and a No. 10 ranking in the country, the first time ever for one of our soccer programs," said Jason Kerswill, UNBC's director of athletics and recreation.
"The CCAA ranking came out [Tuesday] and [head coach] Sonny Pawar and the guys are extremely excited about it. Now it's just a matter of keeping them grounded and focused on the prize."
The defending national champion Vancouver Island University Mariners of Nanaimo are ranked first on the CCAA men's list, followed by No. 2 Francois-Xavier-Garneau lans of Quebec City and No. 3 NAIT Ooks of Edmonton. The UBC-Okanagan Heat of Kelowna are ranked fifth.
NAIT tops the women's CCAA list, followed by the Ahuntsic Indiennes of Montreal and the Humber Hawks of Toronto. Langara is ranked fifth and UNC-O is ninth.
In their Pacific Western Athletic Association season-opening games last weekend, the UNBC men defeated the Langara Falcons 3-0, then played to a scoreless draw with the Quest University Kermodes. The UNBC women lost to Langara 5-0 and Quest 4-0 on opening weekend
Both UNBC teams are on the road this weekend, heading to Squamish to play Quest on Saturday, then to Vancouver to play Langara on Sunday.
The UNBC men won a provincial silver medal last season, the best result in their five-year history in the league.
n In other PACWEST soccer news, Vancouver Island University Mariners forward Jarred Stephens and Langara forward Lana Rockhill were picked as the PACWEST soccer players of the week.
Stephens scored two goals to lead the Mariners to a 3-1 win over Capliano University, while Rockhill collected three goals and an assist in the Falcons' victory over UNBC Saturday in Prince George.
Kerswill would have given his vote for the men's weekly award to UNBC goalie Kyle Flannagan, who blanked Langara and Quest on the weekend, matching his season shutout total of the 2010 season.
"Kyle had a tremendous weekend and I imagine there will be other opportunities to see Kyle or [UNBC fullback] Scott DeBianchi or some of our other players recognized as player of the week as the year goes on," said Kerswill.
