Canadian Mennonite University

Men's Soccer Drives Into Championships With Eyes On Top Prize

Men's Soccer is on a terrific run of form as they prepare to chase a trophy this weekend at the 2015 MCAC Soccer Championships hosted in Otterburne, Manitoba by Providence University College.

The Blazers are coming off a weekend where they earned all six possible points after downing Providence 3-1 and ending ACC's winless regular season in a very convincing 13-1 win on Sunday. CMU finished the regular season with a record of 7 wins, to go with 1 draw and 2 defeats to finished tied on points with University of St-Boniface, but the Blazers end ahead in the standings based on a goal-differential between the two teams that favours CMU 4-2 over the defending Men's Soccer champions.

"We found a system in late September, that has been working very well for us," explained head coach Russell Willms, "we have alot of talented and versatile players that are fitting into that system well and who believe that the we can win every game we play."

Since taking home first place in the ThunderHawk Challenge Cup on the final weekend of September, the Blazers have allowed only three goals in six matches, with two of the three goals allowed, coming from the penalty spot.

For CMU, being ranked first going into the Men's Soccer Championships is something new. "This is the first time since the conference changed over to the MCAC in 2008, that we have finished first through the regular season and we feel that we are deserving of being the seen as the top team as we enter the weekend," said Willms. The last Championship in Men's Soccer at CMU came back in 2005 and the last time that the CMU men appeared in the Championship Final came back in 2009.

For now, the Blazers must focus on their first round opponent; the Brandon Bobcats, who claimed the final playoff spot in the final weekend of the season. The Bobcats pulled off some very good results including back to back wins over Red River and Providence in September, but have yet to find success against CMU. In two matches between the two semifinal opponents, CMU holds all six points and has outscored the Bobcats 8-0.

In the other Men's Semifinal, University of St-Boniface will tackle the hosts, Providence Pilots, who soared into the playoffs last Sunday after surprising Red River and stealing a playoff berth away from the Rebels. The Men's Final is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Otterburne at 3 pm. 

 

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