What You Need to Know For Men’s Soccer Playoffs across BC
UBC looks to maintain undefeated season, while legendary coach Marc Rizzardo hopes to lead Langara College to PACWEST title
The top university soccer teams in British Columbia will be spread across the Lower Mainland and Calgary this weekend to take on respective playoff tournaments.
Canada West competitions kick off with quarterfinals split between Vancouver and Calgary, with four BC schools in the mix, while the PACWEST collegiate title is on the line in Coquitlam on Sunday between the Langara Falcons and Vancouver Island Mariners.
Here, Sports Page BC dives into everything you need to know for the province’s playoff soccer weekend, which won’t include Canadian Premier League playoffs after both Pacific FC and Vancouver FC fell short of postseason aspirations.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal — Victoria Vikes vs. Mount Royal Cougars
When: Friday, Oct. 30, 4:30 pm PT
Where: UBC South Turf, Vancouver
The Victoria Vikes have already clinched a spot at the 2026 U Sports soccer championships as hosts, but are looking to secure their first Canada West title since 2009 in order to lock in a top-four seed at the national tournament. While it won’t be an easy task for head coach Larry Stefanek’s group, they carry veteran poise, with fifth-year midfielder Javier Sagaste feeding chances to leading scorer, second-year Matthew Pearse, who netted six goals for his hometown school.
The Vikes 2025 postseason was defined by penalty kicks, with a win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns before falling to the Mount Royal Cougars, whom they meet at the quarterfinal stage this season. The winner will advance to Sunday to take on the UBC Thunderbirds or Lethbridge Pronghorns in the Canada West semifinal.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal — UBC Thunderbirds vs. Lethbridge Pronghorns
When: Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 pm PT
Where: UBC South Turf, Vancouver
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View post ↗The UBC Thunderbirds are heavy favorites to clinch the Canada West title this season after an undefeated 15-game regular season campaign, in which they won every game except draws with Victoria and Northern BC.
Led by veteran manager Mike Mosher, the Thunderbirds conceded just three goals in the last seven games, while Max Comsia, Markus Rukavina and Luke Norman finished in three of the top five positions in goal contributions.
Expect an unrelenting effort from the Thunderbirds against a pesky, but inferior Lethbridge program, with focus quickly turning towards a semifinal against either longtime rivals the Vikes or the Mount Royal Cougars.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal —Alberta Golden Bears vs Fraser Valley Cascades
When: Friday, Oct. 30, 12 pm PT
Where: McMahon Stadium, Calgary
The UFV Cascades enjoyed their best-ever regular season in 2026, posting an 8-3-5 record and a program-record 12 clean sheets by goalkeeper Mattheus De Souza. Now, the journey takes them east to face the Alberta Golden Bears in the quarterfinals, as they look to return to the Canada West semifinal as they did in 2025.
2025 U Sports men’s player of the year Mateo Brazinha leads the team on the attacking side with seven goals and three assists this season, while fellow fifth-year Michael Beecroft’s output isn’t far behind at four goals and an assist.
Given Brazinha’s threat in attack and a mid-table defensive setup from Alberta, the Cascades should advance to take on the Calgary Dinos or TRU Wolfpack in Sunday’s semifinal.
U Sports Canada West Quarterfinal —Calgary Dinos vs TRU Wolfpack
When: Friday, Oct. 30,3 pm PT
Where: McMahon Stadium, Calgary
The TRU Wolfpack snuck into the playoffs by a single-game margin over the Trinity Western Spartans and look to force the upset against the home Calgary Dinos, a side that lost three games in the regular season. While matching the 2022 U Sports title heights could be a challenge, that season saw them fall to the Dinos in the first round of the playoffs as well, though they secured a host seed at nationals.
Former New Zealand semi-pro wingback Kaelin Nguyen is the biggest difference-maker and will be tasked with not only creating attacking spells but also shutting down Calgary’s Luis Rangel-Kataev and Efe Udolu-Joshua, who combined for 11 goals across 13 games this season.
PACWEST Final — Langara Falcons vs. Vancouver Island Mariners
When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 3 pm PCT
Where: Coquitlam Towncentre Turf, Coquitlam
An incredibly tight season in PACWEST men’s soccer will be decided in Coquitlam on Saturday, pitting the first-place Langara Falcons against second-place Vancouver Island Mariners.
Both teams enter the final after a dramatic PACWEST season, which saw championship host Douglas College suspend its program midseason after a brawl broke out in a game against the Capilano Blues.
Head coach Marc Rizzardo leads the Falcons into the championship game in his 37th year on the job and will lean on striker Masiah Farah, who scored four goals and two assists under championship pressure.
