Mariners Men's Soccer Team Wins National Championship

Vancouver Island University’s Mariners men’s soccer team has won the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Soccer National Championship.

Rain pounded Merle Logan Field, but the Mariners didn’t let the weather dampen their spirit. They scored a goal in the first half of the game and hung on to win 1-0 over the Douglas Royals during the championship game November 11.

“The elation on the faces of players and coaches really made it a special moment,” says Stephanie White, VIU’s Director of High Performance Sport, Recreation and Physical Literacy. “It’s always exciting to host a national championship, but to actually win the championship when you host is a dream for most institutions.”

White says there were more than 1,000 fans in the stands for the championship game and many of them jumped on to the field to celebrate with the players.

“Winning Nationals is truly a feat,” says White, adding that it takes resiliency and months of preparation to deal with the challenges and conditions thrown at you during a championship.

Mariners Player of the Game was Colin Knight. Chris Merriman, Jordan DeGraaf and Ryan McCurdy were named Tournament All-Stars. Mariners’ Shun Takano was named MVP of the 2017 CCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship.

*This article originally appeared in the Winter 2017/18 edition of VIU Magazine. Check out more stories on the VIU Magazine webpage.