WSOC: T-Birds, Spartans top 2024 coaches poll

Aug. 28, 2024 – Two of the top women's soccer programs in all of U SPORTS have once again emerged on top of the annual Canada West pre-season coaches poll.

After meeting in both the Canada West and U SPORTS title games last season, the UBC Thunderbirds and Trinity Western Spartans appear poised to write another chapter in their epic rivalry this season.

Entering as defending national champions, UBC garnered 16 first place votes to top this year's poll. Trinity Western followed close behind in second, with the defending conference champions grabbing one first place vote and 13 second place nods.

UBC and TWU have combined to win 10 of the past 12 CW championships dating back to 2011, with only Calgary (2019) and Alberta (2013) interrupting their streak of dominance.

Coming off their U SPORTS leading eighth national championship, the Thunderbirds know they'll need to maintain consistency to find success in the competitive Canada West.

"In order to be successful, we will need to stay focused on our identity of being organized defensively and get key contributions from our attacking players through strong possession in the opponent's half," says head coach Jesse Symons. "With a very strong Canada West conference we will need to stay consistent each match to get results.”

Meanwhile, Spartans head coach Graham Roxburgh will be looking for a wave of younger talent to lead the program this fall.

“The key to [our] success is the ability for younger players to step up and fill the roles of outgoing seniors," says Roxburgh. "With the addition of some new players to a strong returning core, the ability to gel together on the field and to have players rise to the intensity and compactness of the CW schedule will be a key factor in any success the Spartans seek.”

While the T-Birds and Spartans topped the coaches poll, a medley of veteran laden programs will seek to disrupt the current rule of order. The reigning Prairie Division champion MacEwan Griffins finished third in the poll, followed closely by the Calgary Dinos. The Victoria Vikes were fifth, followed by the Saskatchewan Huskies in sixth. The Huskies are the reigning bronze medal winners, having defeated Victoria in PKs in last year's bronze medal game.

With a third place ranking in this year's poll, many coaches across the conference expect an experienced MacEwan Griffins group to challenge for the conference crown. Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro is confident his group is ready to take another step forward.

“We're excited to defend our Prairie Division championship. We've put in the hard work in the offseason," says Cordeiro. "The team is healthy and a little more battle-tested now. Leadership is such an important part of a team's success, so we are excited to have added some veteran players to our squad. Their experience is going to be a huge asset for us this season, on and off the pitch. The team is looking strong and we can't wait for the season to start.”

Conference action begins with a pair of games this weekend as MRU hosts Victoria tomorrow night, while TRU visits UBCO on Friday afternoon. All 16 teams get into the action the following weekend, with a full slate of games Sept. 6-8.

The regular season runs through Oct. 20, with playoffs slated to begin Oct. 25. This year's final four will be hosted by the top Prairie Division seed, beginning Oct. 31. ​

Fans can catch all the action on CanadaWest.TV, which now allows fans to watch games on popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku. Regular season sport passes are available for $39.99.

For the complete Canada West women’s soccer schedule, click here.

To view CW women's soccer history and records, click here.

2024 CW WSOC PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL 

Team - Points (First-place votes)

UBC Thunderbirds

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #1

From the coach: “After a very successful 2023 season with winning the national championship, we are gearing up as a program to continue the on-field success we have had for the past few years. ​ In order to be successful, we will need to stay focused on our identity of being organized defensively and get key contributions from our attacking players through strong possession in the opponent's half. With a very strong Canada West conference we will need to stay consistent each match to get results.” – Head Coach Jesse Symons

Key Performer: Sarah Rollins
​Defender
​2nd Year
​Hometown: Toronto, Ont.

The 2023 Canada West Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, Rollins was also named the U SPORTS Rookie of the Year. Scoring a pair of game winners last season, it was the Toronto native's stellar work on her own side of the pitch which really turned heads across the conference. Rollins started every regular and post-season game for UBC and was on the pitch for all but 51 combined minutes the entire year.

Trinity Western Spartans

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #2

From the coach: “The key to TWU women's soccer success is the ability for younger players to step up and fill the roles of outgoing seniors. With the addition of some new players to a strong returning core, the ability to gel together on the field and to have players rise to the intensity and compactness of the CW schedule will be a key factor in any success the Spartans seek.” - Head Coach Graham Roxburgh

Key Performer: Tilly James
​Defender
​4th Year
​Hometown: Vancouver, B.C.

Tilly's ability to defend and cover make her an exceptional 1v1 defender and her contributions offensively are also so strong because she is very comfortable with the ball and has the ability to get forward into dangerous positions. She is such an impact player.

MacEwan Griffins

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #3

From the coach: “We're excited to defend our Prairie's division championship. We've put in the hard work in the offseason. The team is healthy and a little more battletested now. Leadership is such an important part of a team's success, so we are excited to have added some veteran players to our squad. Their experience is going to be a huge asset for us this season, on and off the pitch. The team is looking strong and we can't wait for the season to start.” – Head Coach Dean Cordeiro ​

Key Performer: Anneke Odinga
​Defender
​4th Year
​Hometown: St. Albert, Alta.

The former Edmonton high school sprint champion is among the fastest players in Canada West, using her lethal speed out of the fullback position to drive the Griffins' potent attack. Equally adept at shutting down the opposition's top attackers with technique, poise and pace, Odinga is on every opposition's scouting report as a U SPORTS second team all-star (2022) and a two-time Canada West first team all-star (2022, 2023).

Calgary Dinos

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #4

From the coach: "All players returning from last year except for one. Squad bolstered by ready to impact first years as well as two transfers. Key to success will be how quickly the new group finds their groove as this is the deepest the Dinos have been since the USPORTS National Final squad in 2019.” – Head Coach Diogo Raposo

Key Performer: Rachel Barlow
​Forward
​5th Year
​Hometown: Calgary, Alta.

Rachel Barlow has been one of the best players in Canada the past two seasons. The fifth-year forward returns for her fifth season on the field for the Dinos, looking to add to her 20 career goals and 20 career assists.

Victoria Vikes ​

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #5

Key Performer: Ruby Nicholas
​Forward
​3rd Year
​Hometown: Quesnel, B.C.

Coming off a 2023 campaign which saw her garner Canada West Second Team All-Star honours after leading the conference in assists (9) and ranking fifth in points (13), Ruby Nicholas will be looked at to step up and help guide a young Vikes squad in her third year after losing some key players to graduation following the 2023 season. Nicholas looks to return the Vikes to the Canada West Final Four once again, as the program reached its first semifinal since 2017 one season ago.

Saskatchewan Huskies

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #6

From the coach: “Expectations are high for our program coming off a Bronze Medal last year. We expect to take another positive step and compete to be one of the three teams that make U SPORTS Nationals. With the majority of our core players returning and a few key additions we are very excited about what this year can bring, but we know nothing is ever easily obtained in this extremely competitive conference, so we look forward to focusing one day at a time in being our best versions in training sessions and games!” – Head Coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton

Key Performer: Alyssa D'Agnone
​Forward
​4th Year
​Hometown: Lethbridge, Alta.

Alyssa was the Huskies only CW All-Star in 2023 and returns for the 2024 season following a fantastic summer in Alberta League 1 with the Calgary Blizzard SC where she was a League 1 Champion. Alyssa has much more room to grow and really started to find her grove attacking. She sets the standard for the Huskies both on and off the pitch.

UBCO Heat

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #7

From the coach: “We are just looking to build on our season last year and are excited with the new additions added to the squad.” – Head Coach Craig Smith

Key Performer: Abigail Taneda
​Forward
​4th Year
​Hometown: West Kelowna, B.C.

Entering her fourth season with the Heat, Taneda has established herself as one of the best offensive threats to ever suit up for UBCO since joining Canada West. Her ability to score goals, set up her teammates, defend and perform when the spotlight is brightest will make her the focal point as the Heat look to build off their quarter-final appearance a year ago. Already UBCO's all-time assists leader in Canada West play, Taneda will have her sights set on Stefanie Young's UBCO career point mark in 2024.

Alberta Pandas

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #8

Key Performer: Adrienne Poulin
​Midfield
​4th Year
​Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.

One of the most consistent offensive threats in Canada West is fourth-year Panda Adrienne Poulin. The speedy winger has scored 15 goals in 20 games over the last two seasons, and should once again find her name at the top of the conference scoring list in 2024.

Thompson Rivers WolfPack

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #9

From the coach: “Building on the growth over the last two years, our young squad have another year of experience and will look to build on this and push for a playoff spot. With seven quality recruits the WolfPack look to upset some big teams this coming season.” – Head Coach Mark Pennington

Key Performer: Raiya Rumo
​Defence
​4th Year
​Hometown: Courtice, Ont.

Already the most decorated player in program history, Raiya Rumo is back for one more season with the WolfPack in 2024-25. The lightning-fast centre back was named the program's first-ever Canada West First Team All-Star last season as she was recognized as one of the top defender's in the country. As well as shutting down opposition strikers, the product of Courtice, Ont. has also proven to be a threat moving forward with the ability to strike from set pieces.

Mount Royal Cougars

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #10

From the coach: “The key to success will be staying with the pack for the top four spots in this very difficult schedule. We'll need to manage travel demands and compete in a tough group with short training weeks.” – Head Coach Tino Fusco ​ ​ ​

Key Performer: Tamara Djurisic
​Midfield/Forward
​2nd Year
​Hometown: Edmonton, Alta.

Tamara Djurisic stood out as a key rookie, contributing greatly to this past season which included earning the Canada West All-Rookie team, U SPORTS All-Rookie team, and earning the leading scorer 2023 title. She far surpassed expectations and led by a strong example.

UFV Cascades

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #11

Key Performer: Kiana Langston
​Forward
​2nd Year
​Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C.

Kiana’s speed and athleticism up top allows her to get in behind any oppositions back line. She provides power to the attack and is able to produce goals in high stakes situations. Kiana showed in her first season that she can score in clutch moments for UFV, scoring a game-winning goal during the season, and notching a 120th minute equalizer against Victoria in the playoffs.

Manitoba Bisons

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #12

Key Performer: Jessica Tsai
​Midfield
​5th Year
​Hometown: Winnipeg, Man.

Captain Jessica Tsai enters her final year of eligibility as one of the most accomplished players in program history. Already the program record-holder for shots on goal (91), she will add to her total this season. Additionally, her four game-winning goals are just four shy of program record, and she is just 14 shots away from third all-time (145), seven starts away from second all-time (63) and six assists shy of school record (27). ​
​​
​One of the most accurate players in the country and Manitoba's primary option on set pieces, her corner kicks have merited multiple goals in year's past.

Regina Cougars

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #13

From the coach: “It is an exciting time for the program - we are maturing into a more experienced roster and have had the addition of several recruits that will make an impact immediately. ​ We want to be clinical in the final third and disciplined in our defending. ​ We want to play an exciting attack-minded brand of soccer build on hard work, determination and grit.” – Head Coach Astrid Baecker

Key Performer: Allyson Schneider
​Midfield
​4th Year
​Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask.

One of the team's co-captains for the second straight season, Allyson Schneider graduated from the U of R in the spring but is back with the Cougars as she pursues a master's degree through the Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Studies. One of six Cougars to play in all 14 Canada West games last season, Schneider tied for the team lead with four goals scored with two of those coming in a critical late-season road draw with Manitoba. A fixture in the team's midfield, Schneider has played in 37 regular season matches and three postseason matches in her first three seasons with the Cougars.

UNBC Timberwolves

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #14

Key Performer: Claire Turner
​Striker
​5th Year
​Hometown: Fort St. John, B.C.

A veteran of 51 games in the Green and Gold, fifth year forward Claire Turner returns for her final season of Canada West competition. The Fort St. John product is a fierce competitor, can finish near the net, and perhaps most importantly brings a wealth of experience and leadership to a young and up-and-coming Timberwolves squad.

Lethbridge Pronghorns

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #15

From the coach: "Being in year two under the new coach, we have a lot of new pieces coming, including having three international level players, four provincial level ones and we were able to keep all of our key pieces that didn’t graduate. We have a better depth and the girls are hungry to perform." - Head Coach Thiago Bastos

Key Performer: Hailey Slobodian
​Striker
​4th Year
​Hometown: East St. Paul, Man.

Was the leading offensive contributor for the Pronghorns last season. Outruns and outworks defences to get shots.

Winnipeg Wesmen

2024 Coaches Poll Rank: #16

Key Performer: Jazmyn Castro
​Midfield
​4th Year
​Hometown: Winnipeg, Man.

Jazmyn Castro is the driver in the attacking third for the Wesmen having led the team in scoring in each of the past two seasons. Having started 20 of her 26 career games, she stands as the most seasoned player on this year's Wesmen roster.