VICTORIA - The UVic women's soccer team will have only one game to focus on this weekend as they travel to visit the University of Fraser Valley Cascades in the first of their double header spanning the next two weekends. On Saturday, Oct. 22 at 12 p.m. the Vikes will be looking to come away with three points to continue their race for the fourth and final Canada West playoff spot.

Last weekend, the Vikes put themselves in a slightly tough situation as they tied 2-2 with the Manitoba Bisons, who are ranked eighth in the Canada West. Regina, ranked one below the Bisons, challenged the Vikes on Sunday keeping the scoreline a little closer than the Vikes may have liked. Regardless, #Maryse Reichgeld#'s (North Vancouver, B.C.) solo efforts put the Vikes up 1-0, enough to squeak by with the needed three points. The four point weekend leaves the Vikes momentarily in fourth place and one point ahead of Saskatchewan, who have two games in hand.

Despite the up and down season, the Vikes have held consistency in several players including midfielder #Jaclyn Sawicki# (Coquitlam, B.C.), who is the only member of her squad to have suited up with Team Canada this year. Sawicki, along with team mates #Jacqueline Harrison# (Whitehorse, Yukon) and #Nathalie Scharf# (Salmon Arm, B.C.), have been crucial and consistent two-way players for UVic. Backstopping them between the pipes has been fourth-year keeper #Stephanie Parker# (Chemainus, B.C.), who has played all 90 minutes of all 12 Canada West games and has posted three shutouts.

The UVic squad will now face the Fraser Valley Cascades on the road on Oct. 22 and at home on Oct. 29. Last weekend, Fraser Valley tied Manitoba 1-1 in similar fashion to the Vikes, lost to Regina 4-0 and are now seventh place in Canada West with a 3-6-3 record. The Cascades' leading goal scorer has been fifth-year captain Megan Webster with four goals in 12 games. In the other end, keeper Chantelle Biagioni has backed the Cascades in all 12 season games and recorded one shutout. Head coach Rob Giesbrecht's squad, who returns 11 from the 2010 season, will also rely on third-year defender Danielle Schmidt to anchor the backline and senior forward Ellen Kuyer up front.

SCOUTING THE FRASER VALLEY CASCADES
2010 conference record: 8-5-1 (3rd)?
2010 playoffs: 4-1 (CW champs, CIS bronze)
Last CW title: 2010?
Last CIS title: N/A
CIS ranking: #7?
CW ranking: #4
Key addition: McKenzie Shopland
Key returnees: Megan Webster, Ellen Kuyer, Chantelle Biagioni, Danielle Schmidt
Key departure: Lyndsay Munro