University of Victoria Athletics

Bridge is a local product, growing up in Victoria and spending his youth soccer days with the Lakehill Soccer Association. He also went to and played soccer for Victoria High School.
 
As a player, Bridge began his professional career in 1979 in the North American Soccer League (NASL) with the Seattle Sounders (1979-83) and then competed with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1984. Bridge played 124 games in six seasons of the NASL and tallied 13 career goals before moving on to compete in Switzerland for five years, playing professionally for the FC Chaux-de-Fonds. Bridge returned to compete in the Canadian Soccer League, playing for the Victoria Vistas (1990), Kitchener Kickers (1991) and the North York Rockets (1991).
 
With Canada, Bridge competed at the 1979 Under-19 World Youth Championship before opening his senior national team career in 1981 in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago. Bridge earned 34 international caps with Canada and scored five goals in competition such as the FIFA World Cup qualification matches, the FIFA World Cup finals and the 1984 Olympics. Bridge closed out his international career in 1991 at the CONCACAF Gold Cup final match against Mexico. The defender was honoured in to the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.
 
In addition to his prolific playing career, Bridge brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Vikes program, previously coaching the Vikes women's soccer program from 1990-2000. Bridge led the Vikes to two Canada West conference banners, one CIS silver and one CIS bronze medal over his ten-year career. He became the assistant coach of Canada's senior national team in 1997, a position he held until 2008. In 2002, Bridge led the Canadian women's U-19 team to the U-19 World Cup final and four U-20 FIFA world cup appearances before stepping down in 2008.
 
From 2010-12, Bridge was the head coach of the Victoria Highlanders PDL men's team, a program that boasts many current Vikes.

Last updated Nov. 1, 2013 by James Nielsen