The long road to the post-season 鈥� and hopefully a return to the CIS national championships 鈥� begins this weekend.
鈥淚t is a rigorous campaign,鈥� said Trinity Western Spartans men鈥檚 soccer coach Pat Rohla.
鈥淓very weekend is a tournament: you have to be battle-ready.
鈥淭here is lots of attrition because of injuries and the format of the league, as well as the style of soccer (that the teams) play.鈥�
During the 2012 campaign, the Spartans lost just once during Canada West play, compiling a record of 9-1-4.
But in the league playoffs, decimated by injuries, the team went 1-2 and placed fourth, denying themselves a spot at the CIS national championships.
The Spartans had made the CIS tournament for five straight years from 2006 to 2010, but has failed to make it since then.
But Rohla says the team can鈥檛 get too far ahead of itself and instead needs to focus on securing one of the six post-season berths to the conference playoffs.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 our goal; if we can get to Canada West, we will have a chance,鈥� he said.
鈥�(But) every game is going to be difficult. There are no weak sisters in the league, everyone will play hard, play aggressive.鈥�
The Spartans are down a pair of big men in forwards Spencer Schmidt and Andre Costa.
But they did add German-born striker Dominic Reinold, who Rohla calls a 鈥減rogram changer.鈥�
The six-foot-three Reinold spent two seasons in the U.S. playing collegiately.
He is expected to team up with the speedy Jarvis Ambaka, a 2012 conference all-star.
Ambaka led the team with eight goals and 11 points in 2012.
Together, they are expected to provide Trinity Western with a 鈥榯hunder and lightning鈥� tandem up front, which should create fits for the opposition.
The midfield will be led by third-year captain Brayden Gant, a Canada West first team all-star and CIS second team all-Canadian in 2012.
He will be joined by another returnee, Mitchell Rohla to form the team鈥檚 core in the middle of the park.
Carlos del Aquila and Sam Delfts, both returning players, and newcomer Elie Gindo will compete for starting roles alongside Gant and Rohla.
The back-line will be a young unit with the loss of Brayden Volkenant.
Besides fifth-year centre-back Rhys Volkenant, the Spartans back four will be made up of first, second and third-year players. Returning starters Taylor Johnson and Kalem Scott will slot into positions while rookie Jonah Reinhard should see some starting minutes.
Beyond that, it will be third-year defender Andrew Dobbie and first-year Matt Kasteel fighting for playing time.
And in goal, it should be fourth-year keeper Evan Lowther and second-year Andrew Hicks competing for playing time.
Lowther played 10 of the team鈥檚 14 games in 2012.
The Spartans went 2-0-2 during the preseason.
鈥淲e picked up a few injuries, which will cause the other players to fill in some of the blanks,鈥� Rohla said.
鈥淏ut even with that, we have been playing some decent soccer.鈥�
Trinity Western opens the season with a pair of road games this weekend: tomorrow (Friday) at the Fraser Valley Cascades in Chilliwack and then Sunday in Victoria against the Vikes.
The team鈥檚 home opener at Rogers Field is set for Sept. 14. It is the back half of a home-and-home series with the UBC Thunderbirds.
