U Sports women's soccer
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Formerly | CIAU soccer, CIS soccer |
---|---|
Sport | Soccer |
Founded | 1987 |
No. of teams | 53, in four conferences |
Country | Canada |
Most recent champion(s) | UBC Thunderbirds (2023) |
Most titles | UBC Thunderbirds (8)[1] |
Official website | usports |
U Sports women's soccer is the highest level of play at the university level under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports.[2] As of the 2021 season, 53 teams from Canadian universities are divided into four conferences, drawing from the four conferences of U Sports: Canada West, Ontario University Athletics, Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec, and Atlantic University Sport.[3] After interconference playoffs have been played, eight teams compete for the Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy, awarded to the U Sports women's soccer championship winner.
Season structure
Regular season
The regular season is eight to nine weeks long, depending on the conference. Teams play between 12 and 16 regular season games, depending on conference or division, with teams typically playing a home and home series with every other team in their conference or division. All regular season games are in-conference. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Chantal Navert Memorial award is awarded annually to the Player of the Year in U Sports women's soccer.
Playoffs
After the regular season,
The Ontario playoff system operates much like the Atlantic one, except it functions for both the West and East divisions. The top six teams from each division (twelve total) qualify for the playoffs, with the top two seeds of each division receiving byes. The champions of each division then play for the OUA conference championship. Because the OUA has 12 teams competing, it necessitates a longer post-season schedule. Consequently, the first round of the playoffs in the OUA occurs during the same week that each of the other three conferences are playing their last regular season games. The four conference champions automatically qualify for the U Sports Women's Soccer Championship.
Women's Soccer Championship
The U Sports Women's Soccer Championship, first established in 1987, features eight teams in single elimination matches to determine a national champion. The championship hosts 11 games over four days at a predetermined host venue. The host team is automatically qualified for the tournament, as is each of the conference champions. Another berth is awarded to the second-place finisher in the Ontario conference and Canada West conference. The final spot is given to one team from one of the three remaining conferences on a yearly rotational basis.[4]
Teams
Atlantic University Sport
University | Varsity Name | City | Province | Founded | Soccer Stadium | Stadium Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acadia University | Axewomen |
Wolfville | NS | 1838 | Raymond Field | 3,000 |
Cape Breton University | Capers | Sydney | NS | 2005 | CBU Field | N/A |
Dalhousie University | Tigers | Halifax |
NS | 1818 | Wickwire Field | 2,000 |
Memorial University of Newfoundland | Sea-Hawks | St. John's | NL | 1925 | King George V Park | 6,400[5] |
Université de Moncton | Aigles Bleu |
Moncton | NB | 1864 | Moncton Stadium |
10,000 |
Mount Allison University | Mounties | Sackville | NB | 1839 | MacAulay Field | 2,500 |
University of New Brunswick | Varsity Reds |
Fredericton | NB | 1785 | BMO Centre | 2,500 |
University of Prince Edward Island | Panthers | Charlottetown | PEI | 1969 | UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place | 1,670 |
Saint Mary's University | Huskies | Halifax |
NS | 1802 | Huskies Stadium | 4,000 |
St. Francis Xavier University | X-Women |
Antigonish | NS | 1853 | Oland Stadium |
4,000 |
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Ontario University Athletics
Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec
University | Varsity Name | City | Province | Founded | Soccer Stadium | Stadium Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bishop's University | Bishop's Gaiters | Sherbrooke | QC | 1843 | Coulter Field | 2,200 |
Concordia University |
Stingers | Montreal | QC | 1896 | Concordia Stadium | 4,000 |
Université Laval | Rouge et Or | Quebec City | QC | 1663 | PEPS Stadium |
12,257 |
McGill University | Martlets | Montreal | QC | 1821 | Percival Molson Memorial Stadium | 25,012 |
Université de Montréal | Carabins | Montreal | QC | 1821 | CEPSUM Stadium |
5,100 |
Université du Québec à Montréal | Citadins | Montreal | QC | 1969 | terrain #2 of Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard | 1,000 |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières | Patriotes | Trois-Rivières | QC | 1969 | Stade de l'UQTR | 1,500 |
Université de Sherbrooke | Vert et Or | Sherbrooke | QC | 1843 | Stade de l'Université de Sherbrooke |
3,359 |
References
- ^ Past U Sports champions
- ^ "USPORTS Identity". December 31, 2023.
- ^ "Women's Soccer".
- ^ "Playing Regulations - Women's Soccer" (PDF). August 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "King George V Park".