The TRU WolfPack men's soccer team started its training camp at Hillside Stadium on Monday (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

TRU WOLFPACK

‘We don’t want to lose any momentum’: WolfPack men’s soccer start training despite no season

Aug 25, 2020 | 12:02 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s the time of year when the TRU WolfPack would be starting their Canada West season on the pitch.

That was cancelled due to the pandemic, but the WolfPack are still training at the newly-turfed Hillside Stadium.

“Part of this season is a development year without having league games,” said TRU men’s head coach John Antulov, who is wearing a mask during the training sessions. “It was still really important for us to keep our guys going. We don’t want to lose any momentum of what we’ve been doing over the last three years. We have a lot to look forward to with hosting nationals in 2022.”

The players, while wishing they were playing games, are content practicing for now in small groups amongst each other. It’s something. They’re just happy to be back and hoping to get a leg up on other squads across the country.

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“Obviously we’re holding nationals in 2022, so we all want to stay sharp and we can really use this as an opportunity to get ahead,” said WolfPack forward James Fraser. “I think the WolfPack are taking it a lot more seriously than other soccer programs, so I think that can work in our favour. These other teams that might take this as an offseason or a break, players have the mindset of ‘it’s just a free year.’ We don’t have that mindset.”

The WolfPack are operating under Phase 2 of viaSport’s return-to-play protocol. It means they are limited to small groups of about 10 people. It’s taken a lot to get to this stage.

“Just been a lot of work with your provincial sports organizations, your athletic department, the university for us to be able to get into a little different training sessions than what we’re used to right now,” said Antulov. “But at the end of the day, I think the guys are just happy to get out, be together.”

However, Antulov expects the WolfPack to join other sports across the province in Phase 3 by the middle of September. It’s at that point TRU can play exhibition games against other university teams, likely just in B.C.

“For us, we’re just in planning phases right now. We just have to wait to get the okay from the university and sports organizations, B.C. health for us to be able to get out there and play, but we’re planning for it and hopefully it comes.”