A year away from hosting nationals, WolfPack men feel they can get there ahead of schedule

Over the last two recruiting classes, Antulov has brought in 17 new players. He’s trying to build a program that’s constantly re-tooling and not rebuilding. “The players that we brought in were good quality players, not just for now but for the next 4-5 years. One of the thins we’re trying to do with this program is get that consistency — not just after three years, then having to rebuild every time. We want to have that succession planning in place. I think we’re doing that.”

Antulov has created a winning culture where TRU is an attractive destination. In 2017, many of his recruits came just so they could play in a national championship. Even with TRU hosting the nationals again next year, now it’s not the only reason players are coming.

“I think what we’ve been able to do over the last three years is get players that want to come here consistently, whether we’re hosting nationals or not,” said Antulov. “I think that’s where we wanted to get this program. I had a 10-year plan. Things are happening a little bit earlier than expected, which is fantastic.”

The program will be put to the test right away, hosting UBC on Sept. 10 to open the season. However, the team is confident with the players they have, especially defensively.

“Honestly, our back line is super solid,” said Fraser. “There’s a lot of good, solid defenders on our team this year. I think a lot of teams are going to have trouble breaking down that back four.”

In line with the old adage ‘defence wins championships,’ the WolfPack are hoping it’s enough to get them to the national championships this year.

by Chad Klassen

A year away from hosting nationals, WolfPack men feel they can get there ahead of schedule

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