University of Victoria athletes are in for a busy weekend.
With the Vikes men’s soccer team on the road, the women carry local play Friday, Oct. 20 when they host Trinity Western at 5 p.m. at Centennial Stadium. The women return to the pitch Saturday, Oct. 21 to host Fraser Valley, also with a 5 p.m. kick-off at Centennial Stadium.
The Vikes women’s field hockey team returns home for two back-to-back games, hosting Calgary on Saturday, Oct. 21 and Sunday, Oct. 22. Both games open at 11 a.m. at UVic.
Local rowing fans can head to the Gorge to catch some of the top university athletes in action. The men and women’ of the Vikes rowing team start the first weekend of a busy three-week span by competing at the Tail of the Gorge.
And in the pool, Vikes Swimmers get their season underway at the first stop of the 2017 BC Senior Swim Circuit on Saturday, Oct. 21 when they compete at Commonwealth Place.
Turning to high school sports, Oak Bay’s senior boys volleyball joins Spectrum and Victor Brodeur at the West Shore’s Belmont Secondary on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m.
Senior girls field hockey is heading into playoffs, with St. Michaels University School playing Mt. Douglas Secondary for the May Tully Shield Monday, Oct. 23 at 4:30 p.m.
In the developmental division, team 1 will play team 4 at 3:30 p.m. and team 2 will play team 3 at 4:30 p.m. (Field 2B) at UVic. The winners of those games go head to head Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 3:30 p.m. while the fifth and sixth place teams will play at 4:30 p.m. The schedule was still being determined at press time – stay up to date at lowerislandschoolsports.ca.
Looking ahead, Glenlyon Norfolk School will host the AA field hockey Islands Oct. 27 and 28.
With an eye on the Nov. 4 championships at Jericho Beach, Oak Bay’s high school runners compete in the Islands this Wednesday, Oct. 25. Fans and supporters can head to Beaver Lake park to cheer on the local runners, with the junior girls opening competition at 1 p.m., followed by the junior boys at 1:30 p.m., senior girls ad 2 p.m. and senior boys at 2:30 p.m. Awards wrap up the afternoon at 3:15 p.m.
In community sports, the Div. 1 Bays United men are back in action tonight (Friday, Oct. 20) when they take on the Cowichan FC at Oak Bay High at 8 p.m.
Rugby fans can head to Windsor Park Saturday for plenty of Castaway Wanderers action. The Premier Reserve squad faces Nanaimo 2 at 12:45 p.m. before the men’s Premier team takes the field at 2:30 p.m. against Nanaimo.
Oak Bay ball hockey fans can register for the 2018 Greater Victoria Minor Ball Hockey season beginning Nov. 1. The GVMBHA also hosts its Annual General Meeting Monday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Pearkes Rec Centre’s Lam Room.
Colin Gall writes Fridays about coming Oak Bay sports events.
