Nelson's Mitch Popadynetz, UBC capture National University Championship
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Nelson’s Mitch Popadynetz is a National University Champion.
The L.V. Rogers grad helped power the the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to a 3-1 victory over the Laval Rouge et Or in the gold-medal final of the CIS men’s soccer tournament Sunday afternoon at the BMO Field.
The victory, where UBC had to rally from a 1-0 deficit at halftime scoring three times in the second half, allowed T-Birds to to repeat as national champions.
The Canada West titlist T-Birds, who edged Montreal 1-0 in Thursday’s opening round and York 2-1 in Friday’s semifinals, end the season with a 17-1 overall mark (conference play & post-season) and on a 16-game winning streak since a 1-0 home loss to Fraser Valley back on September 8.
It was the 13th Sam Davidson Memorial Trophy triumph for UBC – nine more than any other CIS program – which had blanked Cape Breton 1-0 in last year’s title match in Quebec City.
The T-Birds had repeated as national champs five times in the past, winning three straight Davidson Trophies from 1984 to 1986 and four in a row from 1989 to 1992.
UBC and Laval had also met in the 2007 final in Vancouver, with the Thunderbirds prevailing 2-1 on home turf. The Rouge et Or claimed their lone CIS banner two years later with a 3-2 victory over Quebec rival McGill.
Laval, crowned RSEQ champions last Sunday, also advanced to today’s contest thanks to a pair of one-goal victories on Thursday and Friday, 3-2 against Ryerson in the quarter-finals and 1-0 on kicks over tournament host UNB in the semis.
“It feels tremendous; it’s a special group of players,” said CIS coach of the year Mike Mosher, who leads a program which is now a mind-boggling 41-5-1 (.883) all-time in 19 appearances at the CIS tournament, including 17 trips to the final.
“We’ve been fortunate to play for a number of national titles, but the opportunity is rare and you have to seize the moment because you don’t know when you’re going to get that next chance.”
This is the first season at UBC for Popadynetz, finishing the season with three goals including a marker in the Canada West Final against Saskatchewan.
Popadynetz, tuned up for his inaugural season of university men’s soccer by helping Team BC win a silver medal at the 2013 Canada Games in Sherbrooke, Que.
Popadynetz scored the lone goal for Team BC in a 1-0 victory over Ontario in semi final medal round action.
Popadynetz, who began his roundball career in Nelson Youth Soccer before heading to the Lower Mainland to play with Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club, was selected to the 1994/95 Super Y-League ODP National Camp.
As a member of the NYS U13 Selects, Popadynetz power the squad to a silver medal at the 2008 B.C. Soccer Provincial B Cup in Richmond, coming within a penalty shot of capturing the gold medal.
Popadynetz is enrolled in the Arts faculty at UBC.
— With Files from CIS
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