It's been nearly five years since Mark Village played his last game for the University of the Fraser Valley men's soccer program, and his name still resonates as one of the best players in Cascades history.

The Abbotsford product had an outstanding five-year run (2009-2014) with his hometown program, and he still holds the lion's share of the Cascades' Canada West-era goalkeeping records, including most wins (16), shutouts (11), minutes played (4,194), games played (46) and save percentage (.726).

Beyond that, he's made a living playing pro soccer since graduation, and he experiences another career milestone this week with the launch of the Canadian Premier League (CPL). Village will suit up for Pacific FC, a club based in Victoria, B.C., and they open the inaugural campaign this Sunday at home vs. HFX Wanderers FC.

GoCascades.ca caught up with Village this week to get his thoughts on the new league, and his pro soccer life.

Q: The Canadian soccer community is certainly excited for the launch of the CPL. What does it mean to you as a Canadian professional to have an opportunity to play in Canada, and what type of potential do you think the CPL has?

A: "As a whole, I think it's a very exciting time for Canadian soccer, whether you're a player or a fan. Now players have an outlet to really strive for and reach that professional level. It's something for players to dream for.

"I think the potential for the CPL is huge. They sat us down when we were on our preseason trip to the Dominican, and they have a real good business model and they're methodical in how they're doing things. I think the front office of the CPL is really set and sound. Now it's up to the teams to deliver the product."
 

Tell us about your new team. What is Pacific FC capable of this season?

"It's going to be interesting to see how teams shape up. You have seven new teams with guys you've heard about, or played against or played with. We have some very good veterans on our team, and we've got some very good young guys. I think our potential is pretty high, but honestly, you don't really know where you sit. We haven't played any preseason games against the other CPL teams, whereas a few of them have played each other and gotten a feel for what the league might be like. We're still sitting in the dark, and we'll have to see what the level is going to be like.

"There's probably a few Whitecaps fans who would know Marcel de Jong, who played with the Whitecaps for three years. He was a huge signing for us, but unfortunately he ruptured his Achilles and he's out right now. We've also got Issey Nakajima-Farran – he's another Canadian international who's played in every league and every country you can imagine. He's got some real experience under him. And then we've got Marcus Haber and Ben Fisk, who have been with the national team. And also my friend Blake Smith, who I played with last year in Cincinnati, has joined up as well. We've got an exciting group, but it's not limited to those guys. The young guys are going to play a huge role in the team, and we've got some who have a high ceiling and huge potential."

You're competing for playing time with Nolan Wirth, who you know from the Vancouver Whitecaps program. What's that relationship been like?

"We get along very well, and he's hard not to get along with. He's a very humorous guy, very happy guy, and he's also hard-working. He's 24, and he has a high ceiling. He's got a lot of talent, and it's been a lot of fun competing with him. I think we'll be going back and forth with competition this year, and we'll see who comes out on top. It's been great working with him."



You were able to launch your professional career locally, spending three seasons (2015-2017) with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2. What did that time mean to you in terms of your development?

"It was huge for me. Coming out of university, I had a decent career with UFV, and I'd learned a lot with (Cascades head coach) Alan Errington. But going into a professional environment with a full-time goalkeeper coach, everything's heightened. Everyone's a lot quicker, a lot sharper, and it was definitely an adjustment. I worked with a goalkeeper coach named Raegyn Hall who has been at the Whitecaps for many years. He taught me a lot, and it was exactly what I needed for my first few years, adjusting to the professional game. It's catapulted me to where I am now."

After the Whitecaps disbanded FC 2, you moved on to FC Cincinnati and were part of that franchise's final season in the USL Championship (2018). They've subsequently moved up to Major League Soccer (MLS) and are in the midst of their debut season. What was it like being part of that franchise as it ramped up towards MLS?

"Going from university to Whitecaps 2 was a jump, and going from Whitecaps 2 to Cincinnati was another jump. There were players there who had played in Italy, played in the Premier League, played all over. They had a lot of guys with a ton of experience and a ton of talent. Training with them every day, I learned a lot. And once again, the goalkeeper coach there, Jack Stern, was fantastic. I learned a ton from him as well. It was great to be part of that organization, even if it was just for one year. I really enjoyed my time.

"And the fans were huge. They were crazy for the game. For regular-season games, we didn't dip below 25,000 people. For a second-division side, it was unheard of. It was fantastic to be there, and the support was true. The front office really promoted the team as being for the city and for the community, and they do a good job."
 

You accomplished an awful lot on the soccer pitch for UFV. What's your best memory as a Cascade?

"I think one of my favourite memories was the first game I started, against Trinity Western University. They were, at the time, one of the tougher teams to play against – they had gone to nationals the year prior. Our starter at the time, Kris Johannson, got injured the game before against UBC, and I jumped in for the last 20 minutes. But then I got the start the next game against Trinity Western, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time. I got battered with a lot of shots, but I ended up playing very, very well. The game ended up 0-0, and Alan Errington even gave me a kiss on the forehead after the game."

What is your advice to up-and-coming athletes at UFV?

"Like I said earlier, the outlet (to pro soccer) is there now. When I was at UFV, it was kind of tough to see where the path to a professional career was, because there wasn't really a path. In order to get drafted to the MLS, you pretty much had to go to an American university. There wasn't really a pathway from CIS, what is now U SPORTS. But now you can be drafted by these CPL teams, or get an invitation for trials, because the clubs are in the back yards of a lot of universities. Just keep pushing on, doing your thing, and get your name out there."

One last question, completely tongue in cheek. Since departing UFV, you've gotten married . . . to a Trinity Western Spartans women's soccer alum. Cascades-Spartans is a pretty heated rivalry, and we're guessing there were a lot of alumni from both programs at your wedding – any tension in the room?

"(Laughs) Nah, at the wedding it was all fun and games. There were a few pokes that her team had won three nationals, and UFV at that time, my team didn't even go to nationals. But it was all in fun. I love my wife (Caitlin, nee Haines) . . . I'm a big supporter of her path, and it's always great to watch the games between Trinity Western and UFV that we can get back for. It's a good little rivalry we have in the household!"