Abbotsford, BC - As the U SPORTS National rankings have been released over the past two weeks there has quietly been a new addition. Not just new this season, but in the 20^th season of Canada West competition for the UFV Cascades men's soccer team the team has earned a spot in that coveted top-10 for the first time in the history of the program. 

Announced at No. 10 on October 5, 2026, the Cascades improved two spots this week to No. 8. 

"It was amazing. We all found out, and I was jumping up and down in joy", Cascades striker and captain Mateo Brazinha explained when the team found out they were nationally ranked for the first time. 

"It's a goal of mine to help this program get farther than it's ever been, and I think it's really a showing of the work that the program has done, what the program deserves, and now it's a new standard of what this program is."

The two-time conference player of the year, and reigning U SPORTS player of the year has been a big part of pushing the program in recent years, but for those that have spent a lot of time around the program, it really does feel like a culmination of the past 20 years of work. In that time, the team has grown from its early years into a consistent playoff presence and contender in Canada West. 

"You can't talk about an achievement like this without talking about our alumni," explained UFV head coach Tom Lowndes. 

"I think everybody who has played in this program has been a part of this. There have been ups and downs over the years, but it's a mark of the people involved and the culture of this program that when guys get here they put their heads down and really get to work."

That mentality isn't new for the Cascades, but it has been forged over the two decades that the team has played at this level. 

"We have had other teams over the years that probably deserved to be in that top-10 but never got there, and we have been really close, so it's huge for all those guys that came through the program and we want them to know that they have been a huge part in building to this success."

Despite reaching this new program-high, Brazinha noted the team can't be satisfied if they want to reach their goals. 

"This is an extremely ambitious group. We have an ambitious coach, and eighth isn't where we want to be. Obviously, we will celebrate these wins, but we want to keep building. We want this season to end with something special, and this is a step in the right direction. 

The Cascades are currently enjoying their bye-week, before they enter their final weekend of regular season play with games against Trinity Western University on October 23, and the University of Victoria on October 25. Both games have massive implications as UFV looks to lock up the second seed in their division. 

Lowndes noted that these important games add something extra to the feel heading into the last weekend. 

"It should be a really fun weekend. We should know more about the playoff scenarios, and the playoff picture when we play Trinity on Friday, but the goal is always the same for us. We have gone on a good run now being unbeaten in our last nine, and it's just about fine tuning those details and getting two positive results to prepare for that playoff run."

For a team that has been so tantalizingly close to earning a place in the U SPORTS National Championships over the last two seasons, with both coming to an end with heartbreaking losses in extra time, this season offers one more chance to reach that pinnacle. 

"We talked in the preseason about getting to nationals and doing something that no UFV men's soccer team has done." Lowndes explained about the team's ultimate goals this year. 

"They want to get to that national tournament to show they can compete on that stage, but we also know we are competing in the toughest conference in the country. Canada West could probably send six teams to nationals that could compete and do well, so we know we have to be at our best. We will see in a couple of weeks if we can go and make a little bit more history this year."
And for what could be Brazinha's last weekend of games playing at home at Rotary Stadium, he has a message for fans coming to watch. 

"I think you're going to watch a team that is desperate to create history. You are going to see a team that is dying to do something that we've never done, and we are going to play like it."

You aren't going to want to miss that.

-30-
 

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Community Day Games
Join the Cascades at Rotary Stadium on Friday October 23, as the soccer teams host their Community Day games at 12pm and 2:15pm. Admission is free for everyone.

UFV Cascades Giving Day
Support the Cascades student-athletes by donating on October 27. Every gift helps students CLIMB higher in sport, in the classroom, and across our community. Visit GiveCascades.ca to learn more and help UFV Cascades student-athletes thrive. 

Keep up to date
Cascades regular season home games offer free admission for UFV students with their student card. You can keep up with all the action at gocascades.ca, or by following the UFV Cascades on social media at @ufvcascades. All Cascades regular season soccer, volleyball, and basketball games are also available to watch live and on demand at canadawest.tv.

About UFV
Located in the beautiful Fraser Valley just east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) is a fully accredited, public university that enrolls approximately 15,000 students per year. UFV has campuses and locations in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, and Hope, and a growing presence in Chandigarh, India.