The Durham Lords Women’s Soccer Team will travel to Vancouver this week to compete in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) National Soccer Championships as Langara College hosts the national event from November 8-11, 2006.

The four-day Championship will feature the top six female collegiate soccer teams from across the country competing at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex in Vancouver.

Durham earned their way into the nationals after defeating the Algonquin Thunder 4-1 at the OCAA Championships. The Lords (9-0-1) enter as the fourth ranked team nationally. This season Durham won their fifth consecutive East Region title and fourth OCAA Championship title, tying Fanshawe for the most OCAA Championships.

The Lords open the Championship facing the number three-ranked Nova Scotia Agricultural College from Hailfax, NS and the host Langara College on Friday.

“We need to play almost perfect on Friday against Langara College who is last years National Champions,” commented head coach Vaso Vujanovic. “They have four players who are trying out for the National team and we will have to play our best to beat this very good team.”

After losing seven starters from last season the Lords picked up seven young exceptional key players this season including the CCAA Athlete of the Month Kirsten Bodashefsky and 2006 league scoring champion Brittany Micucci (1.86 GPG).

”They are all very talented young women,” said Vujanovic. “We take one game at a time, the veterans are constantly reminding the rookies about this as anything can happen on any given day.”

Among the veterans watch out for OCAA Player of the Year and CCAA All-Canadian Amanda Durno to try and help lead the charge.

The Draw for the Women’s Championship is as follows:

1. Collège François-Xavier-Garneau – Québec, Québec (FQSE)
2. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology – Edmonton, Alberta (ACAC)
3. Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) – Halifax, Nova Scotia (ACAA)
4. Durham College – Oshawa, Ontario (OCAA)
5. Langara College – Vancouver, British Columbia (BCCAA)
6. Thompson Rivers University (TRU) – Kamloops, British Columbia (BCCAA)

Championship Schedule:
Wednesday, November 8th
10:30 AM -- F.-X.-Garneau VS TRU
1:00 PM -- Langara (Host) VS NSAC
Thursday, November 9th
10:30 AM -- NAIT VS TRU
1:00 PM -- Durham VS NSAC
Friday, November 10th
10:30 AM -- F.-X.-Garneau VS NAIT
1:00 PM -- Langara (Host) VS Durham
Saturday, November 11th
9:00 AM -- 5th place VS 6th place
11:00 AM -- Bronze Medal
1:30 PM -- Gold Medal

For more information, including schedules, news, results and developments on the 2006 CCAA Soccer Nationals, please click here to visit the Championship Website