In 1993, the UCFV women’s soccer team captured the bronze medal in the CAAA national championship. In 1994, they did it again. Not only did they celebrate those back-to-back bronze wins.

For coach Tom Fast, having the team inducted is a point of pride. He was handed the role in 1992 after the previous coach had injured himself training for a triathlon.  He was 24 years old. Tom’s father Scott had coached the men’s soccer team for several years, and Tom gained experience both as a player and by assisting his father. “I had an idea about how the league worked, but I didn’t have my coaching credentials,” says Tom. “I got certified while I was coaching here.”

He wasn’t alone, however; he was supported by Assistant Coach Norm Williams through the 1993-95 seasons.

When Tom started, the team was already competitive, but, as teams do, they were continuing to improve their game. He recognized the need to build out the skills of his roster and knew he had to do some recruiting. He posted ads in the local newspaper, hoping to acquire local talented players who were also interested in attending college.

Through his recruiting efforts, Tom brought in Lisa Broad and Bianca Wilkinson, players he was certain would become crucial to the team’s success.

“When Lisa and Bianca joined, all of a sudden we had two elite strikers,” recalls Tom. To further strengthen the team, his star mid-fielder, Jill Harris, invited her friend Nicole Goertsen to play. She turned out to be a provincial-level mid-fielder.

In 1992, defeating Langara College — a team that had previously beaten the Cascades 6-0 — was a turning point for the team. When they met Langara on the field again during the regular season, the Cascades came out on top, with Lisa Broad scoring a late goal. Tom realized this team was something special.

“We were a cast of characters,” says Tom. “We were hard to play against, a pretty physical team. And a fast team.”

It was that 1992-93 season that took the Cascades to the nationals, where they received their first bronze medal. It was an awesome year, according to Tom.

“And then the next year, nobody wanted to host the nationals,” says Tom. “So, we volunteered, which gave us an automatic bid. That helped with recruiting. And we went undefeated in the regular season.”

The Cascades took home a national bronze in 1993-94 as well, securing record-breaking back-to-back medals for UCFV.

Tom is humbled when asked about his team’s induction into the UFV Cascades Hall of Fame.

“It’s an honour for the team,” he says, “and a privilege for me.”

“A lot of factors contribute to building a winning team,” Tom says.

“You’re a product of the people you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by. As a coach, sometimes the trick is to stay out of their way, and sometimes the trick is to manage their personalities. Sometimes, it was about doing all the right pre-season work and having the right people there.”

The inducted team includes players Rose Stuart-Phillip, Katherine Fast, Ramona Meyles, Mary Frew, Lisa Doerkson, Bianca Wilkinson, Laura Nash, Jody Kohls, Erin Vance, Lisa Broad, Melanie Horsfield, Gillian Horsfield, Auburn Cardwell, Melanie Chernoff, Jo-Anne Radcliffe, Terri Whetherset, Nicole Goertsen, Jill Harris, Lisa Egan, Tara DeGoede, Triona King, Jill Beauchamp, Jocelyn Hultman, Melanie Chernoff, Nicole Charlie, Alison Slane, Kim Orobko, and Tanya McCracken.