The Wanderers Grounds is home to university soccer on Thursday evening, as Cape Breton University hosts the University of Guelph in a pre-season match between two top programs in U SPORTS.
Fittingly, it’s two teams with Wanderers connections; Colin Gander will be in the Guelph lineup after making 17 appearances for Halifax in 2022. And on the current Wanderers roster is a pair of CBU alumni, Cory Bent and Peter Schaale.
“CBU is a special place,” Schaale said. “It’s a small community, tight-knit and the experience was amazing with the team we had; everyone sticks together, and Cape Breton taught me a lot.”
Schaale was the Wanderers’ first-ever draft pick, selected 5th overall in 2018. In that draft alone, four of the 21 selections came from Cape Breton University. A CBU player has been picked in every CPL-U Sports Draft, including the 1st and 2nd overall choices in 2022.
And that’s not the first time the 1st overall pick came from the Nova Scotia university. Cory Bent was the first player off the board in 2019 when the Wanderers selected the pacey forward.
“I think that speaks volumes about the program and the people who run the program,” Bent said. “People like athletic director John Ryan and the faith and work that goes into that program to have that many people just come through the same pipeline and be recognized as a school that can really turn out professional players.”
With the 1st pick in the CPL U SPORTS Draft @HfxWanderersFC select Cory Bent from the @gocapersgo // Avec le 1er choix dans le repêchage U SPORTS de la Première Ligue Canadienne, @HfxWanderersFC sélectionne Cory Bent en provenance de @gocapersgo #CanPL l @USPORTSca pic.twitter.com/rsdipcGIp1
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) November 12, 2019
Along with the off-field success of numerous CPL draft picks, the Capers have instilled a winning culture on the pitch. CBU enters the fall of 2022 as the five-time defending AUS champions. With Schaale and Bent in the squad, Cape Breton won a national championship in 2017.
“That was a big one for us, to win it and come from Cape Breton. That was a massive achievement, not just personally but for the university in general,” Schaale said.
While he counts that championship as a crowning achievement from his time at CBU, Cory Bent’s top memory was making his debut for the school.
“That was the start of my journey here, I really enjoyed my first game,” Bent said. “And I thought from that moment on, first and foremost, I want to be in Canada and play. For me, that moment sparked my love for football again.”
Bent, from England, says his first visit to Nova Scotia came after he committed to CBU. So he had to put a bit of blind faith in the man that brought him to Cape Breton, head coach Deano Morley. In Morley, Bent found a new love for the sport and counts his former coach as a mentor in his career today.
“I speak to him at least twice a month, I think he’s someone that really grounds me,” Bent said. “He really believes in me as a player and as an individual regardless of if it’s football or outside football. He’s really given me a lot to build upon.”
“Deano giving me the opportunity to play here was huge for me,” Schaale said of Morley. “I know he’s going to go on and give more players opportunities.”
Thursday’s match between CBU and Guelph is an excellent chance for Bent and Schaale to check in on their alma mater. And both have continued to follow the Capers’ soccer team since turning professional.
“I’m always watching when I can; whenever they get a result, I send Deano a text to say congratulations,” Bent said.
“Pete and I definitely want to get up there to see a home game and see everyone we know in Cape Breton again.”