The players on David Itoafa's team gave him a cupcake to celebrate his 28th birthday recently.

This weekend, he'd like to have his cake, and eat it too. 

The rookie coach of the St. Thomas Tommies women's soccer team leads them into the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association regular season this weekend with games against the University of King's College Blue Devils and the reigning league champion Mount St. Vincent Mystics in Halifax. 

He believes a pair of wins this weekend would go a long way toward propelling the team to a top three finish in the ACAA standings, the target the Tommies have set from the start. 

"If we win, we'll already be in a really good place for playoffs," said Itoafa. 

"Our goals are to finish first, second or third going into playoffs. Once we're in one of those seeds, we have the expectation to win and compete with MSVU and Holland College this year. We're looking to win and go to nationals." 

Itoafa succeeds Michelle DeCourcey, who ran the program for eight years and led the team to the ACAA championship in 2017. 

She left "some big shoes to fill," said Itoafa, but also left the program "in a really good space," he said. 

"It's a really nice mix of returning players and new players coming in," he said. While Kaleigh Roberts, a first-team ACAA all-star last year and Erin Smal, a second team selection, have both graduated, team co-captain Abby Cameron is back for a fourth season and Ginny Phillips, kicking off her third season and appointed a co-captain, are key leaders. 

"We have a lot of players who are coming back from their first and second years in the program and are strong and making a big impact," Itoafa said. 

Among the rookies, striker/midfielder Caitlyn Steeves of Hampton, and striker Lindsey Smith of Rocky Point, PEI have impressed. Jayci Peck, the ACAA rookie of the year as a freshman, is also back after a rookie season in which she scored six goals and finished among the top 10 scorers in the league. But she's hobbled by an ankle injury and will miss opening weekend. 

"She had a good summer and had four goals in two preseason games, so we're excited to get her back," Itoafa said.  

Itoafa came up through the Fredericton District Soccer Association as a player before earning an NCAA scholarship to Sienna College in New York and then played professionally in Romania for two seasons. 

He previously coached the U15 Premiership team in FDSA and Ecole Sainte-Anne high school boys teams and worked as an assistant with his dad on an FDSA U16 girls premiership squad. 

His Tommies team will be strong on the counterattack, he said. They'll also move the ball quickly and play stronger defence in front of one of the three keepers on the roster. Sophomore Marissa Archibald will start the opener, "but it's pretty even right now," he said. 

"Defensively is where we're looking to improve this season," he said. "We scored a lot of goals last year and we'll definitely build on that, but our goal in camp has been to defend as a unit."  

Itoafa calls it "a privilege" to take over the Tommies. 

"It's a very coachable group. It's really been a privilege to coach this group of girls. The team energy has really been inspiring for us as a coaching staff." 

His father Bogdan, a veteran coach in his own right, is part of David's staff, which also includes former players Chelsea Holmes and Louisa Hughes, transitions co-ordinator Brett McCavour, and goalkeeper coach Ike Phillips. 

The Tommies' home opener comes up Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6 pm when they host the UNBSJ Seawolves.