Yukon Selects SC is poised to put its unprecedented experience to the test in the coming week.

The territory's senior men's soccer squad shipped off to Brossard, Que., for the Challenge Trophy, the national club championships, earlier today.

The Selects will open the tournament with a round-robin match against Nova Scotia on Wednesday followed by a game against host Quebec on Thursday.

Midfielder Jake Hanson, who helped start the Selects program more than a decade ago, believes the program is peaking at the right time.

"For a long time guys were just hoping the program would come to life,” said Hanson, former technical director for the Yukon Soccer Association.

"This year's team has a completely different dynamic and environment than we've ever seen. It's sort of what we've always hoped this program could become, and so many times hasn't been. It's pretty amazing to take a full roster, 20 guys, and have to turn guys away.”

Having a full roster isn't something the Yukon can take for granted, unlike clubs from the 10 provinces.

Even better, the Selects boast a roster of players nearly all of whom have experience playing at a college or university.

When the Selects program began, the best players in the territory had moved here after playing

college/university-level soccer Outside, Hanson explained. Over the past decade, however, the program has helped develop and retain the top players from all the classes of youth programs.

"Now we're benefiting from having access to the players from here who have gone out now to play college or university soccer,” Hanson said.

"We do have a lot more players now playing college/university soccer I believe in large part because, when they're 15, 16 they have the opportunity to be challenged playing against their older counterparts who had played at that level.”

This will mark the fifth time the Selects sent a men's team to senior nationals.

The first year the club entered a team was in Saskatoon, Sask., in 2000, when the club finished 11th after struggling to field a full team. The club improved in Calgary in 2005, tying Nova Scotia 1-1 and beating New Brunswick 2-1 to finish 10th. The following year at nationals in Vancouver, the Selects downed Saskatchewan 3-1 on their way to a second consecutive 10th-place finish. In 2009, the last year the Selects sent a team, the club wound up beating Ontario in penalty shots.

These results came with the program undergoing growing pains, with less experienced players and an even fewer numbers.

"When you look at our roster now, almost everyone has played college or university,” Hanson said.

Now, after training together under head coach Victor Lavanderos since November, the Selects will have to recall the glory days to compete in up-tempo games against Canada's best club teams, a prospect Hanson considers a privilege.

"This team has been building for a moment like this,” Hanson said.

"In the past we've gone off to nationals, and I think guys have been worried about being able to compete. I think this time, guys are going knowing that this team can be competitive.”