Cavalry FC is moving its first-round CONCACAF Champions Cup game in February to Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., to escape the Alberta cold.

The Calgary-based team, which qualified for CONCACAFB次元官网网址檚 elite club championship by finishing first in the Canadian Premier League regular season, hosts MLS side Orlando City SC in the opening round of the 27-team CONCACAF competition.

B次元官网网址淎s the northernmost club in CONCACAF, we are acutely aware of the possible risks that playing in February on natural grass may pose,B次元官网网址� Cavalry president Ian Allison said in a statement. B次元官网网址淲e are, after all, more than 51 degrees north of the southernmost of the 41 members of CONCACAF. Despite the unseasonably mild start we have had to western Canadian winter, the frost is already quite deep in the sub-surface of our pitch.

B次元官网网址淎s such, we are looking at ways to mitigate any risks by playing our first-round match at an alternative CONCACAF-approved venue.B次元官网网址�

Starlight Stadium, which has a capacity of some 6,000, is home to the CPLB次元官网网址檚 Pacific FC.

HamiltonB次元官网网址檚 Forge FC, the reigning CPL champion, was drawn Wednesday against MexicoB次元官网网址檚 Chivas Guadalajara while the Vancouver Whitecaps will face MexicoB次元官网网址檚 Tigres UANL.

Forge plans to play its home half of the two-legged first-round series at Tim Hortons Field. CONCACAF has yet to announce exact dates for the matches.

The Canadian Press