CAMPUS PREVIEW: UCalgary, MRU square off in soccer semi
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Soccer’s Crowchild Classic is stepping up to a bigger stage.
That’s for one day only, as the Mount Royal University Cougars and the crosstown rival University of Calgary Dinos take to the men’s playoff pitch Saturday in Vancouver (11 a.m. MT).
The clash of city programs is a semifinal at the Canada West final four and a meeting of a side trending upward in the 6-5-3 Dinos and a squad that’s been on the upside the entire campaign in the 9-0-6 Cougars.
“They are ranked fifth in the country, and we are ranked nowhere,” said Dinos head coach Brendan O’Connell. “So they are under pressure — not us.”
Indeed, Mount Royal comes in as the favourites after going unbeaten during the regular season and then topping the Fraser Valley Cascades 2-1 in quarterfinal soccer.
However, the Dinos are rolling, too, having come in with wins in four straight games, including last week’s Canada West quarterfinal 2-1 over the host Thompson Rivers WolfPack.
“We always try and time it right, and it shows coming off the back of a winning run,” said O’Connell of his team’s late-season success. “The plan has always been to make it to the final four and then take it from there.”
So here they are — not bad for a program that’s not ‘full-time’ like others in the nation, such as the Cougars.
“We are a program on the lowest-base budget in the country,” O’Connell said. “And the boys still keep producing.”
The Dinos are looking to reach the Canada West championship match for the second time in the last three playoffs. Calgary settled for silver in 2019 after losing 2-0 to UBC and is still searching its first title since 1980. The Cougars have yet to capture the crown a decade after joining U SPORTS.
The Dinos have plenty of history with their inner-city rival, owning a 10-5-6 head-to-head record with Mount Royal since they joined the Canada West ranks. In previous Crowchild Classics this year, the Cougars won both, knocking off the Dinos 2-1 and 1-0.
“Should be a great game,” said Cougars head coach Ryan Gyaki. “I think both sets of players will enjoy it. Always a special match versus our city rivals.
“Both teams have good players and will be well-organized, so should be an entertaining match. It is a semifinal knock out game, so it will be very close and will probably be decided by a moment of individual brilliance.”
The two teams have met in the post-season once before — ironically also a semifinal showdown in Vancouver back in 2019. Derek Brust scored the opening goal of that one before the Dinos scored on a penalty kick in the 78th minute to clinch a 2-1 win over the Cougars and earn a trip not only to the CW championship but also to that season’s national tournament.
While the Dinos have plenty of post-season success in the Canada West Playoffs, they will be looking for just their second conference title in program history and the first since 1980. Calgary played in the gold-medal game as recently as 2019 and advanced to the U SPORTS national championships after claiming CW silver.
After a slower start to the season that saw the Dinos go 1-2-2 out of the gates, Calgary has really started clicking down the stretch, entering Saturday’s game on a four-game win streak. The offence has certainly been a strong point of late, as well, for the Dinos. This year’s squad finished the regular season ranked tied for fourth in all of Canada West with 23 goals scored on the season — 11 of which have come in the last two weeks of the conference season.
Eryk Kobza and William Omoreniye were both named Canada West all-stars last week. Kobza was named to the conference’s second team after finishing the regular season with three goals and three assists, while all-rookie Omoreniye led this year’s team with four regular-season goals and was tied for the team lead with three assists.
In the other semi, the host UBC Thunderbirds — the defending four-time champions and winners of 13 straight post-season matches in Canada West action — are challenged by the Alberta Golden Bears, also Saturday (3 p.m. MT).
The Cougars are star-studded, as well …
In spades.
MRU led the overall all-star tally with nine players selected as all-stars or all-rookies. Four Cougars appeared on the conference’s first team, three on the second team and two on the rookie team. On the first all-star team was Mohamed El Gandour, David Schaefer, Caden Rogozinski and Sterling Kerr. El Gandour, a graduating forward, finished the regular season with 961 minutes in 12 games, 12 points (8G-4A) and 45 shots. Schaefer, also a graduating player, followed closely behind with eight points (6G-2A) in 996 minutes. Rogozinski, a second-year defender, was a force for the team, making tackles and defensive plays all over the field in all situations. Kerr, also the team’s captain and primary goalkeeper for the squad, made 47 saves in 14 regular-season games to result in a .870 save percentage. Niklas Liebich, Alex Kemsley and Benedikt Mehl were listed on the second all-star team. Liebich, a second-year forward, totalled three assists in 13 games, Kemsley, a first-year defenceman, earned one assist in 11 games, and Mehl, a third-year midfielder registered 903 minutes of play in 11 games. On the all-rookie list were first-year players Mowbray Beghin and Jonathan Walter. Beghin was a major contributor to the team posting seven points (2G-5A) in 14 games while Walter also supported the Cougars’ efforts with two goals in 13 games.
Captain Kerr also has earned Canada West’s student-athlete community service award thanks to his incredible work on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
Off the field, Kerr takes a lead in several university departments as a peer tutor, research assistant, President of the Cougars Athlete Board and representative on the Canada West Student-Athlete Engagement Committee. He is aiming to establish a mentorship network for student-athletes at Mount Royal, while pushing forward the needs of student-athletes at the administrative level.
“I would not be where I am today without the various communities that have elevated my abilities as a soccer player and community leader,” Kerr said. “It’s the least I can do to invest time back into the places and people that invested in me, and I’m excited to grow our network of mentorship opportunities for student-athletes in the years to come.”
Kerr has also served as a volunteer coach with local high schools and elite soccer academies. Somehow, Kerr still finds time to be a youth leader at his church and a tutor in his community for high school and junior high students.
“Sterling’s an incredible example of taking every opportunity offered to student-athletes playing in Canada West,” said Cougars head coach Ryan Gyaki. “He started as a backup goalie and as a volunteer in many capacities with Mount Royal and is now our men’s soccer captain and CAB president, showing his determination to succeed, focus on team success and support the community around him. In terms of Sterling’s work in the community, he is always looking to support people in need. Sterling is a quality human, and with him around, you know you have someone you can trust and lean on at all times. The best part about Sterling’s performance this year is I’ve never seen someone work so hard to train for how he’s performed, for someone who volunteers as much as he does, for someone who excels in school with a 4.0 GPA and to be the president of CAB. It’s a great honour to coach someone as involved and dedicated as Sterling.”
The winners of the semifinals then meet in Sunday’s championship contest (12:30 p.m.).
WOMEN’S SOCCER
On the women’s side, the Dinos are out to recapture the Canada West soccer crown they last won in 2019.
They begin the final four — also hosted at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver — on Friday night in semifinal action against host UBC.
Calgary is the only team to defeat UBC and score more than one goal against the T-Birds in 2022. This is the Dinos’ first Final Four appearance since winning the 2019 championship.
“The team is eager for the opportunity to showcase themselves versus a very talented UBC team,” said Dinos co-coach Diogo Raposo. “We will need to neutralize their front three, who are probably the best in the country, as well as win the set-piece battles which it may come down to.
“Our team togetherness will help us in the high and low moments of the game in order to see us through.”
The other semi pits the Trinity Western Spartans against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack, with the gold- and bronze-medal matches follow on Saturday.
The Dinos turned in an impressive 9-3-2 record in the regular season to finish third in the Canada West’s Pacific Division with 29 points — just one point shy of second place.
Then came the quarterfinals, as the Pacific Division defeated their respective Prairie Division opponents last weekend in an eventful round that will be talked about for some time. Calgary scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time to beat the host Alberta Pandas 3-2. Sofia DiGiacomo headed home the game-winner in stoppage time to send the Scarlet & Gold to the final four. In Langley, Trinity Western recorded a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over the Saskatchewan Huskies. UBC erupted for four goals in each half of an 8-1 home victory over the Regina Cougars. And after penalty kicks were needed to break a 3-3 tie between Thompson Rivers and Mount Royal, who lost the shoot-out after going undefeated in the regular season.
While the Thunderbirds do hold the lead in the overall series, Calgary and UBC have been incredibly even head-to-head in recent years. In fact, the Dinos have won four of the last six matchups, including a 3-2 thriller at Dinosaur Field back on Sept. 25 this season ± the lone loss for the T-Birds all season.
The two teams have also had plenty of recent post-season history. Calgary beat UBC in 2019 to claim their latest Canada West championship before meeting again just eight days later in the national championship, where the T-birds won 1-0. The Dinos also posted a 2-1 win in the series in the 2018 CW final four.
The Dinos are pursuing their third Canada West title this weekend, with the first two coming back in 2005 and 2019. The Scarlet & Gold have had several deep post-season runs of late. In addition to the 2019 season, they have advanced to nationals three times in the last seven seasons, also doing so in 2015 and 2018.
Dinos third-year forward Rachel Barlow has been one of the clear leaders for her team this season, not only on the field but also in the stat columns. The local product finished the regular season with a U SPORTS-best 11 assists on the season. Her 17 total points also rank her fourth in all of Canada, and her three game-winning goals also crack the top-10 nationally, tying her for eighth. The Calgary native continued her dominance in the playoff opener, getting the Dinos on the board in the 29th minute before assisting on goals in the 72nd and 90th+5 in the thrilling 3-2 win over Alberta in the CW quarters.
Four Dinos were named to the Canada West all-star teams last week. Barlow earned first-team honours after amassing six goals and those 11 assists. DiGiacomo was named a second-teamer after racking up four goals and two assists from the back in conference play. And Erica Mysko and Mykena Walker were both selected to the conference’s all-rookie squad, as Mysko tallied five goals and two assists, while Walker added one goal and three assists as a wing back.
All the action will stream live and on demand on Canada West TV.
Tino Fusco has been named the Canada West coach of the year after leading the Cougars to first place in the Prairie Division.
The Cougars went into the season ranked 13th in the coaches’ poll but ended the season defying expectations with a 13-3-1 record.
“What an unexpected honour to be selected by my coaching colleagues for this award — thank you,” Fusco said. “I’d also like to thank my staff for their endless work and sacrifice to this program. Most importantly, thank you to the players, for believing in our system and being great. We did some exceptional things this year together.”
Fusco elevated the Cougars’ program to new heights in 2022 after the team finished with losing records in each of their previous seasons since joining Canada West in 2012. His team has showed the league what is possible despite the challenges that come with being a ‘newer school in the conference.
Fusco helped his team find ways to succeed in tight games this season while cultivating a winning culture at MRU.
“We are extremely proud of Tino and the progress he’s made as head coach of our Cougars women’s soccer program,” said MRU’s varsity athletics associate director Rob Godfrey. “Since our transition to CW and U SPORTS competition in the fall of 2012, it has not been easy. But Tino, his staff and our student-athletes continued to invest in a high performance culture that has really paid off in the last few seasons. The 2022 CW season is a culmination of a lot of belief, hard work, sacrifice and tough decisions. We very much look forward to continued growth and success with our program on and off the field.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Dinos women’s basketball team will open the 2022-23 season as it hosts the UBC Okanagan Heat for two games this weekend. The action begins Friday at 6 p.m, while Saturday’s game tips off at 4 p.m. Both games will be played inside the Jack Simpson Gym.
After the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted regular play for the previous two seasons, Canada West basketball officially returns to the standard format for the 2022-23 season. Each team will play a total of 20 games this season, and teams will once again travel out of province.
The Dinos and the Heat have only faced one another a total of 10 times in the past 12 years. The Dinos hold the upper hand in the matchup, as they are 9-1 all-time against the Heat while remaining unscathed in conference play with a perfect 7-0 record. The last five matchups tell a similar story, with the Dinos holding the heat under 50 points in each game, though the two teams haven’t met since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dinos second-year guard Annacy Palmer led the Dinos in points-per-game and assists in her rookie campaign. Palmer averaged 12.3 points-per-game and totalled 36 assists while playing in every game for Calgary.
The Heat made noise this off-season, as they acquired fourth-year guard Sofia Anisa Lluch via transfer from the Lakeland Thunderwolves of the OUA conference. Lluch, who was born in Spain and played there professionally during the 2020-21 season, averaged 14.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in her second season with the Thunderwolves.
The 2022-23 women’s basketball coaches poll projects where each team will finish during the regular season. The Dinos were picked fourth in this year’s poll, while the Heat checked in at 12th. After numerous key injuries derailed the Dinos last season, they are prepared to be a force to contend with in Canada West once again this season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
A new season begins for the Dinos men’s basketball team this weekend at the Jack Simpson Gym.
Hosting the Heat, the Dinos commence their journey to return to the U SPORTS Final 8, after missing out last season for the first time in five years.
With 12 pre-season games under their belt, the Dinos come into the opening weekend battle-tested. Calgary opened the season against numerous NCAA Div. I programs and perennial U SPORTS contenders; conversely UBCO was limited to three preseason bouts.
Both UBCO and Calgary were eliminated in the second round of CW playoffs this past season, and their journey to that point differed greatly. Entering the playoffs with the lowest seed, UBCO upset No. 10 Manitoba in the first round before falling to the Lethbridge Pronghorns. Unlike UBCO, Cinderella’s shoe did not fit Calgary’s foot, as the No. 6 Dinos were upset by the red-hot No. 11 TWU Spartans following their first-round bye.
Calgary welcomes six new faces to the program, each looking to uphold the culture laid down by Mason Foreman and his four fellow graduating seniors.
Calgary’s offence has been predicated on generating high volume and quality three-point attempts, finishing top three in 2021-22 in CW three-point makes, attempts and percentage. While the Heat defence may have struggled on the whole last season, they held opponents to the second-fewest makes from distance in CW.
Early-season matchups are a terrific litmus test for team identity. UBCO led the conference in offensive rebounds and was second-best at the free-throw line. For a developing team, forging an identity is critical. The question now is if it translates into the new season.
MEN’S HOCKEY
Coming off a bye week, the Dinos men’s hockey team will take on the UBC Thunderbirds in a pair of home contests, starting Friday.
Both games will be hosted by the Dinos at Father David Bauer Arena, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday.
The Dinos are currently 5-3-0 in their season, while the Thunderbirds are sitting at 4-2-0. UCalgary enters the weekend with a three-game win streak, while the visitors from Vancouver take to the ice after losing to the MacEwan Griffins in double-overtime last weekend.
Calgary second-year forward Jake Gricius leads the Dinos in points this season, having notched eight thus far with seven goals and one assist. He is followed closely by sophomore teammates Tyson Upper, who has two goals and five assists, and Riley Stotts, who has registered seven assists this season.
Sam Huo and Sasha Mutala were key factors in UBC’s decisive 6-2 win over MacEwan on Oct. 28. Huo registered three points, with two goals and an assist, while Mutala, the playmaker, assisted on three goals.
The last time Calgary faced UBC they were in Thunderbirds territory and split the weekend to start the season. The Dinos dropped their opener to UBC, 2-5, before bouncing back to win 4-3 in a shootout with veteran forward Jordan Xavier scoring the clinching goal to earn Calgary the weekend split.
The Dinos and the Thunderbirds currently sit neck-and-neck in the conference standings, with the two squads tied for fourth, each with 10 points heading into this weekend’s showdown. Calgary does hold the edge in this week’s national rankings, with the Dinos checking in at No. 9 this week, while the Thunderbirds sit on the outside looking in on this week’s poll.
— With files from Postmedia news services
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