Game Information
 
Date: Thursday, Oct. 3 & Sunday, Oct. 6
Time: 7:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's soccer team is set to play their final home games in the 2019 regular season this weekend when they welcome a pair of Prairie Division foes to Griffiths Stadium.
 
The Huskies, who picked up a 2-0 victory over the Lethbridge Pronghorns in their lone matchup of last weekend, will be looking to continue their winning ways this weekend. Saskatchewan enters the all-important meetings with back-to-back wins and has been able to pick up at least a point in five of their previous six matches.
 
After nine goals were scored from nine different players in the team's opening eight matches, Saskatchewan has received contributions from significant players in their lineup over the past couple of contests, including Nikolas Baikas. Baikas, who is one of only two Huskies to play 900 minutes this season. He has recorded two goals in his last two matches.
 
Coming to town will be the Calgary Dinos and Mount Royal Cougars, who each are in line for postseason appearances. Each program faces a difficult road swing this weekend, with the Dinos travelling to Lethbridge on Sunday following their Thursday night match against the Huskies. Meanwhile, the Cougars will start their road trip in Lethbridge on Thursday, before their Sunday afternoon clash in Saskatoon.
 
Like Saskatchewan, Mount Royal only played in one match last weekend, in which they defeated the MacEwan Griffins 3-1. The Cougars were scheduled to play to square off against the Alberta Golden Bears in Calgary on Sunday afternoon, but due to poor road conditions, the match was rescheduled.
 
Meanwhile, the Dinos enter the matchup on a two-game losing streak and are coming off a 5-0 loss at the hands of the Golden Bears on Saturday. Similarly to Mount Royal, Calgary also had their Sunday match rescheduled due to the inclement weather.
 
10 Things
 
1: With the weekend serving as the club's final weekend of home turf this regular season, fifth year's Jacob Powell, Gabriel Buatois, Marcello Gonzalez and Darko Hardi will be honoured pre-game for their commitment to the program.
 
2: Saskatchewan took care of business in their final weekend of play last season, with the victories over Mount Royal and Calgary, which helped the Huskies finish the 2018 campaign with three-consecutive wins, earning the club a home playoff game.
 
3: Saskatchewan has had great success at home dating back to 2014 against Calgary. The Huskies have a 4-0-2 record against the Dinos in the Bridge City since Sept. 6, 2014, and the club will be hoping for their fifth win in the last seven meetings in the crucial Thursday clash.
 
4: Nikolas Baikas has recorded one goal and three assists in his three career games against the Dinos dating back to last season. After being held off the scoresheet in the meeting in Calgary earlier this season, the second-year forward who leads the Huskies in scoring with three goals will be looking to provide yet another game-breaking play for his club.
 
5: Thursday's match between the Huskies and Dinos will be a pivotal one in the Prairie Division. Calgary leads Saskatchewan in the standings by two points for second in the division, with the top-two teams in the division earning the right to play host to a CW quarter-final.
 
6: Huskies rookie goalkeeper Marcus Baxter picked up his first career U SPORTS clean sheet victory in the club's win over the Pronghorns on Saturday afternoon.
 
7: Kuhle Bekwayo has found his stride for the Huskies, as the first-year midfielder has found the back of the net twice in the clubs' previous four games.
 
8: The Huskies hold a 3-1-1 record on home turf this season and haven't lost a match to a Prairie Division opponent at home since Sept. 16, 2018, and hold a 5-0-1 record over the six-game stretch.
 
9: With a Thursday night match in Lethbridge against the 0-8-2 Pronghorns, the Cougars will have a prime opportunity to move to 9-2-0 and extend their lead atop the Prairie Division, before their Sunday meeting with the Huskies.
 
10: Mount Royal has had great success in Saskatoon dating back to 2015, with the Cougars winning three of their last four games against the Huskies in the Bridge City.
 
Scouting the Cougars
 
While Mount Royal has appeared in the postseason for four consecutive seasons dating back to the 2015 campaign, the Cougars are in the midst of a breakout season as a program. The club enters the weekend as the number one team in the Canada West with an 8-2-0 record and 24 points to their name.
 
Mohamed El Gandour enters the weekend on an absolute tear. The second-year forward who spent time with Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League this summer has registered five goals and three assists in his last three matches. Gandour picked up the game-winning goal in Mount Royal's victory over Saskatchewan earlier this season.
 
Meanwhile, Dane Domic has been a dominating presence in the midfield for Mount Royal. Domic has started every game for his club this season and is tied for first in the conference with 11 points, with four goals and seven assists this season.
 
Mount Royal goalkeeper Kyran Valley has been stellar for the Cougars. Valley leads the Canada West in goals-against-average with a 0.89 clip to go along with his 7-2-0 record.
 
Scouting the Dinos
 
Calgary is a perennial contender in the Canada West and is well on its way to an eighth consecutive postseason appearance. The Dinos, who have not missed the postseason since the 2011 campaign, hold a steady 5-5-0 record this season.
 
Dominik Zuczek leads the Dinos in scoring with five goals this season. The third-year Engineering student scored the game-winning goal in the 55th minute of Calgary's clash against Saskatchewan back on Sept. 1.
 
Dinos goalkeeper Jake Ruschkowski has played all 900 minutes his club this season. The third-year Calgary native has been well-tested this season, as he leads the Canada West with 61 saves through ten matches.