Game Information

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Date: Saturday, Sept. 14 & Sunday, Sept. 15
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Field 7 in Nutrien Park
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – Two wins in two matches. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's soccer team got off to their best start since 2015, with back-to-back victories on their Manitoban road trip to begin the season with six points.
 
Jerson Barandica-Hamilton's squad showed their immense potential over the course of opening weekend with the team's young core growing into their roles on the Canada West stage. Saskatchewan, who scored 14 goals over 14 games last season, already has found the back of the net six times in two games in 2019. Barandica-Hamilton, who is in his sixth year at the helm of the program, is hoping the momentum gained away from home can carry over to Field 7 in Nutrien Park this weekend.
 
Saturday's home opener pits the two remaining undefeated programs in the Canada West against one another. UNBC and Saskatchewan each will enter the afternoon clash with identical 2-0-0 records.
 
Sunday sees the Calgary Dinos make the trip to Saskatoon to take on the Huskies. The Dinos, who will drive north on Highway 11 following their match against the Regina Cougars, enter the weekend with a 1-0-1 record after a victory over UBC and a draw against Thompson Rivers.
 
Sunday's match will serve as a rematch of last season's Canada West quarter-final, which saw the Huskies narrowly fall 2-1 to the Dinos at McMahon Stadium. From there the Dinos went on to reach the CW Championship game and finish fifth in the nation at U SPORTS National Championship.

10 Things
 
1: With two wins this weekend, the Huskies would get off to their best start in program history. Saskatchewan has gotten off to 3-0 starts twice, with the last time coming in 2014.
 
2: The Dinos have had the Huskies number over the past three seasons, with Saskatchewan's last victory over Calgary coming in 2015.
 
3. Saskatchewan holds a 3-0-1 record all-time against UNBC, with the teams' drawing their lone meeting last season in Prince George.
 
4. The Huskies and Dinos both enter the weekend each with six goals for and one against in their two matches played.
 
5. UNBC got off to a 2-0-0 start in 2017-18 with wins over Thompson Rivers and UBCO, before going 1-7-4 the rest of the way home.
 
6. This weekend is alumni weekend for the Huskies, with a hospitality tent set up on Field 7 for former members of the program on both Saturday and Sunday.
 
7. Sunday's match will pit the three leading goal-scorers in the Canada West against each other. Fourth-year midfielder Maya Gabruch, who was awarded the Blue Cross Huskie Athlete of the Week, registered three goals in the opening weekend, as did a pair of Dinos fourth-years in Kelsie MacDonald and Montana Leonard.
 
8. M. Gabruch tied her season-high in goals over the weekend, matching her 2017 season where she tallied three goals.
 
9.  Saskatchewan's Taisa Gabruch and Halle Krynowsky each registered their first career U SPORTS goal over opening weekend.
 
10. UNBC is one of two remaining teams in the Canada West yet to allow a goal in conference play. 

Scouting the Timberwolves

It's been a tremendous start for UNBC, as they chase after their third consecutive postseason appearance.
 
The club, which matched its best start in program history with a 2-0-0 record over the opening weekend, will make the eastern road-swing, paying a visit to two Prairie Division foes in the Huskies and Regina Cougars.
 
Third-year forward Sofia Jones found the back of the net twice in the club's 3-0 win over the UBCO Heat on Saturday and added an assist on Paige Payne's goal in their 1-0 win over the TRU WolfPack. Jones is in her second year with the Timberwolves after using her first year of eligibility playing with the City College of San Francisco where she tallied 17 goals in 20 games for the Rams. Jones, who is a native of San Francisco, is one of only four players on UNBC to raised outside of B.C., with the other remaining three coming to the program via Alberta. Jones started all 14 games last season for UNBC and registered four goals and two assists.
 
Payne, a fourth-year midfielder, scored the club's first goal of the season on Thursday and is the player to watch upfront for the Timberwolves. The Kitimat, B.C. native, led the club with eight goals last season while chipping in four assists. Her stellar third-year campaign saw her earn recognition at both the club and conference level, as she was named the Timberwolves Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player, while also being honoured with a Canada West Second Team All-Star nod.
 
Madi Doyle and Brooke Molby split time between the pipes over the weekend for UNBC, with each picking up a clean sheet victory in their appearance.
 
Scouting the Dinos
 
Led by head coach Troye Flannery, Calgary was one of the best clubs in the nation last season after reeling off 15 straight victories following their loss to Alberta in their season opener, their next loss came in the CW Championship to Trinity Western.
 
The Dinos starting lineup remains similar to last season's conference finalist club. In Calgary's season opener against UBCO, the team had nine of 12 members in their starting lineup who were in the starting lineup in the CW Championship game. However, the 2019 edition of the Dinos is without Maddison Fritze who powered their attack last season and finished tied for second in the conference with nine goals in her fifth-year campaign.
 
After winning 5-0 in their season opener against the Heat, the Dinos suffered a surprising draw in their second match of the season to the WolfPack. The Dinos entered the season ranked third in the CW preseason coaches' poll after registering four first-place votes, while the WolfPack came 14th.
 
If opening weekend is any indication of how Calgary will replace the goal-scoring prowess of Frietz, Montana Leonard and Kelsie MacDonald appear to be next-in-line to carry the weight upfront. Both found the back of the net three times over the weekend, with MacDonald registering a hat-trick in 59 minutes of action in the team's season opener.
 
Goalkeeper Lauren Houghton started both games for the Dinos in opening weekend and made three saves in each of their contests to pick up a 1-0-1 record. Houghton started all 14 conference games for the Dinos in her second season with the program and set CW records with 13 wins and 11 clean sheets, becoming the second goalkeeper in Dinos history to earn U SPORTS All-Canadian recognition.