Game Information

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Date: Saturday, Sept. 21 & Sunday, Sept. 22
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – After earning three consecutive draws away from home, the University of Saskatchewan men's soccer team returns back to the Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park for the first time since Aug. 26.
 
The Huskies, who have yet to lose this season on their own turf, will kickstart a five-game homestand, after a front-loaded road schedule.
 
Nine goals from nine different players has been the story of Saskatchewan's season to date, as a young squad has received contributions from throughout the entire lineup.
 
Despite only having one win on the season, Saskatchewan has picked up points in five of their seven matches. In what appears to be a wide-open Prairie Division, the Huskies are well-positioned in the race towards the postseason. The club enters the weekend in third place, just five points back of the second place Calgary Dinos.
 
While draws have been the Huskies' common result this season, the same cannot be said for Trinity Western, who will take on Saskatchewan on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans have a 3-3-0 record, which lands them in a tie for fifth in the Pacific Division with nine points.
 
The Spartans finished with an 8-3-3 record in the Canada West last season, before the club went on a lengthy postseason run. Trinity Western were conference finalists, earning a U SPORTS Championship appearance, where they defeated the number one ranked York Lions in the national quarter-final, before falling in double overtime to the Montréal Carabins in semifinal action.
 
Doing battle on Sunday against the UBC Okanagan Heat, the Huskies will be facing a team that has been the turnaround story of the Canada West so far in 2019. The Heat, who finished with a 2-9-5 record last season, are currently pacing the conference with a record of 6-1-1.
  
Coaches' Take - Bryce Chapman

On returning home after five games in three weeks on the road.

"When you're on the road together for that length of time, you can pull a team together and you could see us grow as a group over that stretch. On the flipside, I think the guys are excited to play in front of family and friends, get back to their regular routine at home."
 
On coming into the weekend after three-straight ties.
 
"We have such young of kids that it's important for them to realize that every point counts in a tough Canada West season, they really have to experience that first-hand. We obviously want those ties to turn into wins but when you look at our performance and you look at the fact that we've been out-shooting our opponents for the last three games we definitely feel comfortable and confident that we are moving forward as a group."
 
On the depth of a team that has seen nine different players score this season.
 
"When you have nine different goal-scorers it adds a different element for the opponent to start looking at, we don't have to rely on one or two guys, which gives us flexibility and opponents a tougher time to close us down."
 
On the keys to the weekend for the Huskies
 
"We have to be more detail-oriented where we aren't getting ourselves un-balanced and giving opponents an opportunity to capitalize. We also still have to keep growing offensively, we are creating the chances, but now we have to bear down and start putting those chances away."   

10 Things
 
1: Saskatchewan is set to welcome the first-placed Pacific Division UBCO squad to Saskatoon on Sunday afternoon. The Heat have won their last three games, to give the club a 6-1-1 record and 19 points on the season.
 
2: The Huskies meeting with the Heat in the Bridge City will be the first matchup between the two programs in the Bridge City in program history, with all five of their previous meetings coming in Kelowna.
 
3: Kuhle Bekwayo is one of four Huskies to start in all seven of the Huskies games this season. The first-year midfielder scored his first career U SPORTS goal last weekend in Victoria.
 
4: Saskatchewan has won their last four meetings against Trinity Western, with their last defeat coming in 2012.
 
5: Nikolas Baikas leads the Canada West with 31 shots this season. 14 of which have been on target
 
6: Saskatchewan has both out-shot and out-chanced their opponents in their previous four games.
 
7: The Huskies, who have picked up draws in four of their first six games this season, have only had one season in program history with five or more draws, that happened in 2007.
 
8: Saskatchewan will be in tough against UBCO keeper Nicholas Reitsma on Sunday afternoon, who is having a spectacular start to the season. The UBCO keeper is first in wins, goals-against average and save percentage in the conference.
 
9: Reitsma has backstopped the Heat to three-consecutive clean sheet victories, with his last goal against coming on Sept. 6, in the clubs 1-1 draw against Fraser Valley.
 
10: Chapman and the Huskies are 3-3-0 in their last six Canada West regular season matches against Pacific Division opponents in Saskatoon dating back to 2016.