GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Oct. 29
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Griffiths Stadium
Watch: Canadawest.tv
TICKETS || SCHEDULE || WATCH LIVEÂ
Ah, it's playoff time.
For the eighth-straight season, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's soccer team is off to the postseason.
Thanks to finishing with a 7-2-3 record atop of the East Division after their 2-1 win in Regina on Friday night, this veteran-laden Huskies team have the opportunity to punch their ticket to the Canada West Final Four on home field.
Friday night lights. How sweet does that sound?
The Huskies will play host to the visiting Calgary Dinos in Canada West quarter-final action at Griffiths Stadium, in what mark's Saskatchewan's third-time hosting a quarter-final match on home field in the last four seasons.
But their opponent is anything but a cake walk. Calgary will trek east to Saskatoon carrying some confidence - to go along with their 9-2-1 record.
Calgary finished second in the Central Division following their 3-0 loss to the MacEwan Griffins on Sunday afternoon, who earned the right to home field with first-place.
Saskatchewan will be hoping that Calgary's first loss of their season is a sign as to what's to come on Friday night in what will be the third-ever postseason meeting between the two programs in the postseason.Â
Saskatchewan's last playoff meeting with Calgary was in the 2018 Canada West quarter-final. The Dinos defeated the Huskies 2-1 at McMahon Stadium, with McKenna Olson scoring the lone goal for the green-and-white on the afternoon, as her long-range free-kick found the back of the net to tie the match up at one-goal apiece. But unfortunately for the visitors, the Dinos responded in the 82nd minute to squeak out the win.
Historically, the matchup between the two programs is one that Calgary has had the advantage in. They hold a 39-6-15 record all-time against Saskatchewan, including wins in three-straight, with the green-and-white last recording a win in 2015.
But hey, all it takes is one. This is a different Huskies team than years previous. They have an opportunity to prove that on Friday night.
Quotables:Â
Jerson Barandica-Hamilton on the Huskies matchup this weekend, following his team's match on Sunday afternoon:
"We wanted to play at home, which is great. We'll be ready. We'll take the lessons from today and we'll keep sharpening up."
5 Things:
- Saskatchewan is looking to make their second U SPORTS National Championship and first since 2016.
- When the Huskies have needed a goal, Maya Gabruch seems to find a way to provide. The fifth-year attacking player sits tied for 13th in the country in goals with six in 12 games this season. The Saskatoon product figures to be counted upon again on Friday night.
- Calgary enters the weekend as the number-six ranked team in the nation. The defending Canada West Champions are the third-ranked team from the conference on the U SPORTS Top-Ten, trailing only #4 UBC Thunderbirds and #5 MacEwan.
- Task one for Saskatchewan is shutting down the number-one goal scorer in the nation in 2021-22 - Montana Leonard. Leonard scored 17 goals in 12 games during the regular-season, breaking a Canada West single-season record.
- Calgary is pretty solid at the goalkeeper position also. Lauren Houghton was one of the best at her position this season, finishing second in the country in wins with nine after appearing in all 12 of her team's games. Houghton, a fourth-year, recorded six clean sheets leading to a 0.83 goals-against-average and .811 save-percentage.
U SPORTS Top 10:
