GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Sept. 24 & Saturday, Sept. 25
Time: 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, Sask.
Venue: Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park
Watch: Canadawest.tv

Entering his 17th year as head coach, Bryce Chapman is set to lead the Saskatchewan Huskies men's soccer team once again when they open their 2021 Canada West campaign on Friday night at Griffiths.

In what was a breakthrough 2019 season which saw Saskatchewan reach the Canada West Final Four for the first time since 2014, which is something the Huskies will be looking to build upon this weekend.

Like previous years, Saskatchewan will be competing in a division alongside Mount Royal, Calgary, Alberta, MacEwan, Lethbridge. However, unlike before, teams will only compete against fellow divisional-foes, taking on each program twice over the course of the 10-game season.

With four teams making playoffs in the division and abbreviated schedule, every match is imperative. 

For the Pronghorns, that start to the season wasn't ideal. They took part in the central division's lone game so far this season, when they played host to the Mount Royal Cougars, falling 1-0 last Saturday.

Lethbridge entered the season ranked last in the 13-team Canada West, making success for Saskatchewan imperative. 

That's something they've had against the Pronghorns in the past, winning four of the last six matches, with draws in the other two clashes. The Huskies last loss to the Pronghorns 

Saskatchewan has had even more success at home, with their last loss on home turf to Lethbridge taking place back on Sept. 16, 2005. 

That's a trend they'll look to continue on Friday night.

By the numbers:

6 - Saskatchewan entered the season ranked sixth in the coaches poll, slotting in third amongst the six-team central division. 

48 - In 2019, Nikolas Baikas finished second in the conference with 48 shots. Expect more of the same this season, 

1.071 - Marcus Baxter and the Huskies were one of the conference's best at keeping the ball out of their own net last season. Baxter's 1.071 goals-against-average ranked third among keepers in 2019 and he'll be counted upon once again this season to backstop the Huskies.

15 - It's a young Huskies pitch for 2021, with 15 first years comprising the 27 player roster. Tobias Hyrich-Krueger is the lone fifth-year on the squad, which also only features two fourth years in Kwame Opoku-Addai and captain Zach Edwards.