SASKATOON, Sask. - This Saturday (August 24), the latest Huskie Athletics season will officially kick off, as the University of Saskatchewan Huskie men's soccer program begins its 2024 season on the road with a matchup against the Calgary Dinos.
2023 Season Recap
Regular Season: 1-9-4 / 6th in Prairie Division
CW Team Ranks: Offence - T-12th (10 GF) / Defence - 8th (21 GA)
Regular Season Leaders:
Points -
Diego Reveco (6)
Goals -
Ethan Cabral (3)
Assists -
Diego Reveco (3)
Saturday's match in Calgary marks the official start to a nine-week, 14-game regular season in the Canada West conference. The Huskies will be one of 13 programs from across Western Canada competing for a spot in the 2024 postseason, with eight teams earning the right to extend their seasons. The Huskies, who compete out the conference's Prairie Division, have their eyes set on improvement from last season and, ultimately, a playoff position. This year's postseason tournament will feature a familiar format to decide the latest conference champion, beginning with the division winners earning the right to host quarterfinal and semifinal matches from October 25-27. The following weekend will see the culmination of the 2024 Canada West soccer season as the remaining two teams will square off in the gold medal match. For the two teams featured in the Canada West Championship, their season will continue to the national level as Canada West representatives at the 2024 U SPORTS Men's Soccer Championships, which will be held in Oshawa, Ontario (Nov. 7-10, 2024) and hosted by Ontario Tech University.
This year's Huskie squad is ready for a bounce-back campaign after a hard-fought season in 2023, which saw the Huskies finish in 6th-place in the Prairie division with a 1-9-4 record. Despite their finish in the standings, the Huskies were in every game, with six of their nine losses coming by a single goal.
"We want to build off of last season," said Huskie men's soccer head coach
Bryce Chapman, who is entering his 21st season at the helm of the USask program.
"It was a disappointing finish in the standings, but there were some good performances throughout the season. We came into this offseason and were honest about where the gaps were in the program, and we have taken steps to fill those gaps. You head into the every season with the minimum achievement being a playoff team. Still, you must put yourself in that position and give yourself those opportunities. We believe this group can do that."
"We are very pleased with where the team is right now," continued Chapman. "Players came into camp fitter and stronger and bought into what the offseason needed to be. We've got a tight group already and a nice balance of personalities in the locker room. These guys are ready to go out and do their job for the betterment of this team."
The excitement over the upcoming season stretches from the coaching staff to the student-athletes, and is spearheaded by a leadership group hungry to improve.
"As the new soccer season approaches, there's a palpable sense of excitement and optimism among the team," said Huskie captain
Luke Mackie. "The blend of talented new signings and returning veterans that have put in a substantial amount of work over the summer has created a team capable of an outstanding 2024 season. The dedication and commitment everyone has shown in training camp thus far continues to grow, and I believe we are on the brink of achieving something special. Our collective determination coming out of last season will be our greatest asset, and I am confident that, together, we will tackle every challenge head-on and make this season one to remember."
See below for a breakdown of the 2024 Huskie men's soccer team.
2024 MEN'S SOCCER ROSTER
2024 MEN'S SOCCER RECRUITING CLASS
2024 MEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE
FORWARDS
Leading the Huskie attack in 2024 is a pair of strong, athletic strikers,
Rajesh Rodney and
Robert Woodroffe-Brown. Rodney, a 6-foot local product out of Aden Bowman Collegiate, returns for his third season with the Huskies after appearing in nine games last season and starting three. The arts & science student has shown flashes of his offensive ability in limited action, recording a goal and three shots on net in just 250 minutes last season.
Alongside Rodney is
Robert Woodroffe-Brown, a 6-foot-3 business major from Moose Jaw who returns for his sophomore season with the Huskies after impressing as a rookie a year ago. In his Canada West and Huskie debut last season, Woodroffe-Brown both started the match and found the back of the net. He would finish the season with two goals and 11 shots on net while playing in all 14 games and starting eight. Adding some depth and mobility to the group is incoming 2024 recruit
Kiran Baker. A 6-foot striker from Calgary, Baker has a strong ability to get in behind defenders and will allow the Huskies to present a different picture to the opposition on the attack.
MIDFIELDERS
The Huskie midfield in 2024 will feature a pair of young student-athletes in third-year
Matthew Hnatiw and incoming recruit
Malcolm Rektor. The pair are tasked with maintaining structure and being the engine room of the Huskies this season. Hnatiw enters his second season with the Huskies after appearing in 11 games and starting seven last season. Meanwhile Rektor joins the dogs as a transfer from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Rektor has already made an impact in green and white through the team's preseason and will bring maturity to the lineup after playing in the college ranks for the last three years. With the additional depth surrounding the pair of stout midfielders, this positional group is among the most exciting. The group is motivated and committed to grinding things out and doing the dirty work required to succeed. With the continued increase in chemistry throughout camp and some talented footballers in the mix, this group is ready for the season.
DEFENDERS
Defensively, the Huskies return a strong back line for the upcoming season, led by team captain
Luke Mackie and veteran
Julian Calderon. Mackie, a 6-foot-2 veteran out of Centennial Collegiate, is one of the more experienced players this season with 31 games and 31 starts in his USask career.
The arts & science student sets the standard for the Huskies on and off the field, excelling both on the pitch and in the classroom. Similarly to Mackie, Calderon comes into the 2024 season as one of the more experienced players. Last season, the product of Bogota, Columbia appeared in 11 games for the Huskies and started nine. Before the 2023 season, Calderon was a member of the Tompson Rivers Wolfpack and became a U SPORTS champion with the program in 2022. The defensive group for the dogs has shown great maturity and growth over the last few seasons, consistently reducing their goals against. They will look to continue that trend in 2024.
GOALKEEPERS
Fans will see a new face in goal for the Huskies in 2024, with Durham University transfer and product of Oxford, England,
George Arnold set to take over as goalkeeper. Arnold, who is pursuing his master's in Veterinary Medicine while at USask, brings maturity and experience to the program. The 6-foot-2 keeper most recently played for the Durham University First Team, winning a British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championship in 2022-23.
The Huskie men's soccer team will kickoff their 2024 season on Saturday, August 24 in Calgary with the match set for 2pm MT. The team will make their home debut next week, when they host the Alberta Golden Bears on Saturday August 31 at Griffiths Stadium. Season and individual tickets for Huskie men's soccer are available online at
huskietickets.com.
