CALGARY - With six games remaining for both the University of Calgary Dinos soccer teams, chances are becoming few and far between to make up ground in the playoff race, as only four teams from each league move on to the post-season.
The women go on the road for potentially their toughest weekend match-up of the season, as they square off with the No. 1 Trinity Western Spartans and the struggling but still dangerous UBC Thunderbirds.
Sitting in sixth place in Canada West at 4-4 and right in the thick of the playoff hunt, the Calgary Dinos have had a fairly easy time with the opponents that they were expected to beat this season but have yet to prove they can beat the top teams. All four of their victories on the year have come over the bottom three teams in the conference, while their four losses have come at the hands of four teams ahead of them in the standings.
The Dinos are not far off from that fourth and final playoff spot, sitting only two points back of Alberta. They will need to reverse their trend in the standings this weekend against the defending National Champion Spartans and the T-Birds, in what could be the turning point of the Dinos' season.
Katie Blundell has come on strong for the Dinos since being inserted into the line-up in the second weekend of the season, scoring five points in six games. Along with
Morena Ianniello and
Tessa Miller, who both occupy spots in the top ten in points in Canada West for the Dinos, Blundell has helped create a very potent offensive push for Calgary.
However against Trinity Western on Friday night in Langley, it will be the Dinos' defence that must step up as they sit seventh in the conference with 2.38 goals against per game. With the returning CIS rookie of the year and Canada West Player of the Year Nikki Wright leading a loaded Spartan offense that has five players with five points or more, the young Dinos will have their hands full.
The Thunderbirds have had uncharacteristic struggles in 2009, going 2-2-4 in the first part of the season but are never to be taken lightly, with the memory of their 4-0 2008 playoff waxing of the Dinos still fresh in Calgary's memory. They are led by their rookie forward Rachel Sawer, who has six points in eight games, and their solid goaltender Jaclyn Dunnett, who posts a very good 0.86 GAA.
The Dinos men, on the other hand, suffered a loss to the cellar-dwelling Lethbridge Pronghorns two weekends ago, sullying an otherwise surprisingly solid first half.
At 3-4-1 in 2009, the Dinos sit all alone in fifth place in Canada West, a very solid standing considering their seventh place finish in 2008. However a full six points back of fourth place, the Dinos now have their work cut out for them to chase down the Victoria Vikes, who occupy the final playoff spot.
With a long prairie tour upcoming this weekend, the Dinos will get a chance to redeem themselves against two teams they lost to and beat in the waning moments of their games three weekends ago, the Alberta Golden Bears and the Saskatchewan Huskies respectively.
#J.P. Crescenz#i and the Dinos defence continue to be the most consistent feature of this season's team, allowing a league leading 9.88 shots on goal per game. Crescenzi has allowed only 1.12 goals per game, which is good for sixth in Canada West.
Matt Reid and
Joe Long, who sat out the pivotal loss to Lethbridge because of a red card, have helped a still struggling team offense from their defensive positions. Both have scored a goal in a season where eight different Dinos have found the back of the net once, but none have more than that. Reid and fifth year forward
David Bird lead the team in total points.
The Bears currently occupy the third position in Canada West and the fifth ranking in the CIS, and are enjoying another solid season under long time head coach Len Vickery. Alberta netminder Jaswinder Gill has been sensational for the Edmonton club, allowing only 0.67 goals per game to go along with three shutouts.
The Huskies are led by their fourth year midfielder Steve Irinici, who is fifth in the conference in scoring, and their import forward Jerson Barandica-Hamilton. Saskatchewan (2-5-1) has had a disappointing year thus far, and suffered a 1-0 loss to the Dinos during their last trip to Calgary, a result they would like to avenge on their home turf.
-UC-
