CALGARY – The regular season is over in basketball and volleyball, tournament sports have begun their road to nationals, and February's Championship Season is well underway at the University of Calgary.
TICKET INFORMATION
Playoff fever kicks off this weekend with a volleyball doubleheader in the Jack Simpson Gym, marking the first time since 1994 that the Dinos men's and women's teams host playoff series on the same weekend. Both teams earned the second seeds in the Canada West standings and will host the 2-vs-7 quarterfinal match-ups this weekend, with the winners advancing to the Canada West Final Four.
The No. 3 Dinos women host a playoff series for the third straight year, and for the second consecutive season their opponents will be the Regina Cougars. Calgary dispatched Regina in two-straight matches last season, but the Cougars (10-10) handed the Dinos (16-4) one of their four losses on the season back in late November in the Saskatchewan capital.
Women's Volleyball – Canada West Quarterfinal
Calgary Dinos (16-4) vs. Regina Cougars (10-10); Jack Simpson Gym
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 14, 6 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m.
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After posting a five-game improvement on last season's record, the No. 3 Dinos men (13-5) get set to host a playoff series for the first time since 2002. They will take on the Winnipeg Wesmen (10-8) in a best-of-three series that kicks off Friday night at 8 p.m.
More than just a berth in the Final Four is on the line in this series, however; with four Canada West teams advancing to the CIS Championship in Edmonton, the winner of this series will also get an automatic berth into the national championship tournament. The Wesmen have experience on their side, having been in the last two national finals and winning it all in 2007, but the Dinos are just two home wins away from heading to nationals for the first time since 2003.
Calgary swept Winnipeg 3-1, 3-1 in their lone series this season Jan. 16-17 at home.
Men's Volleyball – Canada West Quarterfinal
Calgary Dinos (13-5) vs. Winnipeg Wesmen (10-8); Jack Simpson Gym
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Feb. 15, 3 p.m.
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Also this weekend, the Dinos women's basketball team (8-14) heads down the playoff trail with a trip back to Edmonton to face the Alberta Pandas in the division semi-final. Alberta took all four games in the season series this year, including 30- and 24-point victories last weekend to close out the regular season. That series goes Friday-Sunday at the Main Gym in Edmonton.
Women's Basketball – Central Division Semi-final
Calgary Dinos (8-14) @ Alberta Pandas (16-6); UofA Main Gym, Edmonton
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 14, 6 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m.
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Men's basketball enjoys a bye week, long ago having locked up top spot in the Central Division for the second straight year. The Dinos will await the winner of the Saskatchewan-Alberta division semi-final in Edmonton, with the Central Division Final slated for Feb. 20-22 in the Jack.
Men's Basketball – Central Division Final
Calgary Dinos (17-5) vs. TBD; Jack Simpson Gym
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Feb. 22, 2 p.m.
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While the Dinos men's hockey team is in a dogfight for the final playoff spot in the conference with four games to play, their lady counterparts are in the midst of their best-ever season. At 17-3, the Dinos have already clinched a first-round playoff bye and will have home ice advantage in the ACAC semi-final Feb. 27-Mar. 1. The best-of-three series is a home-and-home format, meaning the Dinos will host Games 1 and 3.
Women's Hockey – ACAC Semi-final
Calgary Dinos vs. TBD
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Olympic Oval
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 28, time and location TBA
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Mar. 1, 1:30 p.m., Olympic Oval
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Finally, the 2009 CIS Wrestling Championships are less than three weeks away, with qualification beginning this weekend at the Canada West meet in Edmonton. The Dinos women are two-time defending conference champions and will look to avenge last season's heartbreaking second place finish to the SFU Clan when Calgary plays host to the CIS Championships Feb. 27-28.
2009 CIS Wrestling Championships
Jack Simpson Gym
Day 1 (Preliminaries): Friday, Feb. 27, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Day 2 (Finals): Saturday, Feb. 28, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
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Tickets for all Dinos home playoff games are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.goDINOS.com, over the phone at (403) 220-7749, via email at tickets@ucalgary.ca, or in person at Kinesiology Client Services.
For all up-to-date information on the Dinos' playoff push, stay tuned to goDINOS.com.
-UC-
2008-09 UC Dinos Playoff Schedule
As of Feb. 9, 2009 / Dates and times subject to change / All times MT / Home games BOLD
Friday, Feb. 13
All day – WRES CW Championships @ Alberta
6 p.m. – WVB CW Quarterfinal: Dinos vs. Regina, Game 1, Jack Simpson Gym
6 p.m. – WBB Division semi-final: Dinos @ Alberta, Game 1, UofA Main Gym
8 p.m. – MVB CW Quarterfinal: Dinos vs. Winnipeg, Game 1, Jack Simpson Gym
Saturday, Feb. 14
All day – WRES CW Championships @ Alberta
6 p.m. – WVB CW Quarterfinal: Dinos vs. Regina, Game 2, Jack Simpson Gym
6 p.m. – WBB Division semi-final: Dinos @ Alberta, Game 2, UofA Main Gym
8 p.m. – MVB CW Quarterfinal: Dinos vs. Winnipeg, Game 2, Jack Simpson Gym
Sunday, Feb. 15
1 p.m. – WVB CW Quarterfinal: Dinos vs. Regina, Game 3, Jack Simpson Gym (if necessary)
1 p.m. – WBB Division Semi-final: Dinos @ Alberta, Game 3, UofA Main Gym (if necessary)
3 p.m. – MVB CW Quarterfinal: Dinos vs. Winnipeg, Game 3, Jack Simpson Gym (if necessary)
Thursday, Feb. 19
All day – SWIM CIS Championships @ UBC
Friday, Feb. 20
All day – SWIM CIS Championships @ UBC
All day – TF CW Championships @ Regina
7 p.m. – MBB Division Final: Dinos vs. TBD, Game 1, Jack Simpson Gym
Saturday, Feb. 21
All day – SWIM CIS Championships @ UBC
All day – TF CW Championships @ Regina
7 p.m. – MBB Division Final: Dinos vs. TBD, Game 2, Jack Simpson Gym
Sunday, Feb. 22
All day – SWIM CIS Championships @ UBC
2 p.m. – MBB Division Final: Dinos vs. TBD, Game 3, Jack Simpson Gym (if necessary)
Friday, Feb. 27
All day – WRES CIS Championships, Jack Simpson Gym
7 p.m. – WHK ACAC Semi-final: Dinos vs. TBD, Game 1, Olympic Oval
Saturday, Feb. 28
All day – WRES CIS Championships, Jack Simpson Gym
TBA – WHK ACAC Semi-final: Dinos @ TBD, Game 2
Sunday, Mar. 1
1:30 p.m. – WHK ACAC Semi-final: Dinos vs. TBD, Game 3, Olympic Oval (if necessary)
