CALGARY - Following respective splits on the road, the Dinos soccer teams return to the West Varsity Pitch to open the home portion of their schedules this weekend in the front end of a home-and-home series with the Lethbridge Pronghorns.

Saturday's contests will feature the naked feet of Dinos coaches Matt Shepherd and Brian McDonnell as they patrol the sidelines as part of CIS' 'Go Shoeless' event, in association with Right to Play and CBC's Sports Day in Canada. The nationwide initiative is to raise awareness for those who do not have access to sports and proper sporting equipment around the world.

“We are delighted that CIS coaches across the country are taking off their shoes and braving the elements to raise awareness for every child's right to play,” said Marg McGregor, chief executive officer of CIS. “CIS coaches are role models and leaders in their communities and this gesture sends an important message.”

Donations to Right to Play on behalf of the Dinos coaches can be made HERE.

Footwear aside, the weekend matches the southern Alberta rivals together for the only time this season, and six points for both the Dinos men and women would be greatly beneficial as they chase the post-season in the ultra-competitive Canada West conference.

Shepherd's Dinos women started his CIS career off in impressive fashion, racking up a 2-1 win over the Saskatchewan Huskies last weekend in Saskatoon. A day later in Edmonton, however, Alberta's Heather Lund went off and scored a hat trick as the Pandas scored a 4-1 victory and the Dinos split their road trip.

The Lethbridge Pronghorns did the same trip in reverse order last week, falling 3-0 to Alberta before a 4-0 loss to Saskatchewan. The Horns managed just a single victory last season, scoring just eight goals in the 14-game campaign in producing a 1-12-1 record. The Dinos have swept the annual home-and-home series with Lethbridge each of the last three seasons.

Caitlin Milne is the Dinos' early points leader with a goal and an assist last week, while Tessa Miller and Vanessa Graham each chipped in a goal on the prairie trip as well.

On the men's side, the Dinos also split their road trip but did it in reverse fashion, falling 3-0 to Saskatchewan before earning an impressive 2-1 win over then-No. 7 Alberta thanks to a stellar goalkeeping performance by Colin Hasick and despite being down to 10 men late in the contest.

All the scoring came in the first half Sunday in Edmonton, with Jeremy Jenkyns scoring the eventual game-winner in the 44th minute. Izak Lawrence opened the scoring for Calgary in just the seventh minute of play as the Dinos showed impressively against a ranked opponent.

Now, they return home, where they haven't lost since October 2009. For the first time in program history, the Dinos went undefeated on home turf last year – and they will aim to start a new season at home on the right foot with a victory over the Pronghorns.

The Lethbridge men (0-2), like their female counterparts, suffered defeat on both ends of their prairie road trip, falling by identical 3-0 scores to Alberta and Saskatchewan last weekend.

The Dinos return home next weekend to host the Fraser Valley Cascades (Saturday, Sept. 24) and the Victoria Vikes (Sunday, Sept. 25).

-UC-