CALGARY – A revamp to Canada West's soccer format has added to the anticipation building for the University of Calgary Dinos men's soccer team as they geared up for start of the 2012 season.

Last year, the Dinos fell short of their goal of a second consecutive spot in the postseason, landing in fifth-place with a 6-6-2 mark. Calgary got off to a hot 3-1-0 start at the beginning of 2011; things held in place until the end as they struggled down the stretch and lost the final playoff berth in the last game of the year.

With UNBC, Mount Royal joining the conference as well as Winnipeg being accepted to field men's and women's soccer teams, the amount of games played and playoff spots will change. Men's soccer will now have six playoff positions up for grabs. Teams will now play out of two divisions, the Pacific and Prairie, with the Prairie division playing 15 games compared to the Pacific division which will have 14. Calgary will play out of the Prairie division along with Alberta, Lethbridge, Mount Royal, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg.

Head coach Brian McDonnell enters his third year with the Dinos and will be looking to get back in the playoffs after getting a taste of it in his first season back in 2010. McDonnell will rely on Izak Lawrence to provide offence, but overall the club will be searching for more scoring production after ranking sixth in goals scored in the conference. In the back field, Calgary will hope for another solid year from the goaltending tandem of Jordan Unreimer and Colin Hasick.

Calgary had four fifth-year players who wrapped up this eligibility last year in defender Dustin Ruddell, midfielders Ben Cole and Devin Delany, and forward Jeremy Jenkyns. Born in Vancouver, B.C., Delany may be the most critical player to replace as the Dinos will now have to do without the leadership he brought as team captain.

Among the recruits that will take to West Varsity Soccer Pitch this month will be Brett Howard, a familiar name to Dinos' followers. After being away from the team for a year, Howard returns to his hometown club where he was second in team scoring during the 2010 campaign. Reunited with fellow striker Lawrence, the duo should give Calgary back some of the offence which was missing last season.

The Dinos will begin the season on the road as they travel west to take on the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Sept. 7 and the Trinity Western Spartans the following night. On Sept. 15, Calgary will play the Pronghorns in Lethbridge with the rematch happening at West Varsity Soccer Pitch the next day.

-UC-