EDMONTON – Four teams, two trips to nationals and one conference title.

That's the equation this weekend in Edmonton, where the top four teams in Canada West men's soccer will take aim at the conference championship Saturday and Sunday at Foote Field.

It all starts on Saturday, November 5 with semifinal action, as the UBC Thunderbirds and Calgary Dinos square off (11 a.m. MT), followed by the host Alberta Golden Bears taking on the Trinity Western Spartans (1:30 p.m. MT).

Alberta enters the tournament looking to end a four-year conference championship drought, and has all the weapons to return to the top of the conference.

Led by forward Ajeej Sarkaria, who set the Canada West single-season scoring record this season with 18 goals, the Bears are a balanced side keen on capturing an 11th conference crown.

That won't be an easy feat, as the Bears – who won the regular season title with a 13-1-2 record and downed UBCO 1-0 in the quarters last weekend – are joined by the three teams that came closest to them in the standings.

Taking aim at a conference record 17th Canada West banner are the UBC Thunderbirds, who claimed conference gold in 2015 and are coming off their 2-1 quarter-final win last weekend against Lethbridge.

The T-Birds provided a tough defensive test all season, yielding a conference-best 10 goals against and giving up multiple goals against just twice during the 16-game regular season schedule.

Looking to crack that strong defensive wall is Calgary, who had no problem scoring all season long, as the Dinos led the conference in goals with 45 thanks in large part to Dominic Russo, who accounted for a third of his team's scores.

Calgary, who won 2-0 at home last weekend, and Trinity Western, who won 3-0 in the quarters over Mount Royal, could be considered the wild cards in the tournament, as the powerful Bears and Thunderbirds are the favourites to secure the conference's two national tournament berths.

The national tournament is slated for November 10-13 at the University of Guelph.

For a complete look at each Final Four team, click here for the full championship preview.

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY DINOS
2016 CW regular season record: 9-4-3, 2nd in Prairie Division
2016 record vs. Final Four teams: Alberta – L 1-0, T 3-3
Last CW championship / total CW championships: 1980 / 1
Last U Sports championship / total U Sports championships: 0
 
2016 CW regular season ranks:
Offence: 45 goals, 1st
Defence: 18, 4th

2016 CW regular season leaders:
Goals: 15 – Dominic Russo, Forward
Assists: 11 – Dominick Zator, Defence
Points: 24 – Dominic Russo, Forward
Wins: 9 – Hunter Brett, GK
Shutouts: 5 – Hunter Brett, GK

Key performer:
Dominic Russo
Forward
5th-year
Hometown Calgary, AB

Dominic Russo is a key fixture in the Dinos offence and has been throughout his five year career. The forward ranked second in the conference in goals (15) and points (24) this season and has a knack for finding the back of the net in a variety of situations.

Viewers will be able to watch every Final Four game on CanadaWest.tv with a tournament pass for $7.50 CAD.

About Canada West Championships
Canada West is the premier athletic conference in the country and is home to champion student-athletes that excel on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. Canada West and its 17 member institutions commit to a student-athlete experience where competitive excellence, scholarship and sportsmanship contribute equally towards moulding outstanding graduates and community leaders.

Canada West – Training leaders, building champions.

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