CALGARY – With a quality mix of experience and youth on the roster, the University of Calgary Dinos are ready for Canada West competition as they begin their conference schedule this weekend at home versus the Alberta Pandas and Mount Royal Cougars.

Both games will take place at the new home of Dinos Soccer – Dinosaur Field – with start times of 1 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday. 

TOP FIVE
The Dinos are ranked No. 5 in the preseason Canada West coaches' poll, earning 182 points – including one first-place vote – among the 16 teams in the league. Trinity Western comes in at No. 1, followed by UBC, Victoria, and Alberta – with the Dinos just seven points back of third-place Victoria.

GUESS WHO'S BACK
Following season-ending injuries, a year ago, Jordan Smith and Natalie Arnett are back for their final year as Dinos. The 2016 Canada West Player of the Year, Smith never hit the field with the Dinos last year after succumbing to an injury at the FISU Games in Taiwan, while Arnett was lost after only two games. In 2016, both players combined to score 17 times. Without them in 2017, the team still scored 22 goals, good for third in the Prairie Division, while only conceding seven.

HEY NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL-STAR
Even minus veterans Smith and Arnett, the Dinos were recognized for their talents on the field in 2017. Calgary tied for a conference-high six honourees on the Canada West All-Star teams. Defender Talia White was a first-team all-star, while goalkeeper Lauren Houghton, defender Kayla Kreutzer, and midfielder Montana Leonard were named to the second all-star team. Houghton also made the all-rookie squad, alongside defender Maya Ida.

QUOTABLE
This summer, Dinos head coach Troye Flannery led Calgary Foothills WFC to a Western Conference title in the United Women's Soccer League. The team included eight former and present Dinos, who Flannery believes will benefit from playing at the highest level of women's soccer in Canada.

"Watching those kids grow this summer against elite competition only helps this program. The rest of the team played at a high-level amateur-wise with the major league here or back in B.C. It is a good team and I am excited to work with them again."

SCOUTING REPORT


vs ALBERTA PANDAS
Match Info Saturday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. – Dinosaur Field (Field 2)
2017 Record 10-2-2, 1st in Prairie Division
2017 Leading Scorer(s) Sydney Daines (6g, 4a)

NOTES

• The Pandas played six non-conferences matches in August, winning five of them.
• Alberta ranked just above the Dinos in the Canada West pre-season coaches poll, coming in a No. 4 with two first-place votes.
• After a strong regular season in 2017, the Pandas were stunned in the Canada West quarter-finals, getting bounced by the MacEwan Griffins in an all-Edmonton matchup.

vs MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS
Match Info Sunday, Sept. 9 at 12 p.m. – Dinosaur Field (Field 2)
2017 Record 4-6-4, 5th in Prairie Division
2017 Leading Scorer(s) Jullien Ramirez (2g, 2a)

NOTES

• The Cougars have added nine new names to the roster for this season, including seven rookies to replace five players who graduated from the program last year.
• Mount Royal was ranked 10th in the conference's pre-season coaches poll. 
• The Cougars had 10 different goalscorers in 2017, with Erin Holt leading the way with three. 

UP NEXT
The Dinos head west next weekend for a pair of games against B.C. opponents. The team will be on Vancouver Island to face the Victoria Vikes on Friday, Sept. 14 before travelling to the mainland to battle the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday, Sept. 15.

-UC-