EDMONTON – The University of Calgary Dinos took advantage of set pieces on Sunday at Clareview Field, using them to score two of their three goals in a 3-0 win over the MacEwan Griffins.

There are 3-0 soccer games that are absolute blowouts. Sunday was not one, even if a cursory glance at the score would indicate the Dinos throttled the Griffins. In reality, the women's soccer contest between two of Canada West's top teams could have gone either way. But the Dinos capitalized on set pieces to win and become the first team in the conference to reach three wins on the young 2021-22 season.

With the result, the Griffins fall to 1-1-0 on the season and are now 0-7-0 in regular season matches against the Dinos since entering Canada West in 2014 – one of only two teams, along with UBC, that they've never beaten.

Of course, the previous match between the rivals that was much-ballyhooed ahead of Sunday's contest was their meeting in the 2019 Canada West semifinal when they played to a scoreless draw before the Dinos won on penalty kicks.

MacEwan had multiple dangerous chances to score, including Maya Morrell, Reaghan McCarthy and Salma Kamel first-half blasts that forced veteran Dinos keeper Lauren Houghton to make some tough saves. And their most dangerous chance of all came in the 90th minute when Erin Van Dolder got all of a Morrell pass from the middle of the box that Houghton tipped off the crossbar.

The Dinos opened the scoring in the seventh minute when they were awarded a dangerous free kick at the side of the area and Damiane Van Wieren headed home Amy Mikuska's offering.

In the 26th minute, with MacEwan pressing on a corner kick, Montana Leonard stole a ball to the left of her own goal and ran the length of the field, juking out a defender before finding the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.

With MacEwan buzzing early in the second half, Calgary earned a corner against the run of play and put the game out of reach when Jayden Berg elevated off the back post and headed Mikuska's cross past Griffins' keeper Bianca Castillo.

Both Castillo and Houghton made seven saves each.

The Dinos return home next weekend for a Sunday matinee against the Lethbridge Pronghorns at Dinosaur Field. It will mark the first Canada West contest held at the University of Calgary since February 2020.

Next up for the Griffins is a weekend road trip to Lethbridge and Mount Royal on Sept. 18-19.