CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men's soccer team delivered an impressive performance on Saturday afternoon, overpowering the MacEwan Griffins with a 5-1 win at Dinosaur Field.

The Dinos clinch a playoff spot for the 12th consecutive year with the victory and now hold a 6-1-4 record, while the Griffins slide to 3-7-1.

The first half was dominated early by missed opportunities by Calgary. The Dinos were flagged with five offsides in the first 45 minutes, including a pair that would have resulted in goals.

At the other end of the field, a perfect free kick saw Rakan Yassin open the scoring for MacEwan in the 30th minute.

Jacob Hunter levelled the score with a well-placed header before fellow defender William Omoreniye put Calgary ahead right before the first-half whistle. Both plays were assisted by set pieces from James Greco-Taylor.

In the second half, the Dinos asserted themselves. Owen Antoniuk joined the scoring spree, firing home his Canada West-leading eighth goal of the season, with goalkeeper Hany Shafie capturing an assist. 

Calgary kept their foot on the gas, with Gianmarco Plenzik adding to the tally only minutes later on a slick setup from Antoniuk. The Dinos' midfielders, led by standout performances from Antoniuk, continuously pressured the Griffins, preventing them from finding a rhythm.

Spencer McCallum capped off the scoring with a final goal, finishing strong after a well-placed pass from Aidan Izadi.

"We had a great reaction to the Griffins' goal with our best offensive production of the year," said Calgary head coach Ramon Mifflin. "This was a massive win for us as we gear up for our game tomorrow against the University of Alberta."

With their eyes set on maintaining this momentum, the Dinos are prepared to take on the Alberta Golden Bears on Sunday at Dinosaur Field. The action gets underway at 2 p.m.

The Griffins will remain in Calgary on Sunday and will face the Mount Royal Cougars.

-UC-