Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – When Brian Mayall first donned a MacEwan Griffins jersey in 2014, the team was brand new to Canada West, jumping up from the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference the year prior.
He remembers having one distinct hope for his university career.
"I know, personally, in my first year, my goal was I wanted to make playoffs with the team at some point before I left," the men's soccer midfielder said. "That's, of course, what we're aiming for this year. To get that accomplishment would be great. It would mean the world to me, really.
"Adam (Loga) and the whole coaching staff's done a great job bringing in the right guys. We've got a young core of guys who are going to be very successful in the future. It's nice to know that I played a part in growing that."
Mayall and teammate Josh Samuel will head into the final home regular season game of their five-year careers on Sunday vs. Lethbridge (2:30 p.m., Clarke Stadium).
Turns out two of Mayall's favourite memories over his time as a Griffin have been against the Pronghorns.
"I remember our first win against Lethbridge in our very first year and the bus ride back was awesome," he said. "This year when I scored the 90th-minute winner (against Lethbridge on Sept. 1) was probably my best memory, for sure."
MacEwan will also host Saskatchewan on Saturday (12 p.m., Clareview Field) as they hunt for a six-point weekend that would all but clinch the first post-season berth in their five-year Canada West history.
"We want six points out of this weekend, we want six points out of every weekend," said head coach Loga. "I don't think I need to explain the magnitude of this weekend and what it means for us and our ambitions and goals. We need to be sure we're switched on this week and ready for work on Saturday-Sunday."
Saskatchewan (2-5-1) is a game back of 3-5-1 MacEwan and is sitting just outside of the top four in the Prairie Division that make playoffs. But one of their two wins this season was over the Griffins on Sept. 2 (2-1 in Saskatoon). Lethbridge (0-7-1) is all but out of the playoff race and MacEwan beat them 2-1 back on Sept. 1, but you can never count out a team hungry for its first win.
The Griffins have lost three straight, though – including back-to-back losses at UBCO and UBC last weekend – so they'll be coming in with something to prove.
"We had some rough results against the B.C. teams," said Mayall. "Thankfully, they're not in our conference, so it's not as damaging, but having the confidence that we know we beat both Calgary teams and Lethbridge and had a close game against Saskatchewan, as long as we reset and really focus for this weekend, I think we're all very confident.
"I think we learned from the B.C. games. They were humbling defeats and I think that was maybe something we needed. I think that will ultimately make us better for it."
The 2018 Griffins have come the closest of any team in program history to a Canada West post-season spot. They've also been the most competitive squad MacEwan has ever fielded at this level as they've truly been in every game they've played this season, which bodes well for the future.
For Mayall, helping to grow the program to where it's at will be his enduring legacy.
"It's great to see the program develop," he said. "Obviously, it's a big step up from ACAC to CIS. Being in the first year of that, we really got a taste of just how good teams are, how we needed to develop. This season's been great. We're coming to this peak of where we want to be.
"To have the program start maintaining these consistent results though these next years into the future (is great)," he added. "It just shows how the dedication can shine through."
Dedication is perhaps his own middle name. Mayall tore his ACL in 2012 and really feels he's just finally now coming into his own in the MacEwan midfield.
"He was our most improved player last year," said Loga. "Coming back from knee surgery, he didn't maybe get back to the standard he would have liked right away, but now he's definitely there. It's a testament to his hard work and the commitment he's put in, both individually and to the program."
Both Mayall and Samuel have also added plenty of leadership to build the program off the pitch, too.
"Since my arrival, especially, they've been outstanding – obviously in their play, but mostly in terms of their character and their commitment to helping the program grow, making the program better," said Loga, who took over the head coaching reins in 2016. "There's a lot of intangibles both Brian and Josh do off the park that even their teammates don't see, never mind the soccer community or Athletics community at MacEwan."
