Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
CALGARY – They knew going in it that Sunday's match against the University of Calgary Dinos – who were on a 10-game winning streak – would be an elite test.
Even still, the MacEwan Griffins women's soccer team left with an eye-opening wakeup call after losing 4-0.
Their three-game winning streak history after suffering their most lopsided defeat of the season, the Griffins (8-3-1) will now almost certainly finish third in the Pacific Division and head out on the road for the first round of the playoffs.
"It's humbling," said MacEwan head coach Dean Cordeiro. "It just goes to show … sometimes you're trending in the right direction – and I think we're getting stronger every week – but at the same time people are coming up with game plans. Credit Calgary, they came up with a great game plan against us, they made it difficult for us the way they pressed us. It's tough."
It was only MacEwan's third defeat in what's been a pretty positive season for a team that's lived just outside the U SPORTS top-10 rankings all year, but it still stings.
"You're not going to have a perfect season," said Cordeiro. "Every team has had their hiccups along the way. I think it's going to be an eye-opener for us and I think it's going to make us hungrier.
"We had so much go right for us this last little bit, I think maybe the girls were starting to maybe take some stuff for granted a little bit. We were obviously on the side of caution with that and I don't know if that's necessarily the case, but I expect us to come out firing on all cylinders next weekend on our final home-stand, that's for sure."
Things started snowballing in the wrong direction for the Griffins early in Sunday's contest when Calgary's Montana Leonard scored off a penalty kick in the 12th minute.
"Calgary, credit to them, they're the hottest team in the league," said Cordeiro. "The game, they took it to us early on. We were able to absorb, but they got gifted a PK and that really set the tone. They scored from the mark and then built a little bit of momentum. Unfortunately, they got another before the half."
That would be Maddison Fritze, who tallied in the 26th minute.
"We made a couple of adjustments, which gave us a spark in the second half," said Cordeiro. "We had a crossbar and a couple other close calls … but unfortunately we couldn't get one.
"It was a nice individual effort on their third goal to make it three and then at that point, you're starting to think ahead to future weeks, so we rested a few players. Rachel Cooper made her debut on her home soil, which was very exciting to see coming back from ACL surgery. And Kristyn Smart (who also recently returned from an ACL recovery) got her first start today."
Calgary's Sienna Prince-McPherson made it 3-0 in the 68th minute and Leonard scored her second of the game on the last play of the contest in extra time to make it 4-0.
"The scoreline wasn't what we wanted, but the bottom line is a loss is a loss," said Cordeiro. "Definitely not what we were hoping for. But credit Calgary. They were well organized and played a terrific game. It was a great performance by them."
So, the Griffins will regroup and get set for their final homestand of the season – Friday vs. UBC-Okanagan (2-7-2) at 6 p.m. and next Sunday vs. Thompson Rivers (3-7-1) at Noon (both games at Clarke Stadium).
FREE KICKS … The Griffins need one more win in their final weekend to post the most they've had in a season since joining Canada West in 2014 … Don't look now, but it's becoming increasingly likely that the Griffins' playoff road will go through cross-town rival University of Alberta for a second-straight season. The Pandas (8-1-3) will finish second in the Prairie Division unless Calgary (11-1-0) trips up on the final weekend Oct. 19-21 … If MacEwan is third in the Pacific, which is almost a lock unless UBC loses both of their final two games, they'll host the No. 6 Prairie seed in the opening game of a playoff weekend at Edmonton's Foote Field on Oct. 26 with the winner facing the Pandas on Oct. 28 … The No. 6 seed in the Prairie Division is currently a tight battle between Regina and Lethbridge (both 2-9-1) ahead of the final weekend of the regular season.
