MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Women's soccer player Jamie Erickson is the MacEwan Athletics' first star of the week after leading the Griffins to a 1-0 victory over the Victoria Vikes in Sunday's Canada West quarter-final.
Just three days after being named a Canada West first team all-star, Erickson came up big in MacEwan's first playoff game, scoring the winning goal and leading a defensive effort that prevented the Vikes from producing a single dangerous chance in the contest.
Other athletes recognized this week include second star Kiana Row of the women's cross-country team and third star Chase Miller of the men's hockey team.
It's the first time this season that Jamie Erickson and Chase Miller have made the three stars list, while Row is being honoured for the fifth time after having also been named first star on Sept. 10 and second star three other times (Oct. 1, Oct. 8 and Oct. 15).
1st STAR: Jamie Erickson, D, women's soccer
Edmonton, AB, fifth-year, Science
The talented senior centre back scored a 42nd-minute goal that would prove to be the game-winner in a 1-0 win over the Victoria Vikes in Sunday's Canada West quarter-final at Clarke Stadium.
She took a pass from Salma Kamel and drilled a shot past Vikes keeper Puck Louwes from eight feet to put MacEwan out front.
Erickson then spent the rest of the game as the central figure in a back row that completely stymied the Vikes' comeback attempt, leading to MacEwan's eighth clean sheet of 2019.
With the victory, the Griffins earned the right to host the Canada West Final Four for the first time in program history.
Erickson's performance came three days after she was one of three Griffins named to the Canada West first team all-star squad.
MacEwan will play Calgary in a semifinal match on Friday (12 p.m., Clarke Stadium).
2nd STAR: Kiana Row, women's cross country
Beaumont, AB, first-year, Nursing
Gutting out a tough day in the snow at the conference championship in Calgary, Row won a Canada West second all-star team award to keep alive MacEwan's streak of at least one all-star for six-straight seasons.
Row finished the women's 8K race in 31:27 to finish 11th overall, just 52 seconds behind winner Nicola Symonds of UBC. The Beaumont product was the third-best rookie in the race.
The result means Row finished as the top MacEwan runner in every race the team entered this season.
She and teammate Emma Steele will be off to the U SPORTS national championship Nov. 9 in Kingston, Ont.
Kiana Row crossed the line in 11th at the Canada West cross country championship on Saturday and made the conference's second all-star team (David Moll photo / Calgayr Dinos).
3rd STAR: Chase Miller, F, men's hockey
Calgary, AB, first-year, Commerce
Highlighting a strong weekend from the rookies on MacEwan's men's hockey team, first-year Chase Miller had a goal and an assist in a pair of losses to the UAlberta-Augustana Vikings.
In Friday's 3-2 defeat at the Downtown Community Arena, Miller broke through for the first of his ACAC career to open the scoring in the first period. He stole the puck at centre ice, beat a defender and sniped a wrister over goalie Curtis Skip's glove.
He was a threat to score all game for MacEwan and carried that momentum over into Saturday's rematch, where he drew an assist on Jordan Taupert's second-period tally.
Miller will lead the Griffins into a pair of home games against Briercrest on Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m., both at the DCA).
Chase Miller scores on UAlberta-Augustana Vikings goalie Curtis Skip last Friday. It was the first goal of the rookie's university career (Joel Kingston photography).
