Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – It's hard to believe, but the Griffins men's soccer team is already heading into its final weekend that's entirely set in the first half of the Canada West regular season.
Road games at Thompson Rivers this Friday (8 p.m. MT) and at UNBC on Sunday (3:30 p.m. MT, both Canada West TV) will already be their fifth and sixth matches of the 14-game regular season.
So, with only one point to their credit so far – entering the set with an 0-3-1 record – it's essential that they find a way this weekend.
"We need points – we need results," said head coach Adam Loga. "Need to stay focused on the details; margins are so thin in the conference and the 'attention to detail' will be the difference."
They're already five points back of the final playoff spot in the Prairie Division (albeit with a game in hand on MRU and Lethbridge). Both TRU (1-3-0) and UNBC (0-4-2) are similarly out of the playoff picture at the moment in the Pacific Division.
With Friday's game in Kamloops and Sunday's in Prince George – two B.C. cities that are more than 500 km apart by bus – the road trip will have even more challenges that just the on-field strategy.
"We will be clocking a lot of miles – especially only 10 odd days back from our last swing trip," said Loga. "We are approaching it much the same – a bit lighter in volume this week – but a positive is the lads have been through a similar trip already."
That would be the vaunted Lethbridge-Saskatoon swing trip – more than 600 km – that opened their season on Labour Day weekend.
The Griffins found out this week that two players they recruited this season who were on trials in Europe – Sacre Musa and Djordje Drljevic – have decided to stay overseas. Additionally, they've lost another player off the roster as starting defender Abass Ajibade has left to pursue a career opportunity.
Certainly, the Griffins' depth has been affected by the departures as they're now down to just 23 players on the roster.
"It's, next man up, for sure," said Loga. "We have had big performances from lads who have been asked to step in and play a role due to roster changes via pro-deals, injuries, etc., and that will continue to be the case.
"Lads have done well stepping in, and we believe that each player can do a job for us if called upon."
