Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Two MacEwan Griffins teams hit the road for action this weekend and they couldn't be at more opposite points of their respective seasons.
The Griffins men's soccer squad has just two games remaining in the regular season, while the MacEwan men's hockey team has only played two games so far.
Here is what to watch for.
MEN'S SOCCER
On Tap
Sunday: at Alberta, 2:15 p.m., Foote Field, Canada West TV
Standings
MacEwan (3-8-1): T5th Prairie Division
Alberta (8-1-3): 1st Prairie Division
Last meeting
Oct. 4, 2023: Alberta 2 at MacEwan 0
Playoff implications
It's do-or-die time for the Griffins, who trail Lethbridge (2-3-7) by three points for the final playoff spot in the Prairie Division. Saskatchewan (3-8-1) is also in the mix.
Both Lethbridge and Saskatchewan have remaining regular season games against Calgary and Mount Royal, while MacEwan faces Alberta in their final two contests.
Should any of the teams end up tied in the standings, Saskatchewan holds the season series tiebreaker over both teams, but MacEwan holds the advantage on Lethbridge.
Adam Loga coaches' quote:
"It's going to take a lot of compete and energy from our boys. Alberta's firing on all cylinders, essentially, right now. We're going to have to play a pretty clean, almost perfect, match to get a result. But that being said, there's a group of guys that knocked off an undefeated team three years ago (Calgary) to do the same thing. So, it's not unfamiliar territory for some, but it's going to take a lot from our end, and we're up for the challenge."
Players to watch
MacEwan: Kayden Dugas – The fullback enters the final two games of the regular season with four assists in 12 games. He has already matched the program's single season record (4), sharing it with Lahai Mansaray and Nicolas Luczkiewicz, and needs one more helper to set a new mark outright.
Alberta: Rilind Idrizi – With five goals and nine points in 12 games, the midfielder enters the final two contests of the regular season just five points back of Canada West scoring leader Mateo Brazinha of UFV.
Notable
While MacEwan has tied Alberta six times since joining Canada West in 2014, they have never beaten the Golden Bears … The Zebie brothers will be on opposite sidelines as Bruno is an assistant coach with Alberta, while Allan is an assistant coach with MacEwan … Players and coaches on both teams combined to form Edmonton Scottish's League 1 championship roster in the summer.
Kadyn Chabot had a four-point weekend against Alberta and will be looking to keep his offensive production rolling in Regina on Friday and Saturday (Rebecca Chelmick photo).
MEN'S HOCKEY
On Tap
Friday: at Regina, 7 p.m. MT, Canada West TV
Saturday: at Regina, 5 p.m. MT, Canada West TV
Standings
MacEwan (0-2-0): T4th East Division
Regina (0-2-0): T4th East Division
Last meeting
Jan. 27, 2024: Regina 2 at MacEwan 6
Zack Dailey's coaches' quote:
"Obviously, two teams the last two years who've knocked each other out of the last playoff spot, so I'm sure there's a wont for both teams to beat the other team. Really good team, they work extremely hard, they're physical, hard to play against, they block a lot of shots and they got better this off-season. Going to be a big test for us, but we're just prepped and ready to play our game and match their compete level. We think if we do that, we should be OK."
Players to watch
MacEwan: Kadyn Chabot – The second-year forward produced three goals and an assist in the Griffins' first two games of the season vs. Alberta last weekend and was named MacEwan Athletics' second star of the week.
Regina: Steven Kesslering – The first-year forward had a dream start to his Canada West career after transferring from the NCAA's Niagara University, scoring twice in Regina's opening series against Saskatchewan.
Notable
MacEwan secured its first-ever Canada West playoff spot last season by sweeping Regina with 7-2 and 6-2 wins last January … But in 2022-23, it was the Cougars who grabbed the sixth and final playoff spot, earning it on a tiebreaker after they were level in the standings with MacEwan. That season, the Griffins lost twice at Regina in January.
