Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – The climb might be steep, and the odds set against them, but the MacEwan Griffins men's soccer team is still alive for a playoff spot going into the final game of the season.
They would need to beat the Canada West Prairie Division's No. 1-seeded Alberta Golden Bears, and see Lethbridge lose both matches against Calgary and Mount Royal.
Even if both of those things come true, they'd also need Saskatchewan to not find the win column against either Calgary or Mount Royal either (although they could tie).
Daunting, to say the least.
Especially as injuries have taken their toll on the Griffins, who are running without several key players at the moment.
But there is only one thing the Griffins can control, and that's what they're focused on: scoring more goals than Alberta does on Friday.
On Tap
Oct. 18: vs. Alberta, 6 p.m., Edmonton Scottish, Canada West TV
Standings
MacEwan: (3-9-1) 6th in Prairie Division
Alberta: (9-1-3) 1st in Prairie Division
Last meeting
Oct. 13, 2024: MacEwan 0 at Alberta 3
Playoff implications
The Griffins must win tonight's match against the Golden Bears and get help if they are to claim the fourth and final playoff spot in the Prairie Division.
They enter the weekend three points back of Lethbridge (2-3-7) with Saskatchewan (3-8-1) also in the mix. MacEwan needs to win and hope Lethbridge loses both matches they have this weekend against Calgary and Mount Royal, while also hoping Saskatchewan doesn't get a win in either game they have against the Dinos or Cougars.
Adam Loga coaches' quote:
"I think there's a lot of urgency within the guys. It's more getting their mindset set properly, just given the fact we've lost some key guys down the stretch here. We need to reset and find that belief from within with guys who have to step in and fill some pretty big roles. Unfortunately, they haven't been filled yet, but it needs to happen right away here. Just trying to build that sense of belief and confidence, and just nothing to lose, really."
Players to watch
MacEwan: Ricky Yassin – The fifth-year forward enters the final home game of his Griffins career holding 11 program records outright, tied for seven others and within striking distance of two others. With one assist on Friday, he would match the mark for most career CW assists by a Griffin. And with one shot, he would tie the record for most shots in a CW season by a Griffin.
Alberta: Rilind Idrizi – The midfielder is one of five Golden Bears players who were named to either the Canada West first or second all-star teams in 2023, and currently leads Alberta in scoring with nine points.
Notable
The Golden Bears clinched first place in the Prairie Division with last Sunday's 3-0 win over MacEwan and will host a Canada West quarter-final/semifinal weekend Oct. 25-27 … Kayden Dugas enters the match with four assists in 2024, needing one more to set a new single CW season program record – a mark he shares with Lahai Mansaray (2017) and Nicolas Luczkiewicz (2023) … The Zebie brothers are assistant coaches on opposite sides of the field as Bruno is with Alberta and Allan with MacEwan … Friday is Senior Day for two graduates of the MacEwan program playing in their final home games – Ricky Yassin and Stewart Jamieson. Looks for a Senior Q&A with both players on the Griffins website on Thursday.
