Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Continuity, chemistry and a championship culture are in place for the Griffins women's soccer team.
Sprinkle in a strong dash of motivation that has been building over a long off-season after their 2022 campaign was cut short due to an eligibility violation and you have a team ready to charge out of the gates when the new Canada West season begins on Friday.
The Griffins will host Regina on Friday and Saskatchewan on Saturday (both 12 p.m., Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV).
"Unfinished business is what's been on everybody's minds," said head coach DeanCordeiro. "What you'll see is an extremely motivated group.
"We're counting down the days now and we're excited to get going."
The continuity piece comes in the form of 23 returning players – including eight of the team's 11 starting players from their final game of last season – led by fifth-year defender Hannah Supina, who is in her second year as team captain.
"I still feel just as lucky and privileged to be with this group," said Supina of being named captain again. "It's such a special group of girls. I'm just really excited to be a part of a team that can accomplish so much.
"I think we can win nationals again. That's the goal and we're definitely capable of accomplishing it."
Supina is one of 15 players still on the roster from the Griffins squad which captured the 2021 U SPORTS national title in Cape Breton. Also in that group is the rest of the squad's leadership team – Abbey Wright, Grace Mwasalla, Avery Brisebois, Anneke Odinga, Toni Gill, Maya Morrell and Alyx Henderson.
"We definitely have a different squad from the year we won, but this squad is just as special," said Supina. "We still have the winning culture that's instilled and that's carrying on. We're going to finish what we started last year."
There is a strong core of players who had bench roles in 2022 that will push for starting minutes alongside an impressive group of rookies from a sterling recruiting class.
"We're very happy with our 2005 intake for this season," said Cordeiro. "There are some game changers within the group and some very important pieces to the puzzle.
"Competition within the depth chart has been immense, but good healthy competition is what's needed for any team that wants to go on a big run. We're looking forward to their contributions, but we also understand they are first years. It's a big jump from high school to varsity. We've got to make sure they're ready before we overdo it with anybody."
Mwasalla, Morrell and Henderson are set to pace the attack up front, returning for more after combining for 30 of MacEwan's co-conference leading 46 goals in 2022.
The midfield is stocked with top players, including veteran third-years Grace Schimpf and Mariah Arnott, while the back line is a strength again with Wright, Odinga, Supina and Amelia Russo leading the way.
Gill has been behind Bianca Castillo and Breanna Truscott on the depth chart the last two seasons, but is now poised to lead MacEwan's goalkeeper group.
Beyond the leaders is a strong, deep roster of multiple players who can play key minutes should they be tasked with doing so.
They have the talent to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country.
"I think over the last two seasons, there's been a winning culture that's been put in place by the players taking ownership of this team," said Cordeiro. "It's a very hard league to win. Every team is very well organized and poses different issues on the day. We're just taking it day by day. We can't look forward to October or November at this point.
"Competition in training and setting standards and goals every season is what's elevated our program," he added. "Everybody here has their eyes on the prize. What fuels this team is having that opportunity to be the last team standing at the end. We're pushing every day to get stronger and stronger."
