Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
Friday: MacEwan Griffins (0-1-1) at Lethbridge Pronghorns (0-1-0), 5 p.m., Canada West TV
Sunday: Griffins at Saskatchewan Huskies (1-0-0), 2 p.m., Canada West TV
EDMONTON – A serious roadie is on tap for the MacEwan Griffins men's soccer team this weekend.
1,641 kilometres.
Two provinces.
Four days.
Two games.
After travelling to Lethbridge for a game on Friday, the Griffins will then board the ol' iron lung for a trip to Saskatoon on Saturday to face the Huskies on Sunday before returning to Edmonton.
It will be a perfect amount of road time for the team to bond.
"I think it's a much-welcomed trip this early in the campaign," said Griffins head coach Adam Loga. "Up until Aug. 16, we only had 14 guys in camp. Now, we have a roster of 29. There's a lot of new faces. We doubled (our roster) halfway through camp due to various reasons, so this four-day trip together will definitely expedite the process of trying to gel."
Various reasons refers to … some players at Canada Summer Games, others at pro trials, others joining the team out of the professional ranks.
All of that added up to a team trying to find its way, searching for the right chemistry in a pair of home games on opening weekend – a 3-0 loss to Mount Royal Aug. 26 and a 1-1 draw with Calgary Aug. 28.
The latter contest gives them a strong building block heading into the weekend.
But Loga notes that while it was great to get a result, against the Dinos it's left them hungry for three points, instead of one.
"Just chatting with some of the guys over the course of the week, it's a positive in the sense that only a couple seasons ago, having the result like we did on Sunday would have been something we were very pleased with," he explained. "But just knowing the talent that's on the roster and in the room, we weren't happy with it, whatsoever.
"We think we're a better side than what we showed this weekend, but we're also realistic in the fact that we just had a little bit later of a start than most of the teams in the division and conference."
Saskatchewan beat Lethbridge 3-0 last weekend, but both sides will be a test for the Griffins. MacEwan was able to best them both last season to earn the division's final playoff spot, so it's certainly stoked their rivalries with them.
"Every team is tough to beat in this division and conference, so they're going to be very competitive games, very intense," said Loga. "Hopefully, we can come together, keep progressing, be better every weekend and get six points."
