Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – It will be prime-time can't-miss TV when the MacEwan Griffins visit the UBC Thunderbirds in a battle of the last two undefeated teams in the Canada West women's soccer ranks on Friday.
Set for 6 p.m. MT (Canada West TV), the contest at the 3,500-seat Thunderbird Stadium will pit the 6-0-1 Griffins vs. the 6-0-0 T-Birds, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the country.
"We're excited for the opportunity," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. "You always want to play these matches. We've had this one circled on our calendar when the schedule came out.
"We'll be ready to put in a strong 90-minute performance."
It's the first meeting between the two conference powerhouses since last September when UBC won 2-1 at Thunderbird Stadium – a contest that could have gone either way as MacEwan outshot UBC 13-12.
Previously, the two schools also met in the 2021 U SPORTS semifinal, which MacEwan won 1-0 in extra time, en route to a national championship.
"Every time we play them, they're good battles and the margins are small," said Cordeiro. "Those types of games can go either way."
And at the midway point of the season, facing UBC is exactly the quality of competition the Griffins need as a litmus test as they push towards securing a home playoff date.
"We always want good competition," said Cordeiro. "We pride ourselves in rising to any challenge. We want to play against other top teams.
"We know being on the road, it poses some different challenges," he added. "UBC is a very talented group and being at home makes it even more challenging. But we're going to go in with a plan and will be ready."
MacEwan's weekend B.C. road trip continues following the game as they have an off-day to fly to Prince George for a match against UNBC (0-5-1) on Sunday (3:15 MT, Canada West TV).
"I don't mind the day off in between," said Cordeiro. "It will allow us to reset and refocus. Truthfully, it will give our staff a little bit more time to prepare for a well-organized UNBC side on Sunday.
"We're taking it one game at a time. Our focus right now is all on UBC and then after that game concludes it will be switching gears quickly to focus on UNBC."
