The Dinos field hockey team began their regular season Sept. 23-25, and are off to a decent start. With two losses and a tie at this first Canada West tournament at the University of Alberta, the Dinos are quickly identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

"We ended up third out of four teams in Canada West," said Assistant Coach Carolyn Fitzgerald. "The team constantly improved all weekend, which is definitely key. But we want to be first or second."

The tournament opened with a 2-0 loss to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. The Dinos tightened their defense in the second game, resulting in a scoreless tie against the University of Victoria Vikes. Their final match ended in a 1-0 loss to the U of A Pandas.

Although the results weren't stellar, there were many positive aspects to the weekend.

"Kelly Baudru had a great tournament; stepping up, intercepting passes," declared Fitzgerald.

"We each have individual goals for each game," confirmed Baudru, "and I achieved all of mine."

Goalkeeper Burgundy Biletski also had a terrific weekend, stopping an impressive 25 shots to shut out the Vikes.

"I feel really confident in everyone, and I haven't felt that way in the past," she said. "Everyone works hard. Everyone is on the same page and [believes] in each other. Everyone is happy."

Team unity has been a focal point of the coaching staff, and it is paying off, according to Fitzgerald.

Despite the lack of scoring, the tournament was a positive start. The team is working on offensive techniques for their upcoming home games.

The Dinos are excited to host the next CW tourney Sept. 30-Oct. 2 on the field that was built last year.

"It will be awesome to play at home," Biletski smiled. "Hopefully we'll do some damage!"