Dinos soccer nets Prairie division title

By Sonny Sachdeva, October 27 2015 —

The Dinos men’s soccer team wrapped up their 2015 season on a high note, taking down the University of Winnipeg Wesmen by a score of 5–1 on Oct. 25 in Winnipeg. The victory marked the Dinos’ second straight win over the Wesmen after they defeated the U of W 5–0 on Oct. 24.

With the back-to-back wins, the Dinos improved their record to 8–2–2 and clinched first place in the Prairie Division. With 26 total points, the U of C ranks second among all Canada West teams, sitting only six points behind the conference-leading University of British Columbia.

The Dinos’ offence put forth another dominant performance in the club’s most recent win. U of C forward Dominic Russo tallied five goals over the course of the Dinos two games against Winnipeg.

With the impressive offensive outburst, Russo finished the 2015 season with the most goals and points in the Canada West, racking up 15 and 19, respectively. He also amassed the third-most shots of any Canada West player, totalling 43 — just five less than the Canada West leader.

Russo isn’t the only Dino who finished among the league leaders. U of C goalkeeper Colin Hasick put together an exceptional 2015 campaign as well, finishing among the Canada West top five in both total goals-against and goals-against average.

With the regular season now behind them, the Dinos will prepare for the Canada West playoffs, which kick off at the end of this month. U of C will take on the Trinity Western University Spartans to begin their postseason. The match will take place at Calgary’s West Varsity Soccer Pitch at 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Should they emerge victorious, the Dinos will then compete in the Canada West Final Four on Nov. 7–8.

Calgary’s chances heading into their playoff schedule are certainly favourable. The club boasts arguably the best offence in the Canada West with Russo on board, and play a reliable defensive game as well. Over 12 games this year, the Dinos scored a total of 33 goals, while allowing only 15 from their opponents.

That elite balance allowed the U of C to post their best winning percentage in nearly a decade, and sets them up as one of the undeniable favourites for the Canada West title.