Weekly Dino Digest: Oct. 14-20
By Maggie Hsu, October 18 2024—
The Dinos are back with a packed schedule this weekend with 17 games on the slate. If you get a chance this weekend, bring your family and check out the master schedule to cheer on your Dinos. Once you decide on a game to go to, go to the Dinos’ ticketing website, click on the game you want to attend, scroll to the option that says “UCalgary Student” and checkout as a guest. Then, enter your UCID as a promo code to get your ticket for free! Be sure to enter your name, phone number and email to receive your ticket.
Rugby
The weekend kicks off early on Thursday as the women’s rugby 15s team host the Canada West Playoffs at McMahon Stadium. They are set to play the UBC Thunderbirds in the semifinals at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The Dinos will play for either gold or bronze on Sunday, depending on the outcome of Thursday’s game.
Wrestling
After a dominant performance at the 2024 U SPORTS Championships in March where they earned seven medals, Dinos wrestling officially returns on Friday as they host the Dinos Duals, followed by the Dinos Invitational meet on Saturday and Sunday.
Soccer
The men’s soccer team is looking to secure second in the Prairie Division, starting with a win against Lethbridge on Oct. 18 before taking on Saskatchewan on Oct. 20. Owen Antoniuk will look to maintain his position as top-scorer on the team, currently leading the Dinos in scoring by two points over Gianmarco Plenzik.
The women’s team is battling for first place in the Prairie Division. They need a win over Alberta on Saturday and a loss from MacEwan to clinch the top spot. If the Dinos don’t beat the Pandas or if MacEwan wins, they’ll face the Griffins in a critical showdown on Sunday, coinciding with Seniors’ Day.
Volleyball
Dinos Volleyball is back as both the men’s and women’s teams’ first serves will happen on Friday as both teams face the Manitoba Bisons this weekend.
he women play at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Jack Simpson Gym, hoping for a redemption season after narrowly missing the playoffs. Head coach Christine Biggs, now in her fourth season, leads a roster featuring six new players. They will then follow up their opening game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in Jack Simpson Gym as well.
The men’s team will see first-year head coach Graham Vigrass take the lead. The former Dinos player and two-time Olympian will coach his first regular season home game, bringing his winning experience from a nine-year stint with the Canadian national team. The Dinos will look to re-evaluate their 10th-place Canada West finish last season and try to improve with a large majority of last year’s roster returning. They will start their season on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend on Saturday at 4 p.m. in The Jack.
Football
After a week of rest on a bye, the Dinos football team will travel to Vancouver to face the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday. The Dinos snatched a huge win from the Regina Rams that helped improve the Dinos to a 2-4 record this season, tying them with the Alberta Golden Bears and Regina Rams for the fourth and final playoff spot with just two games left to play. The Dinos have a good opportunity to edge this three-way tie as they had a close match against the T-Birds in their last match-up this season. With a 30-32 loss, the score reflected the close battle having exchanged the lead five times during the game.
Hockey
The long-awaited hockey edition of the Crowchild classic is back this weekend as both teams will play a home-and-away this weekend against their cross-town rivals, MRU Cougars.
The women’s team heads into the weekend with a 2-1-1 record after sweeping the Saskatchewan Huskies on the road this over the Thanksgiving weekend. Dinos rookie Brooklyn Anderson scored a hat trick in Saskatoon, earning her the title of top scorer in U SPORTS. Puck drop on Friday is at 7 p.m. at home in Father David Bauer Arena and on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Flames Community Arenas.
The men’s team holds an identical record of 2-1-1 to their counterparts after a pair of losses, dropping them from fourth to ninth in this week’s U SPORTS top-10 rankings. They will start the weekend at 7 p.m. on Friday at Flames Community Arenas before coming home for puck drop on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Father David Bauer Arenas.