Dino digest: Feb. 28 to March 6
By Leigh Patrick, March 25 2026—
Another weekend of championships has ended with gold medals and fierce competition. Still, the March reprieve for these athletes is nonexistent. Catch the National Championships live on CBC Gem, CBCSports.ca or the CBC Sports YouTube channel.
Here’s the week’s rundown from the Dinos’ world:
Basketball: A gold medal and the Final 8
Following a historic upset of the Saskatchewan Huskies, the Dinos women’s team travelled to Vancouver to face the UBC Thunderbirds. On Feb. 28, they clinched their first Canada West gold in 25 years. The opening quarter was a defensive stalemate, with both sides matching point-for-point to a 14–14 tie. Despite a scoring drought in the second quarter, the Dinos surged in the second half, outmaneuvering the Thunderbirds 21–15 in the final frame to seal the 63–57 win.
Shooting a stellar 84 per cent from the free-throw line, Calgary refused to waste a single opportunity. Finals MVP Pollyanna Storie scored 8 of her 16 points in the clutch, leading the team to the eighth conference banner in program history.
The Dinos will now face McGill in the U Sports Final 8 at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 5, in Quebec City. Meanwhile, the Dinos men prepare to host the U Sports Final 8 in Calgary this upcoming weekend. Their current seeding places them against the Victoria Vikes at 6 p.m. on March 6.
Hockey: The best-of-three
The Dinos men’s hockey team battled it out with the MRU Cougars this weekend in a high-stakes, best-of-three series. After dropping a tough 6–2 decision in the opener, the Dinos sharpened their skates and their focus.
Despite being outshot for much of the rematch, the Dinos finally found their footing on the ice, proving that quality beats quantity. Third-year forward Riley Gannon provided the heroics, burying the game-winning goal late in the second period to secure a 2–1 victory. By weathering the Cougars’ offensive storm, the Dinos forced a decisive Game 3 and kept their championship hopes alive.
Fresh off Saturday’s victory, the Dinos struck first midway through the opening period. However, the Cougars responded with a physical, aggressive push, netting goals in both the second and third to clinch the win. Having lost two of three in the series, the Dinos were officially eliminated from the Canada West playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Dinos women’s team found themselves out of the finals after two definitive losses against Trinity Western Feb. 20-21 in the Canada West Quarterfinals.
Rugby 7s:
With the Canada West rugby 7s series finale just days away, the Dinos are preparing to take on the Victoria Vikes on March 6 in Vancouver. The team last saw action in early February at the Victoria tournament, where they went winless over the weekend against a tough field.
Currently on a five-game losing streak, the Dinos head into this third tournament of the season seeking redemption. Facing the second-seeded Vikes in their opening match will be a tall order. It offers the Dinos the perfect opportunity to end their streak and find their rhythm before the conference standings are finalized.
Volleyball: Canada West quarterfinals
After sweeping the play-in games against MRU, the Dinos men’s volleyball team heads to Vancouver. They faced the top-seeded UBC Thunderbirds in the Canada West quarterfinals from February 26–27.
With a decisive 0–3 sweep on Thursday, they faced the Thunderbirds again on Friday in a much closer match. Led by Cole Czepuryk’s 17 kills and Matthew Brown’s 47 assists, the Dinos fell 1–3 in a hard-fought Friday match. Despite being eliminated from the postseason with consecutive losses, the Dinos demonstrated their ability to match the conference’s top teams.
What’s Happening this weekend:
The upcoming weekend is full of championships and exciting tournaments. The Dinos track and field team will compete in the U Sports national championship throughout the weekend, and the women’s basketball team will face McGill in the U Sports Final 8. The rugby 7s team will compete several times throughout the weekend, starting March 6. Meanwhile, the University of Calgary will host the men’s Final 8, with the first game beginning at noon, featuring TMU Bold against the Thunderbirds. Find the full schedule for the Final 8 here.