Cougars soccer program’s opening weekend

By Matt DeMille, Sports Editor 

It was a weekend of mixed emotions for Mount Royal University’s (MRU) soccer programs as they wrapped up their season-opening matches, held between August 25-27.

For the men’s program, their weekend was filled with success and celebration as they knocked off their local rivals and neighbouring school, the University of Calgary Dinos, on Aug. 27.

While the end result was inevitably snatched up by the Cougars, the season-opening game between the two Calgary-based universities was a highly contested one.

For much of the game, the two teams were stuck in a scoreless limbo before midfielder and third-year business student, Abel Nesibu, struck for Cougars. The game-winning goal from Nesibu came with just three minutes remaining in regulation time.

Despite it still being early in the new season, the win over the Dinos was still an essential one for the Cougars. This year, the men’s team, led by head coach Ryan Gyaki, will be looking to build off their second consecutive, third-place finish at the Canada West Playoffs.

And, if past seasons are to show anything, the team is already on the right track.

After winning their opening game against the MacEwan University Griffins last year, the men’s program finished the 2022 regular season atop Canada West’s Prairie Division with a record of 8-0-6.

Carrying their regular season success into the playoffs, the men’s program took home the Canada West Bronze Medal in back-to-back seasons following a 2-1 triumph over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

While proud of their third-place accomplishments, a first-place finish paired with a Canada West Gold Medal is the shared goal among the program’s players and staff as they dive into the upcoming regular season.

Opening weekend was a different story for MRU’s women’s program as they started their regular season as visitors in British Columbia, scheduled with a two-game slate against out-of-province opponents, Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) Wolfpack and UBC Okanagan Heat.

In their first game of the season — and with revenge on the mind — the women’s team faced off against TRU, the team who eliminated the Cougars in the quarterfinals of the Canada West Playoffs last October.

Their chance at getting even with the Wolfpack got off to a rocky start, as the Cougars found themselves trailing by two goals in the first 25 minutes of the first half.

But, before the opening half came to a close, returning forward for MRU, Sydney Danielwicz, got the Cougars on the board.

The hope for a Cougars comeback was cut short following Danielwicz’ goal, however, TRU would tack on another goal in the second half.

Just one day after they fell to the TRU Wolfpack, the Cougars took to the field for their second game of the weekend. This taking on the UBC Okanagan Heat.

Their second game of the regular season propelled the Cougars back in the right direction as they tied the Heat, 1-1.

In a similar fashion as the men’s program, the women’s team also hopes to return to the Canada West Playoffs come October.

And, while the opening two matches of the regular season was not the start the team had hoped for, there’s strong reason to believe the club can still bounce back — and with ease.

The team is backed up by head coach, Tino Fusco. Last season, Fusco was named Canada West’s Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year after he led the Cougars to top spot in the Prairie Division with a regular season record of 10-3-1. Along with Fusco, nineteen players from last year’s roster have returned for the upcoming season.

Both programs will return to the Mount Royal Stadium Field for their home-opening game in early September.

The women’s team will host the University of Frazer Valley on Friday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. MT, while the men’s team will welcome MacEwan University on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. MT.