CW Women's Soccer Playoff Preview
Four quarter-final games on tap this weekend
Article by Brian Swane, special to CW
Oct. 24, 2024 - Playoff action begins this weekend in Canada West women’s soccer, with quarterfinal matches taking place across the conference.
On Friday (Oct. 25), the Calgary Dinos host the UBC Okanagan Heat while the MacEwan Griffins take on the Trinity Western Spartans in Edmonton. Then on Saturday (Oct. 26), the Alberta Pandas visit Vancouver to play the UBC T-Birds, and the Victoria Vikes welcome the Saskatchewan Huskies.
The winning teams will advance to the 2024 Canada West women’s soccer Final Four, which will be hosted the highest-seeded remaining Prairie Division team on the first weekend of November.
There’s tremendous intrigue with every match-up, as all eight teams are facing their opponent for the first time in 2024.
MacEwan, Saskatchewan and UBC Okanagan are in pursuit of their first Canada West women’s title. The other five quarter-finalists are the winningest programs in conference history.
That includes UBC, which has captured the Canada West women’s soccer trophy a record 16 times, and the defending champion Spartans, who defeated the T-Birds in last year’s final.
There's no doubt UBC will enter the postseason as favourites after going a flawless 14-0, recording the first perfect regular season in Canada West women's soccer history.
All games will be broadcast live on Canada West TV.
Here’s a look at who to watch in this weekend's slate of matches:
Here’s a look at who to watch on the pitch this weekend:
Calgary (11-2-1, first in Prairie Division) vs. UBC Okanagan (6-5-3, fourth in Pacific Division) – Friday 4:30 p.m. MDT at Dinosaur Field in Calgary
Regular Season head-to-head
- Did not play
Who to Watch:
- Rachel Barlow (Calgary, fifth year, forward) tied for the Canada West lead during the regular season with eight assists. The veteran Dino has been named a Canada West First Team All-Star both of the last two seasons.
- Annika Gross (UBC Okanagan, fourth year, midfielder) tied for the team lead in goals with three, while adding an assist this season despite playing in a more defensive position in the middle of the pitch. The Kelowna product was named a Canada West Second Team All-Star each of the last two seasons.
MacEwan (10-1-3, second in Prairie Division) vs. Trinity Western (8-4-2, third in Pacific Division) – Friday 6 p.m. MDT at Edmonton Scottish Dome in Edmonton
Regular Season head-to-head
- Did not play
Who to Watch:
- Hannah Harper (MacEwan, second year, forward) recorded eight assists to tie for first in Canada West. The native of Edmonton also scored seven goals for a total of 15 points, second most in the conference this season.
- Tilly James (Trinity Western, fourth year, defender) scored two goals and added one assist in 11 matches for the Spartans this season. The veteran from Vancouver was a Canada West First Team All-Star in 2022 and 2023.
UBC (14-0-0, first in Pacific Division) vs. Alberta (7-5-2, third in Prairie Division) – Saturday 5 p.m. PDT at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver
Regular Season head-to-head
- Did not play
Who to Watch:
- Dakota Beckett (UBC, third year, goalkeeper) followed up her Canada West First Team All-Star selection last year with another stellar season in 2024, winning all 12 of her starts while leading the conference with seven shutouts.
- Wanda Czebreszuk (Alberta, fourth year, midfield) led Alberta with six assists and tied for first on the team with 11 points. She scored twice to lead the Pandas past Lethbridge in their final game of the regular season on Oct. 20.
Victoria (7-2-5, second in Pacific Division) vs. Saskatchewan (7-2-5, third in Prairie Division) – Saturday 5 p.m. PDT at Centennial Stadium in Victoria
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Regular Season head-to-head
- Did not play
Who to Watch:
- Ruby Nicholas (Victoria, third year, forward) led the Vikes this season with 14 points from eight goals and six assists in 14 matches. The 2023 Canada West Second Team All-Star was second in the conference with 51 shots.
- Kalin Roberts (Saskatchewan, second year, goalkeeper) ranked fourth among Canada West ‘keepers for both goals against average, 0.82, and save percentage, .845. The Calgary product had four clean sheets in 11 matches.