Athletic competition is well underway on Calgary campuses, resulting in some impressive performances from teams and individuals.
Here’s a look at five outstanding outings that caught our eye recently:
- PUCK POWERS … The Mount Royal University (MRU) men’s hockey team staged an unlikely come-from-behind victory over the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds at the Flames Community Arena on Oct. 11th. The Thunderbirds – the defending Canada West champs – built a 3-0 lead that they carried into the dying minutes of the third period. The Cougars got on the board with just over three minutes left in the game thanks to a Robbie Holmes powerplay goal. UBC players lost their composure after that and a steady stream of Thunderbirds to the penalty box resulted in more man advantages for the Cougars. With the home net empty to give MRU a 6-on-3 edge, Clay Hanus scored on a one-timer to cut the lead to 3-2. After that, Justin Lies netted a goal with just 10 seconds left to even the score. As both teams braced for overtime action, MRU forward Zafir Rawji found himself in scoring position in the UBC zone, where he zinged a wrist shot top shelf to deliver a 4-3 lead with just 1.9 seconds left. With the wild comeback win and another 4-3 triumph over UBC the next day, the Cougars moved to 4-0 on the season and Clay Hanus was named the Canada West Men’s Hockey Player of the Week. The Cougars next opponent is the University of Calgary Dinos, who they play on Friday, Oct. 18th at Flames Community Arena and Saturday, Oct. 19th at Father David Bauer Arena. The MRU men’s hockey team is currently the third-ranked team in Canada.
- HOT START … The women’s hockey team at MRU are also undefeated through their first four games and have a No. 2 ranking. The Cougars started the season with three consecutive shutouts and forward Aliya Jomha was named the Canada West Women’s Hockey Player of the Week after scoring two goals against UBC. They face the Dinos next on Oct. 18-19.
- FOOTIE FORCE … The SAIT women’s soccer team has been unstoppable this season in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC). The squad is a perfect 11-0 and sit atop the south division standings with 53 goals for and just four scores against. Meaghan Wiebe has led the way with 13 goals and a conference-best 35 points. Four of her goals have been game winners. Wiebe has taken the pitch for the Trojans since 2021 and she’s collected 52 goals over 36 games in that time. Up next for SAIT is a date with Medicine Hat College on Saturday, Oct. 19th.
- DINO-MITE! … The University of Calgary women’s soccer team, meanwhile, is also performing well on the pitch. Through 12 games, the Dinos are 10-1-1 and are in first place in Canada West’s Prairie Conference. Forward Grace Moore is pacing the offence with a dozen goals, three of which are game winners. Moore had a hat trick against the Lethbridge Pronghorns during a 7-0 Dinos win on Oct. 11th. The Dinos face the University of Alberta next on Oct. 19th, followed by MacEwan University on Oct. 20th.
- ON THE RUN … The Dinos cross-country team brought home the Stewart Cup – an annual competition between the Universities of Alberta and Calgary – on Oct. 12th at Canmore Park. The race featured 10 Canada West conference teams, as well as runners from colleges in the area. Chloe Turner placed 16th on the women’s side with an eight-kilometre time of 28:55, while Jason Ushko finished in 18th on the men’s side with a time of 24:33. The 2024 Canada West Championships take place on Saturday, Oct. 26th in Edmonton.
These are just a few of the outstanding efforts that have been turned in recently by college and university athletes.
What teams and individuals are you following? Who do you want to see finish strong this year?
Sound off in the comments and on social media.