The University of Saskatchewan Huskies compete within the Canada West Universities Athletic Association conference as part of Canadian Interuniversity Sport. In order to win a CIS championship, which is top honours in the country’s university athletics, teams must qualify and win their conference’s playoffs, and win the CIS playoffs — the only exception in qualifying for playoffs is that the host school automatically competes. Other conferences in the CIS include the Ontario University Athletics, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec and the Atlantic University Sport.
Coming off the 2010-11 season, the Huskies saw a few of their teams put up their strongest showings in history. This year, a few of the Huskies’ teams have rosters in place to win conference championships and some star players to break national records. Other teams, of course, will finish at the bottom of their division as they have young rosters and are rebuilding for the future.
This is the strongest men’s soccer team the University of Saskatchewan has ever had.
It is not unreasonable to expect them to win the Canada West final and qualify for the CIS playoffs — something the Huskies have never done before.
Last year the Dogs lost 1-0 in the Canada West final to the University of British Columbia. It was their best-ever finish.
They come into this season only losing one player from last year’s squad — Myles Shedden — and have a strong group of fourth- and fifth-years including two-time team Canada representatives at the World University Games, Josh Northey and Jerson Barandica-Hamilton.
Northey, a midfielder from Saskatoon, was the Canada West’s player of the year last year. He is fourth on the conference’s most career points list with 33, and his 12 assists put him at second in career assists. He will be backed at midfield by Canada West second team all-star Eoin McFadden.
Barandica-Hamilton, a Mexican-born striker from Saskatoon, will lead the Dogs’ attackers. He holds numerous Canada West records including most career points with 38, and most goals in one season with 10. His 29 career goals are only one away from tying the conference record.
On defence, fifth-year Abumere Okonofua from London, U.K. will lead a core that only gave up 18 goals in 14 conference games last season to finish fourth in goals against. He is joined by a conference second team all-star Jordian Farahani.
Fourth-year Mark Diakiw will sit between the pipes. His 63 saves last season were fourth in total saves amongst all Canada West keepers.
Notable rookies include strikers Brett Levis and Luigi Bekwayo and midfielder Bobbi Nicholat.
The Huskies women’s soccer team has never qualified for a playoff spot in the Canada West. The only year they have competed in playoffs was in 1999 but that was only because they were hosting the tournament.
Last year’s team was only one win away from a playoff spot. This season, if the team can fill the leadership roles lost after the departures of captain Maria Rogal and second all-time highest Huskies’ point-scorer Jamie LeMay, a playoff spot is possible.
However, that will be difficult with Elizabeth Hudon as the only fifth-year.
Hudon is a Canada West first team all-star and is unarguably the best Huskies soccer player in the program’s history. She is first in the team’s all-time points list (41), all-time goals list (36), points per game list (.75) and goals per game list (.37). She has also played the most minutes and has recorded the most shots ever (92) in a Dogs jersey.
While it seems that she could win the Canada West on her own, she will need help from fellow striker Lindsay Manz, international-calibre midfielder Daniela Fuenzalida and last year’s Huskie Salute rookie of the year nominee Amy Byrne.
Manz averages .25 assists per game and sits fifth on the Huskies’ all-time assists list with 6.
Fuenzalida has already established herself as a dominant player in the Canada West. The third-year from Saskatoon has played for the Chilean national team at the 2008 FIFA under-20 World Cup and spent this past summer competing for Canada at the World University Games in China.
Her .79 points per game average last year was third amongst all Canada West players and earned her a second team all-star spot.
Byrne had 2 goals in 11 games in her rookie year and is expected to improve that this year.
On defence, the squad is led by Andrea Guebert and Brooklyn Leier. Both players sit in the top 15 for most minutes played amongst all Huskies soccer players and are expected to step up their veteran roles this year.
Marissa Wilford, whose 100 saves and 6.67 saves per game is the most in Dogs history, will be back in net this year.
Rookies expected to play an immediate role on the squad are Erica Parenteau and Gillian Pinder.