KYLE IRELAND
Sports Writer

Mid-field striker Daniela Fuenzalida and the Huskies women’s soccer squad are looking to put a dent in the Canada West this year.

The Huskies women’s soccer team wrapped up their weekend Sunday in Regina, shutting out the Cougars with a hard fought 1-0 victory. After losing Saturday to the University of Manitoba Bisons 4-0, the Huskies responded with a goal in the 69th minute from Jamie LeMay on Sunday against Regina, improving the Huskies record to 1-2-1 on the season.

With the addition of a handful of new recruits and more depth on the bench, the Huskies are ready to make a run at the playoffs this year.

Saskatoon Holy Cross graduate Fuenzalida is happy to be home and back to training in Saskatoon. Fuenzalida joins the Huskies at mid-field after playing for her home country Chile in the Under-20 World Cup in Germany last year.

“We had an intense training program for four or five months and the competition level helped a lot in getting ready for the season,” said Fuenzalida.

The newly recruited Fuenzalida hopes her decision to play in her hometown again will encourage other talented players to stay in Saskatoon. She elaborated on how she thinks competition in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport will stack up to her overseas experience.

“Our two toughest teams were likely last weekend and we did well against them, so I think we match up well against some of our rivals,” said Fuenzalida.

“However, we need to compete more as a team and connecting better passes will help us play better.”

Head coach Tom LaPointe noted the weekend as a monumental test for the Huskies women’s soccer crew.

“We have to compete with these teams if we want to make the playoffs and matches against Regina are always a big provincial rivalry.”

The Huskies are continuing to build on an all-time best season last year, which LaPointe credits to “a higher fitness level and a successful new training program.”

The Huskies are on the road again this weekend, travelling west to play Calgary on Saturday and finishing the weekend Sunday in Lethbridge against the Pronghorns. 

Looking to carry momentum from Sunday’s win in Regina, the Huskies face the struggling University of Calgary Dinos, who have lost three straight contests in what is looking to be the start of a sub-par season for the prairie dogs’ Alberta counterparts.

Lapointe can only hope Fuenzalida, who gets pumped up by DJ Felli Fel’s “Get Buck in Here” prior to games, can generate some offence for the Green and White this season and buck the Huskies to the top of the Canada West.

—
photo Lesley Porter