THIS WEEK IN COUGAR ATHLETICS
Rams Football (CIS Ranking: No. 9) – The Rams fell to No. 9 in the CIS after being stunned 19-18 by Alberta on Saturday afternoon in Edmonton, dropping the U of R to second place in the Canada West standings. The Rams will look to rebound this Friday night with a huge matchup against UBC at Mosaic Stadium. A win for the Rams would not only clinch a postseason berth, but would also lock up a home date in the first round of the Canada West playoffs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday (620 CKRM, Access7, canadawest.tv).
Men’s Hockey – The Cougars (1-1-0) started out the Canada West schedule last weekend with a split against Lethbridge, winning 2-1 on Friday but suffering a 4-2 loss to the Pronghorns on Saturday. Andy Desautels made 28 saves and J.J. Coleshaw and Cody Fowlie both scored in Friday’s win, while Dillan McCombie and Logan Harland had goals on Saturday. The Cougars host their home openers this weekend against Manitoba (0-2-0) at The Co-operators Centre. Game times are set for 7 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Women’s Hockey – The Cougars (2-1-1-0) suffered their first loss of the 2016-17 season on Friday, dropping a 3-2 decision to Lethbridge on Friday in what was their home opener. But the Cougars recovered on Saturday, as Kylee Kupper sent the game into overtime with a goal at 19:59 of the third period and Bailey Braden won it in the extra session. In third place in the Canada West standings with eight points through the first two weekends of conference play, the Cougars are back on the road this weekend with games against league-leading Manitoba (4-0-0-0) on Thursday and Friday.
Women’s Soccer – Currently embroiled in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Prairie Division after a win over Manitoba and a loss to Winnipeg over the weekend, the Cougars (3-6-3) are one of five teams in a battle for the final three postseason berths in the division. The U of R closes out the Canada West schedule on the road against Thompson Rivers (1-10-0) and UBC Okanagan (4-7-1) on Saturday and Sunday.
Women’s Basketball – The Cougars continued their march through the non-conference schedule with home wins over Lethbridge on Friday (84-48) and Saturday (65-53), giving them a perfect 7-0 record against CIS competition this season. The team continues preseason play this weekend with a tournament at which they’ll play Lakehead, Toronto, and host Alberta, but the Cougars will be without Sara Hubenig, Michaela Kleisinger, Charlotte Kot, and Katie Polischuk – those four are overseas representing the U of R and the CIS at the 3×3 FISU World University League final in Xiamen, China.
Men’s Basketball – The Cougars went on the road to notch their first win of the non-conference schedule on Friday, taking out Brandon by a 92-78 score. Alex Igual had a team-high 14 points, while Brian Ofori score 13 and added 10 rebounds for a double-double. The Cougars continue their non-conference schedule this weekend with games against Guelph, UQAM, and Ryerson at the 2016 RBC Classic hosted by Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont.
Cross Country (Men’s CIS Ranking: No. 10) – After a weekend off, the Cougars return to action at the Saskatchewan Provincial Age Class Championships this Saturday in Yorkton. Kaytlyn Criddle, Darbi Edwards, Robyn Ham, Hillary Mehlhorn, and Justine Zarowny will represent the women’s side, while T.J. McBride will be the lone runner from the men’s team at the meet.
Men’s Volleyball – The Cougars finished off the non-conference schedule with a pair of home contests to Brandon, pushing the Bobcats to the five-set distance in the first match but eventually losing on both Friday and Saturday. The team will now have this weekend off before starting Canada West play at home against Trinity Western on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29.
Women’s Volleyball – The Cougars travelled to Saskatoon for a pair of non-conference tilts against the University of Saskatchewan, ending up with a three-set loss to the Huskies on Friday and a four-set setback on Saturday. Under the guidance of interim head coach Shane Smith, the Cougars will now prepare for their conference openers against Trinity Western at the CKHS (Oct. 28 and Oct. 29).
(Courtesy Braden Konschuh)
