LANGLEY, British Columbia – After two years on the outside looking in, the Trinity Western men's soccer team returns to the post-season this Saturday when the Spartans will travel to Calgary to take on the Dinos in the Canada West Quarter-Finals.
The last time TWU was in the playoffs, in 2012, the Spartans also played Calgary in the opening round of the post-season and beat the Dinos 3-2 in a 12-round penalty kick shootout to advance to the Canada West Final Four.
PLAYOFF PREVIEW
Saturday, Oct. 31 – vs. Calgary – 1:15 p.m. (PT)
TRINITY WESTERN SPARTANS (5-5-2)
CIS ranking: NR
Pacific Division Standings: 4th
Last game: Victoria (5-1 L)
Streak: 2 losses
Form: T-W-W-L-L
2014-15 CW Regular Season Record: 3-6-3
2014-15 CW Playoff Record: NA
Last CW Title/Total CW Titles: 2007/3
Last CIS Title/Total CIS Titles: N/A
SPARTANS NOTES
• The last time TWU was in the post-season, the Spartans advanced to the Final Four before losing to Alberta in the semifinals, by a 3-1 count in overtime, and to Saskatchewan in the bronze medal game by a 2-1 score line.
• There are four current Spartans who played against Calgary in the 2012 playoffs, including Kalem Scott, Brayden Gant, Taylor Johnson and Jarvis Ambaka.
• Fifth-year striker Ambaka finished the 2015 regular season with a team-leading four goals and six points.
• Elijah Adekugbe had a team-leading three assists this year.
• Goalie Andrew Hicks played all 1080 minutes the Spartans played this year, starting and finishing all 12 games.
• The Spartans are looking to bounce back after being outscored 9-1 in a pair of losses to UBC and Victoria to end the regular season.
• TWU hasn't lost three games in a row all year and will look to keep that going this Saturday after back-to-back season-ending losses.
• The Spartans have seven players who call Calgary their hometown.
CALGARY DINOS (8-2-2)
CIS ranking: No. 8
Prairie Division Standings: 1st
Last game: Winnipeg (5-1 W)
Streak: 4 wins
Form: T-W-W-W-W
2014-15 CW Regular Season Record: 9-3
2014-15 CW Playoff Record: 0-1
Last CW Title/Total CW Titles: 1980/1
Last CIS Title/Total CIS Titles: N/A
DINOS NOTES
• Calgary is coming into the playoffs on a four-game winning streak and has lost just one game in its last nine outings (6-1-2)
• The Dinos outscored their opposition 15-1 over their last three games of the season.
• Calgary's signature win this year was a 2-1 road victory over then No. 6 Alberta in late-September.
• The Dinos' Dominic Russo was named the CIS Male Athlete of the Week on Wednesday after he scored five goals over the weekend to become the program's all-time leading scorer. Russo also added three assists to help him claim the conference scoring title with 15 goals and 19 points.
• Russo's 15 goals on the season is the second best total in Canada West history.
-TW-
