It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. The grass of the pitch was green and there was a light breeze in the air. Perhaps it was the last of those perfect September days, those picturesque afternoons that leave us longing for the summer just passed. There were happy faces on the field and on the sidelines to punctuate the beauty of the moment. The Dinos players sat on the grass after their second game. There were bruises, ice packs and athletic tape, but there were smiles all around. The University of Calgary’s women’s soccer team played up to high expectations and found themselves in first place in the west, and ranked second in the nation after the first weekend of the 2000 season.
The Dinos give their fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic after defeating both their foes on the weekend. First to fall were the University of Alberta Pandas who lost to the Dinos 1-0 on Saturday. The Pandas could not answer Jessie Norrie’s goal from the penalty spot late in the first half. U of A attacked with increasing desperation but solid defensive play, and an excellent showing by goalkeeper Taryn Swiatek ensured the Dinos a successful debut against their foes from up north.
On Sunday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies tasted defeat after a 3-0 loss to their hosts. The Dinos showed balance was their strength as they impressed on both sides of the ball. Third-year player Katie Lee put the Dinos on the board eight minutes into the second half when she slotted the ball past the U of A keeper. Then the rookie scoring parade started with Megan Durado netting a goal in the 16th minute and Erin Ramsey closing out the scoring in the 36th.
"We had four goals from four different players this weekend," said Head Coach Robin Slot. "It shows we are not just a one-man team; it shows everyone can contribute. We were looking for about two goals a game, and we achieved that this week."
Slot was also happy with Calgary’s suffocating defence, which was flawless in the first weekend of play.
"We took six points with no goals allowed," remarked Slot. "The players should be very pleased."
Next up for the Dinos women is a game against Lethbridge on Saturday where they will try to stay undefeated and increase their lead in the Canada West conference.