Female Athlete of the Week

The MRU Cougars women's soccer team fought hard in their season opener against the Victoria Vikes. For a full 90 minutes, every time the Vikes managed to score, the Cougars would crawl back just minutes later with one of their own. The game went back and forth, but In the final minutes of the game, MRU found themselves with a corner kick. Off a deflection, Analisa Galvez had the opportunity to tie it up but hit the post, unfortunately resulting in a 4-3 loss for the Cougars.

Every player on the scoresheet scored their first goal of the season, and for Cougars forward Dany Juarez, the first of her U SPORTS career.

Juarez, hailing from Airdrie, was a strong force in the attacking end for the Cougars. After the first goal the Vikes scored, Jaurez raced down the pitch putting a shot on target, causing a rebound and a Julia Makoloski goal. Once again Juarez's counter-attack proved pivotal as she found herself one-on-one with the keeper in the 34th minute slotting it in the bottom right corner. 

Juarez played the full 90 minutes and should see herself as a key contributor to the Cougars for years to come.

Although playing just one game last week, the Cougars women's soccer team stays home this weekend to take on The UNBC Timberwolves on Friday at 5:00 PM MT, as well as the UBC Thunderbirds on Sunday at 1:00 PM MT. Fans can catch the games live at Mount Royal Field 2 or stream on Canada West TV.

Male Athlete of the Week

The MRU men's soccer team took on their hometown rivals in the Calgary Dinos on Saturday. With several MRU student-athletes in the stands, the game became physical from the start, leading to 23 fouls and eight cards being given out. Both teams managed the score in the first half, leading to a fairly even second half. In the 90th minute, Finn Marshall's shot was deflected by Miguel Da Rocha, going slightly wide left leaving the Cougars fans in awe, resulting in a 1-1 tie.

A standout player for the Cougars on Saturday was midfielder Jonathan Walter. Although taking an elbow to the back of the head in the first half, which led to a red card for the Dinos, Walter toughed it out for the full 90 minutes. In the 37th minute, the Cougars found themselves with a corner kick where Walter crossed it into the near post, where Josh Flaksman put it into the back of the net to take the lead. When the pressure was on, Walter stayed calm and helped his team keep the second half scoreless.

Once again, after only playing one game last weekend, the Cougars men's soccer team will be back in action on the road this weekend. The Cougars will head north to take on the MacEwan Griffins on Saturday at 12:00 PM MT, followed by the Alberta Golden Bears on Sunday at 2:15 PM MT. If you aren't making the drive up to Edmonton, you can catch the games on Canada West TV.