Mount Royal's women's soccer team kicked off this season, as both teams headed out to Saskatchewan to take on the Huskies to start the long weekend. Both the men's and women's teams defeated the Huskies on Friday and Saturday, with the women going on to beat Regina and the men tying with Lethbridge.
Players Bench Male Athlete of the Week: Sjard Strauss
Sjard Strauss picked up where he left off in the 2024 season as he picked up a win against the Saskatchewan Huskies and a tie against the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
Friday night was a quiet one for Strauss as he only faced 5 shots against him during the match, allowing just one goal. The four saves he made ended up coming in clutch as the Cougars would narrowly squeak past the Huskies 2-1, to keep Strauss 3-0 on the season.
Sunday is where Strauss became a different animal. Although the men did not score in the match, Strauss kept the game tied at 0-0, making nine saves.
His biggest moments were towards the end of the game, as Lethbridge found themselves with a penalty kick in the 71st minute, where Strauss took over a minute and a half to get set on the line before psyching out the Pronghorns player who missed wide left.?
Strauss made six of his nine saves in the second half.
Strauss, a fourth-year health and physical education student, is eager to make this season his best and currently sits with a 3-0-1 record, a top of the Canada West in wins, saves, and save percentage.
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Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week: Tamara Djurisic
Tamara Djursic is officially MRU's women's soccer all-time leading goal scorer with 14, and it only took her two seasons and a weekend to do so.
Djurisic and the Cougars were ready to battle as their season kicked off against the Saskatchewan Huskies. The Huskies, before the season, were ranked four spots above the Cougars in the coaches' poll, but it didn't matter.
Djurisic finished with the Cougars' first goal of the season in the first minute, while also assisting what would be the game-winning goal to
Dany Juarez in the 64th. The Cougars would take their season opener 3-2.
The next day, they would follow up with a 2-1 victory against the Regina Cougars. Mount Royal was dominant in this match, although the score might not show it.
In the 58th minute, Djurisic would send a kick outside the box into the left corner to score her second of the weekend, and the inevitable game-winner.
Djurisic, a third-year health and physical education student, currently sits third in points in Canada West and looks to make her way to a Canada West All-Star nod.
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