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A tight defensive game against the MacEwan Griffins pushed the Dinos semifinal game to a shootout. After missing their first shot, the Dinos wouldn’t make another mistake, winning 4-3 on penalty kicks. They met the UBC Thunderbirds in the finals, where MacDonald gave her team the only goal of the match to bring home the Canada West banner.

MEN’S SOCCER

After a historic season, the Dinos men’s soccer team heads to Montreal, where they’ll take part in the first-ever U Sports men’s soccer championship in team history — that after taking home the Canada West silver medal last weekend in Vancouver.

Calgary’s time in its maiden U Sports championship begins Thursday when they take on the AUS champion and the No. 2-ranked team in the country, the Cape Breton Capers (2 p.m., USports.live).

It was a season for the record books, as along with the trip to nationals, the Dinos upended the Trinity Western Spartans on their fifth straight try in the playoffs and also won the a first-ever semi-final matchup between the two Calgary squads, when they defeated the Mount Royal Cougars. The Dinos hope the run of firsts can continue and they can take home the U Sports trophy.

While a few of the Dinos have been waiting five years for this opportunity, one Dinos player has been waiting much longer. Gord Franson has been the team’s manager for an incredible 33 years, and for the first time ever, he gets to watch his team on the national stage.

There probably would not be many arguments from the players on who has been the team MVP this season. Goalkeeper Jake Ruschkowski has played every single minute for the Dinos, earning himself a first-team Canada West all-star nod. Ruschkowski made 10 saves in the Canada West final, and if the underdog Dinos are to have any chance at making a run in Montreal, they will need him to keep up his superb play.

Senior Mark Bohdan only has two goals on the season, but they are the two biggest goals of Calgary’s season. He scored the game-winners in both the quarter- and semifinals, and the Dinos hope he has a few more timely goals up his sleeve.