The University of Regina's women's soccer team kicked off the 2018 campaign with four scrimmages against Minot State (NCAA Div. II) from Thursday to Saturday at the U of R Field.
The teams started out with two matches on Thursday. Minot State took the morning session by a 1-0 score thanks to a goal in the 79th minute by Haley Berryman, but the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw in the afternoon scrimmage. Taryn Love's goal in the 35th minute opened the scoring in that one, but the Cougars equalized just before halftime on a strike from fourth-year forward
Alex Ensign.
Friday afternoon's scrimmage had a markedly different feel to it. MSU exploded for three goals in the opening 11 minutes of the game as Jordyn Cook, Sofia Lewis, and Berryman got the Beavers out to a quick lead. The visitors extended the lead with another Berryman goal in the 32nd minute, but the Cougars responded in the second half with goals from
Sydney Langen and rookie
Grace Miller to make Minot State's eventual margin of victory 4-2.
The Cougars finished off the series with a 1-0 win which saw rookie keepers
Mira Cappello and
Kylie Bolton combine for the shutout. The only goal of the match came courtesy of another newcomer when
Lauryn Hayes found the back of the net early in the second half for what turned out to be the winning goal.
"We saw a lot of great things in terms of our comfort with the ball and movement out of the back," Cougars head coach
Bob Maltman said. "We had three games where we were solid and one game where we had a poor first half but rebounded nicely in the second. It was great to play a team with a contrasting style and we're very happy with where we are at this stage of the preseason."
Maltman picked out Trinity Western transfer
Taylor Bubnick and fifth-year veteran
Nikita Senko as a pair of standouts for the team at midfield, while
Sydney Langen stood out at forward as she prepares for her third season with the program. He also picked out a back four that has looked solid throughout camp and the scrimmages including returners
Angela Lalonde and
Brooke Schlossarek and rookies
Amou Madol and
Abby Kirk.
The U of R will play three non-conference matches next weekend in Lethbridge as the Cougars continue preparations for Canada West play. They'll square off with Mount Royal on Friday, MacEwan on Saturday, and Alberta on Sunday.
The Cougars will kick off the conference schedule at home two weekends from now when they'll host Manitoba (Sept. 8) and Winnipeg (Sept. 9). Both of those matches will kick off at high noon at the U of R Field.
