After completing a 10-match preseason schedule last weekend, the University of Regina's women's soccer team turns its attention to Canada West play starting this Saturday and Sunday with road matches against MacEwan and Alberta.
 
Head coach Astrid Baecker likes what she sees from the group so far.
 
"They came in really fit and really healthy with a good growth mindset," Baecker said. "It's been a light and enjoyable preseason and we've been able to do a lot of problem solving and relationship building across each of the positions. When you have the type of team that works this hard day in and day out, it builds a lot of trust and I'm excited to see that continue to come together with league play starting."

The U of R's team captains this year will be a trio of defenders as Mackenzie Albert, Hadiza Kasim, and Ashlyn Paquin will be counted upon in leadership roles.

After this weekend's matches in Edmonton, the Cougars will then prepare for five consecutive home contests. They'll entertain Lethbridge on both Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 and square off against Mount Royal (Sept. 19), Calgary (Sept. 20), and Saskatchewan (Sept. 25) during that homestand.
 
POSITION PREVIEW: DEFENDERS
Leading the team's returners and solidifying the group of defenders will be Hadiza Kasim, a Canada West All-Rookie Team selection last season. Kasim has the ability to play anywhere on the back line, but most times will line up at the centre back position.

"Hadiza is one of our captains this year and has the ability to create confident players around her," Baecker said. "Her work rate and her ability to cover ground at high speed is amazing and I'm looking forward to see what she can do as a second-year player."
 
Fellow defenders Mackenzie Albert, Mikaela de Luca, and Ashlyn Paquin are all in line for significant increases in playing time this season. Baecker also thinks that rookie Dannah Garcia, out of the Calgary Blizzard program, will also see meaningful minutes in her first U SPORTS season while Avery Kuzyk will challenge for time on the outside of the field as a fullback and as a winger.
 
Tarynne Galger and Reese Peek both return for their second seasons with the program while Gaby Gomez (Lethbridge, Alta.) and Julia Twerdochlib (Edmonton, Alta.) are new to the scene.
 
POSITION PREVIEW: GOALKEEPERS
Peyton Magnuson immediately stepped in as the team's No. 1 goalkeeper in her rookie season last year, finishing with a 4-9-1 record and collecting three shutouts while playing in every minute of the Canada West schedule.
 
But there's also plenty of experience behind Magnuson in fifth-year keeper Kareena Andersen and fourth-year player Cassidy Fedoruk, who shared the woodwork for the Cougars in both the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
 
The Cougars welcome one newcomer to the program as Sydney Deibert joins the team from the Saskatoon Alliance.
 
POSITION PREVIEW: MIDFIELDERS
Savana Caligiuri and Zoya Kim are the team's most experienced returning midfielders. Caligiuri scored a pair of goals last season and is utilized in an attacking role, while Kim appeared in seven of the team's 14 Canada West matches and features more heavily on the defensive side.
 
Freya Millar, a first-year player, comes to the U of R from Surrey, B.C. and the Coastal FC program. Baecker expects Millar to be an impact rookie with significant playing time for the Cougars, and also envisions Taylor Mitchell and Mya Pilat having key roles as well. Mitchell played in 11 conference matches last season, while Pilat has been with the team for two full seasons and will likely make her Canada West debut this weekend.
 
Alyssa Falk (Abbotsford, B.C.) is also a newcomer who developed in the Coastal FC system, and could play a utility role for the Cougars at the midfield and forward positions this season. Besides Millar and Falk, the Cougars also welcome newcomers Lexi Toews (Calgary, Alta.) and Camryn Veurink (Lethbridge, Alta.) at the midfield position while Sophia Montenegro also returns for her second year at the U of R.
 
POSITION PREVIEW: FORWARDS
Clara Jamieson, Jenna Muir, and Hannah Wol-Harden all return to the Cougars and are in line for big increases in roles this season. 
 
Wol-Harden had the most impact of the trio last season. As a first-year player she appeared in 10 of the team's Canada West games, notching her first U SPORTS goal with a strike on the road at Alberta. Muir lit up Brandon for six first-half goals in an exhibition game in August, while Jamieson has appeared in a single conference match in both of the previous two seasons but appears poised for a significant increase in responsibility.

Teslynn Gramchuk-Ryba redshirted last season who Baecker thinks will contribute positively with her speed and her goal-scoring and crossing abilities. The Cougars will also look for an impact from Ariana Hryniuk, who got her feet wet last season with 92 minutes played across three Canada West matches. Hryniuk is now in her fourth season with the program.

Liyana Ahvazi (Vancouver, B.C.) also joins the Cougars from Coastal FC, giving them a total of three incoming players from the Surrey-based club program.