Saturday, Oct. 30: Cascades (6-4-2, 3rd in West Division) vs. MacEwan Griffins (10-2-0, 1st in Central Division), 12 p.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Mountain
Edmonton, Alta.
Webcast: CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op

THE MATCH-UP

The Cascades and Griffins clash in a Canada West quarter-final match-up, with the winner advancing to the conference's Final Four.

The UFV side has established an identity rooted in its defensive prowess. Over the 12-game regular season, they surrendered just 12 goals – quite a feat in a division featuring U SPORTS top-10 fixtures like Trinity Western and UBC. It's just the third time in the program's Canada West era (since 2006) that they've allowed one goal per game or fewer, joining the Cascades squads of 2014 (0.83 goals against per game) and 2016 (0.86).

UFV's tidy defensive form will be tested by the Griffins, who were an offensive juggernaut en route to the Central Division title and the No. 5 spot in the U SPORTS national rankings. MacEwan's 32 goals in 12 games ranked second in CW, and they were also tough defensively, surrendering just 10 goals, tied for third-fewest in the league.

RECENT FORM

The Cascades have been on a roll of late, riding a six-game win streak into the playoffs. The surge allowed them to climb the West Division standings, ultimately settling in third place – the program's highest divisional finish since 2016.

The Griffins are coming off a playoff-style weekend against a nationally ranked opponent in the Calgary Dinos – they dropped a 4-0 decision on Saturday, but bounced back with a 3-0 win on Sunday to clinch first place in the Central and earn the right to host this quarter-final game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hannah Gamble, UFV – The gritty forward/midfielder from Mililani, Hawaii elevates the Cascades with her tireless work rate and finishing quality. Gamble, who transferred to UFV over the summer from the University of Indianapolis, scored her team-leading third goal of the season in last Saturday's regular-season finale to lift the squad to a 1-0 win over UBC Okanagan.

Grace Mwasalla, MacEwan – The Griffins boast a balanced attack that saw eight players register multiple goals this season. Leading the way was rookie forward/midfielder Mwasalla, with five goals and three assists. She's the reigning CW women's soccer player of the week after notching a goal and an assist in Sunday's division-clinching win over Calgary.

QUOTABLE

"Everyone's really positive, and the players have gelled and meshed really well over the course of the last six weeks. The recent results have continued to lift their spirits, and it's given them a lot of self-belief and faith moving forward. We're glad things have transpired as they have, and we're confident going into this upcoming weekend." ­– Cascades head coach Niko Marcina, on the mindset of his team after six straight wins

"MacEwan is a senior team that has the ability to score goals from a variety of spots and players. We're going to have to be resilient and tough, and collectively ensure that we don't allow their quality players to get behind us in the attacking third." – Marcina, on the challenges posed by the Griffins