CW Coaches Poll: Griffins voted third after topping Prairie Division in 2023
MacEwan and Canada West Communications
EDMONTON – Only the defending national champions and defending conference champions have been voted to finish ahead of the MacEwan Griffins women's soccer team in the Canada West coaches poll, released Wednesday.
The Griffins garnered 184 points in the poll, behind reigning U SPORTS gold medalists UBC (225) and Canada West champs Trinity Western (207).
MacEwan enters the season as the defending Prairie Division champions after going 10-2-2 in 2023.
"We're excited to defend our Prairie Division championship. We've put in the hard work in the offseason," said head coach Dean Cordeiro. "The team is healthy and a little more battle-tested now. Leadership is such an important part of a team's success, so we are excited to have added some veteran players to our squad.
"Their experience is going to be a huge asset for us this season, on and off the pitch. The team is looking strong and we can't wait for the season to start."
The Griffins aren't in action on the opening weekend of the Canada West women's soccer season. They'll instead kick off the 2024 campaign on Sept. 7 on the road at the Saskatchewan Huskies (2 p.m. MT, Canada West TV).
MacEwan's home opener is set for Sept. 14 vs. Calgary (12 p.m., Edmonton Scottish, Canada West TV).
SEE THE FULL 2024 GRIFFINS SCHEDULE HERE
The Dinos finished barely behind the Griffins in the coaches poll, garnering 181 points, followed by Victoria (165) and Saskatchewan (156).
The regular season runs through Oct. 20, with playoffs slated to begin Oct. 25. This year's final four will be hosted by the top Prairie Division seed, beginning Oct. 31.
Fans can catch all the action on Canada West TV, which now allows fans to watch games on popular Connected TV apps like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku. Regular season sport passes are available for $39.99.
For the complete Canada West women's soccer schedule, click here.
To view CW women's soccer history and records, click here.
2024 CW WSOC PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
Team - Points (First-place votes)
- UBC Thunderbirds - 225 (15)
- Trinity Western Spartans - 207 (1)
- MacEwan Griffins - 184
- Calgary Dinos - 181
- Victoria Vikes - 165
- Saskatchewan Huskies - 156
- UBCO Heat - 134
- Alberta Pandas - 120
- Thompson Rivers WolfPack - 117
- Mount Royal Cougars - 92
- Fraser Valley Cascades - 91
- Manitoba Bisons - 72
- Regina Cougars - 69
- UNBC Timberwolves - 48
- Lethbridge Pronghorns - 38
- Winnipeg Wesmen – 21
MacEwan Griffins Season Preview
Key Performer: Anneke Odinga
Defender
4th Year
Hometown: St. Albert, Alta.
The former Edmonton high school sprint champion is among the fastest players in Canada West, using her lethal speed out of the fullback position to drive the Griffins' potent attack. Equally adept at shutting down the opposition's top attackers with technique, poise and pace, Odinga is on every opposition's scouting report as a U SPORTS second team all-star (2022) and a two-time Canada West first team all-star (2022, 2023).
