Movers and Shakers As Three New Teams Enter the Top 10 This Week
It’s been a very interesting start to the week in USPORTS Women’s Soccer that created quite the shake up in the U SPORTS Women’s National Soccer Top 10 rankings this week.
USPORTS announced Monday that the previous USPORTS Number 5 nationally ranked and defending national champion MacEwan Griffins women’s soccer team had their season upended on Sunday due to a misinterpretation of eligibility rules related to changes caused by pandemic disruptions, which resulted in playing an ineligible player for 11 games this season. The Grant MacEwan University women’s soccer team has forfeited 11 regular-season games during the 2022 season due to the participation of an ineligible player. MacEwan Athletics self-disclosed the infraction upon becoming aware of the eligibility violation.
U SPORTS has imposed forfeitures for all games in which the ineligible student-athlete participated, including nine wins. U SPORTS may impose additional sanctions upon completion of the discipline process.
“To say that we are gutted is an understatement. We feel for these women who have worked so hard this season. It is so unfortunate for the team and other Canada West members that are, and will be, impacted by this,” said Joel Mrak, Director of Athletics for the Griffins. “We are committed to doing the right thing regardless of what the costs are and will be working with various stakeholders to review our processes to ensure future compliance.”
The forfeitures result in the Griffins overturning nine wins impacting this season only: August 26th vs. Alberta, September 9th at Victoria, September 17th at UNBC, September 18th vs. Calgary, September 24th at Lethbridge, September 25th at Mount Royal University, October 1st at Manitoba, October 2nd at Winnipeg, and October 8th vs. Mount Royal. The team’s two losses on August 28th vs. Alberta and September 10th vs. UBC will remain as losses.
Needless to say, the top 10 rankings have been affected in U SPORTS Women’s Soccer because of this “misstep” by the defending national champion MacEwan Griffins.
At Number 8 the Calgary Dinos (9-3-2), Number 9 the Acadia Axewomen (6-2-1), and the Number 10 Western Mustangs (8-2-1) have entered the Top 10 ranking following a sweep of victories last week.
The Dinos ended their 2022-23 regular season with a two-game win streak after defeating UBC Okanagan (4-0) and Thompson Rivers (2-1) at the Dinosaur Field on October 14th and 16th.
With three games left of the season, the Axewomen tallied two clean sheets over Mount Allison (3-0) and Saint Mary’s (5-0), enough for third place in the AUS standings and a two-position improvement in the U SPORTS Top 10.
In OUA West action, the Mustangs defeated Windsor 1-0 at Alumni Field in Windsor, Ont.
The Number 4 Montreal Carabins (10-2-0) and Number 7 Cape Breton Capers (8-1-0) moved up three places in U SPORTS Top 10, while Number 3 Queen’s Gaels (7-0-3) moved up one position and Number 5 Trinity Western (9-2-3) dropped two.
Sources: https://usports.ca/en/sports/soccer/f/news/2022/10/2171233282/macewan-forfeits-nine-wins-in-women-s-soccer
https://www.macewangriffins.ca/sports/wsoc/2022-23/releases/20221017jkgn8l
https://usports.ca/en/sports/soccer/f/news/2022/10/944000402/top-10-wsoc-20221018