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This weekend is a Saskatchewan soccer fan's dream.
The Saskatoon Hilltops are competing for a national championship.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies host the University of Regina Rams in the Hardy Cup.
And the Saskatchewan Roughriders will face the BC Lions in the CFL West Division final, with a spot in the Gray Cup on the line.
Huskies vs Rams
The Huskies (7-1) and Rams (6-2) will kick off the weekend Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm in Saskatoon at Griffiths Stadium.
This is a rematch of last year's Hardy Cup, which the Rams won.
Huskies coach Scott Flory said both teams deserve to be here.
“We were the top two teams in the regular season,” Flory said.
“And, you know, the Saskatchewan DNA runs through both teams. It's going to be a physical, disciplined match, these are two well-coached teams and I think it's going to be a great match.”
Rams head coach Mark McConkie said the two teams are so evenly matched that he wouldn't be surprised if the final possession was the deciding factor.
To come out on top, he said, the Rams must be fundamentally strong in every aspect of the game.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team is trying to avenge its Hardy Cup loss to the University of Regina Rams a year ago.
Rams linebacker Brandon Wong, who was named the Canada West team's star, is looking for a battle right up to the final whistle.
“It will be a very close and close game and we will have to play for 60 minutes,” Wong said. “It's not going to be something where you take your foot off the gas. It's going to continue right down to the last few seconds on the clock.”
Both clubs could be left without star players.
Huskies defenseman Anton Amunrud has missed the last three games and may not play. Rams star running back Marshall Eriksen tore his Achilles in last week's win over Manitoba and is out for the season.
Regina offensive lineman Will Templeton said losing Eriksen hurts, but the team is confident in fourth-year Christian Katende.
“It will all depend on which team performs at a higher level,” said Templeton, who was also named a Canada West all-star.
“We're so evenly matched. They have a couple stars on the D line. We obviously have three stars on our offensive line.”
The winner of this game will host the Ontario champions next weekend at Mitchell Bowl.
And the winner of that game goes to the Vanier Cup, which Regina hosts.
3068:31The Roughriders prepare for a home playoff game against the BC Lions.
Steven Safiniuk, co-host of the Piffles podcast and Saskatchewan Roughriders fan, joins The 306 to talk about the West final game against the BC Lions on Saturday.
Riders vs Lions
The Saskatchewan Roughriders took first place a few weeks ago and haven't played a meaningful game in a while, so they'll have to shake off the rust quickly against the BC Lions (game time is 5:00 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium).
On the other hand, the team has used the last couple of weeks to allow the veterans to rest and get better.
Last year's top defensive player, Roland Milligan Jr., returns to the lineup.
The Riders will have all the top receivers on their roster, including Sam Amilus, KeySean Johnson, Donte Meyers, Kian Shaffer-Baker and Ajou Ajou.
“We got some of the guns back,” Meyers said. “Have you guys seen Shaffer, have you seen Sam or have you guys met me and KeeSean this year.
“So it's going to be a good show for Mosaic. It's going to be a good show for Readerville.”
Riders head coach Corey Mays said the players know what to expect after playing (and losing) in the West final last year.
“These guys get it now,” Mays said. “We did it somewhere else, and now they have it at home, and I think the guys are ready for it.”
Hilltops vs Sun
The Saskatoon Hilltops host the Okanagan Sun on Sunday in the Canadian Junior Soccer League national championship.
The Hilltops were the most dominant team in youth soccer history, winning the national title a record 23 times. They last won the title in 2023.
Their opponents have reached the finals in two of the last three years.
Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said this year was full of tough performances.
Saskatoon lost its first game of the season lopsidedly. The starting guard was injured for six months, and the team had to make a strong comeback to win in overtime against the Regina Thunder in the league finals.
“It took a lot of mental fortitude and courage to get through what we went through,” Sgt. “15 points behind with 8 minutes remaining against Reggina on home soil.”
Sergeant said a lot of things have to fall into place to make it to the national finals.
“But we didn’t come this far just to show up,” he said. “We will come here to play our best game and represent Saskatoon the way we always have.”
Game time is 1:00 pm on Sunday at SMF Field.
