Here’s what you need to know about MacEwan’s teams this year

Ian Smyth

Photo by James Maclellan

Soccer may be in full swing, but all of MacEwan’s other sports squads are gearing up to start a new season in October. Let’s do a quick overview of where our school’s teams are at and what I believe they can achieve this year.

Men’s hockey

Men’s hockey is one of MacEwan’s stronger programs, making the playoffs in back to back seasons. They look to get back to the dance once again this year, led by coach Zach Dailey. Standout players include forwards Caden Cabana and Ethan Sundar, defencemen Logan Dowhaniuk and Carson Haynes, and goaltending duo Carson Ironside and Eric Ward, to name a few. They went 10-18 last year and made the playoffs, falling to the UBC Thunderbirds in the first round. Expect the men to play a physical brand of hockey, with some high skill forwards and acrobatic goaltenders. My expectations for the men are to make the playoffs, and see what happens. They are good enough to get in, it’s just a matter of earning their ticket.

Women’s hockey

Women’s hockey had a rough  last year, with a 6-22 record and failing to make the playoffs. The women’s program has an interesting legacy. The team was once a powerhouse in the college ranks, but, since moving to the university level, they have been unable to find their footing. However, one thing is consistent with them: their immaculate goaltending. Tracing back to Shannon Szabados’ days as a Griffin, MacEwan has always had a knack for finding amazing goaltenders. This year marks a stark turnover. Brianna Sank, the most prestigious USports MacEwan Griffins women’s goalie, has left the team. With such massive shoes to fill, the team will be pivoting to Lindsey Johnson, a third-year goalie who spent time as Sank’s backup. I don’t expect much out of this squad, but there is nowhere to go but up. 

Men’s basketball

The men’s basketball team is looking to shake things up. It has been an abysmal start to their USports tenure, but new coaching is on the way. David Kapinga won a championship as a player with the University of Calgary, and hopes to bring a fresh mindset to a team desperately in need of a culture change. The Griffins are a defence first team, that is evident. They consistently out-blocked their opponents last season, but just couldn’t find consistency in shooting the ball, especially from deep. Keep an eye out for newcomer Marcus ISO Moore, who won men’s rookie of the year in 2023-24 with Nipissing University, to provide some offensive oomph. And while they finished 2-18 last season, dead last in their division, I expect a big leap from the team this year. The talent is there, they just need to bring it all together with a more cohesive gameplan.

Women’s basketball

Women’s basketball hasn’t fared much better. Coming off of a 1-19 season, the Griffins have nowhere to go but up. They only averaged 47.4 ppg as a team, and out-blocked opponents. For this team to make waves and improve, they will need secondary scoring around their stars. There is not much else to say. I’m not sure what to expect from this squad. As the season goes on, we will see. For players of interest, look to Unity Obasuyi to continue her development after increasing her points per game average from 5.0 to 15.7.

Men’s volleyball

Volleyball is another program that has struggled in the past. They went 1-19 last year, with not a lot of standout stats besides being first in solo blocks by a team. This year, the men have a bit of a roster shakeup. Mitchell Croft, standout middle blocker, has left the team to play for University of Hawaii. The Griffins will need to make up for his defensive ability, and find ways to generate offence, which I believe will come from a collective team effort. Overall, I’m curious to see how the team moves forward.

Women’s volleyball

The women fared better in 2024-25, going 3-17. Oddly enough, they also ranked first in blocks by a team. So, they are another defensive team that is looking for an offensive burst. A pair of new recruits headlined by Addison and Alyssa Piekema could provide what the Griffins are looking for. I expect a bit of noise from this team, maybe a rebound to their 12-12 season in 2023-24.

There you have it. A quick brief for what to expect this coming year. Overall, I expect big things from the Griffins this year. They’ve got a new logo and I believe it’s finally time for MacEwan to assert themselves on the USports stage.