‘Gamer’ rock-solid in goal for Griffins

MacEwan University Griffins goalkeeper Emily Burns was nicknamed ‘Gamer’ by coach Dean Cordeiro and the moniker holds true.

The third-year member of the Griffins women’s soccer team has a knack for coming up with heroic saves to help preserve a victory.

She’s been the backbone of the Griffins in their pursuit of qualifying for the program’s first U Sports national championship.

As MacEwan enters the Canada West Final 4 tournament this weekend in Langley, B.C., they’ll no doubt be the underdogs, but with a goalkeeper like Burns, they always have a shot.

“It doesn’t matter who we play or who we have playing in front of her, when you have a goalkeeper of the stature of Emily, we know we can beat anybody,” said Cordeiro. “If we’re having a tough game, we know she has the ability to steal one for us.”

MacEwan finished the regular season fourth in the Canada West’s Pacific Division with a record of 8-5-1. The teams they face in the Final 4 tournament all finished ahead of them in their division.

They face the University of Victoria on Friday (3:30 MT). A win over the Vikes, and they’ll qualify for their first U Sports national championship.

“We’re so ready,” said Cordeiro. “This is our third-straight conference championship. We may be underdogs, but we have the experience behind us. We’ve been in this situation before. As a team we’re ready to take that next step.”

MacEwan pulled off some big wins this year, and Burns has been a large part of it. Last weekend in the conference quarter-finals, Burns came up with two big saves on penalty kicks in extra time to beat Mount Royal and then to book their ticket to the Final 4, she came up with one of her biggest games of the season in a 2-1 victory over the University of Alberta Pandas.

Burns has loads of experience in big games. She’s represented Canada at the 2016 World University Futsal Games in Brazil and she just completed her first season with Calgary-based Foothills FC of the United Women’s Soccer League.

Last year, Burns was a conference All-star and when the Canada West All-star selections were announced Thursday, Burns wasn’t included on the list. The Sherwood Park product isn’t one to focus on individual awards, but she’ll no doubt be more motivated this weekend to show that she deserved to be included as an All-star.

“It was disappointing not seeing my name on that list,” said Burns. “But now I just have to go out this weekend and have the game of my life and prove it.”