Box Score VICTORIA – Months of anticipation and excitement ended in tears on the field by several University of Victoria Vikes players after the final whistle blew on their championship dreams.

Despite playing arguably the best and the hardest out of any of the four games to open the U SPORTS women's soccer national championship, the hosts were sent home early, as they were clipped by the University of Calgary Dinos 1-0 on Thursday evening at Centennial Stadium.

"I thought we were really resilient tonight and we brought a good, fighting spirit. We believed that we could beat Calgary and we almost did. Who knows what would have happened if a few of those chances early or Trinity's header in the second half go in," said Vikes head coach Tracy David. "Calgary is a very good team and we knew that going in. They didn't budge tonight."

Before the game, the Vikes got the crowd's juices going when the current team took the field with nine members of the inaugural Vikes women's soccer team from 1975-76.

The ceremony worked. The Vikes came out flying in the first half.

Even though the Vikes were without Georgia Bignold and Abby Mackenzie, the championship opener was one of the healthiest games they suited up for all season. They were beating the speedy Dinos to balls and driving action up the field.

Trinity Kettyls was buzzing in the first half and did a great job getting balls up to Kiara Kilbey. The fifth-year forward came close in the 26^th minute when she hunted down a bouncing ball in the Dinos' goal crease, but she couldn't get a header on it for the score.

Not only was Kilbey hunting loose balls, she wasn't letting anything or anyone get in her way. If hits were a stat kept in soccer, she would probably end up as the tourney leader even after one game.

"Sometimes, in big games, you just have to go for it. Our team showed that tonight with the fight we put in and the way we worked for this one. It wasn't the result that we wanted, but I am really proud of this team for how we came out and played tonight. I thought we were unlucky to lose this one," said Kiara Kilbey, who was named the Player of the Game.

Scoreless at the break, Dinos forward Alison Pederson picked up a yellow card in the 55^th minute for tripping fifth-year Vike Rachel Baird.

Pederson subbed out a few minutes later for Rachel Barlow. It didn't take long for Barlow to make an impact.

"They had a player that came in, took a chance from outside and look what happened. Her shot was kind of went against the way things were going, but that's the way these things go sometimes," said David.

A booming cross from what felt like the fourth lane of the surrounding track from Barlow ended up being the final dagger in the Vikes season.

Barlow was searching for another marker in the 67^th minute when she chipped a pass from Kelsie MacDonald, but fifth-year keeper Puck Louwes made the quick adjustment and snagged the attempt.

Kettyls kept vibrating in the second half and carved out some space to flick a header on net on a free kick from Baird, but the ball trickled wide.

With time ticking down, Kyra Teetzen sent a good-looking corner into the box. A handful of Vikes whacked away, but couldn't jam one past Lauren Houghton.

From that point on, the Dinos drilled the ball downfield as far as they could until they heard the final three whistles. At that point, many of the Vikes were motionless. With hands on their knees or sprawled on the ground, none of them wanted to live in the reality that their season came to a screeching halt.

Not entirely, though. The Vikes will have at least one more chance to play in front of their home fans. They take on the Cape Breton University Capers in the consolation semifinal at 4 p.m. The Dinos advance to the semifinal on Saturday and will tango with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.