The Keyano College Huskies Men's & Women's Soccer teams concluded their 2024 outdoor seasons on Sunday, October 27, 2024, with appearances on the podium at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Soccer Championships hosted by the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves in Grande Prairie, Alta.
Women's Soccer Huskies surge to Bronze
With a 4-1 victory against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens on Sunday, the Women's Soccer Huskies earned an ACAC medal for a second consecutive year by claiming the Bronze Medal.
"Any time you're placing in the top of your province, I feel like that's a success," Head Coach Tiffany Fontaine said. "The goal is always to achieve higher. We came out and focused on the day. We feel pretty great being able to be in the top three in Alberta."
The Huskies finished the regular season with an 8-3-1 record, placing second in the ACAC's North Division. They beat the Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks 5-1 in Friday's opening round before losing a tight 1-0 semi-final game to the SAIT Trojans in added extra time. The Huskies conceded three goals in 300 minutes of action at the championship.
In the regular season, the team was guided by Marissa Mestre, who led the conference with 15 goals, and Harleen Singh, who led the conference with 13 assists. Teammate Ayla Taller also showed well, with 10 goals and 10 assists.
The Women's Soccer Huskies wish to thank presenting sponsor G.O.A.T. Mechanical Services for helping the team achieve a successful season on the pitch.
Men's Soccer Huskies earn Silver
The Men's Soccer Huskies earned a Silver Medal after appearing in their sixth ACAC Men's Soccer Championship game.
"When you don't win it all, there's some disappointment," Head Coach Niels Slotboom said. "We played some very good games. We can make peace with the fact that we left everything out on the field."
The four-time ACAC Champions and defending champions from 2023 finished the regular season with a 9-1-2 record, placing second in the North Division. They beat the Kodiaks 1-0 in the opening round and bested the South Division's top team, the RDP Kings, 2-1 in the semi-finals before losing a 2-0 game to the NAIT Ooks in added extra time.
The team was led offensively by Hafid Arellano, who led the entire conference with 10 assists in the regular season and added a goal and an assist in three playoff games.
The medal is the sixth in ACAC Men's Soccer, which includes four ACAC Championships and a second Silver medal.
The Men's Soccer Huskies wish to thank Diversified Transportation, the presenting sponsor, for their continued support on and off the pitch.
Eight Huskies recognized as ACAC All-Conference members
Eight student-athletes from the Keyano Huskies Soccer program were recognized with All-Conference honours. ACAC Coaches made selections through a ranking system. The eight student-athletes collectively represent the most for the Soccer Huskies in a single season.
From the Women's Soccer team, Ayla Taller, Marissa Mestre, Harleen Singh, Natalie Orellana, and Anke Wijnbergen were named to the All-Conference team. From the Men's side, Arellano, Cleisson Anklam, and Jacob Marshall were named to the All-Conference team.
Three Huskies named to Tournament All-Star Team
Three Huskies were also recognized on the Tournament All-Star team, with Aaron Ernst and Mykyta Kudrin recognized from the Men's Soccer team, while Wijnbergen earned the lone honour for the Women's Soccer team.
