Kickoff BBQ highlights Kodiaks weekend

Sept. 20, 2019 – Two of the Lethbridge College Kodiaks’ biggest boosters welcome everyone to celebrate the new ACAC season with them. Knud Petersen and Alvin Tietz are holding a kickoff BBQ prior to the Kodiaks soccer games against SAIT on Sunday.

The BBQ is free and open to all prior to the Kodiaks’ noon kickoff against the Trojans at the Servus Sports Centre field, just north of the Lethbridge College campus. Petersen and Tietz are hosting the event as a way to bring the community together in support of the Kodiaks. They hope that many Kodiaks alumni will return to join in the celebration.

It’s all part of a busy weekend for the Kodiaks as the soccer teams play on the road on Saturday and at home on Sunday, while the cross country team heads for Montana.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Kodiaks (3-0) at Broncos (4-0) – Noon Saturday at Olds College

Kodiaks (3-0) vs Trojans (1-2) – Noon Sunday at Servus Sports Centre field

The Kodiaks women’s team has won its first three games of the ACAC season for the first time since 1994 and sits in ninth place in the CCAA national rankings. It sets up a marquee first-place showdown on Saturday as the Kodiaks visit the also undefeated Olds College Broncos (4-0). Lethbridge will then finish the weekend on their home pitch with a visit from SAIT.

So far this season, the Kodiaks have used a balanced offensive attack and stifling defence to rise to the top of the table. Their 10 goals scored is second in the ACAC south division, while they lead the group defensively, as they’ve allowed only two goals this season. Olivia DePasquale (first year, General Studies, Airdrie), Khloe Jankowiak (first year, General Studies, Lethbridge) and Ashley Sazalski (first year, Nursing degree, Lethbridge) lead the Kodiaks with two goals each.

Games start at noon on both Saturday and Sunday. Results will be available on the ACAC website this weekend. Admission is free to all Kodiaks home soccer games.

MEN’S SOCCER

Kodiaks (2-1) at Broncos (2-2) – 2 p.m. Saturday at Olds College
Kodiaks (2-1) vs Trojans (3-0) – 2 p.m. Sunday at Servus Sports Centre field

Following a disappointing loss on the season’s opening weekend, the Kodiaks men’s team rebounded with a 7-0 thrashing of Ambrose University last weekend. Now the Kodiaks hope to climb up the standings with games against the Broncos and Trojans this weekend.

The Kodiaks and Broncos enter the weekend tied for third in the ACAC south division, but each sits only three points behind the first-place Trojans. The Kodiaks offensive outburst against the Lions has moved them to the top of the ACAC south division in goals scored, with 14. Sodiq Adekunle (second year, General Studies, Lethbridge) is sixth in the ACAC with four goals this season, while Jimmy Bukuru (third year, General Studies, Lethbridge) is tied for seventh with three goals. Cody Ferguson (fourth year, General Studies, Lethbridge) has two shutouts in three games this season. 

Games begin at 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Results will be available on the ACAC website this weekend. Admission is free to all Kodiaks home soccer games.

CROSS COUNTRY

Montana State Classic – Saturday, Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont.

The Kodiaks cross country teams will get some top-notch competition on Saturday as the team travels to the Montana State Classic at Montana State University in Bozeman. The runners will hit the trail against top runners from both sides of the border. It will be an especially strong challenge, and a good chance to test themselves, for members of the men’s team, as the reigning NCAA champion Northern Arizona University will be in the field.

The Kodiaks opened a new season two weeks ago in Edmonton, with a familiar result for Sophia Nowicki (third year, Nursing, Bragg Creek, Alta.). The defending national women’s cross country champion won the first ACAC meet of the season this weekend in Edmonton, leading her Kodiaks to a team gold medal as well. Rookie Rosie Bouchard (first year, Renewable Resource Management, Okotoks) had a strong showing in her ACAC debut, earning a bronze medal.

On the men’s side, Connor Jackson (second year, Business Administration, Surrey, B.C.) and Cooper Cheshire (second year, Agricultural Enterprise Management, Trochu, Alta.) finished just two seconds apart in fifth and sixth place, respectively, to lead the Kodiaks. With four finishers in the top 11, the Kodiaks team finished in second place. 

The men’s race begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, followed by the women’s race at 9:45 a.m. Results will be available online.