Kodiaks futsal enters final qualification weekend

March 11, 2022 – The Lethbridge College Kodiaks men’s and women’s futsal teams will be in control of their own destiny as they enter their final Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) divisional stage matchday this Saturday in Calgary.  

Both teams have two games remaining as they look to secure a spot in the 2022 ACAC Futsal Championships, which will be hosted by The King’s University in Edmonton from March 26-27.

The teams must finish at the top of the south division, ahead of opponents Ambrose University and Medicine Hat College (MHC), in order to qualify for the championship tournament, meaning each game on Saturday has critical importance.

The Kodiaks men went 2-0 during the opening weekend and currently occupy first place, while the women went 1-1 and sit in second place behind MHC.

Futsal 

WOMEN’S

Kodiaks (1-1) vs Ambrose University Lions (0-2) 

• 11 a.m. Saturday at Ambrose University (Calgary) 

Kodiaks (1-1) vs Medicine Hat College Rattlers (2-0) 

• 2 p.m. Saturday at Ambrose University (Calgary)

The Kodiaks women’s team will treat each game as a must-win to give themselves the best chance of earning a berth in the ACAC Championships. Opening weekend play saw them drop a 3-2 heartbreaker against MHC before bouncing back with a 5-2 win against Ambrose. Goal differential could be a factor in possible tie-breaker scenarios, meaning the Kodiaks will look to play hard from start to finish.  

Ashley Sazalski (second year, Nursing, Lethbridge) and Megan Morrison (first year, General Studies, Medicine Hat) each showed great offensive touch while earning player of the game honours during opening weekend. Jordan Quinn (first year, Nursing, Picture Butte) was solid in the Kodiaks net, making many key saves over both opening games.

MEN’S

Kodiaks (2-0) vs Medicine Hat College Rattlers (0-2) 

• 12:15 p.m. Saturday at Ambrose University (Calgary) 

Kodiaks (2-0) vs Ambrose University Lions (1-1) 

• 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Ambrose University (Calgary)

Offensive output wasn’t an issue for the Kodiaks during the opening weekend of play, as they exploded for 17 goals in two games. The Kodiaks have put themselves in a good spot to qualify after opening with a 7-5 win over MHC and a 10-4 trouncing of Ambrose, but the team knows they must finish the job with a strong performance this weekend.   

Jaden Veluw (fifth year, Nursing, Lethbridge) connected for multiple goals during opening weekend, including an impressive mid-air strike off a defender that went viral on social media, garnering over one million views worldwide. Daniel Okpala (third year, Open Studies, Lethbridge) also scored a medley of highlight reel goals and will once again be counted on for his offensive prowess. 

Learn more about the Kodiaks at gokodiaks.ca and follow along all season on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. High-quality photos are available to download from the Kodiaks Flickr account.