Weekend Recap: Kodiaks battle the best of the north

Nov 21, 2023 - The Lethbridge College Kodiaks had interdivisional play this weekend with the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference north division.

Kodiaks basketball teams played host to the Lakeland College Rustlers Friday and Keyano College Huskies Saturday. Both games were part of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Make Some Noise for mental health campaign to reduce stigma around mental health challenges. 

Kodiaks volleyball teams were on the road for the weekend to play Lakeland College and Keyano College on the same nights.

Basketball

Women’s basketball

Nov. 17 WBB | Kodiaks 57 vs Lakeland Rustlers 82

In a battle of unbeaten teams, someone’s perfect record had to fall. The Kodiaks women faced a tough opponent in the Lakeland College Rustlers on Friday night resulting in an 82-57 loss.

The Kodiaks started off strong, winning the jump ball and scoring the first points off the game. However, the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) No. 2-ranked Rustlers quickly attacked. As the quarter progressed, the score remained within a few points. Kitawna Sparks (second year, Business Administration, Taber) led the Kodiaks through the first with six points and four rebounds. At the end of the first, the Rustlers led 22-17. 

The second quarter saw the Kodiaks fight back to chip away at the Rusters’ lead. Sparks continued to dominate the glass, adding another four rebounds for the team. Tylee Perry (second year, Business Administration - Management, Cardston) chipped in seven points. The score at the half- saw the Rustlers up 37-33.

After the half, Sparks added six more points for the Kodiaks, but the Rustlers extended the lead to 59-44 by the end of the third quarter. 

As the fourth quarter began, both teams were in a scramble to score. After a few missed shots from both sides, Sparks was able to get the tip in after a steal by Jocelyn Neilson (second year, Open Studies, Lethbridge). In the end, the Rustlers were victorious 82-57.

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #8 Tylee Perry

LAKE Rustlers: #25 Abigail Whitehead

Nov. 18 WBB | Kodiaks 82 vs Keyano Huskies 40

The Kodiaks bounced back from Friday’s loss with a commanding 82-40 win over the Keyano College Huskies.

The Kodiaks started off hot, wasting no time to establish dominance that carried on throughout the game. Sparks led her team with seven points and five rebounds while Neilson chipped in seven points of her own. The Kodiaks were up 28-6 after one quarter. 

The second quarter saw resilience from the Huskies, but they were no match for the Kodiaks offence. Brooklyn Hardy (first year, Practical Nurse, Cardston) came off the bench for the Kodiaks and contributed four points while Madison Barfuss (second year, Therapeutic Recreation-Gerontology, Hill Spring) collected four rebounds. The Kodiaks went into the half up 45-22.

The Kodiaks focused on maintaining their lead through team defence and offensive execution in the third quarter. Neilson contributed five points to keep the Kodiaks up 61-36.

In the final quarter the Kodiaks came out on fire ready to seal the deal. Hannah Helton (fifth year, Exercise Science, Okotoks) led the Kodiaks with five points and two assists in the fourth leading them to an 82-40 victory.

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #22 Jocelyn Neilson

KC Huskies: #21 Marijana Besic

Men’s Basketball

Nov. 17 MBB | Kodiaks 79 vs Rustlers 96

The Kodiaks men’s basketball faced the Lakeland Rustlers on Friday night. The Kodiaks men’s basketball team was looking for a win after two straight losses, but Lakeland had their own winning streak to protect.

The Rustlers got off to a strong start, forging an 11-point lead to start the game, but the Kodiaks showed no quit. Mason Hoffman (second year, General Arts and Science, Magrath) contributed seven points for the Kodiaks and the Rustlers led 25-12 after one quarter.

The Kodiaks showed tenacity in the second as they chipped away at the Rustlers’ lead. The Kodiaks efforts resulted in a Rustlers timeout. With a complete flip from the first quarter thanks to Kodiaks Declan Peterson (second year, Business Administration, Bentley, Alta.) contributing nine points and eight rebounds while Hoffman added eight points of his own. By half time, the Kodiaks had significantly closed the gap with the Rustlers up 41-37.

The third quarter saw the Rustlers expand their lead but the Kodiaks Rhett Lewis (first year, General Arts and Science, Cardston) fought back to bring in three rebounds and four points. After 30 minutes of play, the Rustlers led 69-51.

The Rustlers and Kodiaks played back-and-forth ball in the fourth quarter, scoring 28 and 27 points, respectively. Cody Tollestrup (first year, Business Administration, Magrath) and Jared Heggie (third year, General Arts and Science, Raymond) scored six points apiece. As the final buzzer rang, the Rustlers took a 97-78 victory. 

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #3 Mason Hoffman

Lakeland Rustlers: #10 Andre McFadden

Nov. 18 MBB | Kodiaks 78 vs Huskies 97

The Kodiaks’ hunger for a win came up against another tough north division team, the top-ranked Keyano College Huskies Saturday night in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.

The Kodiaks took the lead early from the jump and controlled the pace thanks to Lewis with eight points and two steals and Tollestrup with seven points. After one quarter of play, the Kodiaks led 23-18.

The Huskies entered the second quarter with new found energy and focus. The Kodiaks faced relentless pressure, leading to a timeout. Hoffman answered the challenge with six points, but the Huskies' resilience paid off as they closed the quarter with a 43-39 lead, setting the stage for a thrilling second half.

Despite the Huskies four-point lead, the Kodiaks, fuelled by the efforts of Treydon Barton (second year, General Arts and Science, Raymond), managed to stage a remarkable comeback with six points and Hoffman with nine, tying the score midway through the quarter. The seesaw battle continued, with each possession becoming more critical. After an intense third quarter that had fans on the edge of their seats, the Huskies managed to cling to a narrow lead of 63-60. 

The Kodiaks’ best efforts to take the lead fell short in the final quarter. The Kodiaks never quit in their efforts, but the Huskies extended their lead. Tollestrup contributed another six for the Kodiaks, but the Huskies prevailed 96-79.

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #12 Rhett Lewis

KC Huskies: #5 Omeechi Williams

Volleyball

Women’s Volleyball

Nov 17. WVB | Kodiaks 0 vs Rustlers 3

The Kodiaks women’s volleyball team faced off against the defending national champions on Friday night in Vermilion, Alta. In the first set, the Lakeland College Rustlers got an early jump with an impressive 25-9 victory.

The Kodiaks jumped to an early 8-4 lead in the second set, but the Rustlers rallied to a 25-18 win.

The third set started with back-and-forth points from both teams but the Rustlers pulled ahead, ultimately winning 25-17.

Shane Fowlie (third year, General Arts and Science, Medicine Hat) led the Kodiaks with seven kills. Aideena Wickstrom (fourth year, Exercise Science, Coaldale) and Quincy Price (first year, General Arts and Science, Coaldale) led the Kodiaks with six and five digs, respectively. Taryn Bach (third year, Open Studies, Lethbridge) led her squad with 18 assists.

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #8 Shane Fowlie

LAKE Rustlers: #5 Jana Laing

Nov 18. WVB | Kodiaks 2 vs Huskies 3

The Kodiaks dominated the open sets against the top-ranked north division Keyano College Huskies. The Kodiaks outscored the Huskies 25-22 and 25-18.

However, the Huskies managed a significant turnaround in the third set, winning 25-16.

The Kodiaks fought back in the fourth for an exciting match, but the Huskies ultimately took the 25-23 victory.

Despite the Kodiaks best efforts, the Huskies took the fifth set 15-8, giving them a 3-2 win over the Kodiaks.

Fowlie led the Kodiaks with nine kills, followed closely by Irina Korovina (fifth year, General Arts and Science, Calgary) and Abby Sauder (third year, Bachelor of Nursing, Swift Current, Sask.) with seven apiece. Korovina also stood out defensively with a team-leading 10 digs, complementing her offensive performance. Bach contributed 26 assists from the setter role.

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #6 Aideena Wickstrom

Keyano Huskies: #11 Marlo Rathmann

Men’s Volleyball

Nov 17. MVB | Kodiaks 2 vs Rustlers 3

The Lakeland College Rustlers, fuelled by the energy of their home crowd, took the first set 25-16, setting the stage for an engaging contest. The Kodiaks showcased their resilience, bouncing back in the second and third sets, 25-22 and 25-21, respectively.

The Rustlers regained control in the fourth set with serving runs and secured a 25-20 win, forcing a decisive fifth set. The final set had a thrilling conclusion, with both teams delivering powerful serves and spikes. In the end, the Rustlers emerged victorious with a 15-13 win leading to an overall 3-2 Rustlers victory.

Individual performances by Nolan Moes (fourth year, General Arts and Science, Barrhead, Alta.) and Paul Dionne (fourth year, Open Studies, Weyburn, Sask.) contributing 17 and 14 kills, respectively. Tyler Chernisenko (fourth year, Business Administration-Accounting, Edmonton) had six digs and an outstanding performance for the Kodiaks, adding to a competitive and high-energy match.

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #4 Tyler Chernisenko

LAKE Rustlers: #7 Brock Tomyn

Nov. 18 MVB | Kodiaks 1 vs Huskies 3

The Kodiaks men’s volleyball team gave a strong performance in their four-set match against the Keyano College Huskies on Saturday.

For the Kodiaks, Moes was a standout performer with 16 kills, while Chernishenko added five kills to the effort. Ben St. Pierre (third year, Open Studies, Red Deer) contributed 22 assists and shared the team lead in digs with Adam Boras (third year, General Arts and Science, Lethbridge), both collecting nine.

The first set saw the Kodiaks get an early start, capitalizing on Huskies’ errors. The Kodiaks took the first set 25-21.

The Huskies took the second, third and fourth sets 25-20, 25-12 and 25-13, respectively. The Huskies took the series 3-1.

Players of the Game:

LETH Kodiaks: #15 Marshall Qually (first year, General Arts and Science, Lethbridge)

KC Huskies: #14 Athus Silva