Futsal qulifies for ACAC Championships

Feb. 28, 2023 - It wasn't without stressful moments, but ultimately it was mission accomplished for both Lethbridge College Kodiaks men's and women's futsal teams. Both sides qualified for the upcoming 2023 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Futsal Championships which will be hosted March 10 to 12 by Keyano College in Fort McMurray.  

The Kodiaks squared off against foes from Prairie College, SAIT, Ambrose, Olds College and host Medicine Hat College at the South Division Regional Tournament last weekend. The pressure was on from the get go as the Kodiaks needed to finish top three in the six-team regional to secure their championships spot. 

The Kodiaks men went 2-1-2, cinching their spot with a pair of dramatic comebacks. The lads opened with a spicy 4-1 victory over MHC on Tuesday before falling 5-1 to Olds on Friday.  It was a dramatic 2-2 tie with Ambrose 2-2 to open Saturday that preserved the Kodiaks chances of qualifying, after Vincent Dyck rocketed home a clutch goal with 1.1 seconds remaining. The Kodiaks finished with a 9-3 win over Prairie and a 4-4 tie against undefeated SAIT in the final game of the weekend - a game that featured an epic comeback with Lethbridge scoring two late goals to earn a share of the points. 

Meanwhile, the Kodiaks women's team went 3-2 and didn't know their championships status until the final game of the tournament. The Kodiaks fell 4-1 to MHC in their opening game, then bounced back with three straight wins over Olds (4-3), Ambrose (11-1) and Prairie (12-0) before falling to first place SAIT 3-1 on Sunday. Fortunately, Olds was unable to defeat MHC in the last game of the tournament which preserved the third spot for the Kodiaks. 

Both Kodiaks teams will travel to Fort McMurray next week, with game action starting on Friday, March 10.