Lethbridge College is proud to host the 2019 ACAC Futsal Championships from March 15 to 17 in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.
Nine men's teams and nine women's teams are playing a combined 40 games over three days to determine the conference champions. Round robin games take place on Friday and Saturday, followed by semifinals and the championship matches on Sunday.
Here are the results from the second day of action:
WOMEN'S
Down to the wire for playoff spots
The final playoff spot came down to the final game of the day as a thrilling round robin wrapped up on Saturday at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium. The King’s University Eagles edged out the Olds College Broncos to earn a spot in the semifinals as the 2019 ACAC Futsal Championships will be awarded on Sunday at Lethbridge College.
In Pool A, the Keyano Huskies completed an undefeated round robin with a win over King’s to claim first in the pool with a 2-0-1 record. The second spot came down to either Olds or King’s in a head-to-head showdown and King’s jumped out to a 6-3 lead and hung on for a 6-5 win to claim the second playoff spot. Olds misses the playoffs, finishing in third with a 1-1-1 record.
In Pool B, the Lethbridge College Kodiaks were one goal away from potentially forcing a three-way tiebreaker with themselves, SAIT and Ambrose. But, the SAIT Trojans were able to hold the Kodiaks to a 2-2 tie, both clinching first place in the pool for themselves and eliminating the Kodiaks. SAIT’s 3-0-1 record, including a 6-1 win earlier in the day over the Ambrose Lions, gave them the top seed in the pool. The Lions take the second semifinal berth with a 3-1-0 mark, while the Kodiaks finish two points out with a 2-1-1 record.
Felicia Rodney had four goals in Olds’ final game and leads the tournament with nine goals. Lethbridge’s Christine Moser is second with eight.
The semifinals will have Keyano against Ambrose at 8:30 a.m. and SAIT against King’s at 11 a.m.
Game #9 | 8:30 a.m. | LAKE 2 vs UAA 1
It was a battle of two teams fighting for their playoff lives – and in the end, the Lakeland Rustlers were able to get the job done. Taking on the UAA Vikings, with both teams coming into the day with 0-2 records, the two sides battled through a scoreless first half. The Vikings struck first just over two minutes into the second half as Kara Strange made it 1-0. The Rustlers had a comeback in them though, as Nikki Boutin’s penalty kick goal tied it up and Dana Bernard potted the winner with 10 minutes left. Lakeland improves to 1-2, while UAA goes to 0-3 and are eliminated from playoff contention.
Goals:
Lakeland: Boutin, Bernard
Augustana: Strange
Players of the game:
Lakeland: Krystal Penner
Augustana: Kara Strange
Game #10 | 9:45 a.m. | AMB 1 vs SAIT 6
In what was shaping up as a marquee match-up between two undefeated teams, the SAIT Trojans showed they are a force to be reckoned with. The Trojans never trailed in a 6-1 triumph over Ambrose University in an all-Calgary battle. The Trojans have clinched a playoff berth with the win. The game was scoreless midway through the first half, when the Trojans finally broke through. Goals by Madelaine Lee and Sage Meyers just 1:20 apart late in the first half made it 3-0 and SAIT cruised from there. Harleen Kaur Singh scored twice in the second half to secure the Trojans victory. SAIT is now 3-0, while Ambrose falls to 2-1. The Lions playoff hopes are still alive heading into their final round robin game.
Goals:
SAIT: Kaur Singh 2, McPherson, Lee, S. Meyers, Gordon
Ambrose: Buchanan
Players of the game:
SAIT: Harleen Kaur Singh
Ambrose: Meg Buchanan
Game #11 | 11 a.m. | MHC 2 vs OLDS 7
Game #11 | 11 a.m. | MHC 2 vs OLDS 7
Needing a win to keep its playoff hopes alive, Olds College turned it on in a big way with a 7-2 triumph over Medicine Hat College. Back-to-back goals by Paige Whitehead in the first half gave the Broncos a lead they would never relinquish. Felicia Rodney and Katherina Oeltermann each scored twice in the second half to secure the Broncos victory. With the win, Olds moves into a tie for first place in pool A with a 1-0-1 record. Medicine Hat’s tournament comes to a close with an 0-3 record.
Goals:
Olds: Whitehead 2, Rodney 2, Oeltermann 2, Schlamp
Medicine Hat: Weimer, Hole
Players of the game:
Olds: Paige Whitehead
Medicine Hat: Emily Weimer
Game #12 | 12:45 p.m. | LETH 4 vs LAKE 0
The host Lethbridge College Kodiaks knew any chance of staying alive in the playoff picture was dependent on a win over Lakeland College and the Kodiaks turned in an effort worthy of the pressure. Paige Gattafoni stopped every shot she saw and Christine Moser had a hat trick to lead the Kodiaks to a 4-0 victory. With the win, the Kodiaks improve to 2-1 and can guarantee themselves at least a tie-breaker spot with a win in their final game. The Rustlers finish the tournament at 1-3 and will not make the playoffs.
Goals:
Lethbridge: Moser 3, Judge
Players of the game:
Lethbridge: Paige Gattafoni
Lakeland: Gabby Lapointe
Game #13 | 2 p.m. | KC 4 vs TKU 2
As the 2019 ACAC Futsal Championships creep closer to completion, there is still much to be determined. But the Keyano Huskies set one thing in stone with a 4-2 win over The King’s University Eagles – they will be playing in Sunday’s playoffs. The Huskies clinched a semifinal berth thanks to a pair of goals each from Kennedy Bates and Amanda Giesbrecht to finish the round robin with a 2-0-1 record. The Eagles fall to 1-1-0 and are in third place in their division. They could still make the playoffs however, with a win in their final game against Olds College.
Goals:
Keyano: Bates 2, Giesbrecht 2
King's: Tiemstra, Hrycun
Players of the game:
Keyano: Amanda Giesbrecht
King's: Taylor Hrycun
Game #14 | 3:15 p.m. | AMB 5 vs UAA 2
Stuck in a strong division with a pair of other southern Alberta squads, the Ambrose Lions knew they needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They did just that, downing the winless UAA Vikings 5-2. Maria Hernandez scored once in each half as the Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Augustana made it interesting with goals from Demi Vermeer and Kara Strange less than six minutes apart to cut the lead to one. But late goals by Rachel Wolf and Kaitlin Vail on a penalty kick secured the win. The Lions are now 3-1 and await the outcome of the SAIT versus Lethbridge game to learn their playoff fate.
Goals:
Ambrose: Hernandez 2, Hintz, Wolf, Vail
Augustana: Vermeer, Strange
Players of the game:
Ambrose: Maria Hernandez
Augustana: Madison James
Game #15 | 5 p.m. | LETH 2 vs SAIT 2
The chances were end-to-end and the large crowd in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium was rocking as the host Lethbridge College Kodiaks and the SAIT Trojans waged an intense battle. In the end, Lethbridge came from behind for a 2-2 draw. The single point was enough to clinch SAIT first place in Pool B, but Lethbridge needed a full three points to keep their playoff hopes alive, so the draw wasn’t quite enough. Goals by Sage Meyers and Amber Meyers just over a minute apart in the first half gave the Trojans a 2-0 lead. But Kodiaks netminder Paige Gattafoni was able to score one before the break to keep her team in it, then she made a series of saves in the second half to keep the Kodiaks hopes alive. Lethbridge pushed hard for the equalizer, with Amy Offredi making many big saves. Christine Moser finally solved Offredi with just over two minutes remaining for her tournament-leading eighth goal. But a final push for a winner came up just short. The Kodiaks finish the tournament 2-1-1, while SAIT went 3-0-1 in the round robin.
Goals:
Lethbridge: Gattafoni, Moser
SAIT: S. Meyers, A. Meyers
Players of the game:
Lethbridge: Jasmin Salmon
SAIT: Amy Offredi
Game #16 | 6:15 p.m. | OLDS 5 vs TKU 6
It was a classic scenario – win and you’re in. The victor between the Olds College Broncos and the King’s University Eagles was guaranteed to earn second place in Pool A. It had all the thrills that would be expected in a game with those kind of stakes, as King’s held on for a 6-5 win. Danielle Irwin had a pair of second half goals to take a 6-3 lead with under 14 minutes to play. But Olds made it interesting as Felicia Rodney scored her third and fourth goals of the game to cut the deficit to one. However, Olds got no closer as King’s goes 2-1 to finish second in the pool. Olds just misses the playoffs with a 1-1-1 record.
Goals:
King's: Rocque 2, Irwin 2, Hrycun, Croft
Olds: Rodney 4, Andres
Players of the game:
King's: Sarah Berglund
Olds: Felicia Rodney
MEN'S
A pair of perfect round robin teams highlight the men’s draw
Two dominant men’s clubs took care of business on Saturday at the 2019 ACAC Men’s Futsal Championship, claiming the two top seeds for Sunday’s playoff round. The Keyano Huskies and Olds Broncos each turned in perfect round robin records and hold all kinds of momentum heading into the final day of action.
The Broncos started the day with an offensive showcase, hitting double digits in a 10-5 win over the host Lethbridge College Kodiaks, and ended the day with a 4-2 win over the UAA Vikings. The Broncos claimed first in Pool B with a 4-0 record, with the Kodiaks earning the second playoff berth with a 3-1 mark after an 8-4 win over Medicine Hat to begin the day. Medicine Hat finished third in the pool, missing the playoffs by three points.
In Pool A, the Keyano Huskies fired past SAIT 7-2 in their only game of the day to claim first place with a 3-0 record. The second playoff spot was made complicated as The King’s University and Lakeland College tied at four early in the afternoon. That set up a likely tie-breaking scenario, with Lakeland knowing they needed to win by at least four in the final game of the day against SAIT to make the playoffs. An 8-3 win over SAIT cemented Lakeland’s place in the playoffs, as they won a goal differential tie-breaker over King’s who just miss out.
Olds College’s Fabian Gromenida leads the tournament with 10 goals. Lethbridge’s Wilson Ntignee is close behind with eight through four games.
The semifinals take place beginning with Keyano against Lethbridge at 9:45 a.m., followed by Olds against Lakeland at 12:15 p.m.
Game #9 | 8:30 a.m. | LETH 8 vs MHC 4
Sleeping in their own beds paid off for the host Lethbridge College Kodiaks as they looked wide awake early this morning, putting together a strong 50 minutes to clinch a playoff berth at the ACAC championships. Wilson Ntignee opened the scoring just two minutes into the game, his first of three in the match, and the Kodiaks never trailed, winning 8-4. Ben Knight and James Britton each chipped in two for the Kodiaks who improve to 3-0 and will advance to Sunday’s playoff round. The Rattlers got two goals from Joao Batista as they fall to 1-2 and are eliminated from playoff contention.
Goals:
Lethbridge: Ntignee 3, Knight 2, Britton 2, Veluw
Medicine Hat: Batista 2, Copeland, Almeida
Players of the game:
Lethbridge: James Britton
Medicine Hat: Michael Gurski
Game #10 | 9:45 a.m. | AMB 2 vs UAA 1
When both goalies are named players of the game, you know what sort of match it was. Ambrose and UAA were both fighting to avoid elimination and the intensity matched the stakes, as Ambrose took a hard-fought 2-1 win. The Lions scored early and late in the first half to take a 2-0 lead into the break. Trying to fight back, UAA scored with under two minutes left to climb within one, but got no closer as that’s how the game ended. Ambrose improves to 1-2, while the Vikings are 0-3 and eliminated from playoff contention.
Goals:
Ambrose: Stacey, Strandberg
Augustana: Norton
Players of the game:
Ambrose: Jared Zimmer
Augustana: David Lowe
Game #11 | 11:00 a.m. | KC 7 vs SAIT 2
The Keyano Huskies can enjoy a relaxing Saturday afternoon, knowing they will be back in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium for Sunday’s ACAC futsal playoffs. The Huskies completed a perfect 3-0 round robin with a 7-2 triumph over SAIT to clinch first place in Pool A. Four different players scored in the first half as Keyano went to the break with a 4-1 advantage. Gabriel Koebsch and Djokira Konate each scored their second of the game in the second half as the Huskies rolled to the win. With the loss, SAIT falls to 0-2 in the tournament and will need a win in its final game to remain in the playoff hunt.
Goals:
Keyano: Koebsch 2, Konate 2, Miguel, Fonkou, Rojas
SAIT: Atherton, Prakash
Players of the game:
Keyano: Ben Fonkou
SAIT: Brad Atherton
Game #12 | 12:45 p.m. | TKU 4 vs LAKE 4
With only one playoff berth remaining in Pool A, and both teams in the hunt to claim it, The King’s University Eagles and Lakeland Rustlers waged an epic battle, with neither side able to gain the upper hand. The game ended 4-4 after both teams held second-half leads but were unable to hang on. Neither side ever led by more than one goal throughout the contest, with the Eagles Dorian Jacobs scoring the final goal of the game with four and a half minutes remaining. King’s finishes the round robin 1-1-1, in second place in the division. Lakeland is 1-0-1 and can tie King’s in the standings with a win in its final game.
Goals:
King's: Helgren, Krajancic, Ezoua, Jacobs
Lakeland: Peters, Liebscher, Longpre, Hozempa
Players of the game:
King's: Josh Hartley
Lakeland: Zach Wagner
Game #13 | 2 p.m. | LETH 5 vs OLDS 10
The Olds College Broncos’ offense was running wild in a first-place showdown against the Lethbridge College Kodiaks. The Broncos found the back of the net 10 times – eight of them in the first half – to knock off the Kodiaks 10-5. Landon Murphy had the first two goals of the game for Olds, and eventually scored four times in the game to move the Broncos to 3-0. They have clinched first place in Pool A with one game remaining. The Kodiaks had a hat trick from Ben Knight and wrap up the round robin with their first loss, but will still make the playoffs with a 3-1 record.
Goals:
Olds: Murphy 4, Guimaraes 2, Gromenida 2, Bangura, Wolff
Lethbridge: Knight 3, Britton, Bukuru
Players of the game:
Olds: Landon Murphy
Lethbridge: Seth Slomp
Game #14 | 3:15 p.m. | MHC 7 vs AMB 4
With both teams playoff hopes already dashed, pride was on the line as Medicine Hat College and Ambrose University clashed to finish off their respective seasons. In the end, the Medicine Hat Rattlers edged the Lions 7-4, but it was a journey to get there. The Rattlers led 3-0 quickly in the first half, but the Lions rebounded with three of their own – two of them from Lucas Reimer – to tie it at three at the half. After trading goals early in the second, Medicine Hat went ahead to stay with just over 16 minutes to play as Connor Ismond scored his second of the game for the Rattlers. Medicine Hat finishes 2-2, in third place in Pool B. Ambrose was 1-3 to finish fourth.
Goals:
Medicine Hat: Gurski 2, Ismond 2, Copeland, Almeida, Dykema
Ambrose: Knight 3, Britton, Bukuru
Players of the game:
Medicine Hat: Albert Woodroffe-Brown
Ambrose: Joel Navarrete
Game #15 | 5 p.m. | OLDS 4 vs UAA 2
Even without much at stake in the standings, Olds and UAA put all-out emotion on the floor, with the Olds Broncos edging ahead 4-2 for the win. Ibrahima Deme scored for the winless Vikings to tie the unbeaten Broncos at one early in the second half. But Olds goals by Jacob McLarney and Nicolas Depot less than four minutes apart put the Broncos ahead to stay. Olds finishes the round robin with a perfect 4-0 record and first place in Pool B. The Vikings finish 0-4 and miss the playoff round.
Goals:
Olds: McLarney 2, Gromenida, Depot
Augustana: Deme, Norton
Players of the game:
Olds: Ryan Murphy
Augustana: Johnny Johnson
Game #16 | 6:15 p.m. | LAKE 8 vs SAIT 3
The Lakeland Rustlers entered the final game of the round robin knowing they not only needed to beat SAIT, but had to do it by at least four goals. A second-half eruption gave them the margin they needed in an 8-3 win that clinched them second place in Pool A with a 1-1-1 record, edging King’s University out of a playoff spot on a goal differential tiebreaker. Chase Cal had a hat trick to lead the Rustlers offensive charge.
Goals:
Lakeland: Cal 3, Hozempa 2, Longpre 2, Hatzenbuuhler
SAIT: Atherton 2, Bertolesi
Players of the game:
Lakeland: Orre Peters
SAIT: Reijiro Suzuki