Men's Soccer Huskies triumph twice against Thunder

In the first six-point weekend of the season for the Keyano Huskies Men’s Soccer team, they found two paths to victory against the Concordia Thunder.  

Saturday, the Huskies got their offence in the second half of the first half while shutting things down from a defensive standpoint. Sunday, a wave of offence pierced the first half of the game as the Huskies rolled to a 5-1 win.  

“It’s something that we had to make sure that was done,” said Head Coach Niels Slotboom. “Both good results. Today’s game [was] probably a little bit better than Saturday’s, but overall good progression from game-to-game.  
 
“We finally have our full squad so we can really get all the puzzle pieces to fall together.”  
 
Saturday, Shakir Mitha’s first goal of the season and a strike from Stef Vullinghs featured on the scoresheet while goalkeeper Jaiden McLaren made three saves for his second shutout of the season.  
 
Sunday’s game featured a push back from the Thunder, but the Huskies had their own response prepared, striking for five goals in the first half. Kofi Boateng opened the scoring in the fourth minute, followed up by Vullinghs’ first goal of the game in the ninth.  
 
Danile Hudson’s first ACAC goal came in the 18th minute to increase the lead to three.  
 
“It’s been a lot of hard work for the past two months so it feels good to be rewarded,” the rookie from Okotoks, Alta. said. “To score and help the team, it’s a dream. I feel like we always expect a bounce.  
 
“We’re a good group of players and we know what we can do. To score five in one half is pretty good.”  
 
The goal came after Hudson settled down a cross from teammate Mekai James and calmly put it past the Thunder keeper to continue the onslaught.  
 
“Once he finally has a taste of it and finally got the first goal, hopefully that elevates him to make sure that he gets some more after this,” noted Slotboom.  
 
Approaching the halfway mark of their regular season schedule, the wins were well received by the Huskies who moved back into the third and final playoff spot in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) North Division. 

The Huskies will look to extend their winning streak in their lone game of the weekend this coming Saturday. They’ll head south to Lac la Biche, Alta. to take on the Portage College Voyageurs to complete the season series between the two sides.