Women's Soccer Huskies take key first step in win over Voyageurs

Saturday’s 8-0 win marked the first step in the right direction for the Keyano Huskies Women’s Soccer team this season   

While the Huskies had to work down their opponents before breaking through in the second half, the game was an important step on a journey that will see them tested heavily in the next two weeks. The Huskies also maintained their perfect record all-time against the Portage College Voyageurs. 
 
“It was a very slow-paced game, but I thought we did a decent job at keeping our pace and playing up to the standard that we’re capable of,” Head Coach Niels Slotboom said. “It’s nice to see some rewards obviously on their side of the net.  
 
“There’s definitely some things we want to fine tune, but I think it’s a very good start to our season.”  
 
Nathalie Andersson led the way with a hat trick while Wanyi McLennan-Dillabough earned the clean sheet in their ACAC debut.  

“I’m really happy and excited that we came out with the win,” the Swedish striker said. “I think that this is a good learning lesson, what we can improve on, but also the highlights of what we did great to get the results today.”  
 
Andersson scored the second, sixth, and eighth goals of the game. Captain Rofyda Khaleel opened the game with the eventual game-winning goal. Aimee Menting, Nicole Gauvin, Addyson McLean, and Marissa Mestre rounded out the scoring with single strikes each in the match.  

“Any striker wants to get off the ground running,” Slotboom said of Andersson. “There’s no better way of doing that than scoring three right in the first game. Hopefully she gets some confidence out of that.  

“They were all good goals as well, individually created or really nice team play.”  
 
As for Menting, someone new to the ACAC and the country of Canada, Slotboom noted the relaxation in her play once she struck for the team’s third goal of the game.

“I think it’s great to see her rewarded for doing something really nice and doing things the proper way she’s been working on,” he continued. 
 
The goal now for the Huskies is rising to the challenge of the next weekend where they’ll play their first back-to-back of the season, facing a NAIT Ooks team that is riding their own high a perfect start to their season after two wins.  

The Keyano Huskies are back in action this coming weekend, travelling to Edmonton to take on the NAIT Ooks. They’ll return home for games against the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder on September 20 and 21 at SMS Equipment Place.