Lakeland Rustlers Weekend Recap - October 1, 2024
Preseason action on the road dominated most of the weekend, while Lakeland's soccer teams ended this latest stretch with a pair of exciting home contests against Concordia.
Rustlers Soccer
The Rustlers began their time on the pitch with a road trip to Edmonton, where they faced off in a crucial rematch with the King's Eagles. Two weeks ago, the women lost a tight 3-1 battle, while the men were victorious by a score of 2-0.
In the women's game, Kayla Mondue opened the scoring with an unassisted tally, but the game was tied heading into the second half. After allowing an early goal, the Rustlers responded thanks to a strike from Gracey Smithson, but the Eagles got the last word with a goal in the 81st minute to win 3-2.
On Sunday, the Rustlers acquitted themselves well against the North Division's top team, the Thunder. After allowing two goals in the first, Smithson had another pair of goals early in the second half to tie the game, before the Thunder scored on a half volley outside the box. Leah Rioux was named Player of the Game, as the women's team drops to 3-5 on the season.
The men's team tied the Eagles on Saturday, unable to convert key chances. Mitchell Joyce got on the board late in the first half, but the Eagles tied the game at the 70 minute mark, holding the rest of the way in the draw.
At home, the Rustlers were in command the majority of the contest, getting a pair of goals from Josh Malin in the first. Oba Nassar extended his goal streak to three games and the Rustlers were able to shut out the Thunder 3-0. Malin was POG, while Orrin Edighoffer got the win in goal. Their record now sits at 4-2-2, second in the North Division.
Rustlers Rowing
Rustlers Rowing wrapped up a pair of major sprint events this past weekend. At their previous event on Sept. 14, four members of the crew participated in the Head of the South Saskatchewan Race in Mixed 8+ and Women's 4x. With great conditions, each team put in quality times, including the Senior crew finishing third. Masters Ladies 4x represting the Lakeland Rowing Club knocked six minutes off of their time from last year. The ladies then put their crews together in a mixed 8+ and posted the fastest time in their event, putting the hammer down in the last 700 meters to blow past the river boat.
On Saturday, Lakeland had an even better day at the Dino Sprints, hosted by the University of Calgary. With picture perfect weather for most of the day, Rustler Crew put in several strong performances against crews from the host Dinos, Universty of Alberta and University of Saskatchewan.
On the senior women's side, both Lakeland boats made it to the B final where they each took over 20 seconds off their time from the trials finishing second and sixth. Next, the Novice Men's 8+, which was made up of our Novice Men's quad and Novice Women's quad, finishing a close third behind two strong (all male) U of C boats.
In their own race the Novice Women's quad finished first by over 20 seconds, bringing home gold, while the Novice Men's quad finished fourth.
The final event of the day for Rustler crew was the Senior Women's quad, requiring time trials to qualify for the final. There, the Rustlers finished in fifth behind several university squads, lead by the U of C. The Rustler crew now reload and aim at the last race of the season in Victoria the end of October.
Rustlers Basketball
Women's and men's basketball had multiple games over the weekend, starting with a loss to the University of Saskatchewan on the women's side, before the teams went south to play in Moose Jaw and Caronport against the Medicine Hat Rattlers and the Briercrest Clippers. The women's team won 80-35 and 90-73, while the men lost 81-84 and 84-80.
Rustlers Volleyball
Women's volleyball participated in a Reconciliation Day weekend friendly with the U of S Huskies in Thunderchild First Nation, winning 3-1, while the men were in Revelstoke to play multiple BC teams, defeating Vancouver Island University and College of the Rockies, losing to Columbia Bible College.
What's Coming Up
This week, both basketball teams play a pair of exhibition games at home against Red Deer Polytechnic at home Oct. 4 at 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM and on Oct. 5 at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Women's volleyball heads to Edmonton for exhibition matches Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Finally, the soccer squads are also in Edmonton for a critical showdown with the NAIT Ooks on Sunday.