Lakeland Rustlers Weekend Recap - Mar 4, 2024

Three Lakeland Rustlers programs competed this weekend and at the end of Sunday evening, all three had secured an ACAC medal.

Men's and women's basketball each were on the road for the ACAC Final Four competitions, with the men in Fort McMurray and the women in Calgary. Friday evening, the men faced the South Division's top seed, the St. Mary's Lightning.

Lakeland went back and forth with St. Mary's in the first half, trailing by one going into the third. A strong burst had the Rustlers up by as much as nine points, before the Lightning cut it to four by the end of the quarter. In the final stanza, Lakeland was within two possessions in the dying minutes, but couldn't quite keep pace, losing 82-87.

Baha Salma won Player of the Game for the Rustlers, posting a team high 25 points, along with 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

The following afternoon, Lakeland faced last year's champion, the SAIT Trojans, for bronze. After trailing early, the men stormed back in the second half to win 71-58, Chance Samuel was POG with a game high 16 points. The second bronze medal in three years for the program and third medal since 2018, when Sheray Thomas guided his squad to a silver. Salma was named to the Tournament All-Star Team.

The women were favoured in their bracket, facing the upstart Briercrest Clippers, who had knocked off the Lethbridge Kodiaks a week prior. After a low scoring first half, the Clippers held the Rustlers to just four points in the third quarter, the lowest total in a quarter all season for the squad. Despite having multiple players in foul trouble, Lakeland's depth and veteran presence outlasted Briercrest in the fourth, propelling the team to a 54-49 victory. Fourth year Alana Olson had 11 points and 9 rebounds, making two big shots in the final minutes to put the Rustlers ahead.

In the gold medal game on Saturday, they faced a familiar foe in the King's Eagles.While the Eagles were able to grind and keep the game within single digits heading into the final minute, the Rustlers were able to get stops when needed, winning their third title 61-50. Susan Ayaa was POG, with 18 points off the bench. Hailey Somers and Missy Nuku were named Tournament All-Stars.

Women's basketball keeps their undefeated streak intact at 23 games, as they get set to host the CCAA Championship March 13-16.

Finally, women's hockey hosted a best of 3 semifinal series for the first time in program history, facing the SAIT Trojans, a team the Rustlers defeated in each meeting during the season. However, the Trojans came out aggressive in the opening period, eventually gaining a lead in the second. Lakeland came alive and scored two goals, but then had two more disallowed  and weren't able to keep a charging Trojans squad at bay with .6 seconds on the clock the Trojans scored, sending the game to overtime. There, SAIT capitalized on an opportunity, to win 3-2.

Needing a win to stay alive, Lakeland had a much more composed start in Game 2, riding that momentum to a 3-1 victory. Hailey Carothers had the game winner, while Caludia Lammers had two points.

Game 3 was another rough start, with the Trojans leading 2-0 going into the second period. A pair of Carothers goals, including a key power play tally, evened the score heading into the third. A little over halfway through the period, a Darby Robertson deflection put the team in front for good, winning 4-2. Lammers and Carothers each had four points.

This advances women's hockey to their first ACAC final in just the second year since the program entered the league. They will host Game 1 against the NAIT Ooks on Friday evening at the Russ Robertson Arena, with puck drop at 7:00 PM.

Also in action this weekend are the men's and women's futsal squads. Both teams are in Lac La Biche for the ACAC Championship, which will run March 8-10. The men face Medicine Hat and Ambrose Friday evening, while the women take on Lethbridge that night.

Finally, women's volleyball travel to Red Deer this week for the CCAA Championship, looking for a second straight title. They are heavily favoured in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, facing the CMU Blazers out of Manitoba. That match starts at 3:00 PM and can be watched via the CCAA website.