That's a Wrap - Lakeland Rustlers Soccer-Futsal

Women's Soccer-Futsal

In their first full season following the pandemic, Lakeland's women's Soccer and Futsal teams proved competitive in a year of growth.

The Rustlers came into the season down a few key contributors from last season's play-in appearance, but several returners were primed for a great season. All-Star defender Kyla Franks led the way on defense after a summer of hard work, while strikers Sloane Cannon and Sarah Mandeville and midfielders Megan Hockley and Mia Agioritis helped bring up the supporting contingent of a stingy defensive team.

Opening weekend featured a trip to Grande Prairie, where they faced the NWP Wolves. The Rustlers split the series, winning 1-0 and losing 0-3. Over the next few weeks of September, the team tied and lost to NAIT, defeated Portage, and lost narrowly to top-seeded Concordia.

To start October, Lakeland hosted a critical tilt against the King's Eagles, losing a high-scoring affair 2-5. This put the squad in a tough spot, with a difficult schedule remaining and limited points available in the standings. After three straight losses to the top two teams, Keyano and Concordia, the Rustlers won 5-0 and 2-1 over Portage and King's, finishing with a record of 4-7-1. This was just two points from fourth place and the final play-in spot.

Thanks to her strong two-way performance all season, Franks was named to the North Division All-Conference team as a Defender. In addition to anchoring the backfield, she led the team in points (10) and shots (19). This is the second straight appearance on the All-Conference team.

Around the Christmas break, several key players departed the team, while the rest shifted from the pitch to the gym, preparing for the winter futsal season. This culminated with the team's performance at the North Regional in February, hosted by Portage College in Lac La Biche. The crew came into the competition hopeful for a shot at finishing top three, which would've booked a ticket to Fort McMurray in March.

After an early loss to Keyano, the Rustlers were able to garner wins against the host and the NAIT Ooks to put themselves in a solid position. However, they tied the King's Eagles and lost a heartbreaker to the NWP Wolves, 4-3. As a result, they just missed out on qualifying for the ACAC Championship.

At the Rustlers Athletics Awards Banquet, the soccer and futsal program acknowledged the efforts and accomplishments of the roster. Franks was the Soccer MVP, while Hockley took the same honor for Futsal. Mandeville was Rookie of the Year, Lindsey Slusar was Most Improved, and Amber MacLean earned the Rustler Award.

Head Coach Wendy Wagner expects success on the pitch, in the classroom, and the community for the program next season. Eight players will return from this past campaign, and while Wagner said they're not done recruiting, the athletes already committed to coming to play in the fall are promising.

"I think that it helps that we've got second- and third-year players coming back, we've got eight solid recruits so far coming in and the commitment level of the players staying is a little more competitive [than before] which I think will drive change moving forward for the program."

Preseason training ramps up for women's soccer in early August, with league play beginning in September. Futsal will commence when the soccer season ends in early November.

Men's Soccer-Futsal

A disappointing end to the outdoor season was replaced by a podium finish for the indoor campaign of Lakeland's men's soccer and futsal squads.

The Rustlers had one of their most talented soccer teams yet, built on a strong core of returning players like striker Sam Dosumu, midfielders Giordano Ciccacci and Hani Tekheste, and defender Gavin Quinlan. A few new additions were also key, including keeper Nic Filipovic and defender Tyson Wagner, the third member of the Wagner clan to play for Coach Wagner.

Week one saw Lakeland handle the NWP Wolves on the road, outscoring them 8-2 in the weekend sweep. They followed that performance with a come-from-behind tie against the NAIT Ooks and a road win against the Portage Voyageurs. After splitting the next two games, the Rustlers were 4-1-1, with plenty of momentum coming into October.

Following a tie at home against the King's Eagles, Lakeland hosted the Keyano Huskies for two games, pulling off a win and a tie against the perennially high-ranked opponent. With three games left on the season, the team had a good chance to lock up second place, facing three teams below them in the standings. Unfortunately, Wagner's squad finished 1-2 over the final stretch of the regular season, which meant they were on the road against Keyano to get into the ACAC championship tournament.

The conditions couldn't have been more unpleasant, with wind and rain putting a damper on a tightly fought game between the two squads. Despite some great chances during the contest, neither team broke the tie until the 78' minute, when the Huskies found success from a corner kick. Some added insurance sealed the 2-0 win for Keyano and a devastating loss for Lakeland.

Soon after the defeat, the Rustlers were back training to prepare for the futsal season. Almost the entire soccer roster remained for the campaign and came into the regional qualifier in Lac La Biche with high hopes.

After a close loss to Keyano, the Rustlers were able to battle through four games to qualify for the ACAC Championship. The victories included 7-2 over Portage, 4-0 over King's, and 3-0 over NWP. Ciccacci had a spectacular tournament, scoring eight goals for Lakeland.

A month later, the team competed in the Elite Six of the ACAC, hosted by Keyano College. Lakeland began their Fort McMurray stop with a 7-2 win over Olds, following it with a 7-4 win over NAIT to book a spot in the Semifinals. This set them up for a showdown against the SAIT Trojans.

In that tilt, both teams came out with plenty of energy, but the Rustlers struck first, courtesy of Ciccacci. The Trojans scored four straight and won 4-2 over the Rustlers. This put Lakeland in the bronze medal game against Lethbridge, where Tekheste had another clutch performance. He scored three Rustler goals, leading his team to a 4-2 victory. In addition to the bronze medal, Dosumu and Ciccacci took home Tournament All-Star awards.

The two All-Stars were recognized again at the Rustlers Awards Banquet in late March. Ciccacci was Soccer MVP and the student-athlete speaker for the end of the evening, detailing his experience coming from Italy. Dosumu was the Futsal MVP.

Coach Wagner praised the Italian midfielder's character, which had a major impact on the program. While Ciccacci will come on board as a coach with the team next year, his personality and skillset are such that the returning vets must work hard to duplicate them.

"He's got a quality within him that's hard to come by," Wagner said. "He's going to be a hard guy to replace, but it's like any other transition, where everyone else will have to step up."

Other award winners included Quinlan (Rustler Award), Filipovic (Most Improved) and Tyson Wagner (Rookie of the Year).

The Rustlers bench boss is already looking forward to next season, with 16 players returning. Looking back at their results, he noted inexperience and the roster's stage of development played a major role in the team coming up short during the soccer season.

"Next year we'll be able to build off of that by playing more than one system of play, be able to score more goals if we need to, and adjust to different competition," he said.

Soccer preseason kicks off in August, to prepare the team for the fall, with futsal starting in early November.