Keyano Huskies Weekend Preview: Soccer Huskies pursue playoff berths while court sport Huskies bound for exhibition in Calgary, Lac La Biche
Women's Basketball Preview
Games: Thursday, October 10 at 6:00pm vs. St. Mary’s University Lightning
Friday, October 11 at 5:00pm vs. SAIT Trojans
Saturday, October 12 vs. Lakeland Rustlers at Portage College at 3:15pm.
The Keyano Huskies Women’s Basketball team will face their first Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) competition of the season this weekend, playing a pair of exhibition games in Calgary before making a pitstop in Lac La Biche for a unique exhibition event.
After going 0-4 against these teams in the 2023-24 ACAC Regular Season and with the Huskies’ season ending with a loss in the playoffs against the defending national champions, they’ll be eager to make an early statement.
What will also be key is the progression of the team’s rookies ahead of opening weekend on October 25 & 26 against the NAIT Ooks. The younger members of the Huskies squads will get a bit of a taste of playing in opposition buildings before the games start counting in the standings.
Men’s Basketball Preview
Games: Thursday, October 10 at 8:00pm vs. St. Mary’s University Lightning
Friday, October 11 at 7:00pm vs. SAIT Trojans
Saturday, October 12 vs. Concordia Thunder at Portage College at 5:15pm.
After a four-game trip to Ontario, the Keyano Huskies Men’s Basketball team will face a trio of tough opposition from the ACAC. That journey starts with a rematch of last year’s ACAC Championship game and continues with a renewal of the rivalry between the Huskies and Trojans a day later.
The men will also participate in Saturday’s unique exhibition showcase in Lac La Biche, taking on their first North Division opponent of the preseason in the Concordia Thunder. While the Huskies had plenty of lessons to take from their four-game exhibition swing against Ontario’s top teams, they’ll also be no doubt eager to see fellow ACAC competition for the first time this season.
Men’s Volleyball Preview
Games: Saturday, October 12 vs. Lakeland Rustlers at Portage College at 1:00pm.
In a rematch of last year’s ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship semi-final, the Huskies and Rustlers will meet on the court at Portage College in Lac La Biche.
The unique exhibition day will be followed by a pair of basketball exhibition games featuring the Rustlers and Huskies in Women’s Basketball as well as the Huskies and Thunder in Men’s Basketball action.
The Huskies will be looking to build off an exhibition weekend in Red Deer late last month where they went 2-2 with a pair of defeats Saturday before two wins on Sunday.
Women’s Soccer Preview
Games: Saturday, October 12 vs. The King’s University Eagles at 2:00pm
Sunday, October 13 vs. Concordia Thunder at 12:00pm
With four teams in the ACAC’s North Division separated by just four points, the math is clear for the Keyano Huskies Women’s Soccer team. Leading that pack with 16 points on the strength of a 5-2-1 record, the Huskies need to earn strong results to stay in the final playoff spot.
Their first matchup of the weekend against The King’s University Eagles was originally the second scheduled meeting of the season but now becomes the opener to their season series after the air quality delay on opening weekend.
At 5-3-0, the Eagles are hot on the heels of the Huskies and have taken care of business against teams like the Lakeland Rustlers and Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves as the Huskies have also done. However, three one-goal losses to their Edmonton rivals in the Ooks and Thunder put them in a must-win position this weekend where they’ll be fighting for a full three points.
Player to watch: Khloe Webber (Stony Plain, Alta.) found her way onto the scoresheet in Sunday’s 12-0 win against the Portage College Voyageurs and added a beautiful long strike against the Wolves earlier this season. As the Huskies’ have been able to press play up the field, her involvement with the team’s attack grows. Watch for her to become more involved in the team's attack.
Men’s Soccer Preview:
Games: Saturday, October 12 vs. The King’s University Eagles at 4:00pm
Sunday, October 13 vs. Concordia Thunder at 2:00pm
The Men’s Soccer Huskies will have their first opportunity to clinch a playoff spot this weekend as they return to Edmonton in search of more success. Their last venture there produced a 1-0 win against the Concordia Thunder and they'll be hoping for more success. On the Huskies' math equation for the playoffs, two wins would officially secure them either first or second in the ACAC's North Division while two wins and some additional help would confirm them into the top spot in the North.
For now, the Huskies will try to control what they can control, which includes facing an unknown opponent in The King's University Eagles. Formerly the concluding game to their season series, the two sides will meet two weekends in a row now with the Eagles very much alive in the playoff race. The Eagles are also peaking at the right time. After starting the season 0-3-0, they're 4-0-1 in their last five games including a 1-0 win against NAIT on September 22.
"I think they had a lot of turnover so a lot of new guys," Head Coach Niels Slotboom said. "Looking at their roster, there's quite a lot of new names.
"That's tough; that's always going to take some time to get together. I don't think there's ever been a year where King's has been an easy team to beat. No matter what team it is, there's going to be a battle every time that we go there."
The Huskies will need to remain cautious and focused against the Eagles. While the Thunder are in the bottom half of the division, the 1-0 decision against the Huskies at the start of the season showed they're a program not to be taken lightly either.
"That game was interesting," Slotboom added. "It was our first game of the season. We struggled to get going, but I think Concordia's significantly improved since then. It'll be an interesting game. It's one that we have to win no matter what, similar to the King's game. We're going to have to show up for both these games and show everybody why we're at the top of the ACAC."
Player to watch: Aaron Ernst (Edmonton, Alta.) found the back of the net once in each of the past two seasons, but the third year from the provincial capital has a chance to add to some unique history for the Huskies. In 2022 and 2023, the Huskies had 10 or more student-athletes score in the ACAC's Regular Season. With four games left in 2024's edition, the Huskies sit at nine different goal scorers.
Ernst leads the list of those without a goal yet this season and nothing major will chance if the Huskies can't add to that list, but it speaks to the team's impressive depth to date that they're on the cusp of a stat the program didn't even accomplish during their three-peat in the mid-2010s.