Huskies to tango with Wolves in pivotal matchup

The theme of the week for the Keyano Huskies men's soccer team is separation. 

After covering nearly 750-kilometres separating Fort McMurray, Alta. and Grande Prairie, Alta. Saturday, the men's side will be looking to create some separation in the standings as well against the Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves.

Despite their season starting just last week, this weekend's road game for the Keyano Huskies (0-1-1) men's soccer team will mark a pivotal halfway point of their schedule. It will also mark a test of their mettle. The way things have played out so far, that makes Sunday's contest a must-win already. 

The Wolves (0-2-0) will be looking to gain a victory on their home field and in the standings as well as they reach the halfway point in their season. In the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) North Division standings, the Huskies and Wolves sit fifth and sixth respectively.

However, pressure isn't a foreign concept to Head coach Niels Slotboom and his club. They're well aware of what's on the line already so early in the season. 

"Being halfway through puts some pressure on us because we haven't had the results we wanted or what you need to be more comfortable," said Slotboom. "The pressure is definitely going to be on, but I think we knew that coming in, in a six-game season; the pressure is on every single game." 

The standings got a bit tighter Saturday as The King's University Eagles earned a 2-1 win against the Portage Voyageurs, moving to four points through three contests. The Huskies with a win could level themselves for the time being. 

"We're going to go into this weekend, knowing we need three points halfway through this season," said Caleb Kehler, whose performance earned him honours as the Keyano Huskies Athlete of the Week last weekend. "We've got to come out with a win. 

"If we don't, we know our season could be over so we're going to go out; a hard 90 minutes." 

The hard lessons of last weekend's loss and draw were that there were chances to take control in both matches and they were ultimately left unchecked. 

Outside of any changes to his game strategy, consistency will be top of mind for Slotboom and his club. 

"We had really good moments, but it wasn't consistent enough," added Slotboom. "If we can really address that consistency piece from beginning to end, I think that's going to be the biggest piece that we need to change, which is something that we control as a team." 

A lack of familiarity has become a common theme across the early portion of the season and it will be on display once again Sunday. Slotboom acknowledged his team can only control their own game while adjusting where needed. 

"We do really have to make sure that we execute our own game plan, but it's always trying to make sure the teams are ready to adjust if we need to." 

The Keyano Huskies men's soccer team take on the GPRC Wolves on Sunday, September 26. Kick-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.