Weekend Recap | Feb 7-10
Women’s hockey drop two straight to Queens, men swept by Ooks
The Trojans women’s hockey team is looking to hold on and clinch the last playoff spot in the ACAC women’s hockey standings.
A home-and-away matchup against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens proved to be a challenging weekend for the Trojans.
The Queens hosted the Trojans on Friday, Feb. 7, in Red Deer.
Ten minutes into the game, Queens winger Mia McGregor opened the scoring with an unassisted goal on the power play to give the Queens a 1-0 lead.
Three minutes later, Jorja Chevalier tied the game at 1 for the Trojans with an unassisted goal.
The second and third periods had no scoring, which forced the game into overtime.
Three minutes into the extra frame, Hayley Kolosky and Julie Wagner assisted Emily Hourie on the game-winning goal for the Queens.
On Saturday, the Trojans hosted the Queens at WinSport Arena.
The Queens took a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Marilyn Toews and Fiona Sirovyak.
Just under two minutes into the second period, Lindsey Gonclaves assisted Esther Boelema on the power play to net the Trojans’ first goal of the night.
Keadence Mollin added an unassisted goal for the Queens just four minutes later to give them a 3-1 lead.
Late in the period, Rylee Mepham made it 4-1 for the Queens, giving them a three-goal lead heading into the final 20 minutes.
Eight minutes into the final period, Avery Winchell scored the fifth and final goal of the game for the Queens to secure the 5-1 win.
With the two losses to the Queens, the Trojans remain in fourth place in the ACAC women’s hockey standings with a 5-16 record heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.
This upcoming week, the Trojans play crucial home-and-away games against the Olds College Broncos.
Game 1 is on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. in Olds, and Game 2 is Friday, Feb. 14, at 6:45 p.m. at WinSport Arena.
After a win and a loss to the Portage College Vikings last weekend, the Trojans men’s hockey team dropped two straight to the NAIT Ooks.
Game 1 was Friday, Feb. 7, at WinSport Arena.
The first period saw four goals, with the opener scored by the Trojans.
Four minutes in, Zach Cain made it 1-0 with Zach Cox and Colby Bear assisting.
Josh Hoekstra responded five minutes later for the Ooks, tying the game at 1.
After a Zach Cox slashing penalty sent the Ooks to the power play, Ethan Leyer scored to give them a 2-1 lead with seven minutes left in the first period.
Just 17 seconds later, Cain tied the game for the Trojans, with Colby Ball and Cox adding assists.
After a high-scoring 20 minutes, the offence continued in the second period.
Four minutes in, Hoekstra added his second goal of the night.
Three minutes later, Cale Lyons and Tyler Blocha assisted Ashton McNelly, extending the Ooks’ lead to 4-2.
Ball pulled one back for the Trojans, scoring an unassisted goal with seven minutes left in the period to make it 4-3 for the Ooks after 40 minutes.
Just 1:39 into the third period, Brandon Machado tied the game with a power-play goal for the Trojans.
Shortly after, Kayden Skulmoski and Ryan Neumann assisted Austin Reschny on a goal that gave the Trojans their first lead of the game.
With three minutes left in the period, Trojans defenceman Jordan Chudley took a costly high-sticking penalty, leading to a power-play goal from Blocha that tied the game at 5.
After a scoreless overtime, the Ooks won in a shootout.
Both teams travelled to Edmonton the next day for a rematch at NAIT Arena.
On an early power play, Dylan Clark opened the scoring just three minutes into the game.
Midway through the period, the Ooks added a pair of goals from Ty Hodge and George Odin to take a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
The Ooks expanded their lead to two goals with a power-play goal from Blocha six minutes into the second period.
Tye Carriere got a goal back for the Trojans midway through the period, with Clark and Cory King assisting.
On the power play once again, Josh Medernach made it 4-2 for the Ooks late in the second period.
Leyer added the lone goal in the third period to seal a 5-2 win for the Ooks over the Trojans.
With two straight losses to the Ooks, the Trojans drop to second place in the ACAC men’s hockey standings with a 15-7 record.
Next for the Trojans are two away games against Briercrest College on Friday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. to wrap up the regular season.
Women’s basketball win twelfth straight, men split games against Lightning
The best team in the league and a 10-game winning streak.
What more could you ask for from the Trojans women’s basketball team?
Heading into two games against the St. Mary’s University Lightning on the weekend, the Trojans looked to extend their winning streak to 12 games.
The Trojans hosted the Lightning at the SAIT Bubble on Friday, Feb. 7 and needed an overtime finish.
Up 41-37 at halftime, the Lightning gave the league-best Trojans a run for their money.
With both teams locked at 81 at the final buzzer, the game headed to overtime.
The Trojans outscored the Lightning 17-9 in overtime to take a 98-90 win.
Vlada Hozalova led the game in scoring, putting up 33 points for the Trojans, along with five rebounds and two assists.
On Saturday, the Lightning hosted the Trojans at St. Mary’s University.
Once again, a close first two quarters had the Trojans ahead 41-38.
The Trojans pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lightning 24-16 to take an 80-68 victory.
With 30 points and 13 rebounds, Kitawna Sparks shined for the Trojans with a double-double and was awarded player of the game.
With two wins over the Lightning, the Trojans clinched first place in the ACAC women’s basketball South standings with an 18-1 record.
The Trojans take on the Medicine Hat Rattlers in the final two games of the regular season on Friday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. in Medicine Hat and Saturday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. at the University of Calgary.
Winning three of their last four games, the Trojans men’s basketball team has been on a roll in the last two weeks.
On Friday, Feb. 7, the Trojans hosted the Lightning and put up a strong offensive display.
Up 56-38 at halftime, the Trojans powered through the Lightning to win 91-64.
Deng Dan led the Trojans in scoring on the night, putting up 15 points off the bench, highlighting the team’s depth.
On Saturday, the Lightning offence dazzled.
A 97-79 win was enough to end the Trojans’ four-game winning streak.
More than four Trojans players scored over 10 points on the night.
Killian Yopa (10), Nhiall Kuech (14), Mateja Vukic (16) and Jaden Matthews (23) showcased the Trojans’ depth, proving they aren’t a one-man team.
With a win and a loss to the Lightning, the Trojans sit fourth in the ACAC men’s basketball South standings with an 11-8 record.
The next two games will decide the Trojans’ playoff hopes.
The Trojans face the Rattlers on Friday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. in Medicine Hat and will travel to Calgary the next day for a rematch at 3 p.m. at the University of Calgary.
Trojans curling wins big at ACAC championships
The Trojans curling team had an impressive season and looked to make noise in the ACAC curling championship.
From Friday, Feb. 7, to Sunday, Feb. 9, Red Deer Polytechnic hosted the 2024-25 ACAC curling championships.
The Trojans men’s curling team took on the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings in the semifinal and fell 5-4, setting up a matchup against the NAIT Ooks.
Winning 6-1, the Trojans cruised past the Ooks to earn a rematch against the Kings for gold.
The Trojans got their redemption, knocking off the top-seeded Kings and sealing a 7-6 win to capture gold.
On the women’s side, the Trojans demolished the Lakeland College Rustlers 13-0 in the quarterfinal to advance to the semifinal against the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder.
An 8-5 loss sent the Trojans to the bronze medal game against the Rustlers.
The Trojans secured bronze with a 10-3 win.
The mixed Trojans team took a 5-3 loss to Red Deer Polytechnic in the quarterfinals, setting up a matchup against the Thunder in the semifinals.
A 6-4 loss for the Trojans meant playing for bronze against the Rustlers.
The Trojans captured bronze with a 7-1 win over the Rustlers, becoming the only school in the ACAC curling championships to medal in all three events alongside the Kings and Queens.
Women’s futsal continue unbeaten streak against Lions, men struggle again
Two weeks after going undefeated in the first ACAC women’s South futsal tournament, the Trojans women’s futsal team took on the Ambrose Lions on Monday, Feb. 10, at Ambrose University.
Their previous matchup on Jan. 27 saw the Trojans claim a dominant 6-0 victory.
This time, the Trojans secured another commanding win, defeating the Lions 6-1. Defender Ashlynn Grant scored twice and was named player of the game.
With the win, the Trojans remain first in the ACAC women’s futsal South standings with a 6-0 record. They also boast a league-best 38 goals for and just five against.
Next up is the final ACAC women’s futsal South tournament, hosted by Olds College from Saturday, Feb. 22, to Sunday, Feb. 23.
The Trojans face the host Olds College Broncos at 10 a.m. on Saturday, followed by a matchup against the Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks at 4:15 p.m.
On Sunday, the Trojans take on the Medicine Hat College Rattlers at 11:45 a.m. before closing the tournament against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens at 3:15 p.m.
For the Trojans men’s futsal team, the season has been one of disappointment.
On Jan. 27, the Trojans lost 7-4 to the Lions in their season opener.
In the first ACAC men’s futsal South tournament, the Trojans went four games without a win, managing only a draw against the Kodiaks and three losses.
On Monday night, the Trojans faced the Lions at Ambrose University.
A rough start left the Trojans trailing at halftime, and they ultimately fell 6-2.
Fabian Guzman was named player of the game for the Trojans, recording a goal and an assist.
With the loss, the Trojans remain in last place in the ACAC men’s futsal South standings with a 0-1-5 record.
In the upcoming ACAC men’s futsal South tournament, the Trojans will look to gain some much-needed points.
Their first game is Saturday, Feb. 22, against the host Broncos at 11:15 a.m., followed by a matchup against the Kodiaks at 5:30 p.m.
On Sunday, the Trojans take on the Rattlers at 2 p.m. before finishing the tournament against the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings at 4:30 p.m.
Trojans esports earns mixed results
On Friday, Feb. 7, the Trojans esports Valorant teams played three matches in the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).
All matches were best-of-three.
SAIT Red won by forfeit against LBCC, securing a 2-0 victory, while SAIT Yellow fell 2-0 to the BVC Bears Navy.
SAIT Green earned a 2-0 win over the Valiant Leathernecks.
Article written by Alec Wells, Trojans Men's Soccer athlete and SAIT journalism student