Final Recap:

The NAIT Ooks men's soccer team emerged victorious in a thrilling ACAC Championship gold medal match against the Keyano Huskies, winning 2-0 in overtime and securing their place at the CCAA National Championship in New Brunswick from November 6-9.

After a hard-fought 90 minutes, the score remained locked at 0-0, sending the game into a full 30-minute overtime period. Jameson Kiezik broke the deadlock in the 92nd minute to put the Ooks up 1-0. Keyano pressed for an equalizer, but Meron Werede sealed the victory with a second goal in the 106th minute.

In a close battle, shots were 9-7 in favor of Keyano, with each team's goalie recording 4 saves, including a standout performance from Ethan Hrushka in net for NAIT.

With this 2-0 overtime win, the Ooks are crowned ACAC champions and will head to Nationals!

Semi-Final Recap:

The NAIT Ooks men's soccer team delivered a heart-stopping performance in their ACAC Championship semi-final against the SAIT Trojans, clinching a 3-2 victory in overtime to secure a spot in the championship final.

The action began with Peter Jones putting the Ooks on the board with an unassisted goal in the 20th minute. SAIT equalized shortly after halftime with a goal from Fabian Guzman Nunez and then pulled ahead in the 86th minute with a late strike by Brock Mitchell. The Ooks responded in dramatic fashion, with Lungelo Napa scoring in the 90th minute during injury time to send the game into overtime.

In the 102nd minute, Jameson Kiezik scored the game-winner, giving NAIT the 3-2 edge. Despite SAIT's attempts, they couldn't capitalize, thanks in large part to NAIT goalie Ethan Hrushka, who made 13 saves. 

The Ooks advance to the ACAC Championship final tomorrow at 5:30 PM, riding high after an unforgettable semifinal victory!

Championship Preview: 

After six weeks of exhilarating, electric matches, the NAIT men's soccer team sits at the top of the leaderboard and will compete in the ACAC Championships with a first-round bye. Led by Head Coach Jeff Paulus, the team has had a strong season with a 9-1-2 win-loss-tie record.  

The ACAC Championships will be hosted by Northwestern Polytechnic this year, giving them automatic entry into playoffs and meaning that only two other teams from the north would be qualifying for entry. The battle has been fierce over the weeks, with NAIT, Lakeland, and Keyano College vying amongst the top three spots. NAIT and Keyano pulled ahead in their final games, with NAIT taking the top spot. 

The three teams will be joined from the south side by Red Deer Polytechnic, SAIT, and Lethbridge Polytechnic.  

From the beginning, the team knew it would be a tough season for qualifying and went in with the mindset that they would have to give it their all in every game. "With the level of play in the north being quite high, every match had to be treated with a must-win mentality," Coach Paulus stated. And the squad delivered, winning or tying all but one match – which they lost by just one goal. 

He credited the team's success to their versatility, resiliency, and ability to control games through their strong defensive play. Only nine goals have been scored against them. Equally important is the pressure the players put on the offense, with 36 goals scored for NAIT.  

The team will be fine-tuning its skills and strategy as it prepares for the competition. "We will continue to work towards as close to flawless execution as we can within our playing structure," Coach Paulus said. He also noted that set pieces will be a priority, as they can be the difference between a win and a loss in a close match.  

Coach Paulus expects the matches to be tight. Going into the championships, NAIT is poised for success but faces some stiff competition. While the team won both matches against the Northwestern Wolves 5-0 and 5-1, Keyano proved a tough opponent – NAIT won the first match narrowly by 2-1 and tied 2-2 for the other. Additionally, SAIT, from the south division, has been a historically strong contender, and the two teams have gone head to head for gold and silver a number of times since NAIT last won in the 2018-19 season. 

Nevertheless, the team is ready to take on the challenge, win it all, and continue on to the CCAA National Championship.  

NAIT will be playing the winner of Game 1 in the Championships on October 26th at 12:30 pm.