Bronze Semi-Final Recap:

The NAIT Ooks men's soccer team fought hard in the bronze semi-final at the CCAA Nationals but narrowly fell 4-3 to the Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers in a thrilling, back-and-forth contest. Jameson Kiezik led the scoring with two goals, giving the Ooks a strong start, while Peter Jones added a third to keep the game within reach.

Throughout the match, the Ooks displayed resilience, managing to equalize multiple times but were unable to pull ahead. In a heartbreaking turn, the Cavaliers found the net in the 87th minute, securing a 4-3 lead that the Ooks couldn't overcome in the closing minutes. This loss ends the Ooks' journey at Nationals, just shy of a spot in the bronze medal game.

Semi-Final Recap:

The Ooks continued their championship journey with a thrilling match against the Humber Hawks. The team fought hard, and their efforts were commendable. The Hawks broke through their defense in the first half, scoring three goals. The Ooks regrouped for the second half, closing ranks and blocking off the back of the net with renewed vigour.

The battle is not over yet though, as the Ooks will be playing the Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers in the bronze semi-finals. The match will begin at 12:30 AST/9:30 MT on Friday, November 8th.

The NAIT Ooks men's soccer team started their journey at the CCAA Nationals with a solid 1-0 victory over Les Rouges de Saint-Boniface in the quarter-final match, opening the tournament in style. The only goal came just before halftime, thanks to a brilliant solo effort by Jameson Kiezik, who capitalized on a Saint-Boniface turnover to give the Ooks a vital lead.

With their sights set on staying undefeated to reach the gold medal game, the Ooks carried the momentum into the second half. Their defense stood firm, especially in the game's closing moments. In a dramatic 90th-minute sequence, the Ooks' backline made a crucial sliding save behind their goalkeeper to keep Les Rouges from equalizing, ultimately sealing the win.

NAIT now advances to the semi-finals, where they'll play on Thursday, November 7th, at 3:00 PM AST (noon MST).

Preview:

The men's soccer team is raring to go for the CCAA National Championships, which will be hosted at the Grant Harvey Turf Field in Fredericton, New Brunswick. This will be their first appearance at Nationals since 2021, where they claimed bronze.  

The team has had an outstanding season with the ACAC. They won or tied eleven of their twelve games, racking up 36 goals and 29 points. Their winning combination of offensive might and rock-solid defense catapulted them to the ACAC Championship, where they first clinched a 3-2 victory versus the SAIT Trojans, before continuing to the finals, where they faced off against the Keyano Huskies and claimed gold with a 2-0 overtime win.  

Now, they are ready to take to the National stage and test their mettle against the other top 8 teams in the country.  

The championship begins Wednesday, November 6th and continues through November 9th. NAIT will be playing Les Rouges de Saint-Boniface at 10am AST on day one. 

Click the link here for the CCAA website and more information on the championships.