Rustlers Weekend Recap - September 8, 2025
Rustlers Athletics has officially kicked off the 2025-2026 season!
Several events kept teams busy to start the first week of the year, including Lakeland's annual pep rally, introducing the teams and faculty to new students. Following the festivities of orientation day, multiple teams had early competition.
First, there were several friendlies against high-school age athletes. Women's hockey held two exhibition games against the 18U AAA PWM Steelers, including one at the Vermilion Arena, with the Rustlers won both games. Then, men's basketball also won against a prep academy from Edmonton in an unofficial scrimmage.
The volleyball teams held their alumni weekend, seeing more than 20 former players compete with the varsity athletes.
Rustlers Soccer
Finally, our soccer teams held their home opener Sunday against the NAIT Ooks. A formidable opponent in both the men's and women's divisions, the Ooks were coming off wins against the Concordia Thunder.
In the first half, the women's squad were able to hold their own for large stretches of contest, holding back the Ooks offence aside from one breakaway strike to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. However, the Ooks experience was too much, resulting in a 3-0 score by the end of regulation. Katelyn Dyck was named Player of the Game for the Rustlers.
The men were able to stay more competitive, holding the Ooks to a 0-0 tie at half. In the second a couple of defensive errors resulted in the Ooks taking advantage of Lakeland's mistakes. Despite some stringent pressure from the home side that produced two goals, courtesy of Mitchell Joyce and Josh Malin, the Rustlers would lose this one 3-2. Jack Money, one of the team's defensive anchors, was POG.
What's Coming Up
Next for the soccer squads is a home tilt this Saturday against the King's Eagles. Start times are 12:00 pm and 2:15 pm for the women and men.
Women's hockey also have a series of four exhibition games at home Friday to Sunday against the SAIT Trojans and a club team, Cochrane Chaos.