ACAC Men's Futsal Championship Recap | February 12, 2018
The Lakeland Rustlers Men's Futsal team competed in the ACAC Futsal Championships held in Lloydminster over the weekend, finishing 4th with a 2-3 record.
The Rustlers started off the tournament with a 4-3 win over the Lethbridge Kodiaks Friday afternoon. The Rustlers took a 1-0 lead in the first half which ended up being the difference maker, as both teams would score three goals in the second half. The Rustlers were led by Mackenzie Longpre, who scored two goals, while Grant Skoretz and Troy Trench each added one.
Saturday afternoon, the Rustlers faced the Ambrose Lions and came away with a 5-3 win. The teams scored in bunches in the first half, with the Rustlers taking a 3-2 lead after 25 minutes. The Rustlers outscored the Lions 2-1 in the second half, helping them extend their lead on the way to the win. The Rustlers got three goals from Trench, while Spencer Lougheed and Evron Riggon each added a goal in the win.
The Rustlers second game of the day Saturday would have the facing the Keyano Huskies, in a game the Huskies would win 10-2. The teams were tied at the half, with each team scoring once in the first 25 minutes. In the second half, the Huskies went off, scoring eight goals compared to the one goal scored by the Rustlers, giving the Huskies the convincing win. The Rustlers got goals from Josh Hatzenbueler and Longpre.
The Rustlers 2-1 record in round robin play had them finish second in their pool and advance to the medal round on Sunday. The Rustlers faced the Olds College Broncos in the semi-final, which the Broncos won 5-2. Each team scored once in the first half, but the Broncos outscored the Rustlers in the second half, sending the Rustlers to the bronze medal game. The Rustlers got goals from Mark Anderson and Longpre in the loss.
The Rustlers faced the Medicine Hat Rattlers in the bronze medal game Sunday afternoon. The Rustlers lost the game 5-2, despite being tied at one at the half. Both goals for the Rustlers were scored by Longpre.
Rustlers Head Coach Kevin Wagner shared his thoughts on how the team did following the weekend. "How we finished was a fitting spot for us," Wagner said. "We are better than bottom 4 teams, but not as good as top 3. We played reasonably well in the bronze medal game against Medicine Hat, we just didn't quite execute well enough on defence."
Going forward, there are now higher expectations on the Rustlers Men's Futsal and Soccer teams, as Wagner has seen development in players who will now be relied on to lead the group and help the Rustlers get back to being one of the top teams in the conference.