Rustlers Men's Soccer | Weekend Recap - Oct 12 & 13, 2019
The Rustlers men's soccer team lost two close games this past weekend to the Thunder and the Ooks.
On Saturday, the Rustlers traveled to Edmonton to take on the Concordia Thunder at Claireview Field. The Rustlers would have a slow start, giving up 2 goals in the first 20 minutes.
The men would find their stride and fend the Thunder off defensively for the rest of the game, however, not making it onto the scoreboard themselves. The final score of the game was 2-0 in favor of the Thunder.
Head coach Kevin Wagner said his team "came out flat against Concordia and let up two early goals." While the men found their rhythm midway through the first half, they "couldn't put themselves in a spot to score."
Player of the game for the Rustlers was first-year defender Mitchell Wagner.
A frustrating game for the Rustlers on Saturday had them eager to perform in Sunday's game. The Rustlers would face the currently undefeated Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Ooks.
According to Wagner, the Rustlers "came out strong and performed well, showing passion and commitment on both sides of the ball." The strong start from the Rustlers paid off early with a goal from Hani Tekheste (assisted by Mitchell Wagner) in the 3rd minute of the game.
The Rustlers would fend off the Ooks for the majority of the game, keeping their lead. In the 71st and 85th minute the Ooks would score 2 goals of their own putting them ahead of the Rustlers 2-1. This would be the final score at the end of the 90 minutes.
Wagner was impressed with the men's performance against the #3 nationally ranked squad in which he believed the Rustlers "likely deserved a draw" based on their efforts.
He was disappointed with the loss but commented that "it showed today we're not far off from becoming a top program in the future."
Player of the game for the Rustlers was second-year midfielder, Oore Peters.
The Rustlers will finish off their regular season in Fort McMurray against the Keyano College Huskies next weekend on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 19th/20th) at 2 pm. The games will be streamed live on acactv.ca