Lakeland Rustlers women's hockey to join the ACAC for the 2022-23 season

Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) annual general meeting (AGM) in Medicine Hat on May 10-12, the conference council unanimously voted to add the Lakeland Rustlers Kings Energy Group Women's Hockey team to the league commencing the 2022-23 season.

The application process to join the ACAC was over a year in length and extremely extensive.  A site review committe toured Lakeland College, the home arena and the Lloydminster community to ensure that the team would be able to meet the requirements to be part of the ACAC.  After deliberations, the site review committee recommended to the conference council that the Rustlers be accepted into the ACAC and start the three-year probation period commencing the 2022-23 season.

"A significant amount of hard work has gone into the creation of this program and it is truly a three-way partnership between Lakeland College, the City of Lloydminster, and the Lloydminster community," commented Alan Rogan, Lakeland's athletic director. "It just goes to show when a community works together, great things are possible."

Lakeland competed in the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League this past year and finished the season as league champions.  In the 2022-23 season, the Rustlers will compete against NAIT, Olds College, Red Deer Polytechnic and SAIT as they will work to pursue an ACAC title.

"Being accepted to compete in post-secondary hockey is truly a great accomplishment for Lakeland and the entire Lloydminster community," says Rogan. "If year two of the women's hockey program is anything like its inaugural season, it will be a success."