WSOC: Red Deer Queens punch ticket to the finals
October 29, 2022- The Lethbridge College Kodiaks women soccer team's hopes for an upset win over Red Deer Polytechnic Queens fell just short Saturday morning at Comet Stadium in Raymond, Alta. With a 2-1 victory, the Queens move on to Sunday's final.
The Kodiaks had not defeated the Queens in the regular season.
The Queens will now take on the winner of the other semi-final at 3 p.m. today between the NAIT Ooks and North Division No. 1 ranked Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder. The Kodiaks will play the loser of that match for bronze at 10 a.m. Sunday.
"The key was keeping the ball on the ground, playing the possession game, moving the ball with purpose and working with togetherness," said Queens coach and South Division Coach of the Year Mahziar Peyrow.
The Queens pinned the Kodiaks in their end for much of the first half. Red Deer's Alisha Coules, (fourth year, University of Alberta Bachelor of Science Nursing, Stettler, Alta.) and Queen's player of the game struck first blood in the 20th minute.
The Queens had more chances in the 24th minute after a yellow card on Kodiaks leftback Meghan Welby (firth year, General Studies, Winnipeg, Man.),but Sofia Quintero's (second year, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Edmonton) free kick sailed wide right.
Quintero got another chance which also sailed wide in the 40th minute after a yellow card on Kodiaks midfielder Nikki Stahl (fourth year, Academic Upgrading, Lethbridge, Alta.). Stahl was the Kodiaks player of the game.
Two minutes later, a yellow card on Queens centreback Jaden Humphrey (fifth year, Bachelor of Education Early Years, Red Deer) gave the Kodiaks their best chance of the half. Kodiaks midfielder, Olivia DePasquale (third year, General Studies Psychology and Sociology, Airdrie, Alta.) took the free kick, leading to a scramble in front, but the score stayed at 1-0 for Red Deer.
The Queens lead jumped to 2-0 after striker and South Division Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year Sein Furuyama (first year, Academic Upgrading, Kobe, Japan) scored a minute into stoppage time. Furuyama has had a stellar season, setting an Alberta Colleges Athletics Association (ACAC) regular season scoring record of 27 goals.
In the first minutes of the second half, Kodiaks goalkeeper Jordan Quinn (second year, Bachelor of Nursing, Picture Butte) was injured as she came out of net to challenge for the ball during another Queens charge. After receiving treatment for a leg injury, she stayed in the game briefly. A near miss by Red Deer led Quinn to take a knee, replaced by Brooke Korwchuk (first year, Criminal Justice Policing, Cochrane, Alta.) in the 59th minute.
The Kodiaks DePasquale, who had a yellow card in the 48th minute, had an outstanding chance on a free kick that nailed the cross bar, setting up Taylor Hrycun (fourth year General Studies, Edmonton) to put the Kodiaks on the scoreboard for the first time. DePasquale was credited with the assist.
The second half featured great chances for both teams, but the Kodiaks hopes took a hit with a second yellow card to Welby at the beginning of stoppage time. Down a player, the Kodiaks couldn't tie it as the clock ran out.
The 2022 ACAC Soccer Championships, presented by the Southern Alberta Homes Team at Royal Lepage South Country, are hosted by Lethbridge College at Comet Stadium in Raymond, Alta. All tournament information can be found online. Additional photos from this game can be found on the Lethbridge College Kodiaks Flickr page.