Soccer Recruits Excited

by Trevor Howlett, Fort McMurray TODAY

 

Feb 1, 2012 - Although soccer season is still a few months away, Keyano Huskies women’s coach Ian Diaz is already working diligently to bring in some new talent for next year’s squad.

 

Nadine Netelenbos, Danielle Gillam, Savannah Chooi and Heather Nicoll should all be a part of next year’s women’s Huskies.

 

All of the recruits are in their first year of eligibility and could potentially form a solid core for four seasons.

 

All four girls had a chance to get a sneak peak at the Huskies team by attending the ACAC futsal tournament at the Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre on the weekend.

Netelenbos is an 18-year-old midfielder from Calgary. She decided to come to Keyano because they have great support for athletics.

 

“They have a great soccer program and great scholarships for athletes,” said Netelenbos. “The girls are really nice and welcoming, which basically sold me and the coach is great.”

 

Coach Diaz like’s Netelenbos height and her versatility on the pitch.

 

“Nadine — she’s tall and very aggressive,” said Diaz.

 

“She’s got a great shot and she’s versatile both in defense and midfield.

“I’m looking forward to having her size when we play games against teams with bigger girls.”

 

Danielle Gillam, a 17-year-old striker based out of Fort McMurray is excited to join such a close-knit team as the women’s Huskies.

 

“They seem really good and they seem to work well together,” said Gillam. “They seem friendly and work well as a team. I’m excited for the season.”

 

Gilliam met Diaz at a soccer camp, which helped convince Diaz that she would be good for the team.

 

“She’s more of a utility player, which is good,” said Diaz. “She still needs a little work with a few parts of her technical game, but her fitness is really good which is something that we need here.”

 

The other two girls, Chooi and Nicoll will bring obviously bring different skill sets as Troy is a striker and Nicol a goalkeeper.

 

“Savannah — she just loves to go to the net; she dangles well,” said Diaz. “She can be very authoritative with her dribble, which is something we can use,” said Diaz.

 

“Heather is a young goalie from Edmonton. When I saw her play she did well. She’s a good shotstopper; we just need to work on her distribution a little bit and we’ll have the complete package,” said Diaz.

 

He hopes to add a couple of other recruits in the next few weeks to help strenghten some of the team’s other weaknesses. Last year’s Huskies team went 2-8 on the and finished fifth in the ACAC North Division with a -35 goal differential.

 

      

 

Back row from left: Nadine Netelenbos and Danielle Gilliam (front row from left) Heather Nicoll and Savannah Chooi are the new faces for Keyano women's soccer

 

Soccer Recognized

 

Thursday, 27 October 2011 11:33

 

ACAC 2011-2012 ALL CONFERENCE SOCCER

WOMEN'S NORTH ALL STAR AT FORWARD

KEYANO HUSKIES JAMIE HANNIGAN

MEN'S NORTH ALL STAR AT MIDFIELD

KEYANO HUSKIES CRISTHIAN GARCES-LOPEZ

 

Story by Trevor Howlett, Fort McMurray Today

 

Keyano College Huskies Soccer received some good news this week that two of their key players have been named to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference 2011-12 all-conference teams.

 

Women's Huskies captain Jamie Hannigan was named Women's North All Star Forward. Hannigan was responsible for four out of five goals scored by the Huskies this season.

 

"She's a leader, she brings a lot of enthusiasm onto the field and she's just very determined," said women's coach Ian Diaz. "Jamie, like the girl from NAIT and the girl from Concordia, like to drive to the net, they're strong. The three of them on a team would be pretty hard to play against."

 

Also selected to the ACAC all-conference team was Cristhian Garces-Lopez, who was picked for Men's North All Star at Midfield. Men's coach Jonathan Soper said he's a valuable member of his team.

 

"When he's playing he's phenomenal, but he's been ejected twice on me," said Soper. "He's one of the best players in the province, he's the best midfielder in the league by far."

 

Garcez-Lopez score two goals this year in seven appearances, which is good for second on the team behind striker Ryan McNally, and tied for the lead amongst Huskies midfielders

 

 

Huskies Take on the Best

 

Tuesday, 25 October 2011 07:48

 

Keyano College Huskies women’s soccer team ended the 2011 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference regular season playing away in Edmonton.

 

In their opening match Saturday they played the top collegiate team in Canada, losing to the NAIT Ooks 7-0.

 

“We passed the ball well and with confidence,” Huskies coach Ian Diaz of the contest.

 

“Kennedy Brass and Jamie Hannigan stood out offensively. April Weigelt and Tamara Wilson stood out on the defensive part of the game. Amanda Chalifour was injured and not available. The score was not indicative of the way the Huskies played. The girls fought hard and played with confidence. We had chances and could have scored two or three.”

 

Sunday the Huskies played No. 11 nationally ranked Grant MacEwan Griffins losing 2-0.

 

“The Sunday game vs. Grant MacEwan was a way better game. Kennedy Brass and Jamie Hannigan started on the bench. Ryley Halbert got her first start and again we played well and with confidence. We shut down the outside play of Grant Mac having Stephanie Gearie and Lauren Bonokoski played well. Amanda Chalifour played very well and worked extremely hard despite her injury to her knee. She got the player of the game.

 

“Grant Mac got up one from a free kick that Rebecca Rice should have had. It was a mental mistake that has happen too often with our goalie. Despite that error she played well and held the G-Mac to 1-0 all the way until the 85 minute. I pushed forward and opened up our back line in hopes to creating some offense. We did get one very good chance as Brass sent Hannigan through and beat the goalie but had played the ball too far ahead and was not able to get her full foot around the ball and watched it sail just by the far post. We did manage some more chances but it cost us a second goal as the G-Mac took advantage of us pushing forward.”

 

The Huskies finish the regular season with two wins, eight losses with five goals for and 40 against.

 

They now take a break until futsal season.

 

 

 

Weary Road for Women's Soccer

 

Sunday, 02 October 2011 14:14

 

10/02/2011 - Due to circumstances beyond their control, the bus carrying the Keyano College Huskies men’s and women’s soccer teams arrived late into the wee-hours of the morning Saturday in Grande Prairie, “around 2 a.m.,” estimated women’s head coach Ian Diaz with a chance to grab only a few hours’ sleep before kick-off time at 2 p.m. for the women’s side.

 

“The girls were not rested and it showed,” said Diaz of the 9-1 loss to the host Wolves. “It was a series of errors for us in that we actually had three of four “own goals” which did not help the cause.”

 

Huskies' Stephanie Geary (pictured below) scored her team’s lone goal.

 

“After Saturday’s game we did our team thing and team dinner and after that I just let the girls relax in the hotel (and no doubt catch up on much needed rest),’ said Diaz. “I told them that it (9-1 loss) is done and let’s put it away now. We need to focus on tomorrow and get your mind at ease.”

 

The difference was, not a W in the win column, but a close 1-0 loss.

 

"We played sharp today and they (Wolves) scored off a corner kick as one person forgot their assignment."

 

Huskies women are now two wins and four losses with five goals for and 20 goals against.

 

They next host Concordia Thunder Oct 15-16.

 

 

Stephanie Geary (No. 9) scored the Huskies lone goal on the weekend

 

 

Hannigan ACAC Female Athlete of the Week

Tuesday, 27 September 2011 22:40

 

ACAC FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jamie Hannigan

 

Keyano Women's Soccer

 

In a 3-1 win over the visiting The Kings University College Eagles at Corless Field Saturday, Keyano College Huskies women’s soccer midfielder Jamie Hannigan recorded the Huskies second-ever hat trick! Hannigan also scored in a 1-0 victory Sunday against the Eagles.

 

“I am stoked,” said Hannigan of her two game, four-goal performance weekend. “I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates.”

 

Hannigan made her first rep team at the age of nine playing for the Under 12 Fort McMurray Fury and has represented the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in soccer at the Arctic Winter Games.

 

Huskies have now recorded 4 goals in four game stint and sit at .500 with a record of 2-2. During their 10 years in ACAC play the most goals the Huskies have ever scored in a 10-game regular season is seven in 2005-2006.

 

Congratulations Jamie for being recognized as the Athlete of the Week

 

 

 

 

Huskies Stoked!

 

Saturday, 24 September 2011 16:55

 

09/24/2010 - Keyano College Huskies are stoked!

 

“I am stoked,” said Huskies women’s soccer veteran Jamie Hannigan, who scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win this afternoon over the visiting The Kings University College Eagles in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference regular season play at Corless Field.

Yesterday the Huskies had defeated the Edmonton-based Eagles 3-1 behind a Hannigan hat trick…the first in Huskies soccer history.

 

“I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teammates,” said Hannigan of the four-goal weekend.

 

Huskies have now recorded 4 goals in four game stint and sit at .500 with a record of 2-2.

 

During their 10 years in ACAC play the most goals the Huskies have ever scored in a 10-game regular season is seven in 2005-2006.

 

Hannigan had scored at the 22 mark of the first half following up on her own shot off the Eagles goal post.

 

Eagles held the Huskies in their own half for the last six minutes of the first half but were unable to get a clear shot on Huskies goalkeeper Rebecca Rice.

 

Huskies Kennedy Brass was stopped on two close in attempts in the second half in which the home team played shorthanded for 27 minutes with a red card sending off Alannah Morton.

 

April Weigelt was named MVP for the Huskies while Eagles Sherry Rosychuk was selected from the visitors who are winless in six games.

 

Huskies next games are Oct. 1-2 at Grande Prairie Regional College against the Wolves.