Captain's Blog.....Season end

It was a bittersweet ending for the Cougars' season as they took home the ACAC silver medal this halloween weekend! It was a cold day on the Friday and while four teams from the north and south divisions competed for spots in the semi finals, the top teams from each division got a well deserved rest and conserved their energy for what was ahead of them. The Cougars came out with a bang for their last weekend of ACAC soccer as they took on the Concordia Thunder, the Cougars' arch rivals from the north. The game started off with the Cougars' high pressure, quick style of play and the Thunder seemed slightly shaken up which led to numerous chances for the home side. It was not until the last 20 minutes that the Cougars managed to put one away after Hodl found a loose bouncing ball in the 18 yard box and stuck it in the back of the net. Despite their forceful attack with all 11 players for the remainder of the game, the Thunder could not break down the Cougars' solid wall at the back in the last part of the game. The back four did an amazing job and stood solid for an entire 90 minutes. Monica used aggressive raptor skills to win numerous balls in the air and was a dominant force that the Thunder's strikers could not compete with. Player of the game was awarded to first year midfielder Courtney Elliott for her strong tactical play which was consistent and high energy for 90 minutes.  Fusco was very pleased with the overall performance of the squad and stated that the Cougars' tactical and high energy style of play came through and won them a spot in the ACAC finals! The excitement following the celebration after the game and a team dinner was short lived as the Cougars realized the preparation necessary for the task at hand on Sunday. Up next was the ACAC finals against the CCAA top ranked squad, the Nait Ooks. With the ACAC title and national spot up for grabs, the Cougars were fired up and ready to prove they were better than the 7-0 loss they suffered to the Ooks in pre-season play. The game started off slow but the Cougars found their groove after a while of getting used to playing a formation they had never seen before. The Cougars had some good chances and managed to hold the Nait Ooks after a tough first 20 minutes of constant attack. The Ooks found success shortly before the end of the first half when a short corner allowed for a shot at the top of the 18 yard box that was skillfully placed below the crossbar. The Cougars did not let this get them down and they continued to battle hard and create further scoring chances. To the Cougars' dismay, Nait took a unique approach and spent time holding the ball in the corner creating throwing ins and the Cougars just couldn't seem to get a decent clear out of their end. The final whistle blew and the Cougars realized their fate. Monica Neilson was awarded player of the game for her strong defensive cover and her ability to shut down Nait's key players. The defensive line was very strong against a tough opposition and it took the Ooks an uncontested ball into the 18 yard box by way of a corner kick to score which is something the Cougars should be proud of! After the game, they proudly accepted their silver medals and hope to maintain positive attitudes moving forward into futsal league and next season where they will battle teams of the Ooks' calibre weekly. It was a great season and the cohesion of the team of lady Cougs was unremarkable! Being a young team, everyone really stepped up and dealt with strong physical play by out working the opponents. Hard work at practice really did lead the Cougars to success and they will hopefully shake up the CIS with their presence in the 2012 season. They also hope to once again dominate the ACAC futsal league with their strong tactical play! Stay tuned for updates! Great season ladies=)

ACAC All-Star Team Announced

A big congratulations goes out to two MRU's "rookie" All-stars.  Karlee Hodl and Kelsey Kinzner who have been recognized by the opposing coaching staff's as top players in the league have earned themselves the All-Star nod for 2011.  Well done Ladies!

News for 2012 Prospects (click on image to increase size)

Senior Day this past weekend at MRU Park

This past Sunday was Senior Day at MRU Stadium where the fifth year players were honoured for their commitment to the Cougars program.  Christina Gaspar and Mallory McNab will play out their final matches of the University career's this coming weekend in ACAC playoffs.  

Thanks ladies for the many laughs and we wish you all the best.  

Rookie Cougar Leads Division and team into playoffs

1st Year Rookie, Karlee Hodl, has finished the regular league play as the southern division leading scorer.  Congratulations Karlee.  

Karlee has come into the squad and made the impact the coaching staff have preached to all prospects coming into the program - "how can you help us find success".  Karlee has done just that with her quite personality and ferocious ability to run at defenders and find the back of the goal.

We hope she still has some fire power saved up for the playoffs. Congrats Karlee on the individual award...GO COUGARS GO!

Also noted: the squad this past weekend clinched 1st place in the division with the two clean sheet wins and will now host the playoffs this coming weekend on home field.  The Cougars will play the winner of the quarter-final on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 2:00pm!

Open House for New Prospects

Captain's Blog

With a successful regular season of 8-1-1 behind them, the Cougars look forward to hosting the ACAC provinical finals for their last year as members of the ACAC conference. Saturday, the Cougs headed to medicine hat to play an important game which would help determine their final standings. The Cougars started off strong and Karlee put one on the board early on in the first half.  They continued to battle hard in the middle against a physical Rattlers midfield which led to another goal from Hodl and many solid chances. The backline played strong as usual and gained yet another shutout, acting as a wall the Rattlers simply couldn't beat. Likewise, player of the game was awarded to Caroline for her tough defensive play that the Rattlers couldn't deal with.  All in all, the Cougars had one of their best performances of the season and came into Sunday on a high note. The Kodiaks were the Cougars next task on Sunday and they were the only team standing in the way of the Cougars and the first place spot. The girls started off slow, showing evidence of the beating they took the day before. Soon however, they found their groove and put 2 quick goals on the board. Seniors day was upon us as Mallory Mcnab and Christina Gaspar battled hard in their final league match! As honorary captains, the two were recognized as being an outstanding contribution over the last 5 years with the Cougars. Player of the game was awarded to Christina for her strong play and powerful presence in the air. Overall, the Cougars did what they needed to this weekend and will now host the ACAC playoffs this weekend! Come out and support the Cougars as the compete in the semi final match on Saturday!

Weekend Soccer Recap

This past weekend the squad had it's back to back home matches where on Saturday the Cougars took on Lakeland College and came away with the three points after scoring three goals in a period of 10 minutes in the first half.  Kinzner potted a pair and team leading goal scorer, Hodl netted the other.  From a coaching piton of view, the team played an overall good match.  We managed to maintain possession and find the net on three occasions.

On the Sunday, the team faced the first placed Red Deer squad who handed the team it's only defeat this season away on Red Deer soil 2-1.  This game had a lot of emotion from both coaches and many of the players on the pitch.  The team battled well and managed to come away with a point as the teams drew 1-1 after Kinzner stepped up the spot and calmly slotted the ball into the corner of the goal.  Both teams shared opportunities that could have won the match late in the game but the referee wasn't hav'in it - teams went away licking their wounds and look to prepare for the last few games of the season to see who will finish first to host the playoffs for 2011.

With the current results and sitting in second in the south conference, MRU found itself placed 13th in CCAA ranking results in the country.  

The squad has a recovery week with no league matches scheduled and is looking to prepare for the weekday night match vs SAIT on home field under the lights; Kickoff is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12 at 7:00pm.

The remaining two matches will be against Medicine Hat (away) and Lethbridge (home).
There is still a chance the team could host playoffs but will require some help.

Getting to Know.....1st Year, Janelle Chicilo

Heyyy coug fans! Here is yet another first year rookie baby interview! Janelle Chicilo, a first year keeper who has made a big impact on our squad thus far! 
Jan: Why did you choose mru?
Janelle: Smaller school and that's what I like.

Jan: What program are you enrolled in? Janelle: Bachelor science

Jan: How are you going to balance school and soccer? 
Janelle:  Breaks in between practices..hopefully I can get all my work done then

Jan: What do you think of the team so far?
Janelle: Were really unified, no cliques!

Jan: How long have you been plying soccer? 
Janelle: Ten years

Jan: What position do you enjoy playing?
Jan: Hahaha..goalie duh!

Jan: What's your favorite soccer memory?
Janelle: A tourney I went to in pheonix

Jan: Window or aisle seat? 
Janelle: Aisle

Jan: What are you most nervous about entering mru? 
Janelle: Doing well in my classes 

Jan: What are your expectations for the season?
Janelle: That we win every game and go to provs! 

Jan: Favorite food?
Janelle: Steak

Jan: Favorite pizza?
Janelle: Pepperoni

Jan: What are your thoughts on bringing homemade packed lunches for the captains on roadtrips?
Janelle:  Not really into that..my cooking isn't that great. 

Thanks Janelle! It was great to learn a little bit about you:)