Talent Identification

What's wrong with being SMALL?

Here is a link to the globe and mail comparison tool whereby you can compare and research how MRU academically compares to other choices that may be of interest; you may be surprised. 

http://www.globecampus.ca/navigator2/

With University entrance admissions becoming so competitive....if you can obtain a under-grad degree at MRU in smaller learning environment - why not!  This may increase your overall GPA and get you into that Master's program you may need in a few years....

2013 RECRUITS!!!

Fall Semester 2013

Early Admission: Dec. 1 — March 1Applicants who have applied for admission and their file is ready for review by March 1 will be considered for Early Admission on a competitive basis and offers will be made from December forward.

You are encouraged to apply for Early Admission and provide the required grade information so that your application is considered as early as possible during the admission process.

PROGRAMS DO FILL UP FAST AT MRU SO APPLY EARLY!

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The Mount Royal University awards application is now open! 
Students are encouraged to visit mtroyal.ca/awards and complete the online application for their opportunity to be awarded a scholarship and/or bursary. Students complete one application and the system will automatically match them to Mount Royal awards that they may be eligible to receive. The application is open until March 1^st.

Off-Season: my better is better than your better

Thanks Monica for organizing this!  Team Spin Class every Thursday night added to off-season training....

Team Gear Online

Looking for a Christmas Idea?

Why not give the gift of women's soccer Cougar Gear!

See the tab above for more details and pricing.

MRU ID Camp(s)

The first of three winter ID Camps will be held January 5-6, 2013.

These ID camps will be used to evaluate and educate upcoming players looking to play post-secondary soccer at the University level.  Each camp bring a different theme and all camps will be conducted by team staff.

If you are interested in the camps please contact the head coach:  tfusco@mtroyal.ca


Camp 1: 
*Training Times subject to change; indoors in gym
January 5, 2013 - 9:00-11:00 and 18:00-20:00
January 6, 2013 - 10:00-11:30 and 15:00-17:00


Camp 2: 
*Training Times subject to change; indoors in gym
April 6, 2013 - 9:00-12:00
April 7, 2013 - 10:00-11:30


Camp 3: 
*Training Times subject to change; outdoors on field
May 4, 2013 - TBC; 2 sessions
May 5, 2013 - TBC; 2 sessions

Saying Goodbye to 5th Year Janelle Carbert

We wanted to personally thank Janelle Carbert for her five years of contribution to the Mount Royal Cougars Women's Soccer Program.

We hope you have learned more than when you arrived and have left a better player and person.

We wish you well in your career and trust you will be back to visit us often and help grow the program in the future.

Behind the Scenes with the Women's Soccer Team

MATCH DAY 11 and 12

For the first time in CIS play, it was an undefeated weekend at home for the Cougars. They battled through the cold, blizzarding flurries and the retro jersey comeback to claim the 4 points! 

Saturday was the first match day where the MRU Cougars were set to take on the University of Manitoba Bisons. Despite a calm morning, a wild snowstorm started right before the team was set to warm up. The game ended up being delayed an hour and a half after much discussion between coaches, officials and CIS big wigs. After much hard work and dedication from the adoring fans and parents, the field was shoveled clean and the game went on! It was a wet, slippery and disorganized match right from the get go as both teams battled to make simple passes and keep possession.  Kinzner was first on the sheet with a low volley off of a free-kick to make it 1-0 for the home squad. Minutes later, Manitoba tied it up with a scramble around the net. The score was 1-1 at half and ended this way after full time. 

The Cougar’s next challenge was the University of Winnepeg Wesmen, who are also in their first CIS season this year. As the forecast was not looking any better for Sunday’s match, it was decided that the game was to be played at MRU’s past ACAC rival, SAIT’s nearby turf facility as a turf field was thought to potentially improve playing conditions for this show down. Also to th Cougar's dismay, the navy jerseys are missing! Thus, the retro-jerseys returned as the Cougars rocked 1980's Mount Royal College jerseys, complete with collar paired, with mens shorts- it was a fashion statement for the books. 

The game began slow as the Cougars struggled to keep possession in the wet conditions and against the Wesmen’s strong midfield. Valadao was first on the board with her first CIS goal in the first half when she launched the ball from outside the box over the keeper’s head.  Hodl and Lockhart both added goals in the second half after a serious offensive half from the Cougar’s squad- outshooting their opponents 10-1 in the second half. The Cougars took their first win after a long hard first season in CIS. The back 4 and keeper Marklund stayed strong to help earn the Coug’s first clean sheet of the league play! It was more than simply a win for 5^th year player Janelle Carbert as this game was her last as an MRU Cougar. With only one graduating player, the Cougars look to build on this small success and come back stronger than ever next year! Finishing in 10^th place, the Cougar’s placed higher than their fellow league newcomers UNBC and UofW, great season Cougs!

**entry provided by 5th year Janelle Carbert

First Signing of the 2013 Class

MRU Cougars are excited to announce the signing and commitment of Navroop Virk to the Cougars for the 2013 season.

Nav, is a talented attacking player with good skills and sure to help out the Cougars attack for the upcoming season.

"I have coached Nav before in youth soccer and know what she is capable of" - added coach Fusco.

Virk will complete her last season as a youth player and then join the Cougars for pre-season camp.  We look forward to having her in the squad.

*More signings to be listed in the coming weeks.....

From the Coaching Technical Area.....

Our first year in the league with a young squad, let's break it down.

Schedule and Table:

• the team was on the road for the first five games of the season, and managed a point in five tough games.  
• the team had a decent home record of 1-1-3 
• We finished 10th of 13 teams and tied the 8th and 9th placed team in the league. 
• Of the three new schools in the league, we topped them all in the standings.  
• Of the top four teams in the table, we lost three allowing 9 goals and tied one (1-1). 

Stats: 

• 9 Goals For, 26 Goals Against for a -17 rating.  (comparing to the other new schools of -50, and -65 ratings) 
• The largest score lines occurred on the road losing 5-0 to UofVic and UofS. 
• The last game of the season, the team earned their first clean sheet and scored more than one goal. 
• We scored more goals than the newer schools.  

Roster:

• of the current roster; only one player is no longer eligible for the 2013 season due to fifth year graduation; Good Luck Carbert!  
• this year the team had eleven 1st year players of a 22 player roster.  
• Tansley (3 yr) logged the most minutes played during league play. 

The team will now get some well deserved time off from training and focus on their studies until the Christmas Break.  In this time, the players will be participating in individual post-season meetings with the coach and creating a plan for the future of the program while treating any nagging season injuries.  

The team should be proud of their successes this season regardless of the outcome of the standings. We were 6 points from a playoff spot where we tied both teams above us.  

Match Day 9 and 10

Match Day 9

The morning after an 8-hour bus ride down to Saskatchewan, the Cougars went up against the University of Regina. We came out strong in the first half and managed to hit a couple cross bars in the first 20 minutes. Half way through the first half, the squad began to get unorganized and our level of play dropped which allowed the Regina Cougars to score in the thirty-seventh minute from the box, after an attack and cross from the left side. Going into the second half we all knew we needed to pick up our game in order to leave with points. Although our possession wasn’t at it’s finest, the MRU Cougars were able to attack the net with our 11 shots, to the opponents 5 shots.  As the second half remained scoreless (score still being 1-0 Regina), we transformed our formation into a 3-4-4 to increase our movement going forward and in hopes to score a couple goals. Unfortunately, as we pushed through the end of the second half, the MRU Cougars were defeated by the UofR Cougars.

Although we were all disappointed to leave the field and not having gained any points, we put the loss behind us in able to focus on what we needed to do in our next match against UofS. We climbed back on the bus for another 3-hour drive to Saskatoon, where we will meet our next competition.

Match Day 10

The match against UofS started out very rocky and slow paced. We struggled to get combination passes together and had a tough time defending the fast moving Huskies. It was easy to see the MRU Cougars legs were dead from travelling and weren’t able to compete at our highest level. In the first thirty minutes, UofS managed to score three goals, allowing them to jump ahead 3-0 before half.  Going into the second half we knew we had to really bear down and focus. The squad was unable to come back and ended up losing 5-0, as the Huskies scored two more goals in the second half. It’s easy to say that we were out played and was unable to show our competitive, aggressive, and fast paced level of play. We left Saskatchewan with our head down as it was another 0 point weekend.

With that behind us, we look forward to playing our last two games at our home field. Diving into a week of training, we know what we need to do in order to get or first win. Our next two games are against Manitoba and Winnipeg, which are two teams that are very beatable.

The MRU Cougars are hungry for a win. October 20^th and 21^st. OUR home field. Lets go out with a BANG and finish the season with a 6 point weekend!

**submitted by first year, Glenna Burrows.

Match Day 7 and 8

Match Day 7

The second home match of the season for the Cougars against the #2 CIS ranked TWU Spartans.  The team started out well and created a few chances in the first 10 minutes.  A start that was very welcome in the team development.  After a scoreless first half, the team held a strong attacking side into a strong breeze.  The second half start we would of loved back; TWU scored on a header inside the goal area and it seemed to bother the side as within 10 minutes, TWU had another on a goal mouth scramble. At this time, the team was down 2-0 but did not quit....as the team continued to push forward, TWU managed to earn another in extra time to make the final 3-0.

A few positives in the match that the team looked to build on as they faced #10 ranked UBC the following day. 

Match Day 8

The match started with a goal 4 minutes in off a mix up off a corner and the squad found themslevs down 1-0 early...after a few hard tackles and some determination, the team won the ball in the midfield and found the strikers for a combination goal where Hodl found her first of the season, evening the score a 1-1 just before half.  The second half, was scoreless and a HUGE victory for the team as many of our goals against this season, have come in the second half of play. 

We dealt with the pressure late in the match to secure the much needed point and the team moves on to the prairies now for it's final four match of the regular season play. 

We are still chasing Calgary for that final playoff spot.  Training was off for Thanksgiving Monday and the team resumes training on Tuesday as we look to depart for Regina on Friday. 

The squad is making progress...but we'd love to find our first win in the coming days.   

Match Day 6

MRU v UNBC

Prior to the match - the player's throughout the week were asked to help promote the school sport while educating the student population on the women's soccer season home opener by wearing their team uniforms and becoming human statues...here is what unfolded...

On Saturday, the match got underway...and things did start positively for the Cougars with multiple chances early to find the goal. Unfortunately, for the majority of the game, the Cougars found the opposing goalkeepers hands. The team managed to get 40 shots away and was only able to score 2.  Thankfully, the 2 matches the what the team gave up and walked away with the 2-2 draw.  

Bloom, scoring her first CIS goal, found the back of the net to start the comeback with a nicely lofted ball over the keeper.  As minutes ticked away, and the team pushed players forward, Lockhart played a ball into a streaking Kinzner who played ping-pong with the goalkeeper and talked the ball into the net finding the much needed point that weekend.  

The Cougars are now looking to regrouping while hosting 1st place TWU on Saturday.  

Match Day 5

Having only one game on the weekend the cougars went into the game well rested and ready to play. Having played the University of Alberta Panda’s in a preseason tournament and losing to them 3-1, both coach Fusco and the players had an idea what they were going to face. 

The game started at the fast pace that was expected and the Cougars did their best to hold of the attacks of the Panda’s. The first goal of the game was scored early by the Panda’s, but the Cougars continued to hold their own against a skilled opponent. As the Cougars settled into the game they began to control the play and get some attacks going at the other end of the pitch. Before the end of the first half the cougars were able tie the game and go into the half with an even playing field. The goal scored by Caitlin Spect was described by Coach Fusco as the slowest break away ever, but slow or not Spect chipped the keeper and snuck the ball under the crossbar for the tying goal.

The second half started the same way the first had with the Panda’s making some subs and continuing their strong attack. Under this attack the Cougars gave up a goal, which was driven in by a Panda’s defender. The Cougars continued to work hard and play hard, holding the Panda’s off till late in the game when another goal was conceded. Kelsey Marklund made the initial save but the team couldn’t keep the ball out as it bounced around the crowed 18 yard box.

The end result of the game was 3-1 for the UofA Panda’s, however both the score and level of play show positive improvements for the Cougars compared to pre-season.
A big thanks goes out to Vice President, student affairs and campus life Brian Flemming, Athletics Manager Karla Karch, and Kimmo Korvela for joining us this weekend to help support Cougar Athletics.

Submitted by Player of the Game: D. Lockhart. 

2012 Crossbar Challenge Team Competition

After review of the video....one must ask: Is the raptor's ball over the line of play?

 

Cougars score first CIS Point in School Program History

Tansley to Bloom to Kinzner....as the magic unfolds....

Match day 3 and 4

September 15^th

Looking back on an unsuccessful week prior, the Cougars were excited to compete against some more closer to home games this weekend starting on September 15^th. Coach Fusco had quite a lot of things on his to-do-list for training sessions and had the Cougars working hard to prepare for the matches against the University of Lethbridge and the University of Calgary. 

The Cougars started their day early on Saturday morning and loaded the bus up at 8am to depart for the first game of the weekend against UofL. Once arrived, the Cougars headed straight for the change rooms to get ready mentally and physically for the match. Once again coach Fusco had some inspirational words and a list of tactics to take into consideration for the squad in hopes that they would break their unlucky streak and put some points up on the board. Fusco asked the Cougars, “Who has the bigger heart to win this game?”

As seen before, the Cougars came off the field at half time holding the score at 0-0. Fusco made changes to the attacking line up and added Donella Lockheart alongside Kelsey Kinzner, and Karlee Hodl to create some more scoring opportunities. With a decent half of the match played, Fusco urged his team to “earn it!”

The second half of the match commenced and it was apparent that the UofL squad was hungry for a goal. Much like many of the goals scored against the Cougars while in BC, the UofL squad managed to cross the ball to an unmarked player and scored early on the Cougars in only the first minute and a half of play.

The level of play hand seemingly deteriorated somewhat on the Cougars part from that of the start of the match, but the Cougars were able to nontheless keep the score within reason. The match ended on the 90^th minute 1-0 in favor of the UofL squad. With emotions of obvious frustration from both Fusco and players, the Cougars headed home defeated once again in silence.

September 16^th

The Cougars entered the MRU varsity room Sunday morning with still some unhappy faces apparent from the match just 24 hours earlier. The Cougars got comfortable in their own surroundings and had a much needed team discussion on their performance in all of the unsuccessful games played so far. 

Fusco educated the squad with video footage on some coaching moments, and once again tried to talk the team about player mentality. Perhaps this time, the Cougars would prove these pre-match discussions and lessons to be beneficial.

The frustrated Cougars took to the home field of UofC looking to channel their frustrations into their play to find success for both themselves and the entire team. The level of play looked to be higher than any other match that the Cougars had played so far, and the intensity was great. The Cougars had more than 50% of the possession of the ball and things were looking good. Once again the half time score was 0-0, but with a different game being played than any other before the Cougars seemed optimistic about the second half and their potential.

The second half continued to hold its pace of play on behalf of both teams, but the UofC squad was first to score. The Cougars were not going to accept defeat this time, and continued to show that they were deserving of a win this game. And with good, hard effort comes reward; the Cougars finally put themselves on the score board as Kelsey Kinzner beat out the goalie with her fast feet and easily composed herself as she put the ball in the back of the UofC net. The Cougars were ecstatic both on and off the bench.

The end result was a 1-1 tie. Although the Cougars seemed to have played a better game on the pitch, there were no unhappy faces this day, as the Cougars had finally proved to themselves that they can compete and find success at the CIS level. It was a much more enjoyable ride home this time round.   

**provided by Kara Noel. 

Match Day Report: 1 and 2

After establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the former ACAC league, the Mount Royal Women’s Cougar Soccer Team sought out this past weekend to prove themselves in this year’s first ever CIS league game. This weekend would prove to be tough as the Cougars were up against some of the top contenders in the league, playing BC’s University of Fraser Valley and the University of Victoria.

The Cougars departed with much enthusiasm on Friday, September 7^th as they made the long trip out to Abbotsford to compete in their first game that very day at 5pm. After safely arriving by plane into Abbotsford, the Cougars continued to make their way by bus to Chilliwack, BC where they would encounter their first competitor; UFV. Despite traveling the entire day, the Cougars arrived ready to focus and play.

Just prior to the game the Cougars received an encouraging and strategic pep talk from coach Tino Fusco, emphasizing some key formation setups and defensive tactics to use against the very tall and towering UFV squad, which they would use to their advantage during the match. After a continued battle throughout the first 35 minutes of the game, the Cougars were forced to deal with their first injury of the season as starting center back Kara Noel was taken out of the game due to a knee injury. Regardless of the setback, the Cougars affirmed to be a determined and tenacious team after a positive outcome in the first half which held both teams at 0-0. Coach Fusco continued to stress the need to win aerial balls and continue to pressure the larger than most UFV squad in order to find more success.

Regardless of the Cougars’ efforts to maintain their defensive half, the UFV squad found three separate occasions to use their size to their advantage and scored against MRU on multiple aerial corner kick opportunities that coach Fusco warned about. The match concluded with a score of 3-0 for UFV. Although the Cougars didn’t find success in points during this match, small successes were made throughout the game and the Cougars kept their heads high, proud of their initial start into the CIS.

With still another tough match yet to come, and another long day of traveling to the island of Victoria ahead, the Cougars were due for a considerable amount of recovery. The final match of the weekend came quickly as the Cougars made it to the University of Victoria’s impressive stadium and prepared to compete once again. Knowing the Cougars would be up against a strong and experienced team, coach Fusco instructed the Cougars to each set individual goals and expectations for themselves to correct previous mistakes and struggles in order to reach success in the current match.

The Cougars determination was evident when at half time the score remained 0-0. The Cougars were accomplishing many of the goals they had set out to achieve at the beginning of the match and in turn received a positive outcome against the dominant UofVic squad. Fusco made little change to the Cougars starting lineup he originally set forth, but the UofVic squad looked significantly different coming into the second half with 6 major substitutions made by their head coach. With some obvious experienced UofVic players entering into the second half of the match the game changed significantly. Within the first 15 minutes the Cougars were down 3-0. The game continued and the Cougars did not let up on as they continued to make the UofVic team work for their victory. At the end of the 90th minute the score and had racked up to 5-0 in favor of the University of Victoria, but with 3 of those goals due to human error by the Cougars, coach Fusco ensured his team to walk away with a sense of contentment in their efforts.

The Cougars left BC with much to consider for their training sessions to come during the next week to further prepare and develop for the rest of the season’s matches yet to come. 

 *Written provided by 1st year, Kara Noel.  Pronounced "Noh-el"
*Photos compliments of Reaghan Zilkie; "like the president".

Cougars Pre-Season Tournament

A very positive weekend for the Cougars as they continue to improve and prepare for the start of the CIS season. The Cougars opened the weekend against the UBCO Heat from Kelowna, BC. After a scoreless first half with both side controlling portions of the game, the Cougars countered on a quick pass from first year Kristen Bloom to streaking 2nd year ACAC All-star Kelsey Kinzner who collectively beat her mark and slotted home the only goal of the game past the out stretched UBCO keeper. With the favourable result, the Cougars were selected to play the powerhouse UofA Pandas who easily handed the Lethbridge side a 5-0 rout in their first match. With a successful match on the Saturday, the Cougars had some confidence and positives to build upon and used this going into the Sunday match. With the wind in the faces, the Cougars were organized and disciplined to hold off any attack that the pandas pushed forward. With no clearcut chances from either side, the score was 0-0 at half. In the second half, the Cougars continued to deal with the panda pressure but eventually cracked when Miller scored in the 55' minute finding the lose ball in the middle of the 18 yard box. The Cougars didn't hand their heads and continued with the game plan....unfortunately, the pandas found the net two more times (71' and 79') earning the 3-0 win. Nevertheless, the Cougars squad needed to see the standard of play from a playoff quality side squad in Canada West and we will be better prepared for the level of play once the season kicks off September 7. "Although we did not get the favourable result today, I took many positives from my players character that I will continue to build from as we look to compete in the Canada West this season". " I am very proud of my squad with what they have put forth thus far. "" -- coach Fusco

Weekend Camp Concludes

The Cougars officially opened the 2012 pre-season camp on August 15th. This past weekend the team was treated to a guest coach where the team was put through daily training sessions, including in-class seminars, to assist with the transition from club to University soccer. There was improvement from early in the weekend to when the weekend wrapped up with regards to team understanding. As the Cougars are still three weeks away from their first CIS match, the Cougars will continue to fine tune and prepare for the season ahead. "I was pleased with the weekend. The pre-season is a great indicator of player character and understanding." Some players were able to grasp the concepts and some players are still maturing and learning. After some education sessions, the team participated in a scrimmage and a pre-season match on the Sunday to concluded the weekend. In difficult hot temperatures, the reserves played well but unfortunately lost 3-1 to their opponent in the scrimmage while the first team battled through the extreme temperatures and found their way to a 6-1 result over the visiting Red Deer College. A good start to the pre-season where the squad will now prepare to enter it's annual pre-season tournament on Saturday vs the visiting UBC-O Heat at 10am.

Cougar Women bring in new Goalkeeper Coach for 2012

Michaela Hatalova

Biography

Michaela Hatalova began her illustrious goalkeeping career as a member of the DFC Rimavska Sobota Women’s Soccer Team in the Slovak Highest League. After her youth career, Michaela attended the University of Banska Bystrica where she took Sport Sociology and Physical and Ethics Education as well as playing with the MFK Velky Kritis Women’s Soccer Team.

Michaela later played for the Slovak Women’s National Team from 1996 to 2005 and also competed in the Champions League with the Ziar Nad Hronom Soccer Club in 2006.

After her playing career Michaela moved into coaching as a Goalkeeping Coach with the Rimavska Sobota Soccer Club and the Velky Krtis Soccer Club. Michaela then came to Canada where she has worked as a Goalkeeping Coach with various age groups and soccer clubs. She is currently the Goalkeeping Coach for the Alberta Girls U13 to U16 Provincial Select Teams.

Qualifications

UEFA B License 

Awards, Awards, Awards

More hardware for the 2012 season.....

The Cougar Women's team has in the past only provided a team MVP but as they transition to the CIS; the coaching staff felt more players in the squad should be honoured.  This season will be the first but the tradition and awards will be handed out for years to come....

In addition to the annual team MVP announced at the athletic banquet - two players will receive one of the two awards from the squad for their accomplishments throughout the season.

The two additional awards are: Attacker and Defender of the year.

Is there a chance one player could win both....it's possible!
It's time to get your name sketched in Cougar History!

Cougars bring in Former National Team Coach

Mount Royal University Women's Soccer is excited to announce that Neil Turnbull, former Canadian National Team Coach amongst other positions (see bio below), will be assisting with the Cougars preseason this year.  Turnbull will run a three day camp with the squad in preparation for the annual Alberta Cup in late August with their first opponent being UBCO.  The camp will involve both on-field and off-field tactical analysis.   To finish the camp the squad will host Red Deer College with Turnbull applying the lessons from the camp. 

The women's program has also secured a friendly vs the University of Saskatchewan on September 1st at MRU and this will be the final preseason match for players to display their skills with the desire to make the starting XI before the league starts on September 7 @ UFV. 

Walk-on and open trials for the women's program will be held August 20th at 5pm, MRU field #2.  Players are encouraged to contact the coach prior to camp to show interest. 

Some highlights of Neil's coaching background are as follows:

• Recognized NCCP Master Coach
• Chartered Member Professional Coaches Association (professional coach with over 25 years experience)
• Recognized as a leading expert in Player and Coach development in North America
• Developed numerous publications on the development of youth players
• NCCP technical and theory course instructor
• NCCP Level 5 certification
• Canadian Soccer “A” License award (highest level of certification in Canada
• Diploma from the National Coaching Institute
• Presented Canadian Olympic Coaching award
• Coach of Canadian National Women’s Team (1986-1991 and 1995-1999)
• Confederation Champions 1995
• Confederation runner-up 1991
• Four Time National Championship Finals – Canadian Universities (2 time national champions)
• Former NCAA Division I Head University Coach
• Former Technical Director Alberta Soccer Association

Cougars Summer Camp 1

After starting the camp on a cold and windy Wednesday match vs the Alberta U17 Regional squad, the warm sunny temperatures were very welcome over the weekend matches.

In camp 1, the Cougars earned a 2-1 result against a junior U17 provincial select squad.  The match wasn't the greatest quality with the weather conditions but the Cougars managed to hang on for the result with some slick finishing by Kinzner.

On Friday, the team conducted an intra-squad match of 9v9.  This match was a training event to get the team to come together and compete.  We were looking for players that made a difference.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Cougars put together two loses.  On Saturday, the squad lost 3-1 and on Sunday lost 4-3.  As much as losing can be hard on the ego, it is a great evaluator of talent and areas that need improvement.

Our summer program is not about winning, rather development to prepare us for the fall season.  That is not to downplay the losses.  I don't enjoy when the score is greater than two goals but I have to appreciate that the team is evaluating players and sometimes the full squad is not present or players are playing out of 'regular' position.

Overall, I was pleased with the weekend and will be looking forward to the upcoming Champions League Matches in two weeks time.  This will be a great test for the current squad.

The draw is complete and the matches are set.  See some "amateur" video of the draw.

Match Day 1: 

Saints (H) vs Foothills Varsity Prep (A)  6:00pm KO
Alliance (H) vs Cougars (A) 7:30pm KO

Match Day 2: 

Saints (A) vs Foothills Varsity Prep (H)  6:00pm KO

Alliance (A) vs Cougars (H) 7:30pm KO

*Winners on aggregate from both groups go on to play for the WCL final, July 18th.   

Good luck to all.  Now I still need to hear back about the officials! 

Women's Soccer - Penny Search...

Help the team by donating your pennies ( or other coins) between May and September 2012.  All money raised will help the team with their development goals as they prepare for the CIS.

If you have pennies you would like to donate, please contact the head coach tfusco@mtroyal.ca or speak with any of the current players on how to donate to this cause.

The team goal is to collect one million pennies by September 1, 2012. 

We thank all in advance of your support.  GO COUGARS!

The Can West 2012 Schedules are out....

MRU has received it's fall soccer schedule and the women's squad will be on the road for the majority of September.  Their first match will be at the University of Fraser Valley on Saturday, September 8th.

The Cougars first home match will be against the University of Northern British Columbia (Prince George) on September 29th.  We hope the stands will be full!

Go Cougars!

The MRU Women's Reserve squad will be taking on the ASA U16 Female Regional Squad in a friendly at MRU Stadium on May 9th; 6:30pm KO.

The ASA Regional Squad is the top female players in the southern region of Alberta.  These players may be selected to go on and represent the province at the CSA All-star event held every summer.

The will be a great test for some new prospects and the Mru reserves to get some match minutes and showcase their abilities to the coaching staff as MRU prepares for its first season in CIS this fall.

Women's Champions League Set

MRU will be one of four squad fighting to host the Women's Champions League Trophy this July.  


One Trophy, One Champion.  


Match Dates have been added to the calendar...more details to come.  

Another good-bye to the ACAC....

Women’s Soccer

With an 8-1-1 through their ten game campaign, the Cougar women were top dog in the regular season for a fifteenth straight season – a remarkable run for a team that lost just nine regular season games in18 years.

Hosting the ACAC provincials, the Cougars earned a spot in the title game, defeating the Concordia Thunder 1-0 in semi-final play.

Unfortunately for the Cougars, that score would repeat and reverse itself, with the Cougars on the losing end of the draw, as they were edged 1-0 by the NAIT Ooks in the final.

With eight ACAC championships, the Cougar women were a force to be reckoned with during their stay in the Alberta conference, winning a banner almost every other season in their 18 year history.

Women’s Futsal

In just its second season of competition in the ACAC – the Cougars will go victorious. Futsal, a variation of indoor soccer, is quickly becoming one of North America’s hottest games and the Cougar women excelled in the narrow confines of the indoor pitch.

Finishing first and second in the season’s two tournaments, the Cougar women scooped up a title on their way out of town, beating the Medicine Hat Rattlers 2-0, for their first and final title in the sport. 

Read Full article here....

Spring League

MRU 2012 Spring League

This year the team organized three events to occur during the first two weeks of April prior to the Student Athletes entering into the winter semester final exams. 

Match Day 1: 

MRU vs Alliance

MRU started out well for the first 3o minutes holding much of the possession.  The young and inexperienced squad managed to score the first goal while the second half into the wind was a different story.  The team defending like mad looking to spoil many chances created by the Alliance team.  Goalkeeper Kelsey Marklund, saved the day many times for the Cougars, making some good saves to keep the score close.  The Alliance did manage to score twice and take the result 2-1 from the Cougars.  

Match Day 2 and 3: 

Match Day 2 and 3 were postponed due to the weather.  The team managed to use this as a fun event and some of the evidence can be seen here in the video.   

Cougars out supporting the local soccer clubs

Here is the next generation of Cougar coaches!  The Cougars have for the past few seasons assisted the MSB Soccer Club with their seasonal evaluations.  It looks like a great time! Can you spot the one doing the least amount of work....

Cougar Female Rookie of the Year

Cougar Female Rookie of the Year – Karlee Hodl (1st Year - Women’s Soccer)

Mount Royal women’s soccer rookie forward Karlee Hodl put together a terrific season up front for the Cougars, scoring an ACAC south division best 11 goals in 10 games. Enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing program, Hodl scored four game winning goals, and was named to the ACAC first-conference all-star team.

During the Cougars futsal season, Karlee help lead the team to gold medal in their indoor season, once again being named to the first-conference all-star team. A quiet leader, Karlee spends her time volunteering at the Bethany Care Centre and is enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing program at MRU.

MRU PLAYOFF HOCKEY POOL

MRU GOLF CLASSIC

If interested in attending - see the MRU Cougars main webpage for more information or contact the head coach of the women's soccer team.

Funds raised go to support MRU Athletics.

The following programs have reached their limits for the fall 2012....

• Nursing
• Education
• Midwifery
• Public Relations
• Psychology
• Criminal Justice
• Interior Design

Coach receives award....school prints his photo.

Cougars women’s soccer coach Tino Fusco was honoured with the Coach of the Year award for Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC) Futsal this year. For those who are unfamiliar with Futsal, it is an indoor version of soccer played on a smaller pitch.

This isn’t the first time that Coach Fusco has been honoured by the ACAC with Coach of the Year award.

In 2009, Fusco won Coach of the Year for ACAC Soccer after the Cougars finished that regular season with an 8-1-1 record and closed out the playoffs by winning Silver in the ACAC Finals.

ACAC futsal coach of the year, Tino Fusco.

“Although it is my second time winning Coach of the Year, soccer is unique in that we have two chances to win the award each year with soccer being played in the fall and Futsal played in the winter semester,” Fusco says.

Fusco’s women’s Futsal team finished atop the ACAC in first place during the regular season and then proceeded to win the gold medal and the ACAC Championship earlier this month.

For Fusco whose Futsal team will not be competing in the ACAC next year, it was a nice way to end the Cougars’ run in the league.

“It was nice to win a parting award from ACAC in addition to the ACAC Futsal Championships. We wanted to leave ACAC with a trophy and a banner and we have done that now,” Fusco says.

“This honour is special because we will no longer be participating in the ACAC Futsal league moving forward as we transition to Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).”

For Fusco, the honour is a reflection of his team’s efforts and his dedication to preparation.

“I think anytime your program wins any award it's a positive for the entire program. I have always said this is a team award because as a head coach I feel people judge your coaching abilities on how your team performs,” he says.

“My success is determined with how the team performs. Each match I try to prepare them the best I can. I am not judged on my training sessions where most of my work is conducted. During the match, the players perform and they deserve the most credit.”

Article taken from the MRU Face Time site: http://www.mtroyal.ca/facetime/FTDATA_memories_032212

Scouting Weekend - planning for the future....

Coach Fusco just returned from the Vancouver Whitecaps Showcase event where he was able to make some contacts with potential future "Cougars" and we look forward to adding to the current talent on the roster in the coming years.

Day 3: Futsal Championships

Nothing more to say....

Futsal Championships Day 2:

MRU v Keyano

The day started with some challenges.  As seen in photo.

The Cougars found themselves down 2-0 in the first half vs a Keyano Team that needed a result to advance.  With a little patience and teamwork the Cougars started to claw back one goal at a time.  With some precise passing and easy finishing the Cougs found themselves back in the lead. 

A good stop by keeper Marklund kept the lead for the team at 5-4. With time running down Lockhart took a kickin and played a direct long all into the might 5-0' Cook for the clinching goal- and what a fine header it was. With two goals in the game, Danika Cook was selected as Cougars Player of the Game by her teammates. 

Medicine Hat beat Ambrose in their match this morning to set up a double header of Rattlers vs Cougars for the ACAC Women's Final.   

MRU v MHC (5:30pm Start)

The entered the game 2-0 and ended the game 3-0.  With a slight change in tactics, the team came out firing and opened up a lead whereby they never looked back and lead the entire game.  The difference in the game between the two teams was the finishing - the Cougars were able to find the netting and silence the "ready to get nasty" Rattler crowd, while the Ratllers found the posts on a regular basis.  The score would have been much closer and set up an interesting final.  The key for the Cougars going into the final match is to understand the most important game has yet to be won and they will look to finish the tournament 4-0 while duplicating it's quality performance today.

Player of the game honours went to #6 Monica Nielson who scored on the night.

Note: The Cougars will play their last game of ACAC Futsal competition Sunday @ 1:30pm as they will be moving on to the CIS next season where futsal is not a competing sports for that league.  

FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DAY 1

MRU v Ambrose 

The Cougars started slow at both halves but managed to find the net 11 times beating the Ambrose Lions in the first round robin game of the tourney. 

Player of the game honors went to Donella Lockhart with three first half goals to set the way for the squad. Honorable mention to Elliot "that's Elliott" with two goals in the first half and one in the second, along with Chicilo securing the clean sheet.

AWKWARD! ...loading video...

The Cougars next opponent will be the Keyano Huskies who have just come off a 6-3 loss to the host Medicine Hat Rattlers. The Cougars with a win could set themselves up nicely in the tournament standings with a positive result Saturday morning. The Cougs have seen the Huskies three times previously this season in regular tournament play so things could get interesting for match two. 

Stay tuned for day two updates as they become available. In the meantime, enjoy this team photo of the day.  GO COUGARS!

Kinzner earns ACADEMIC ALL-CANADIAN AWARD

Kelsey Kinzner (1st year), has been awarded the award of Academic All-Canadian for 2011-12.  Congrats to Kelsey for her accomplishments both in the classroom and on the field (ACAC All-Conference All-star).

Keep up the good work!

Cougars selected by their peers

The ACAC Futsal All-conference Awards were handed out this past week with three MRU players winning honours as voted on by the opposing coaches around the league.   A special congratulations goes out to Karlee Hodl (1st year), Donella Lockhart (2nd year), and Danika Cook (1st year) Cougars!  

In addition, the head coach took the honour of becoming the Coach of the Year for the Futsal League and is pleased and grateful to have received such an award; again being nominated by his peers.  "The Coach of the year is great honour to receive but in all honesty, the players play in the matches and this award is based on overall results - this award is a team award."  --Coach Fusco. 

03/06/12...ACAC...The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference is please to announce the 2011-12 ACAC Women's Futsal All-Conference Teams as selected by their coaches.

All-Conference 1st Team	All-Conference 2nd Team
Jacie Brusky (MHC)  Karlee Hodl (MRU) Donella Lockhart (MRU) April Weigelt (Keyano) Cassandra Westerman (MHC)	Meghan Beatty (MHC) Lauren Bonokoski (Keyano) Danika Cook (MRU) Alison Parry (Ambrose) Kiara Stasiuk (Lakeland)

03/07/12...ACAC...The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference is please to announce Tino Fusco of the Mount Royal University Cougars as the 2011-12 ACAC Women's Futsal Coach of the Year as selected by his peers.

Mount Royal women’s futsal coach Tino Fusco, helped the Cougars to the number one seed in the conference - winning the ACAC’s first futsal tournament of the year, and finishing second in the other.
Outscoring their opposition 60-14 in eight games, the Cougar compiled a solid 6-1-1 record heading into the ACAC championship.

A native of Regina, Sasktachewan, Tino is in his third season coaching with the Cougars, after previously working as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s teams.

In addition to his Mount Royal coaching duties, Tino is a certified Alberta Soccer Coaching Course Instructor and teaches the MRU Soccer PHED Class.

This will be Tino's second coach of the year award, previously winning ACAC women’s soccer coach of the year in 2009-10.

Congratulations Tino on your award! 

Cougars secure another recruit for the fall.

Kimberley Silcox will be joining the Cougars in camp this coming fall as she looks to study Physical Education at MRU and earn herself a position in the Cougars squad.  

"I grew up learning to play soccer in the small town of Carstairs and now have been playing center midfield for the Calgary Blizzards for the past four years. I chose to come to MRU because of its friendly atmosphere, small class sizes and the opportunity to become a Cougar." 

Kim brings with her the drive and physical play the Cougars will be needed in order to compete in the Canada West Conference come fall.   She's a hard worker and a ball winner - we are going to need her energy in the middle of the park - Coach Fusco.