Kodiaks soccer clubs get the Yukon experience

By Lethbridge Herald on August 29, 2023.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge College Kodiaks soccer teams had an experience of a life time when they travelled to the Whitehorse, Yukon last week.

Women’s team player Malorie Hanson is one of three Yukon products on the team along with Sammy Demchuk and Samantha Burgis

“It was a really cool experience,” said Hanson.

“I think that it resulted in our team kind of bonding a lot in an environment that isn’t typically something we get to like experience together. I think we got some good training.”

The six days included Sean Fleming of the Canadian Soccer Association coming to run some sessions for the player, the Kodiaks playing exhibition games against the Yukon Selects teams, the players running a kids camp and training sessions with Northern Strength Academy.

Outside the pitch, the players did a four-hour hike up Sam McGee Trail with the  scenic Yukon landscape behind them and swam in Schwatka Lake.

“Yeah, I think it was a really unique experience in that we all got to kind of live together and a lot of the team was new,” said Hanson.

“We’ve got a lot of first years, which is awesome, and it was kind of a way to really integrate the team in a short amount of time, I guess. Because we pretty much all met for the first time last week, did a week of training and then we headed up to the Yukon altogether and pretty much lived together for a week. And I think it was just a really great way to start off the season because we all kind of got to  know each other really quickly and all became very close.”

The teams were able to promote the game more in the territory with things such as the kids camp.

“Like I said, the kids camp was huge because now you know people are more interested in college soccer now that they met some athletes that compete at that level,” said Hanson.

“And I think that it promoted the kind of thought process in kids in the Yukon that like you know you can go outside and play competitive soccer ,because like they know us — me and Sam (Demchuk) and Sam Burgis. And hopefully it just kind of inspired them to recognize that  like the opportunities are there if they want to take them and  that they can kind of have a foot in the door now with some of the coaches that they met.”

Hanson thought it was cool to have the teams in her home territory.

“I was a little like nervous, you know, having so many people coming into a territory they’ve never been (to) before and I was just I mean hoping everyone would have a great experience but you never know,” said Hanson.

“Luckily, I think everyone did enjoy it and it meant a lot to me and my family to get to host everyone. I know my parents had a wonderful time as well as the other host family getting to be a part of such a cool opportunity and be involved in a college soccer program.”

Lethbridge product and men’s team player Vincent Dyck said it’s an awesome soccer community up there.

“We also hosted a kids camp,” said Dyck.

“…We coached young kids from ages I believe five to 13 and the turnout was amazing. Way more than I expected.  We had I believe over 50 kids come. So really it was an awesome way to give back to the community as a Kodiak and to  spread the soccer way to new people and yeah it was awesome.”

Kodiaks head coach Sean Carey thought it was phenomenal on how the territory runs their soccer.

“We had three games for each team and really competitive,” said Carey.

“Like, you know, the girls program we played against a Canadian International. They played against us and they have some phenomenal players up there, like they really do. They got kids that commute down to play for Scottish, play for Foothills.  And their technical director (Fleming), I mean he’s brilliant, like he was a national team coach like for the U17 (and) U19s. He took them to a World Cup. So the guy knows his stuff and he’s developed a lot of quality players up there with the help of obviously a lot of the  other coaches that are there.”

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