Kodiaks women’s soccer to rely on experience this season

By Lethbridge Herald on September 11, 2023.

Herald File photo Lethbridge College Kodiaks’ Raeleen Vanden Dungen goes flying while battling for a loose ball with Red Deer Polytechnic Queens’ Kayla Yeo during ACAC women’s soccer action at Servus Sports Centre outdoor field earlier this season.

Justin Seward – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – sports@lethbridgeherald.com

The Lethbridge College Kodiaks women’s soccer team will look to experience to carry them this season.

“Like we brought in some experience, and we brought in a couple of USport athletes and then a couple  of quality players from other institutions,” said head coach Sean Carey.

“So yeah I’m really excited to watch this group of girls. And then around the group that we brought in from LFC (Lethbridge Football Club), like our first year players this year. There’s some quality out of this LFC group, that they’re going to be pushing this year for a lot of minutes and I think a couple of them could be pushing for Rookie of the Year as they call it in the league. We’ve taken rookie out of our vocabulary because we don’t want it to be a word we use. We use first years. But, yeah, no there’s definitely lots of upside to this team and this is one of those teams, it’s like I can’t wait to watch them go.”

Carey thinks this team will be skilled, quick and physical.

“Like we picked up a bunch of strong athletes this year and we only lost a couple of girls from last year’s team” he said.

“So a lot of experience and yeah we’ve got some girls on this team that have got the refuse to lose attitude and fifth year players. We have four fifth years on the team and they’ll just carry this group I’m sure.”

Carey thinks there is the skill factor.

“I believe we got one of the best, most skilled players in our whole league with Malorie Hanson in the middle of midfield. Like her footwork, she’s a high USport level when she’s on.”

Carey feels that Nikki Stahl is at another level in practices and exhibition games.

“It’s a joy to watch her this year, and she’s captain, and she leads by example, and I think she’ll just pick this team up and she’ll just pull them all with her,” said Carey.

“Because she just wants nothing more than a medal, and a banner and then off to a national championships.”

“Yeah I think every practice, we’ve got to keep the intensity up, and train as well as we can and come into practice yeah just ready to work hard,” said Stahl.

Stahl is hopeful the team find the back of the net and focus on its attack to find success.

Stahl sees the team being more offensive minded.

“Yeah I think if we are faced with adversity, it’s important for the older players to settle the play, settle the players ,and to just keep possession in hard times and then to build up the momentum when we can,” said Stahl.