Rattlers top Kodiaks to open season

By Lethbridge Herald on October 25, 2024.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks Coleson Lake attempts to drive the basketball past Cooper Ward of the Medicine Hat College Rattlers during season-opening Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference men's basketball action at Val Matteotti Gym on Friday night.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks men’s basketball began a new ACAC season on Friday night with an 82-68 loss against the Medicine Hat College Rattlers  on home court.

Kodiak men’s head coach Ryan Heggie thinks playing together and  sharing the basketball will help them find success this season.

“We don’t have one or two guys that’s going to score 25 points a game, so we’re going to have to do it on the defensive end and then share the ball on offence,” said Heggie.

The team has 16 players on the roster and 14 have eligibility to play .

“So it’s really a competition all week (with) who the 12 guys (are) going to be that dress, so that’s what I like about it,” said Heggie.

“This is a good competitive group.”

The Kodiaks had to deal with going into this season with losing all of their starting five from last season after either moving to U Sport or enrolling in chiropractic school.

Now they are relying on Jackson Wright, Cody Tollestrup, Rhett Lewis  Trey Barton and Rylen Adrian.

“ Those guys are back and they’re doing well because they know their time has come,” said Heggie.

“They just have to grab it by the vine and take advantage of the opportunity.”

Heggie said just getting better, when asked about what he is looking forward to the most  in working with group this season.

Lethbridge has 16 players and Heggie thinks  11 of them are new

“So we’re getting to know each other  still every day,” he said.

The goal is for the team to make playoffs.  

The Kodiak women’s basketball team beat Medicine Hat 68-59 in the earlier game.

 Volleyball

The Kodiak women’s volleyball team opened with a four-set win (19-25,25-10,25-15,25-23)at Medicine Hat on Friday.

The men’s volleyball team swept Medicine Hat in three sets.

Soccer 

Both of the Kodiak soccer team’s ACAC championship appearances  were short lived as both teams bowed out in the quarter-finals to Keyano on Friday in Grande Prairie.

The Kodiak women’s team lost 5-1 while the men’s team lost 1-0 and as result ending their seasons.