The Ooks men’s soccer team won the bronze medal at the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) Men’s Soccer Championships in Saint-Lambert, Que., on Nov. 8.
NAIT defeated the Conestoga Condors in penalty kicks after the game was tied 4-4 through double overtime.
The game started rough for the Ooks, who found themselves down 2-0 to Conestoga within the first 20 minutes. NAIT’s Jameson Kiezik quickly turned that around, though, and got the blue and gold on the board at the 30th minute.
Kiezisk kick-started a run of Ooks goals that gave the team a 3-2 lead at the 67th minute after Ranjeet Brar and Ryak Kabashi found the back of the net. However, that lead did not last long.
The Condors scored a minute later to tie the game at three apiece. The goal proved to be a crucial one, as neither team could break the deadlock before the 90 minute mark.
Then, Kabashi appeared to be the game’s hero when he scored for NAIT at 110 minutes. However, Conestoga would delay the Ooks’ celebration when they scored a goal at 120 minutes, forcing the game to penalty kicks.
NAIT’s goalkeeper, Parys Ona MacArthur, shut out the Condors in all three of their penalty kick attempts.
Matthew Herbut, Lungelo Napa and Vladyslav Kozachok all scored for the Ooks and sealed the win to secure the bronze medal — the program’s first at nationals since 2021.
The Ooks started off with a loss in the opening game of the tournament on Nov. 5. They fell 2-1 to the Saint-Lambert Cavaliers, who would go on to finish second in the tournament. The team quickly rebounded with wins against the CMU Blazers on Nov. 6 and the UKC Blue Devils on Nov. 7 to clinch their spot in the bronze medal game.
Winning the bronze medal will cap off a very memorable season for the men’s soccer team, which included their second consecutive Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) championship title, a 25-game ACAC undefeated streak and four players being named to the All-Conference team.
NAIT’s men’s team will also be guaranteed a spot back at nationals next fall as the host school, marking their third consecutive appearance in the tournament.
In the meantime, the Ooks will get prepared for the futsal season in the winter semester.
The men’s futsal season starts on Jan. 31.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the Nugget’s Nov. 12 print issue. Read it online here.
Feature image via NAIT Ooks
