Soccer is a game of chances. Teams create chances through a multitude of ways: accurate passes, physical aggression, off ball movement and dominating possession. These are opportunities that NAIT takes advantage of, building off complex tactics to create openings. It’s no wonder the Ooks men’s soccer team, who won bronze at 2025-26 nationals, ranked number one in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) the first week of this season and number two the next.
“The goal this season is just to go one step further, and that’s to win it all.”
Their effort on Sept. 20 was enough to scare The King’s University (TKU) Eagles — the only team in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) to rank above NAIT — for ninety minutes.
However, there is another type of chance in soccer: luck. And when the two top teams in the provincial league go head-to-head looking to shatter the other’s undefeated record five games into the season, it may be the key to winning.
That’s exactly how midfielder Eric Gelhert won the game for the Eagles, shooting his free kick attempt from outside of the box right at the wall. Through power and luck, Gelhert’s ball, aimed chest high at the wall, snuck its way through and ended up in the back of the net. The first of TKU’s two shots on goal all game in the 38th minute lead to the game winning goal.
“That’s our first loss in 30 games,” said Ooks head coach Jeff Paulus. “To be dead honest, the wall needs to be a bit more solid, that ball should never get through the wall … but again, it’s easier said than done, because you’re standing in a wall, people shooting at you.”
However, after the result, NAIT was unbothered by the final score. “Overall, at the end of the day, I’m happy,” said Paulus. They were missing some starters and knew they had played well, hitting the crossbar early into the game and dominating “grade A” chance creation.
The Ooks’ new soccer star
TKU’s star of the game, goalie Miles McConaghy, battled eighteen shots and multiple high difficulty saves to defend TKU’s lead, but NAIT’s star of the game, Mario Lefevre, shined above a team that had just gone to nationals. And even more impressive: he is brand new.
“Mario is a special player. He’s a luxury player because he can do things on the ball that no one else can do. The game slows down for him. He uses his body to keep possession better than any player I’ve ever worked with,” said Paulus. “We’re fortunate to have him on the team.”
Lefevre is a second-year academic upgrading student, and it’s his first year as one of NAIT’s midfielders. Lefevre has played high-level soccer for a long time; he was recruited to the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy and played for Simon Fraser University before joining NAIT. He’s a high-quality athlete on a team destined for nationals glory, with eight goal contributions through five games already. In the game against TKU, he used the talents that Paulus spoke highly of to dominate the midfield with precision and physicality, playing intelligently alongside five-year veteran Peter Jones to create a strong midfield.
Captain Peter Jones, a veteran Ooks star
Lefevre’s playmaking complements Ooks captain Jones’ work rate to create an overpowering and technically brilliant midfield that helps control the center of the field, facilitating distribution and pressure.
The heart of NAIT’s midfield, Jones carves a midfield territory and punishes any opponent that comes close, using his technical ability to maintain possession while controlling the pace of the game.
“For me, he’s one of the best players in college football in our country, he’s our team captain, he leads by example,” said coach Paulus.
Despite a lucky break for TKU, NAIT still showed why they started the season as number one in the country. Paulus’ tactics, paired with a team packed to the wings with quality, find ways to attack no matter what desperate action the opposition throws at them.
A broken winning streak doesn’t mean much yet, and NAIT’s captain said he’s not worried. “The result right now is not the main outcome,” Jones said.
And according to Jones, the Ooks have added “even more weapons” to up their chances of going from bronze to gold at CCAA nationals on home turf.
“The goal this season is just to go one step further, and that’s to win it all.”
NAIT will be hosting nationals at the Edmonton Soccer Dome from Nov. 11 to 14.
Feature image via NAIT Ooks
This article was originally published in our Oct. 7 print issue. Read it online here.
