The 2025 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) soccer season may be winding down, but the Ooks soccer teams are soaring high.
Both the men’s and women’s teams are at or near the top of their divisions and have clinched a spot in the playoffs. Thanks to their dynamic offences and elite defences, they’ve positioned themselves as championship contenders.
With two games remaining before the playoffs, there’s still some time before both teams battle for their chance at a gold medal. Here’s how these teams have gotten to this point and what might be in store for the postseason.
Men’s team: 1st in North Division
The men entered the season as the defending ACAC champions with a significant portion of their roster returning from the previous year. And so far, that advantage has paid dividends for the Ooks in 2025. They’re sitting at six wins, zero losses and four ties.
“This is probably the deepest roster NAIT’s ever had,” men’s Head Coach Jeff Paulus said. “This year we’re getting scoring from multiple players … and I think that’s a good sign for the program.”
“Some of our draws are draws simply because we didn’t take some opportunities that were great opportunities that we would expect to score in … I feel like we’re starting to fire now.”
The first five games of the year saw the blue and gold’s record stand at two wins and three ties. But thanks to a 5-0 win against the Portage Voyaguers on Sept. 21, the team has been on a hot streak. NAIT has outscored its opponents 13-3 in the past four games — a sharp increase from their 8-6 record in the first five games of the season.
A significant reason behind the team’s offensive surge is first-year Ryak Kabashi, who scored twice in the match against the Voyageurs. All five of his team-leading goals this season have come since that win.
Kabashi called the feeling of being a significant part of the team’s offence “a blessing” and credited his team for the reason why he’s been able to adjust to the collegiate game so quickly.
“It’s mainly my teammates,” he shared. “They’re always setting me up in games, putting me in great positions … I just try to do my job as much as I can on the field.”
NAIT sits third in the ACAC for goals scored with 26, trailing SAIT by four goals for second, and has allowed the fourth-fewest goals in the conference this season with 10. The Ooks have positioned themselves as one of the ACAC’s most well-rounded teams and a strong contender to advance deep into the playoffs.
So what is this team’s goal? Kabashi made it clear:”national championship.” The defending ACAC champions have quite a task in front of them. But with an elite defence and offence, the sky is the limit for this group.
Women’s team: 2nd in North Division
2024 was a rough ending for a young Ooks team that featured 13 rookies on its 20-player roster. The team finished third in the North Division with a record of seven wins, three losses and two ties. Yet they did not qualify for the championships because the host had an automatic bye.
“We didn’t like how our chapter ended last year,” women’s Head Coach Dhee Govender told the Nugget. “This year … we want to finish in the top three. I think we want to be in the championship … but we’ll take it one step at a time.”
The Ooks are well on their way to finishing in the top three and doing even more than just competing at championships. NAIT is ranked second in the ACAC for goals scored with 39, and ranked second for the fewest goals allowed with five goals through 10 games.
No team has clean-sheeted their opponents more than the Ooks in 2025. Their eight shutouts top any club in the ACAC and are a significant reason the team has a +34 goal differential.
For a team that just one season ago had 13 rookies, that is an impressive feat. But what might be more impressive is who is leading the team on offence.
Second-year Jyla Micael-Erandio has improved on her 11-point campaign from a year ago, scoring 26 points through 10 games in 2025. Micael-Erandio not only leads the Ooks in points, but she is also second in the ACAC for points.
“We haven’t reached a peak in our performance yet, but it’s been gradual,” Micael-Erandio said. “Last year, for the most part, our roster was all rookies. And I like to view it as a warm-up. That was our warm-up round.”
This season, the mood around the team is different.
The Ooks are no longer the team full of rookies. They are a team seeking to make their mark, and it might come this season. .
The team has proven itself to be one of the best in the conference and will be a tough team to beat. Knowing the Ooks came so close to clinching the playoffs last season, the blue and gold are setting their sights far beyond just making the postseason now.
“Last year, not even making provincials, that really hit a toll on all of us,” Micael-Erandio explained. “Second [in the division] is good, but we want the best. And first is where it’s at. And we want that gold.”
With both the men’s and women’s teams ramping up for the postseason, 2025 could be a year where both clubs raise a championship banner.
The ACAC Championships begin in Lethbridge on Oct. 23-26.
