The NAIT Ooks female footy phenoms began their bid for a national title at Fleming College yesterday morning with a bold statement to the rest of the field.
After arriving in Peterborough Ontario earlier in the week, the Ooks crushed the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics 6-0 in their quarter-final match. The ACAA champions from MSVU were unable to keep up with NAIT after the first 26 minutes, as the blue-and-gold notched three goals before the half. Player of the Game Kassy Jajczay and ACAC Player of the Year Kayla Michaels each scored two goals, while Marissa Webb and Rayna Hamieh added the other two tallies.
The previous day, Kayla Michaels received distinction as a CCAA All-Canadian for the second straight season. Michaels was named CCAA Women’s Soccer Player of the Year last fall at the nationals, where the Ooks suffered their only defeat of the season, a 3-0 loss in the final match.
Next up for the Ooks is a semifinal showdown with the third seeded Douglas College Royals, the PACWEST Champions from Coquitlam, BC. The Royals won their quarter-final against NAIT’s ACAC rival, the Concordia Thunder, by an identical 6-0 score. Kickoff is 1 p.m. MT today. Catch the live stream on YouTube at CCAAsportsACSC!
Basketball
Meanwhile, back home the men’s and women’s basketball dominated their weekend against the Augustana Vikings, completing a four-game sweep of the red-and-black. The women won 70-47 on the road before blowing the Vikings out of the NAIT gym on Saturday, 97-59. Torey Hill posted a season high 24 points while teammate Shea-Lynn Noyes added 20. The men blew open their road contest against Augustana in the second half, winning 91-59, before squeaking out a tight 78-66 victory at home. NAIT’s hoop ladies (ranked eighth in the nation as of Nov. 7) remain undefeated and the guys improve to 5-1. Player of the Game winners were Nicole Ruptash and Hill for the women and Jacob Jackson both nights for the men.
Next up for the squad is a matchup with Lakeland College. The Rustlers men’s squad sits in the middle of the pack, but the women are ranked 12 in the nation (as of Nov. 7). Game times Friday night are 6 and 8 once again.
Volleyball
The Ook vballers couldn’t quite manage the clean sweep of the Vikings, but they came close. Friday evening was a massacre, the two matches combing for less than three hours. Women’s scores were 25-10, 25-22, 25-17, men’s scores were 25-23, 25-21, 25-20. The following day however, the Vikings ladies pushed the Ooks to five (scores 24-26, 25-14, 14-25, 26-24, 15-4 for NAIT) and Augustana’s men’s team got their revenge in a 3-0 sweep of NAIT. POG’s for NAIT were Nalani Stang and Brayden Kennedy on Friday and Lauren Smith and Jordan Teliske on Saturday.
Both teams now take on the Lakeland Rustlers. Match time on Saturday at NAIT for the women is 6 p.m. with the men following 30 minutes after the women’s result.
Josh Ryan
Sports Editor
