The NAIT Ooks women’s soccer team is building on last year’s success with an outstanding season that leaps above 2025-26’s high bar. Of the 12 conference games they’ve played, the women have won 11 and tied one. The Ooks clinched a playoff spot at provincials near the beginning of October, and nothing has been able to hold them back.
“I think we’re seeing the proof of that over the last couple of years of the support of culture breeds champions.”
In 12 games, they have scored forty-eight goals with an average of 4 goals per game. It’s an incredible team effort, with multiple players averaging over eight points. These numbers are completely unlike most teams in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), and head coach Dhee Govender gives all the credit to the players.
“We do everything as a team and as a unit, so we need everybody,” Govender said, adding that all 18 players have given great performances.
The core group are top producers in the ACAC, with veterans Daelin Horsfield and Ally Martineau leading the league in assists. Jyla Micael Erandio, the second best scorer in the league and winner of the 2025-26 ACAC women’s futsal player of the year, has scored 12 goals in 12 games.
The core also extends to rookies. Midfielder Grace Jones quietly gets the job done in front of the back line. First-year players Trinity Ruys and Alanna Vos, who notably has seven goals and six assists on 49 shots, have had “a massive impact” on the team’s starting line.
Maya Tworek, a second-year Interior Design Technology student, is one of the team’s core defensive players. She says the team’s chemistry on the field plays a huge part in their success, and staying “calm and composed” is key to playing good soccer.
“You have to have that within your team, like trust in each other,” said Tworek. “And that comes from the team-first mentality.”
Photos by Nino Aguilar/The Nugget
The team’s captain, goalkeeper Carly Spellman, has set the standard for the Ooks’ communication and culture on and off the field. Govender says Spellman is a “golden Ook.” She organizes team activities and community service events, and is always supporting her team.
“If we are in a supportive environment and we learn to have each other’s back, then the success will come from it.”
Spellman and Melyssa Smith, another goalkeeper for the Ooks, are both top goal-saving performers in the ACAC.
“Even when we don’t have the ball, [Tworek] and her back line and her players in front of her are really, really organized tactically to shut down opponents’ attacks,” Govender explained. “That gives us moments where we can look to transition and go forward. But once we get playing high-stakes games, there is a lot of consistency that we are still trying to find.”
The opponents the Ooks face in the ACAC aren’t easy to beat, Govender said.
After winning ACAC silver last year, the team is aiming for gold so they can go to nationals, but provincial championships will be challenging. The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens won bronze at nationals in 2025, and this year, SAIT and Concordia sit with NAIT near the top of national rankings.
But the team is quietly confident. “The vibes are high, and the energy is good,” said Tworek. “We’re just trying to keep it going now, keep the momentum.”
She credits Govender for helping the players stay focused on improvement while celebrating their successes. “It’s really good balance. So it feels good to execute what we’ve been working on and what he’s been focused on,” said Tworek.
The Ooks are dominating the conference season, and Govender’s culture-first mindset has been adopted by the players. “They lead the culture,” he said. The team feels like a family, Tworek says, and Govender says they’re a fun group to coach.
The Ooks women’s soccer team at the Oct. 4 game against the Lakeland Rustlers. Photos by Ed Blicq/The Nugget
Creating a positive experience for the players is important in preserving longevity of the program, Govender explains.
“I’m a believer in creating and helping lead first-class people and first-class human beings. We have a role and responsibility, not just within the soccer field, but off the field and in the community,” he said. “If we are in a supportive environment and we learn to have each other’s back, then the success will come from it. And I think we’re seeing the proof of that over the last couple of years of the support of culture breeds champions.”
This team has everything. They have championship culture and championship genetics, and they’re fighting for every win. They bring humility and honest, hard work to show everyone they’re headed right back to the top, no matter what it takes.
“The vibes are high, and the energy is good … We’re just trying to keep it going now, keep the momentum.”
The Ooks will compete in the ACAC provincial championships, hosted by SAIT, in Calgary from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.
Feature image by Ed Blicq/The Nugget
