Weekend Recap: Kodiaks soccer teams resilient at home

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks soccer teams hosted two south rivals this weekend.

On Saturday, both the men’s and women’s teams lost to the Medicine Hat College Rattlers and on Sunday, the women’s team won against Ambrose University and the men tied.

Oct. 11 WSOC | Kodiaks 0 vs MHC Rattlers 1

The opening half was a defensive battle as both the Kodiaks and the Rattlers pushed to gain control early. Medicine Hat applied consistent pressure, earning several corner kicks and testing Kodiaks goalkeeper Paityn Lake (first year, Business Administration – Accounting, Nelson, B.C.), who stood tall with key saves. Lethbridge began to find their rhythm late in the half, creating chances through Khloe Jankowiak (third year, Business Administration – Accounting, Lethbridge) and Alexis Bradford (fourth year, Open Studies, Abbotsford, B.C.), both forcing saves from the Medicine Hat keeper. Despite end-to-end action, the teams went into the break locked in a scoreless draw.

The second half saw the intensity rise as both sides traded opportunities. Lethbridge nearly broke through when Jankowiak’s strike rattled off the crossbar, but Medicine Hat’s defense held firm. The Rattlers countered with persistent attacks that converted into a goal in the 78th minute to give Medicine Hat the 1–0 lead. The Kodiaks continued to press, with Jordan Wright (third year, Bachelor of Nursing, Calgary) and Jankowiak challenging late but the Kodiaks couldn’t find the equalizer. Despite a gritty effort and strong goalkeeping from Lake, Lethbridge fell just short in a tightly contested match.

ACAC Players of the Game:

LPK: #31 Paityn Lake

MHC: #22 Rylan Morhart 

Oct. 12 WSOC | Kodiaks 6 vs AMB Lions 0

The Kodiaks came out firing in the first half, dominating possession and putting the Ambrose Lions on their heels from the opening whistle. Jankowiak wasted no time, scoring in the second minute to give Lethbridge an early lead. The offensive pressure continued as Megan Morrison (fifth year, Bachelor of Nursing, Medicine Hat) doubled the advantage in the 17th minute off a setup from Jankowiak, who later added her second of the match on a penalty kick to make it 3–0. The Kodiaks’ attack was relentless, with Samantha Demchuk (fifth year, Bachelor of Nursing, Whitehorse) extending the lead to 4–0 before halftime on a feed from Wright. Goalkeeper Lake kept Ambrose off the scoresheet with key saves, sending Lethbridge into the break with complete control.

The momentum carried into the second half as the Kodiaks continued their commanding performance. Bradford opened the frame with a goal in the 49th minute, assisted by Ana Waurynchuk (fifth year, Interior Design Technology, Cranbrook, B.C.), before Morrison struck again in the 73rd to make it 6–0. Lethbridge’s depth was on full display with contributions throughout the lineup. Despite Ambrose pushing back with a few attempts on goal, Lake remained composed in net to secure the clean sheet.

ACAC Players of the Game:

LPK: #2 Khloe Jankowiak

AMB: #9 Maggie Saunders 

Oct. 11 MSOC | Kodiaks 7 vs MHC Rattlers 2

The Kodiaks men’s soccer team showed strong determination in a high-paced matchup against the Medicine Hat Rattlers. After falling behind early, Lethbridge began to push back with several dangerous opportunities from Orien Domin (first year, Bachelor of Nursing, Sparwood, B.C.), Cristobal Jacob Pares (first year, Civil Engineering Technology, Nelson, B.C.), and Moe Huska (first year, General Arts and Science - Kinesiology Certificate, Cranbrook, B.C.), forcing multiple saves from the Rattlers’ keeper. Their persistence paid off when Jaxon Uhl buried a penalty kick in the 37th minute to cut the deficit to 2–1. Despite playing a man down late in the half, the Kodiaks continued to battle hard and maintain their composure, with goalkeeper Tristan Martin (second year, General Arts and Science, Whitehorse) making several key stops to keep Lethbridge within reach heading into halftime.

In the second half, the Kodiaks continued to fight with energy and resilience. Ethan McClelland (fourth year, Exercise Science, Brooks) and Jacob Pares generated quality chances, and the Lethbridge bench provided fresh legs as players like Ya-Sin Benbrik (first year, Open Studies, Lethbridge), Tyler Munnings (second year, Business Administration – Operations, Lethbridge), and Aiden Lewko (second year, Digital Communications and Media, Lethbridge) entered to keep the attack moving. The Kodiaks’ effort was rewarded in the final moments when Huska scored to close out the match on a positive note. The time ran out before the Kodiaks could make a comeback finishing the game with a score of 7-2.

ACAC Players of the Game:

LPK: #6 Moe Huska

MHC: #8 Tata Mugisha

Oct. 12 MSOC | Kodiaks 1 vs AMB Lions 1

The Kodiaks men’s soccer team battled hard in a tightly contested match against the Ambrose Lions, showing patience and persistence throughout the first half and into the second. Both teams fought for control early, with Lethbridge’s back line anchored by Jordan Morello (fourth year, Renewable Resource Management, Nelson, B.C.) and Tyler Stensrud (third year, Civil Engineering Technology, Lethbridge), keeping Ambrose’s attack contained. Goalkeeper Martin came up big with key saves, while the Kodiaks began to build momentum through strong midfield play from Uhl and Jacob Pares.

After halftime, the Kodiaks found their rhythm offensively, creating multiple chances from Huska and Benbrik, each forcing Ambrose’s keeper to make critical stops. Their sustained pressure paid off in the 79th minute when Lethbridge broke through on a deflected play that resulted in an own goal, putting the Kodiaks ahead 1–0. The Lions pressed late, and despite losing Martin to a red card in the final minutes, Lethbridge’s defense continued to battle until Ambrose equalized in the 89th minute. The match came to an end with a 1-1 draw.

ACAC Players of the Game:

LPK: #2 Lazlo Lorenzo

AMB: #6 Aaron Hoey