Kings Soccer club hunting for another trip to Nationals

Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Soccer team on quest to return to nationals

Face division rivals at home to start new campaign

There’s a quiet confidence surrounding the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Soccer team as they prepare for the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) 2021/2022 season, and for good reason.

When the Kings last played in November 2019, they placed sixth at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Soccer National Championship, which was the highest ranking of the two ACAC teams. The Lethbridge College Kodiaks finished eighth in Ontario.

The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings, who won an ACAC 2019 silver medal, are believed to be equally as talented this year, and some may argue that they have more skill.

With months of practicing and training, and two exhibition games under their belt, the RDP Kings are enthusiastic and looking to put all the pieces together as they hit the field for a shortened six game schedule after nearly a two-year absence of ACAC games due to COVID-19.

“It is absolutely outstanding to be back on the pitch,” says Gerald Grobmeier, Kings Soccer Head Coach. “This year is a sprint. From the moment we hear the first whistle we must be on our game. We want to build on our accomplishments from 2019 and return to nationals.”

With a large contingent of student-athletes around central Alberta this past summer, the Kings were able to start training sooner.

“We had a large core of players here, so we were able to start practicing in early June just as the COVID- 19 public health measures were aligned,” says Grobmeier. “We are very fortunate because much of this team is made up of Red Deer Renegades alumni. Then we had more players show up in July, so we’ve had a good month and half of practices with the team all together.”

Renegades alumni Kristofer Grobmeier, defender Hayden Jacobs, midfielders Kaidri Bornyi, Gabriel Martins Fonseca and All-Conference selection Pedro Humberto Mourao Neto, along with forward Gabriel Fleury de Queiroz are returning this year from the 2019/2020 Kings. This group will be counted on for their contributions on and off the field.

“One of our leaders this year is my son Kristofer, who is a third-year centre back, so we look towards him,” says Grobmeier. “We also look towards the student-athletes from Brazil to show the others what it takes to compete in the ACAC.”

Third-years Gabriel Martins Fonseca and Gabriel Fleury de Queiroz, both Bachelor of Business Administration General Management students, and Pedro Humberto Mourao Neto, who is enrolled in Kinesiology Fitness and Health, comprise the trio of gifted Brazilians.

“We also rely on some of the newer guys for leadership like Ajdin [Sarcevic], Kirkland [Moody] and Jared [St. Thomas],” explains Grobmeier. “Although they are new to the program, they come with a lot of experience. Ajdin played in the Bosnia, Kirkland has competed internationally, and Jared played at a very high level in Ontario.”

Sarcevic, who is Renegades alumni, competed as a midfielder for NK Prodgrmec Sanski in the Bosnian Division II league. Red Deer’s Moody played professional soccer in Jamaica. Lacombe’s St. Thomas has experience as a goalkeeper with Ottawa South United, which is a semi-professional soccer team.

Along with Sarcevic, Moody, and St. Thomas, the RDP Kings have added some key players for 2021/2022. Musa Abedi, Isaiah Albright, Jesus Amaris, Carson Coady, Brian Grantham, Nicholas Min, Wataru Oguchi, Adan Sanchez-Pimental, Sheku Sesay, Emmanuel Siaw, Wakuto Tamura, Garrett Thompson and Thomson Wellie will wear the Kings uniform this season.

Two familiar student-athletes will return to the team after an absence. Renegades alumni Osvaldo Aguilar, who last competed at the Polytechnic in 2018/2019, and Masoum Zaher, who played in 2016/2017, are back on the Kings roster.

In a pair of exhibition games, the RDP Kings tied the Keyano College Huskies 1-1 and then they shutout The King’s University Eagles 5-0. Those experiences provided the student-athletes and coaches with a range of learning opportunities.

“Those two days of exhibition games were extremely helpful for us,” says Grobmeier. “In the first half against the Eagles, we created a lot of chances, but we couldn’t put the ball in the net. It started to come to us in the second half, but it still needs to be cleaned up.”

At half-time, the Kings and Eagles were knotted 0-0. Then Red Deer Polytechnic exploded for five goals in the second half.

“In those games we learned a lot about the players, lineup combinations, and what works and what doesn’t work for us,” says Grobmeier. “In both games, for about 20 minutes into the first half we lost our way, but we got back on track and it showed our players that if we stick to our system, it really works. These boys are extremely dedicated. They all have an extremely high soccer IQ and are very coachable which makes my job easier.”

The 2021/2022 Kings roster is diverse, with players from around the world.

“We have a lot of different nationalities on the team, so it is fun,” says Grobmeier. “Different nationalities play the game in different ways, so we are melding that all together into one cohesive system.”

Along with Canada, the student-athletes have identified their hometowns in Brazil, Iran, Japan, and the United States.

The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings have one more non-conference game against the Olds College Broncos at home on September 12 as a final tune up before the regular season begins against the defending ACAC Champions, the Lethbridge College Kodiaks, five days later.

“It’ll be a great test for us, and it’ll show us where we are at. I know the Kodiaks will be well coached and ready to go with high profile players,” says Grobmeier. “We’ve had good battles with them over the past few years and I expect it to be a one goal game, in our favour.”

In 2019, the Lethbridge College Kodiaks (8-1-3) finished second in the ACAC Men’s Soccer South Division. The Kings (7-3-2) were third.

On Friday, September 17, the Kings will host the Kodiaks at the Red Deer Polytechnic Main Field at 4 pm to begin the new campaign.

“Training is fine, but we do this to be on the pitch and battle. I love it,” says Grobmeier. “All the boys love it, and this is why we play soccer.”

Related Topics:#GeraldGrobmeier #KingsSoccer #RDPAthletics #RDPKingsSoccer feature

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The RDP Queens preparing for their first championship defense in program history

Published on September 8, 2023

Red Deer Polytechnic

After a historic season a year ago, the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Soccer team is ready to start their championship defense as the 2023/2024 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) season kicks off this weekend.

A year ago, they started the season off with a loss against the SAIT Trojans. But they didn’t know this was going to be the only loss of the ACAC season. They managed to win 11 in a row on their way to their first-ever championship banner in program history.

This incredible season also included a record-setting campaign for Sein Furuyama (Open Studies), who was last year’s ACAC South Player and Rookie of the Year recipient. She broke the individual record for most goals in a season with 29 goals and helped the Queens break the record for most goals by a team in one year as well with a total of 89.

Furuyama was also named to the South Division All-Conference alongside her teammates Estel and Sofia Quinteros (Practical Nurse Diploma).

But after losing some veteran players to graduation, Head Coach Mahziar Peyrow, who was last year’s ACAC South Division Coach of the Year, says the Queens will be looking a little bit different as they start their new season.

“This season is going to be tough for us as we had a lot of players graduate from the Polytechnic, so it will be a bit of a rebuilding year for us. But we will still be able to compete at the top level.” They still managed to keep some players from their gold medal-winning team.

Furuyama is preparing herself for her second year in the conference as she is coming off a knee injury and wants to impress the conference yet again.

Defense Kayla Yeo (Open Studies) is coming back for her fifth and final year. Yeo alongside Sofia Quinteros will co-captain the Queens this season with last year’s captain Alisha Coules graduating from the four-year Nursing program. Coules will step in as an assistant coach for the team this year.

Peyrow is very excited to have Quinteros back in the midfield as well as Yeo on the defensive line. “Sofia will remain as a key player in the defensive midfield to keep providing us with the quick transition into the attacking third. Kayla will step in the role of centre-back to strengthen our defense alongside our ever-so-powerful Kyra Remekie (Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences).”

He added the Queens will also be returning their two strikers, Paige Kalbfleisch (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and Grace Smith (Bachelor of Business Administration). These two student-athletes bring a high level of skill on the ball and can attack dangerously with pace.

Alongside these multiple returnees will also be a couple of key additions to the team who were recruited by last year’s ACAC South Division Women’s Coach of the Year this past off-season, defense Payton Erick (Business Diploma) and midfield Rilyn Clement (Pre-Health Sciences). Peyrow believes Erick will be a strong force at the back that can also get up the pitch and impact the game on the offensive side and Clement has a high soccer IQ who has great vision in the midfield.

Putting all these pieces together, the Queens head coach is quite optimistic the team can compete at the same level they did a year ago.

“Obviously, we had a great season last year and it would be amazing to reenact that this campaign. I believe the ladies have it in them to execute a great season. The energy is high as these ladies want to impress. The players all know that they need to perform well as the bar has been raised for this program.”

The Queens season will start on the road this weekend as they head down to Lethbridge on Saturday to battle with the Kodiaks at 2 p.m. before traveling out to Medicine Hat to take on the Rattlers at noon on Sunday.

For more information on this historic year last year and the upcoming season visit: RDPolytechnicathletics.ca.

RDPolytech Athletics

Cayden Nickel and Makayla Willows first ever CCRA champions from Red Deer Polytechnic

Published on May 24, 2023

Red Deer Polytechnic

RDP Royals Rodeo team excels at Canadian Collegiate Rodeo Association finals

Makayla Willows and Cayden Nickel of the Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Royals Rodeo team finished as the top competitors at the Canadian Collegiate Rodeo Association (CCRA) Finals May 19-21 in Brooks.

“Makayla and Cayden had an outstanding weekend,” says Trina Carroll, RDP Royals Program Lead. “They put in the work and were rewarded. I want to send a huge shoutout to all competitors and the CCRA Board of Directors, including Jamie Kuzma, who was our main contact at the CCRA.”

Buck Lake’s Willows earned the prestigious honour of 2023 CCRA Cowgirl of the Year by accumulating the most points among female competitors at the Silver Sage Community Corral over the weekend.

“I am thankful for the support from the RDP Royals Rodeo team, our wonderful coaches, and my family,” says Willows, who is graduating with an RDP Social Work Diploma in June. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been able to compete in the CCRA Finals. After working hard throughout the season, it was rewarding to complete my last year in College Rodeo as the Heeling Season Leader along with qualifying for the finals in Barrel Racing, Breakaway Roping and Pole Bending.”

As heeler in Team Roping, Willows consistently demonstrated her expertise in roping steers by their hind feet after the header – who was Nickel – roped the front of the steer.

“For being recognized as the High Point Cowgirl of the Year alongside my Team Roping partner Cayden, we were each awarded a beautiful saddle and buckle as Cowgirl and Cowboy of the Year,” adds Willows. “It is a very humbling honor and an amazing way to end my final College Rodeo experience.”

Nickel, who is from Evansburg, was named the CCRA Cowboy of the Year and CCRA Tie Down Roping Champion. He just completed his first year of a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Sport Studies Degree at RDP.

“It was such an awesome experience,” says Nickel about competing in the CCRA Finals. “We had a lot of fun and I can’t wait for next year.”

In addition to Willows and Nickel placing first overall in the CCRA, they made Red Deer Polytechnic history.

“In 10 years of competing in the CCRA Finals, this is the first time that RDP students have achieved the High Point Award in both the Cowboy and Cowgirl categories,” explains Carroll. “We are so proud of Makayla and Cayden.”

The next CCRA season will begin in Fall 2023.

About Red Deer Polytechnic Royals Rodeo: RDP Royals Rodeo is an elite post-secondary sports program that provides opportunities for students to compete outside of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), of which the RDP Kings and Queens are members. Since its establishment in 2013, the RDP Royals Rodeo program has grown from three student-athletes up to 40 members. The Red Deer Polytechnic Rodeo team has consistently been competitive in the CCRA, qualifying for the finals every year over the past decade. The 2022/2023 RDP Royals Rodeo team consisted of 12 dedicated student-athletes.

For more information about RDP Royals Rodeo, please visit: facebook | instagram