Keyano College Huskies Athletics announced today that women's soccer student athlete Sophie Griffiths (Liverpool, England) and men’s soccer student athlete Ayman Hassen (Markham, Ont) have been named the Keyano Huskies Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, October 3, 2021.
Griffiths scored twice, added a pair of assists, and had 10 shots on goal as the women’s soccer Huskies claimed an 8-0 win Sunday against the Portage College Voyageurs on the road.
“Sophie played really well,” said head coach Niels Slotboom. “The dots are finally connecting for her over here.
“Obviously, the game is a bit different than what she’s used to at home and she’s starting to find her groove in our game in our team and it’s really starting to show.”
Griffiths scored in the 70th and 78th minute, marking the sixth and seventh goals of the game for the Huskies.
She also assisted on the opening goal of the game, scored by Emma Bendera in the fifth minute. Griffiths assisted on Bendera’s second goal in the 51st minute.
For the second-straight game, the Business and Early Learning and Child Care student earned Player of the Game honours, replicating her honours from the previous week in Grande Prairie, Alta.
The women’s Huskies have now won three-straight games and claimed home-field advantage in at least the first round of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Playoffs.
In a character win for the men’s soccer Huskies, Hassen took a strong leadership role up front. He helped pace the Huskies offence, turning several of their chances into legitimate scoring threats.
Hassen eventually provided the breakthrough for the Huskies late in the second half, drawing a call inside the box to set up a penalty. Teammate Tom Wessel would convert the opportunity created by Hassen’s play to give the Huskies the lead.
“He took the team on his shoulders this week, leading by example and then leading in the game as well,” said Slotboom. “He was a pain in the butt for the opposition the whole time and created some chances.”
Hassen was recognized as the Player of the Game in Sunday’s contest. The fifth-year striker has been a member of the Huskies since the 2016-17 season. For his ACAC career, Hassen has scored 12 regular-season goals and added three assists.
Hassen played a key role for the Huskies in 2016 and 2017, as they won their second and third-consecutive ACAC Men’s Soccer Championship. He was also a part of the squad that captured silver at the 2016 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association’s National Men’s Soccer Championship.
The Huskies return to the pitch this weekend for the final two games of the regular season. The Huskies will host the Lakeland Rustlers at Shell Place on Saturday, October 9 with the games scheduled at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. They’ll then head down Highway 63 to face the NAIT Ooks on Sunday, October 10 in Edmonton.
Keyano Huskies Athletes of the Week
October 3: Sophie Griffiths (women’s soccer) & Ayman Hassen (men’s soccer)
September 26: Natalie Orellana (women's soccer) & Conner McGlennan (Esports)
September 19: Madison Tyson (women's soccer) & Caleb Kehler (men's soccer)
