The Keyano College Women's Futsal Huskies ascended to the top of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) podium Sunday on the home court at the Syncrude Sport and Wellness Centre, topping the SAIT Trojans 2-1 in a thrilling Gold medal match.
The win marked the first for the Huskies in their history of ACAC futsal after earning Silver in 2022 and 2016.
"It means everything," said Isabela Bustos-Chaba, who capped off her student-athlete career as an ACAC Champion. "It's everything that we've worked for this whole entire season and everything that me and the other fifth years have been working for us since we got here.
"To finally get it, it just means everything."
After a scoreless first half, the Huskies found the back of the net thanks to Nathalie Andersson and Madison Tyson in the second half with the Trojans receiving a goal from Nicole Charlton.
Rookie goalkeeper Kendra Metz dazzled once against as she had throughout her team's other three wins in their perfect tournament run.
"I think we just we were able to keep ourselves calm and composed," Bustos-Chaba continued. "Instead of being intimidated, we came out feeling like we're the team to beat instead of worrying about who we have to play."
For Head Coach Niels Slotboom, the win was a culmination of two years in changing the mindset of the student-athletes that they had the talent to rise to the top.
"Coming here, you know, it was hard to get the girls to understand that they were good enough to win," said Slotboom. "That was really the focus point since day one that I that I was here, you know, with the girls that have been here from day one where the programs were losing every single game."
Slotboom acknowledged the gradual success of previous coaches before him in helping to get the ball rolling with the redemption from last year's defeat a crucial part of the victory.
To accomplish it was one thing; to do it on the home court was another. For a program that has had more than their fair share of losses, the win helps turn another page to further emphasize that the Huskies are no longer a pushover in Women's futsal or outdoor soccer.
From a divisional standpoint it also marks another milestone with the Huskies being the first North Division institution to win the Women's Futsal Championship since the Lakeland Rustlers women did so in 2012-13.
The trio of Andersson, Metz, and Marissa Mestre were all named to the Women's Futsal First All-Star team for their tournament performances.
"You're supposed to leave things better than you found them," said Bustos-Chaba. "I think that's something that we've definitely done. You know, we started off losing every game and now we're here as champions.
"It's just everything."
