Rough Journey Will Help Voyageurs Reach Destination Says Coach

LAC LA BICHE – On the surface, it would seem like a step back. A year after they went undefeated in regional playdowns and qualified for the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC) championships, the Portage College Men's futsal team did not taste the same success in 2023, failing to qualify for the post-season dance. Below the surface, however, there is much more to the story. In the immortal words of Seth Myers from Late Night, "it's time for a closer look" (without the jokes). Head Coach Kika Mukuninwa doesn't view the season as a failure. Rather, he sees it as a learning experience.

"With high expectations coming off of last season's success, this past season was a reminder that we can't rest on our laurels," he says. "Our players will rebound from the disappointment and will come back better."

With an expanded roster of grizzled veterans (well ok, they don't have grey hair, unlike the ageing writer of this article, but they do have experience) and talented newcomers on the way for the upcoming season, Mukuninwa is confident his squad will make it back to the dance.

"I'm expecting a bounce back season from the men as we look to reclaim a spot at the Provincial Championship Tournament," he says.

The 2022-23 Men's Soccer season can be summed up in similar fashion. On the surface, the team took a step back, failing to win any of its matches as the ACAC returned to a 12-game season post-COVID. Turning on a microscope, however, revealed an injury bug the size of your average SUV that could not be contained. The team's IR list was routinely longer than the names on the scoresheet for most of the season. To this day, Mukuninwa remains impressed how his players never used this as an excuse and always battled to final whistle.

"Team and individual growth were the highlights of this past season," says the head coach. "We saw young guys step in and play big minutes when our veterans went down through injury."

Mukuninwa is optimistic the upcoming outdoor season will net some better results and some exciting matches for fans to take in.

"With a strong recruiting class and a solid core of returning players, I'm looking forward to seeing the team rebound and compete," he says.