LAC LA BICHE - The Portage College Voyageurs men’s and women’s soccer teams have received the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Fair Play Award.
Jim Knight, the college’s manager of athletics and recreation, says the ACAC gives the Fair Play Award to the teams with the least number of yellow and red card violations during the season. The roster of each squad is recognized through the ACAC Fair Play Award for their hard work, sportsmanship and fair play on the pitch.
“The award goes to the entire team as it is a group effort,” Knight says.
The Voyageurs men’s team shares the award this year with the Lakeland College Rustlers men’s team.
The awards were handed out at the ACAC December planning meetings, which took place during the week of Dec. 9 in Canmore.
Knight says this is the second time the men’s soccer squad has won the ACAC Fair Play Award. The 2024 award shows a big turnaround in gameplay for the Voyageur men’s squad. The team finished the 2023 outdoor season with more yellow and red cautions than any other team.
“Last year we were the most penalized team, so it is a huge improvement to go from worst ... to tied for first,” Knight tells Lakeland This Week.
As for the women’s team, Knight is equally impressed, saying this is the third time in five years the women have been the recipient of the ACAC Fair Play Award.
Both Portage College soccer squads wrapped up the 2024 regular outdoor soccer season in late October. Neither team made it to the league’s playoff round.
Indoor is next
After Christmas, players from both Portage squads will be on the indoor pitch at the Bold Center for the start of the ACAC futsal season, which gets underway in January and runs until March.
Portage College will be hosting the North Division ACAC Futsal qualifiers from January 17 to 19.