The Portage College Voyageurs men’s soccer squad celebrated its first win of the 2024 season on Saturday, Sept. 28 with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Northwest Polytechnic (NWP) Wolves. The Wolves were in town for Saturday and Sunday games against both the men’s and women’s teams.
At nine minutes into the first half of the opening match, Portage midfielder Dominic Douglas, won a battle for the ball deep in the Wolves' zone and fired a shot past goalkeeper Michael Boucher, securing the only goal of the match.
Re-match loss
While the Voyageurs' men's team was victorious in the first meeting of the weekend, they were not so fortunate in the rematch that followed on Sunday, losing 3-1, with the lone Portage goal coming off the foot of Daniel Hyrsky.
The Portage women's squad had a tougher time with the Wolves, losing their first game 3-0 and the second 11-0.
While the women’s squad wasn’t able to score any goals, Voyageurs goalie Esther Bylsma kept a lot of Nothwest's attempts from the scoreboard, facing 30 shots in the first game and 28 in the second.
The Voyageurs were on the road for Oct. 2 matches against the Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder. The men's team beat their Thunder opponents 1-0 with the game's only goal coming on a blast from Portage centre-back Cody Lawson. The Portage women's team dropped their game 15-0, with Bylsma again in the Voyageurs' net facing a barrage of activity, stopping 32 of the 47 shots she faced in the game.
Both Portage teams will again face the Concordia squads – this time at the Bold Centre fields – on Saturday, October 5. The women play at noon while the men take to the pitch at 2 p.m.
Going into the weekend, the Portage men's team has a record of two wins and four losses, keeping them in fifth place of the seven-team Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference north division. The Portage women have not won a game in their first six of the ACAC season, leaving them in last place of the seven-team women's ACAC northern division.
