LAKELAND, NAIT TOP NORTHERN DIVISION STANDINGS AFTER FIRST FUTSAL REGIONAL IN LAC LA BICHE

LAC LA BICHE – Outside, it was colder than liquid nitrogen (or at least it felt that way). Inside, it was considerably warmer – and that's not just because of central heating.

Inside the friendly confines of the Bold Center, teams from Keyano College, Lakeland College, NAIT, Northwestern Polytechnic, Portage College, and The King's University turned up the heat January 17-19 with some sizzling ACAC futsal action as part of the first Northern Regional tournament. Fans were treated to some spectacular goals, tic-tac-toe passing, great saves, tight games, and yes, a few hard fouls (but some great displays of sportsmanship too). Peter Jones from NAIT led the way, scoring seven goals over five games, helping to lead his team to a 4-1 mark, tied with Lakeland atop the Northern standings, halfway through the qualifying season. Ooks Assistant Coach Paul Kelly was pleased with his team's performance, even though they finished on a tough note, losing their final game of the weekend 5-1 to the Rustlers.

"I thought we did very well…We attacked, we defended well, and we were composed when we had to be," he said on Sunday evening, prior to hopping on a bus back to Edmonton. "Today was a little bit tougher. We ran out of some bodies but I still think that we played well overall. It was a good weekend."

At the other end of the table, host Portage finished the weekend without any points but were competitive in many games, including a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the NWP Wolves, hitting the post seconds before the final buzzer instead of tying the game in the dying moments. Head Coach Macky Singh wasn't disappointed in the weekend, despite what he called his team's inconsistent play.

"The thing is, with a lot of guys, (futsal) is new for a lot of them. I think as they start learning and start growing, we will see the positive," he said. "We just need to be consistent throughout the entire game and not just parts of the game. I think putting that whole piece together, I think we'll get there. It'll take a little time, but we'll get there."

More immediately, "there" is Grande Prairie in a couple of weeks for Singh's Voyageurs and the other five squads from the first regional. Northwestern Polytechnic will host the second weekend tournament on Feb. 21-23. The three teams with the best combined records from the two regional tournaments will qualify to represent the North at the provincial championships in Lloydminster March 7-9. By virtue of Lakeland hosting the event, there's only two other spots up for grabs, meaning some teams have work to do if they wish to continue their season into March.

Singh, who has more than 30 years' experience in the coaching ranks, expects to see more entertaining matches, especially considering the elevated level of competition in the men's game right now.

"The quality of play has been good," he said. "Teams are getting closer to each other. It's getting more level out there which is good for the sport and the competition."

The regional in Grande Prairie will mark the first time in almost two years that Northern Alberta futsal teams aren't playing in the friendly confines of the Bold Center. Last year, Portage College and the Lac La Biche multiplex hosted both Northern regionals and the provincial championships. Despite playing in the same venue on multiple occasions, Kelly noted that his NAIT colleagues were quite comfortable in small-town, Northeastern Alberta.

"We like being here," he said. "And we like the travel…People here have been very good to us. All the tournaments have been good."

Standings (after first Northern Regional)

Top Scorers

• Peter Jones (NAIT) – 7 goals
• Joshua Malin (Lakeland ) --  5 goals
• Hafid Arellano (Keyano) – 5 goals
• Jameson Kiezik (NAIT) – 4 goals
• Pedro Schindler (NWP) – 4 goals
• Barauh Al-Slaa (NWP) – 4 goals