Rustlers Continue Futsal Dominance (Saskatchewan/Alberta)

It’s only their first season of existence, but already the Lakeland Rustlers men’s futsal team is making some noise.
This past weekend, the Rustlers once again ran the table, going undefeated in Medicine Hat and claiming their second title in as many tournaments.

By Robb Fenton From the Lloydminster Source http://www.lloydminstersource.com/Sports/tabid/60/entryid/285/Default.aspx

“It’s been good. To take on teams like Mount Royal, Medicine Hat and for the the boys to win it, no defeats at all was great,” Rustlers head coach Mick Gale said.

In the first tournament, hosted by Lakeland College, the Rustlers proved they were for real. They went a perfect 3-0, outscoring their opponents 23-4 in the round robin and continued their domination with a 6-2 win in the semi-final and winning the final 11-3.

“One of the biggest things is they are in the college and ready to train every day. We get them in and they give it their all and they really work at it,” Gale said of the reason for success and the hard work the team has put in so far.

“That’s been the key to everything and I have to give credit to the guys who come from Vermilion everyday and never miss. I’m really pleased with it all.”  

Entering the first season of futsal, there was no clear favourite, but the Rustlers quickly stepped up as the team to beat.
They haven’t lost a game in the two tournaments so far and have looked totally dominant, hitting double digits a few times.
“The first two (tournaments) were out of this world and now a lot of the colleges are looking at us to see what we’re doing,” Gale said. “We scored 27 goals in five games, that’s brilliant.”

There is still work to do and Gale knows they can’t get complacent, but he is also confident in the future of the team, with kids coming to the college for next season, to go along with the remaining tournaments set for this season.

The team hits the road March 19 to 21 for a tournament in Keyano and look to make it three tournament wins in a row.
“We’re going to be the team to beat, I’m pretty pleased with it,” Gale stated.

LADY RUSTLERS FUTSAL

The Lady Rustlers opened up with a great tournament at home in late January and followed it up with a strong effort, just not as much success this past weekend in Medicine Hat.

At home, the Rustlers had a record of 3-1, defeated Keyano in the semi-finals 5-1 before falling by a goal in the finals to Medicine Hat. In Medicine Hat, the team didn’t quite breakout, but once again, performed well.

“They showed well again. If we just had those extra few players, which we will have coming next season, it will be even better. We’ll be tough to beat,” Gale said of the ladies’ team.

The women also travel to Keyano in March for the final scheduled tournament this season.