The RDC Kings were unable to carry any momentum from a big victory in their home opener.
Sunday, the Kings ran into a buzzsaw SAIT Trojans squad and dropped a 4-2 decision on home turf in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference play.
The stingy Trojans defence limited the Kings scoring opportunities in the second half and their ability to run the field with pace was too much to handle for the home side.
“Just not activated enough. We gotta play better to beat a team that good. We gave a few away and they’re generating enough on their own, they don’t need us to help them,” said Kings coach Wade Groenewegen, who was without his captain Theo Gill for the match.
“They come with some pretty good team speed all over. They have a couple backs that come around really well. They are overloading on the sides and we just ground down on our back four… we were juggling all over the lineup, we had guys going down.”
Armando Garica opened the scoring for SAIT in just the sixth minute, before rookie Kaidri Bornyi responded for the Kings in the 26th.
Martin Bertosi buried for SAIT late in the half and on the other side of the opening frame, scored his second of the afternoon in the 48th.
Garcia put the game out of reach in the 57th with his second of the game. He was named player of the game for his efforts.
RDC was able to get one goal back when third-year Damian Marah notched a goal after a great through ball by Lacombe product Nathan Swatrz in the 72nd minute. He was player of the game for the Kings.
“Nathan had a tough task, one pretty good right-back who came around a lot all day. (Nathan) really hung with him,” Groenewegen said.
“It was Nathan that put Damian through for the goal. He had some pretty big clearances. That’s not his role, but that’s what he did.”
The Kings are at Ambrose University next weekend to take on the Lions.
Queens struggle against SAIT
The RDC Queens will have to go back to the drawing board this week.
RDC struggled on home turf Sunday in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference play, falling 6-0 to the SAIT Trojans.
SAIT scored twice in the opening 45 minutes and cashed four more in the second half to roll to victory.
“They are still trying to find chemistry,” said Queens head coach Esad Alkaz.
“It’s early in the season and they’re still trying to find out where people are standing. We’re going to get there, we just have to stay positive. A lot of individual mistakes and that’s what we’re going to focus on this week… I’m 100 per cent positive we’re going to be okay.”
Aki Fujimori opened the scoring and Skye Gordon cashed a penalty shot just before halftime. Jade Metz added a pair in the second half, Jessica Gabel added another and Jamie McPhearson buried a penalty shot late.
The Queens struggled to generate much offence and looked disconnected in the loss. Alkaz also said on the attacking side, his group is still developing with all the new forwards and midfielders.
“We play as a team, we lose as a team. We have to work together,” Elkaz added.
“I think we are building the game great from the back. We’re coming forward and we stop there. That’s going to be our focus and how we’re going to finish and put the ball in the net.”
Lexi Kowalchuk was the Queens player of the game.
After a 4-0 win in their opening game, the Queens have lost three straight games and have been outscored 14-2 in that stretch.
Next week, they travel Calgary to take on the Ambrose University Lions on Sept. 21.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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