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Kings break goal-scoring drought but fall to Kodiaks

It had been close almost eight hours of play or five games since the RDC Kings netted a goal.
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RDC Kings player Timmo Van Klaveren tries to dribble past a Lethbridge College Kodiaks player on Sunday in ACAC action. (Photo By BYRON HACKETT/Advocate Staff)

It had been close almost eight hours of play or five games since the RDC Kings netted a goal.

In their final home game of the season, the Kings finally found the back of the net, but they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Lethbridge College Kodiaks in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference play.

Nonso Onwuekwe broke the drought in the 59th minute Sunday and brought the Kings within one after Lethbridge opened the game with a goal three minutes in and another before halftime.

“Our message at halftime was, if anything was going to happen it was because you outwork and out physical the other team. They did bring that,” Kings head coach Wade Groenewegen said.

“Our only limit has been we haven’t stuck enough in and they broke that goose egg today. They feel good about it, unfortunately, we’re still have the same result and we’re not picking up any points today after the game. We’ve gotta live with that but, I’m glad for them.”

Down 3-1 late in the game, RDC had another chance cut the deficit, when captain Theo Gill took a penalty kick after the Kodiaks goalie was given a straight red card for hauling down Timmo Van Klaveren in the box. Gill, who wasn’t 100 per cent healthy for the Kings, was stopped on the penalty by Kodiaks substitute keeper Wilson Ntignee. Ntignee was player of the game for Lethbridge with two goals and the big save to preserve the win.

“That’s on me. We’re dealing with injuries and we put Theo back in, knowing he’s nursing a little bit of something. We were only looking for 15 minutes out of him,” Groenewegen said.

“He’s the guy we would always go to, I let him decide but I kind of wish I would have decided for him. I’m not disappointed in my captain for taking the kick either.”

While things haven’t gone exactly as planned for the Kings this season, Groenewegen said building on the foundation of players they have returning will be key to a positive campaign next year.

“We’re probably looking at somewhere between 16 and 18 of these guys returning. We won’t have the excuse that we’re younger and inexperienced. We still need help. I’ll have big recruiting jobs to do to find a couple of key players that will help get us over the hump,” he said.

Two Kings players, Yenner Teah and Nathan Bergeson will move on after this season to University of Alberta. Tanner Steenbergen and Bryce Vleeming will also graduate.

The Kings final ACAC regular season game is next Saturday against the Lakeland Rustlers.



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Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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