Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Soccer 2021/2022 Season Preview

The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens (4-8-0) placed sixth during the regular season in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Women's Soccer South Division and missed the post-season. 

2019/2020 Awards 

ACAC Women's All-Conference South Soccer team – Alisha Coules (forward) 

 Coules

2020/2021 RDP Athletics Awards (Even though there was no ACAC competition last season, Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics celebrated academic achievements, leadership, and community involvement) 

Dean's List – Student-athletes who achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher, with a minimum of 9 credits in Fall 2020 Term 

Paige Kalbfeisch, Sofia Quinteros 

2021/2022 Season Preview 

The lack of ACAC competition last season to help keep student-athletes healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Soccer team to begin preparations for the 2021/2022 season earlier than usual. 

Head Coach - Mahziar Peyrow, General Manager/Head Coach, Women's Soccer 

Assistant Coaches - Gerald Grobmeier, Jessie Stewart  

"We started a lot of our pre-season training in June, which is sooner than our typical training schedule, but we wanted to shake the dust off," says Mahziar Peyrow, Red Deer Polytechnic Soccer General Manager and Queens Soccer Head Coach. "We entered the girls into a U19 Soccer league, the Renegades league, so about 10 of the Queens were eligible for that. It worked out well to get their fitness and touch back by playing in that division." 

Peyrow

Peyrow has prioritized the need for the student-athletes to be in peak physical condition for the upcoming campaign, and the Queens have responded well. 

"It has been tough mentally and physically to prepare for this season because the student-athletes have been out of game shape for so long," says Peyrow. "As a result, we have been conducting two training sessions a day during the week to get our fitness up. One session is at 6:30 am and the second one is in the evening."  

The ability to play this year is significant for Peyrow and the team. 

"I am very excited for the season. It means a lot to be back on the pitch. It is important for the Queens as well as Red Deer Polytechnic," says Peyrow. "It is crucial for me that the team plays meaningful games after COVID-19 took that away last year." 

Returning players from 2019/2020 

Defence – Lexi Kowalchuk, Rebecca McBride  

Midfielders – Abbi Galloway  

Forwards – Alisha Coules 

Coules, a Bachelor of Science Nursing student, is an All-Conference offensive dynamo and led the team in scoring two years ago, with nine goals and three assists in 12 games. Three of those goals were game winners. 

"It is important to have those veteran student-athletes returning because they are the ones that help positively shape the culture of the Queens," says Peyrow, who previously was an assistant coach with Kings Soccer team. "Tradition is so important for this team and the returning players want to carry that forward and pass that on to the rookies. Alisha does that extremely well and remains as team captain. We also have Rebecca as one of our assistant captains." 

New players in 2021/2022 

Fernando Giuntini Bella, Danyelle Bouvier, Tristen Clubine, Selena Delahunty, Tamera Ferris, Paige Fleischman, Corbynn Fujimoto, Sein Furuyama, Dominique Jackson, Jaiden Radics, Estel Quniteros, Sofia Quinteros, Grace Smith, Jenica Swartz, Natassia Wright 

The tremendous season that the RDP Kings Soccer team had in 2019, when they earned ACAC silver and qualified for nationals, has had a ripple effect on the Queens. 

"What we accomplished under the leadership of Wade [Groenewegen] in 2019, when the Kings placed sixth in Canada, was a big moment for our institution and for recruiting," says Peyrow. "Potential student-athletes and current Queens saw the culture that we had with the Kings and they want to be a part of that." 

Partly due to that winning culture, the Queens have added a wealth of first-year talent, including Edmonton's Sofia Quinteros, a midfielder. 

"Sofia is our junior captain," says Peyrow. "She plays as a defensive midfielder and is learning the ropes as a captain. Hopefully over the next couple of seasons she will take over that spot."  

Quinteros' talent resulted in several offers to play post-secondary soccer, including Division 1 in the United States, but she chose Red Deer Polytechnic because of its reputable Nursing program and to remain close to family. 

Quinteros is accompanied by her sister Estel Quinteros, who plays wing. Also joining the Queens this season are strikers Paige Fleischman and Corbynn Fuijimoto, defenders Fernanda Giuntini Bella and Tristen Clubine, and winger Jenica Swartz, who is also a member of the Red Deer Polytechnic Cross Country Running team.  

Peyrow has been impressed with what he has seen from all of the new additions. 

"The new recruits have brought a lot of pace to the team. In an exhibition game against The King's University Eagles, we were able to play a certain formation that I was happy with," he says. "The new student-athletes adjusted well to that formation and were able to bring a different level to the game." 

Over two exhibition games, the Queens went 1-1, dropping a 5-0 decision to the Keyano College Huskies and then blanking The King's University Eagles 7-0. 

"It is good for us to play these non-conference games. Against the Huskies, we rolled the bench quite a bit and the outcome depicted that," says Peyrow. "We adjusted and mentally prepared ourselves more for the game against the Eagles and we achieved an improved result." 

The ACAC 2021/2022 Soccer season is condensed to six games, down from 12 in 2019/2020. 

"With a shortened season, every game counts which is why we are using the exhibition games to try to figure out what works," says Peyrow. "Then we have to stick with it." 

The Queens have one final non-conference game against the Olds College Broncos on September 12 before the regular season kicks off.  

On Friday, September 17, the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens will begin the season against the Lethbridge College Kodiaks at the RDP Main Field at 2 pm.  

"The Kodiaks coach, Sean Carey, is a good guy and he does a great job. The Kings have been in some battles with the Kodiaks, including at the ACAC 2019 Championship, and I'm sure those battles will continue with the Queens," says Peyrow. "I expect that the game will be fun and intense, but we will give it our best, and hopefully we will finish the job." 

In 2019/2020, the Kodiaks (9-1-2) led the ACAC Women's Soccer South Division with 29 points. The Queens (4-8-0) finished sixth in the south, but they have their sights on an improved record.  

"I am proud of these girls. They have worked hard to get to where they are at," says Peyrow. "I am proud of where they are now and where they are going to be at the end of the season."  

Not returning from 2019/2020 

Teagan Clement, Miranda Cook, Riley DeRaaf, Sarah Donald, Natalie Frenette, Mikayla Fujimoto, Abby Grobmeier, Kayla Nesseth, Bronwyn Pfeifle, Emily Richard, Bailey Richarde, Alethea Riemer, Brooklyn Riopel, McKenna Ryan, Ashley Thomson