NEWS PHOTO SEAN ROONEY - Raouf Mohamed (left) is chased by Mason Antler during a Rattlers men's soccer practice at Medicine Hat College Sept. 4, 2019.
When the Medicine Hat College Rattlers soccer teams hit the pitch for their final home games of the season Saturday, they’ll do so with major playoff implications.
Both men’s and women’s teams need wins over the Ambrose University Lions, especially with matches Sunday at top-seeded Lethbridge.
The women’s side currently sits in a three-way tie for third in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference South Division at 3-2-3, with Augustana and Red Deer both 4-4 with the same 12 points. Only the top three advance to conference championships at the end of the month, and there’s only four more games left to play.
For the men, it’s dire. At 3-4-1 they’re fourth in the South, but the three teams above them have each only lost once. SAIT’s 5-1-1 and six points ahead, but the Trojans also have a game in hand.
Add in the fact SAIT plays 0-7 Ambrose twice, while 6-1-1 Lethbridge faces the Lions once more, and the Rattlers’ best hope may be trying to catch 6-1-1 Red Deer. Those two teams finish the regular season against each other Oct. 20, in Red Deer.
The must-win weekend starts with the women’s game against Ambrose Saturday at noon. Ambrose (0-7) has been outscored 33-4 and will look to play spoiler against a Hat side that’s only managed 11 goals, but also only given up eight so far.
The 2 p.m. men’s game looks similar on paper, with Ambrose outscored 24-1 while the Rattlers outscoring their opposition 13-7. It’s been 323 minutes of game time since Medicine Hat last scored, however, with three shutout losses at home hurting their post-season hopes.
Raouf Mohamed has scored eight of the team’s 13 goals, with Colton Pacheco adding the other five.
