Three RDP Soccer players awarded All-Conference honours
Edmonton, October 24, 2023 - Red Deer Polytechnic and the Athletics Department are pleased to recognize centre-back Kayla Yeo (Open Studies), midfielder Ajdin Sarcevic (Business Administration) and striker Grant Johnson (Legal Assistant) as Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) All-Conference award recipients.
Yeo moved into the centreback position this year after spending most of her ACAC career with the Queens as a fullback. Sarcevic was looked upon for leadership and his scoring abilities while Johnson was expected to bring pace to the pitch as the starting striker this season.
Kayla Yeo (Centre-back)
Kayla Yeo is a five-foot-three centreback out of Calgary, AB and is an Open Studies student-athlete.
After spending her first four years of eligibility as a fullback for the Queens, Head Coach Mahziar Peyrow asked her to slide into the centreback position as he believed she would be a crucial piece to starting the league's top strikers.
Queens Head Coach Mahziar Peyrow said Yeo did him a huge favour by coming back for her final year of eligibility despite the challenges of balancing being a full-time nurse and student-athlete.
"She did an amazing job this year as co-captain and was a big factor in us making the ACAC Championship. No words can describe how grateful I am for her commitment to this team and RDP. I'm thrilled that she was selected as an ACAC all-star, I feel that she definitely deserves the recognition."
With one of the stronger and more precise kicks on the team, she was also asked to take the majority of the team's corner kicks where she managed to pick up two assists on the season in the Queens 5-0 win over the Ambrose University Lions and the 5-0 victory over University of Alberta-Augustana Vikings.
Following this season, Yeo will move on from being a student-athlete as she is in her final year of eligibility and will hit the front lines as she continues her job of being a licensed practical nurse.
Ajdin Sarcevic (Midfielder)
Ajdin Sarcevic was the captain of this year's Kings team as a six-foot-two midfielder. He is currently in his second year of the Business Administration program and is a local student-athlete who went through the ranks of the Red Deer Renegades Soccer program.
He started nine out of 10 games and was not available for the other as he was battling an injury. The captain finished with six goals and six assists which was enough to place him in the top five in points in the ACAC with 18.
Kings Head Coach Admir Sarcevic explains his goals and assists shows why he is important to this program.
"Ajdin is someone who not only works hard on gameday but also during practice as well. He leads by example and is a very knowledgeable and experienced player."
Sarcevic earned a free kick on Saturday against the Ambrose University Lions which led to the game-winning goal in the 90th minute. The Kings will begin their post-season on Thursday at 3 pm.
Grant Johnson (Striker)
Grant Johnson is also a former player of the Renegades Youth Soccer program. He is a six-foot-four striker and is a second-year student-athlete enrolled in the Legal Assistant program at the Red Deer Polytechnic.
It was not very offensive for Johnson but he showed up and did what Head Coach Admir Sarcevic asked him to do when it came down to gameday. He had three goals and three assists to give him nine points on the season. His biggest game came against the Ambrose University Lions back in September when he assisted on the opening goal and scored two goals including the game-winner in the 85th minute.
Sarcevic explained he has known Johnson since he was a nine-year-old playing for the Renegades and has developed into one of the top strikers in the ACAC.
"When it came down to some of the biggest games this season for our team, he stepped up and did what the coaching staff asked him to do. He scored two big goals against Ambrose which was at a point during the season where if we lost or tied the match our playoff hopes would have dyed. But his two goals sprung us to a victory and started the Kings on a streak that saw us take home 16 points in seven matches."
Johnson was one of the three student-athletes that were honoured at the Kings last home game as he will be graduating from his program in 2024.
Red Deer Polytechnic and the Athletics department would like to congratulate these student-athletes on a job well done this year and wish them all the luck at the ACAC Championships this week in Edmonton.