Welcome to the Saskatchewan Soccer's Everyone's Game Quarterly Newsletter. Provided below is an overview of soccer events that took place from April-June, 2025 in Saskatchewan, across the country, and around the world.

In a historic debut on the international stage, Canada Soccer’s Women’s Futsal National Team completed an impressive tournament run to win the inaugural Concacaf Women's Futsal Championship and qualify for the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025™. 

The team features strong Saskatchewan representation with Ala Erica Hindmarsh, Fixo Jade Houmphanh and Goalkeeper Jadyn Steinhauer all making an impact throughout the tournament under the tutelage of long time U of S Women’s Soccer Coach and Team Canada Assistant Coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton.

Team Canada’s first test was against Costa Rica on April 29th where they fell 3-2 in a close contest as they got their first taste of international futsal competition.

Canada would next take on Honduras April 30th cruising to a 6-0 victory and setting the stage for a massive match between Canada and long-time rivals USA for a spot in the semi-finals.

Canada started the match against the Americans strong taking a 2-1 lead into half time before Erica Hindmarsh scored a beautiful goal near the midway point of the second half to help seal the victory for the Canadian’s and secure a spot in the semi-finals against undefeated Mexico.

Canada would go down early in the semi-final facing a 3-0 deficit at the half. Despite the adversity Canada would start the second half strong as Jade Houmphanh used her left foot to fool the Mexican keeper and get the comeback started. Canada would go on to score three goals in the first five minutes of the half to tie the game at three. Canada would add another later in the half to take their first lead of the contest 4-3. Canada would take their lead into the final minute where Mexico would score a heartbreaking goal with 1.8 seconds remaining to tie the game at four and send it to extra time. Ten minutes of extra time would solve nothing, and the game headed to penalty kicks.

Penalty Kicks was full of Saskatchewan flavour as Jade Houmphanh scored on her PK attempt while Jadyn Steinhauer stood strong between the pipes for Canada stopping two attempts to secure the come back victory for Canada, a spot in the CONCACAF Championship Final against Panama and a berth in the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025. An incredible accomplishment for our four Saskatchewan representatives and for Canada!

Riding the momentum of a huge semi-final victory Erica Hindmarsh scored early against Panama and Canada never looked back cruising to an 8-2 victory to claim the inaugural CONCACAF Women’s Futsal Championship.

Canada swept the tournament awards as they were awarded the tournament Fair Play award, Esther Brossard of Quebec took home the tournament’s MVP and Top Scorer awards, and Lea Palacio of Quebec was named the tournaments Top Goalkeeper.

The future of Futsal in Canada is bright and Saskatchewan is leading the way thanks to coaches like Jerson and athletes like Erica, Jade and Jadyn. The Saskatchewan Soccer Association is incredibly proud of the way you represented our province and our country. Congratulations and best of luck at the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025, our province will be watching you with pride!

 Canada Boy’s Under-15 CONCACAF Championships

We’re excited to announce that Oudai Alhamami and David Gbenle have been officially named to the Provisional Roster for the upcoming Under-15 Boys’ CONCACAF Championships, set to take place in Costa Rica from August 2–10, 2025, with a pre-tournament camp beginning July 28. This is a significant milestone for both players and a proud moment for everyone involved in their development. We extend our sincere thanks to the clubs that have played a key role in their journey — Astra Soccer Academy, Queen City United, SUSC, FCR and Prince Albert — for their continued support and contributions. 

Knowing that the next Canada Soccer intake will be taking place in Saskatoon from February 17-19, 2026. We want to highlight our upcoming July 29–30 Identification Camp, where 32 of the top 2011-born male prospects from across Saskatchewan will be brought together for evaluation and to immerse themselves in a high-performance EXCEL environment. From the initial 32 identified players, 16-18 players will be part taking in three additional high-performance mini camps: 

• November 1–2 
• December 20–21 
• January 17–18 

These camps will help players understand and experience the expectations of a high-performance setting and will serve as key preparation for the SK/MB Canada Integration Camp, to be held in Saskatoon from February 17–19, 2026. 

As shown by the success of players like Oudai Alhamami and David Gbenle, who were both identified for Canada's U15 squad following their involvement with the SK/MB Integration Camp, these environments continue to be a critical part of our development pathway. 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! Congratulations to the Saskatchewan representative in the Women's Division, Saskatoon Impact FC, who won GOLD at the Futsal Canadian Championship in Regina, April 13 beating the Montreal Underdogs FC in penalty kicks after being tied 4-4 through extra time. Saskatchewan's Jade Houmphanh took home tournament MVP honours.

6TH PLACE! Congratulations to the Men's Division representative for Saskatchewan, Yorkton United FC, who finished in 6th place at the Futsal Canadian Championships in Regina April 13th.

Join us in Prince Albert for what has been historically the best day of the year in soccer for our annual Soccer Day in Saskatchewan. 

With programming for the whole family – visit SDIS Registration to register for Youth & Mini Camps, 3-on-3 Tournaments, Adaptive Programming and Walking Soccer for All Ages. 

Female Program Update

The SASK EXCEL female program has had an incredibly busy few months. They went undefeated in the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy Showcase with 2 wins and 1 tie. The girls competed at the BTB Academy tournament during Easter and although had a very strong game, lost in the semi-finals but met their objectives and had valuable learning experiences. The girls split into 2 teams for the SSA Showcase with half of the team moving to the Canada Summer Games squad and the other half playing with guest players. Both squads were very successful. The girls are currently competing the in Saskatoon Adult Soccer Western Shield with some very good results against older teams and adult teams. 

As we wind down our season in a couple of weeks, we want to express how very proud we are of all our graduating players and give a special mention to the girls who have moved or are moving on to next level opportunities. 

Graduating Players

The EXCEL program will be hosting an identification camp July 29th and 30th. Invitations have been sent to select players to come and find out what the EXCEL program is all about. The girl’s camp is no full! 

The SASK EXCEL female program has had over twenty hopeful players come in for assessment sessions since January. These players came ready to play and the selection process is going to be very difficult for the program coaches. 



A very special “Thank you” to all the coaches who supported the program over the course of the season. The program couldn’t run without them! 

Tanya Giesbrecht 

Mukasa Bagonluri 

Char Adamus 

Jade Unterschute 

Issa Dawoud 

Male Program Update

The SASK EXCEL Male Program has had an exciting and competitive few months filled with high-level matches and valuable learning moments. 

In April, the boys traveled to the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy Showcase, where they earned a strong 2-0 win over Edmonton, followed by a hard-fought 3-1 loss to Ontario and a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Whitecaps 2007/2006 Selects team. The team also competed in the BTB Academy Tournament in Edmonton, where they went undefeated in the group stage before falling in the semi-finals — a strong overall showing. 

Locally, the boys are currently competing in the Saskatoon Adult Soccer Western Shield League, where they’ve proven to be strong contenders. With a current record of 3 wins, 1 tie, and 1 loss, the team sits in second place with two matches left to play. 

We were proud to also field two EXCEL teams in the SSA Showcase Event, giving players a valuable opportunity to perform in front of evaluators and deepen their game understanding. Both squads represented the program well with competitive performances. 

As we approach the end of the season, we’d like to acknowledge the incredible efforts of all our athletes, and extend a special congratulations to our graduating player Ife Adelakun.

We also want to highlight our July 29–30 Identification Camp, where 32 of the top 2011-born male prospects from across Saskatchewan will be brought in for evaluation and to experience the high-performance EXCEL environment. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our dedicated coaching staff who supported the program all season long: 

• Sergio Molina 
• Ethan Cabral 
• Brennan Murphy 

Your contributions are a big reason for our players’ continued growth and development. 

We are incredibly proud of how far the program has come and are excited for what lies ahead as we continue to support and develop top talent in the province. 

Regina August 15-17

For the adults – join us for Sask Cup Adult and Sask Cup Masters August 15-17 in Regina!

Participation in Sask Cup Adult is open to athletes 15 years of age and older with a bid to the Canada Soccer National

Championships available to the gold medal teams, while Masters is 30+ (Female) and 35+ (Male) with a bid to the Canada Soccer Regional Championships available to the gold medal teams.

Registration closes July 15th

Thank you to all teams who participated in our Sask Cup Rural event May 23-25 in Humboldt. Registrations increased for the second straight year with seven divisions competing this year. The SaskTel Be Kind Online Skill Centre involved teams from Big Island Lake Cree Nation, Kindersley, Humboldt, Lanigan, Meadow Lake, Nipawin and area, Estevan, and Langenburg/Esterhazy and area.

The Sask Cup Competition saw teams from Stoughton, Lanigan, Humboldt, Langenburg/Esterhazy and area, Nipawin, Eatonia, and North Battleford.

Your 2025 Sask Cup Rural Champions are:

U15 Boys

Champion: Humboldt Hurricanes

Finalist: Lanigan Lightning

MVP: Yaroslav Ostapenko - Nipawin FC

Fairplay Award Winer: BUFC Bull

U19 Girls 

Champion: Lanigan Lightning

Finalist: East Central Soccer Academy

MVP: Emily Hertlein - East Central Soccer Academy

Fairplay Award Winer: East Central Soccer Academy

U19 Boys

Champion: Humboldt Hurricanes

Finalist: East Central Soccer Academy

MVP: Liam Zimmerman - Humboldt Hurricanes

Fairplay Award Winer: Lanigan Lightning

A huge Thank You to all teams that participated in this year’s Sask Cup 11-a-side! It was an action packed weekend right up to the end as several Championship games went to kicks!

U15 Boys

Champion: Lakewood Leipzig

Finalist: Battlefords United

MVP: Danny Carlson – Battlefords United

Fairplay: FCR Legion

U15 Girls

Champion: Swift Current United

Finalist: Eastside Man City

MVP: Hailey Langager – Swift Current United

Fairplay: Swift Current United

U17 Boys

Champion: FCR Adamantium

Finalist: Excelsior FC

MVP: Daniel Oni – FCR Adamantium

Fairplay: Estevan FC

U17 Girls

Champion: FCR Selects

Finalist: Mooseton

MVP: Brylee Night – Battlefords United

Fairplay: Weyburn Red Devils

U19 Boys

Champion: Forza Soccer Academy

Finalist: SUSC Crewe

MVP: Gavin LaBrash – Forza Soccer Academy

Fairplay: Forza Soccer Academy

We would also like to thank the over 40 SaskTel Be Kind Online Skill Centre teams that participated at Sask Cup 11-a-side as well. We hope you all had a blast and take home some memories that will last a lifetime!

Nov 7th – Member Organization technical sessions 

Nov 8th - November Member sessions and Everyone’s Game conference 

Nov 9th – Aboriginal Coaching Module – Registration information to be shared soon 

Greg Gilhooly brings a powerful blend of legal expertise, governance leadership, and lived experience to the Canadian sport landscape.

As both a seasoned lawyer and a survivor of abuse in sport, Greg offers a rare and invaluable perspective. His advocacy has led him to speak before Parliament and the Senate, and his memoir, "I Am Nobody", has resonated nationally and internationally.

Now a team member at Sport Law, Greg is committed to creating safer, more inclusive environments in sport by supporting organizations with their governance, legal, and cultural growth.

Join the Microsoft Teams Meeting using the information below.

Meeting ID: 253 481 201 126 1

Passcode: 84aV94J6 

Missed one of our previous monthly sessions? Check out our website for recordings of past Lunch & Learn episodes Saskatchewan Soccer Association : Website by RAMP InterActive 

Girls Who Play Soccer are Empowered for Life Event

On the weekend of May 3rd & 4th SSA along with Girls Forward hosted a Girl's Who Play Soccer are Empowered for Life Event in North Battleford with over 55 athletes and 8 coaches.

Attendees took part in on field skills sessions and mini games as well as in class learning on the Girls Forward curriculum.

A big thank you to all those that attended and made the event a success!

Early in May IDEA coordinator Jen Wood was in Lloydminster to host their first walking soccer 'try it' day. A huge thank you to everyone that attended and tried their hand at this new to them version of the game.

Did you know SSA offers Member Organizations with adult programming the opportunity to host a Walking Soccer ‘Try It’ Day. SSA will come to your community and help deliver a walking soccer event for participants who are interested in the modified format of the game. Try it today!

New Canada Soccer e-Learning Modules

Canada Soccer is excited to announce the launch of four new eLearning modules  Idea - Canada Soccer designed to support our membership in fostering inclusivity, cultural awareness, and accessibility within soccer communities across Canada. These modules are part of our commitment to creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.   

1. Cultural Awareness 
2. 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion 
3. Engaging New to Canada Participants 
4. Adapted Soccer 

We would like to recognise and congratulate our new Quality Soccer Provider Club Lisence holders:

Lac La Ronge Tri Community Association

Lanigan and District Soccer Association

Nipawin Youth Soccer

Esterhazy Youth Soccer

Stoughton Soccer Club

Phantom Lake Soccer Club

SSA Calendar of Events & Deadlines

To view and subscribe to our full Calendar of Events visit our website!

Saskatchewan Soccer Association www.sasksoccer.com