Three Stars: Yassin, Russo, Carter earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Men's soccer student-athlete Rakan Yassin is the MacEwan Athletics first star of the week after recording three goals and an assist in a pair of weekend road wins.
Yassin scored for the 12th time in his Griffins career, passing Everett Orgnero as the program's career goals leader in Canada West play.
Women's soccer midfielder Amelia Russo and men's soccer midfielder Chance Carter were named the second and third stars, respectively.
It's the first time on the Three Stars list this season for both Yassin and Russo, while Carter is appearing for a second time after being named first star on Sept. 3.
Ricky Yassin heads the ball against Thompson Rivers on Friday. He finished with three points in a 3-2 win (Andrew Snucins photo).
1st STAR: Rakan (Ricky) Yassin, F, men's soccer
Edmonton, AB, fifth-year, Arts
Not only did the veteran striker have one of the best single-game performances in program history against Thompson Rivers last Friday, he rewrote the record book on a weekend where the Griffins netted their first two wins of the season.
Against TRU, he scored twice and added an assist on Abhiroop Sandhu's game-winning goal as the Griffins won their first of the season, 3-2.
In that contest, he tied five program records: two goals in game, career goals mark, most points in a game, most shots on goal in a game (4) and the career penalty kicks goals standard.
Two days later in Prince George, B.C., Yassin scored the game-winning goal to tie the program record for career GWGs, while also breaking the mark for most career goals with 12. If second assists were awarded, he would have drawn one on Chance Carter's 66th-minute goal.
For the season, Yassin is second on the Griffins with four points in four games played this season.
The Griffins will host UFV on Saturday and Trinity Western on Sunday (both 12 p.m., Edmonton Scottish, Canada West TV).
Amelia Russo had three points in MacEwan's 6-1 win over Lethbridge on Sunday (Norman Bo photo).
2nd STAR: Amelia Russo, M/D, women's soccer
St. Albert, AB, third-year, Science
The 20th start of her university career will be the stellar defensive player's most memorable to date as she not only scored her first career goal, she finished with three points to propel the Griffins past the Lethbridge Pronghorns 6-1 on Sunday.
Russo scored on a header off a corner kick just 3:11 into the match to set the tone for what would prove to be a rout.
After drawing an assist on Sophie Lavallee's game-winner 7:05 in, Russo scored again on a header off a corner kick in the 82nd minute.
Second assists aren't awarded in soccer or she would have had a four-point outing, as she kick-started the play that led to Alyx Henderson's 80th minute tally.
For the season, Russo is up to three points and sits tied for third in scoring on the Griffins.
MacEwan hits the road this weekend for matches at Manitoba and Winnipeg on Saturday and Sunday, respectively (both 12 p.m. MT, Canada West TV).
Chance Carter set the single game program record with four points against UNBC on Sunday (Harsh Banga photo).
3rd STAR: Chance Carter, M, men's soccer
Edmonton, AB, fourth-year, Science
With a performance for the ages on Sunday, Carter broke a program record that had stood for nearly seven years when he recorded four points to pace MacEwan past UNBC 4-1.
Carter's two goals tied him for the most by a Griffin in a Canada West match, while he added two assists for four points, passing the program record of three, originally set by Lahai Mansaray in 2017 and matched by Ricky Yassin two days earlier.
Carter's first goal in the 66th minute was a thing of beauty as he launched a strike from distance that blew past the keeper and under the bar.
For the season, Carter leads the Griffins in scoring with five points in six games.
The Griffins will host UFV on Saturday and Trinity Western on Sunday (both 12 p.m., Edmonton Scottish, Canada West TV).
