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Club / Team Overview

The Saskatchewan Soccer Association – Sask EXCEL team will compete out of Saskatoon with home matches played at SMF Field. The Saskatchewan Soccer Association is the provincial governing body for soccer and Sask EXCEL represents the high-performance pathway for male players in the province. The program focuses on developing young athletes and preparing them for the next level, whether that is university, professional environments, or national team opportunities.

Our club philosophy is centered around player development and helping individuals grow not only as players, but as people. We believe sport is a tool to develop discipline, work ethic, accountability, and confidence that will help players succeed both on and off the field. We aim to provide a professional environment where players can improve daily and push toward their next opportunity in the game.

Coaching / Leadership Team

Head Coach: Matthew Hnatiw
Assistant Coaches: Saif Waseem, Brennan Murphy, Sterling Kerr, Phil Andrews, Sergio Molina, Ethan Cabral

Our coaching staff is a young group with a lot of energy, new ideas, and the bravery to implement a modern style of play. The environment will be demanding, clear, and supportive, where players understand expectations, are pushed to improve every day, and are supported in their development both on and off the field.

Our playing style is built on high energy, intensity, clarity, and a constant intention to play forward. In attack, we aim to be creative, fluid, and dynamic, allowing players the freedom to combine, rotate, and play with confidence while always looking to move the game forward with purpose. Out of possession, our identity is driven by discipline, work rate, and a never-give-up attitude. We want to press aggressively, defend together, and win the ball back as quickly as possible.

Fans can expect a fast, aggressive, and exciting brand of soccer.

Key Players

Bwidju Mutongolo – A creative player with the ability to break down opponents through dribbling and vision. He can create chances out of nothing and is very dangerous in attacking moments.

Pablo Lungo – Very comfortable in tight areas and extremely dangerous in the final third with both his passing vision and ability to score goals.

Rajesh Rodney – A forward with great physical attributes including speed and strength, but also has strong link-up play and finishing ability around the goal.

Team Makeup

The team consists primarily of local players who are currently in the EXCEL program, along with players originally from Saskatoon and Saskatchewan who are returning from their universities or playing overseas to compete in the PPL during the summer months. This gives the team a strong local identity while also bringing in players with higher level experience.

Fans / Community

There is a lot of excitement in the community for this team. Many of the players have come through the local club system and the EXCEL pathway, which gives younger players someone to look up to and a clear pathway within the province. This team represents an opportunity for local players to see what the next level looks like while staying connected to the soccer community in Saskatchewan.

Season Expectations

We expect to be a team that competes in every single game. Our identity will be high intensity, hard work, and a style of play on the ball that allows for fluidity and creativity in the opposition half. We believe we will be a difficult team to play against and a team that can surprise people in this league while competing every match.

Excitement for Year 1

The excitement level for Year 1 is very high. Having a league like this in the Prairies is something that has been needed for a long time. It provides a platform for young players looking to move to the next level and also gives university players a competitive environment during the summer when they return home. This league helps bridge the gap between youth soccer and the next level, and we are very excited to be part of the first season.