Three Stars: Carter, Yildiz, Mwasalla earn honours
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Men's soccer student-athlete Chance Carter is the MacEwan Athletics first star of the week after his performance in earning Griffins' Game MVP honours on Sunday at Saskatchewan.
Carter led the Griffins with three shots and drove play all over the pitch as he showed his leadership and poise.
Men's soccer midfielder Ali Yildiz and women's soccer forward Grace Mwasalla were named the second and third stars, respectively.
As this is the first Three Stars recognition of the season, all are appearing for the first time in 2024-25.
Chance Carter fends off a Lethbridge defender on Friday. He had five shots in two road games (Cam Yoos photo).
1st STAR: Chance Carter, M, men's soccer
Edmonton, AB, fourth-year, Science
Named the Griffins' Game MVP following Sunday's 3-0 loss at Saskatchewan, the veteran midfielder was the driver of play all over the field.
He finished with three shots, narrowly missing on some dangerous first-half chances from distance.
He also had two shots in MacEwan's 2-0 loss at Lethbridge on Friday.
Carter, who formerly played for FC Edmonton in the Canadian Premier League, is key to the Griffins' success this season.
He'll lead the team into their home-opening weekend vs. Mount Royal on Saturday (12 p.m.) and vs. Calgary on Sunday (12 p.m., both Edmonton Scottish, Canada West TV).
Ali Yildiz had a strong outing against Lethbridge, earning Game MVP honours for the Griffins (Cam Yoos photo).
2nd STAR: Ali Yildiz, M, men's soccer
Edmonton, AB, third-year, Arts
Named the Griffins' Game MVP following Friday's 2-0 loss at Lethbridge, the third-year midfielder continued his strong play throughout the weekend.
On Friday, Yildiz put in a strong 90-minute shift, consistently winning battles all over the field, finishing with one shot.
In Sunday's 3-0 loss at Saskatchewan, he again started and went the full 90, finishing with a shot on the Griffins' best chance of the game when he got the ball in tight, spun around a defender and was robbed on the point-blank chance by keeper Jaron Slopinski.
Yildiz, who had two points in 2023, will aim to hit the scoresheet when the Griffins host MRU and Calgary this weekend.
Grace Mwasalla, seen in action against Calgary last season, had a multi-point outing to pace MacEwan past NAIT 9-1 in exhibition on Aug. 28 - her first game back from an injury last fall (Joel Kingston photo).
3rd STAR: Grace Mwasalla, F, women's soccer
Chatham, ON, fourth-year, Arts
In her first action since an injury ended her 2023 season last Sept. 17, the electric veteran striker led the Griffins to a dominant 9-1 win over NAIT in exhibition play on Aug. 28.
Mwasalla assisted on MacEwan's first goal by Brynn Hobal before scoring a highlight-reel tally on a diving header for their fourth of the contest.
A U SPORTS first team all-star in 2022 and two-time Canada West first team all-star (2022, 2023), Mwasalla led the Griffins in scoring last season with 11 points in eight games.
Mwasalla enters the season tied for the program's career Canada West points mark (36 to match Suekiana Choucair) and will look to add to that as the Griffins kick off at Saskatchewan on Saturday (2 p.m.) and at Regina on Sunday (12 p.m., both Canada West TV).
