Kodiaks men’s soccer adds Whitehorse talent

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks men's soccer team has signed Team Yukon player Kaden Gregory for the upcoming season. He joins the program as a strong physical defender.

Last year, Gregory played for Team Yukon in futsal at the Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games in Alaska. He helped his team to a gold medal by defeating team Nunavut 6-4 in the finals.

In the summer of 2023, the Kodiaks soccer team travelled to Whitehorse for pre-season training. Gregory, then 14 years old, scrimmaged against the Kodiaks as a member of one of the Yukon Selects teams.

"That was the first time I'd seen the team, and that kind of sparked my interest," says Gregory. "And then that's where Tristan [Martin, second-year, goalkeeper] found his interests as well. A lot of us actually were pretty interested in the team after playing them and competing because it was a good weekend, a lot of good matches."

Having that connection with Martin allowed Gregory to ask a lot of questions about the team, program and community before committing.

"He recommended that I try out because his team has a pretty positive energy," says Gregory. "I mean, since I've been here, it's been super supportive. It's not super far away from home either. I was looking to move to kind of like a medium-sized city and this matched."

Kodiaks Head Coach Mike Racz picked up on Gregory's strong physical presence for the game. He says his work rate in practice is excellent, and he uses his strength effectively both as a defender and when joining the attack. Racz notes that Gregory's physicality makes him tough to play against, while his willingness to put in the hard work makes him a reliable and impactful player.

"Kaden comes to us eager to take on the challenge of post-secondary soccer, and I believe his ambition will serve him well in our environment," says Racz. "With consistent training, high-level competition and the support of his teammates, I see him continuing to refine his technical ability and tactical awareness to complement his physical game."

Racz adds he is excited to continue building a connection with the Yukon soccer community, and that Gregory's strength and competitiveness will make him a valuable part of the Kodiaks program.

Gregory says he is grateful that Martin took the time to speak with him about the Kodiaks program and would also like to thank his previous coach Jake Hanson for setting him up with the opportunity.

Gregory has enrolled in the polytechnic's General Arts and Science – Kinesiology Pathway program.