RDP Queens earn national bronze
Red Deer, AB - When the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens entered the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women's Soccer National Championship they were unranked nationally and without the services of standout McKenna Leslie due to injury, but that didn't discourage them.
The Queens, who won Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) bronze, showed tremendous heart and made program history, earning national bronze—their first CCAA medal—with a 2-1 victory over the St. Clair Saints (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Champions) at Setters Place in Red Deer.
"I can't even explain how good this feels right now," says Mahziar Peyrow, RDP Queens Soccer Head Coach. "There's so much work that goes into this for so many years-all that effort that goes into this point right now to make history. It's unbelievable."
The bronze medal match began with early adversity. In the 14th minute, a clearing attempt by a Queens defender deflected into their own net, giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. The hosts remained composed.
"The goal fueled the fire," adds Peyrow. "We've been in that situation before and came back."
With continuing persistence, the Queens knotted it up 1-1 in the 60th minute. Off a cross by Yuri Umino, Sein Furuyama delivered a well-placed header past Saints third-year goalkeeper Scotlyn Fick.
"Sein means a lot to this team," notes Peyrow. "She just went away for surgery on both knees, came back to play and she's unbelievable. She's so dangerous in the box."
Paige Kalbfleisch (10) and Furuyama (9)
Just nine minutes later, Furuyama struck again. The Visual Art Diploma student from Kobe, Japan broke away from the Saints' defenders and calmly slotted the ball past Fick, providing RDP a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.
As the final whistle blew, the RDP Queens erupted in celebration.
Furuyama, named the 4imprint Queens Player of the Game, was the embodiment of perseverance. In 2022, she suffered a significant injury that derailed her participation in nationals. The next season, Furuyama only played six games. In 2024, Furuyama didn't play any games with the RDP Queens. After undergoing surgeries, she returned to the RDP Queens in August 2025, determined to make an impact.
"I couldn't play for almost two years. I had surgery on my ACL and MCL," says Furuyama, who plans to return to the RDP Queens next season. "This past August I came back to RDP and rejoined the Queens. At first, I struggled a bit, but everyone helped me. I feel so proud that I could play with the Queens and make history at nationals."
Furuyama and Umino were named 2025 CCAA Women's Soccer National Championship Tournament All-Stars. Queens goalkeeper Jessie Stewart received the CCAA Women's Soccer National Championship Exemplary Award.
Alessia Olivito, a third-year midfielder, was named the 4imprint Saints Player of the Match.
The Queens' journey to bronze was anything but easy. After a narrow 1-0 loss to the VIU Mariners in the quarter-finals, they bounced back with a commanding 5-1 win over the Brandon Bobcats. In the bronze semi-final, they edged the MSVU Mystics 1-0 to earn their shot at the podium.
In the gold medal game, the Aigles d'Ahuntsic defeated the Elans de Garneau 1-0.