The teams raised over $3,615 for cancer research while honouring teammates Kadence Madraga and Jackson Kovitch’s families.

On Sept. 27, the Huskie women’s soccer team hosted their annual Play for a Cure match, an event dedicated to raising funds and awareness for cancer research. 

Each year, the team selects a type of cancer and wears custom jerseys in that cancer’s awareness colours. This year, the Huskies wore purple in support of pancreatic cancer and in honour of their teammate, second-year midfielder Kadence Madraga, and her mother, Lisa Sullivan, who was diagnosed last November.

Head coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton shared how the initiative began. 

“It started in 2016 with one of our captains, Meagan Manson, whose mom was going through cancer … we’ve been able to keep it going for now 10 years, and it’s just such an important cause. Everyone, at some point in life, [will] know someone or will be impacted. So it’s just a way for us … to do our part in terms of continuing to bring awareness.”

Over the past decade, the meaning behind the game has remained the same, but the scale has grown. This year’s custom purple jerseys were auctioned off for a total of $3,615, which Barandica-Hamilton believes is the program’s highest amount raised yet.

“I think the essence of it hasn’t changed … But I think it’s getting bigger in terms of just the custom jerseys, the amounts that we fundraise and just the recognition and awareness that [the game] is continuing to build. This year, we’re part of the Play for a Cure initiative across Canada West and U Sports, and we’re really proud to be one of the institutions that’s continuing to do our part to raise awareness.” 

Barandica-Hamilton also spoke about the importance of initiatives like this.

“It’s one of my favourite games and days because it’s … bigger than football and we take a lot of pride as a program to be that program that is not just defined by our results on the field [but by] what we do in the community, both from our Junior Huskies coaching to our mental health awareness [game] to now our Play for a Cure, and hopefully next year also a Pride awareness game.”

“Our team always performs the best in these games. I think they go that extra mile and that shows, and it’s always a fun day from start to finish.”

This year’s match was part of the U-Prairie Challenge with the University of Regina Cougars coming to Saskatoon for another instalment of Saskatchewan’s university rivalry. The Huskies had just returned from Regina on Friday after beating the Cougars 3-0 and were hoping for another dominant performance at home. 

The Huskies came out on top with a 7-1 win, which marked their highest-scoring game of the season so far and largest win margin ever against their provincial rival since 2001.

The game meant a lot to Madraga and her family.

“It was a very big deal to us. It was great to see people come out and support not only my mom and cancer, but it was also a good opportunity for our team. It was just a very surreal moment, and it really had a good sense of community and really demonstrated the togetherness of our team and how we’re always there for each other even in off-field situations.”

Despite navigating a difficult year, Madraga has remained committed to the team and felt supported every step of the way by her teammates and coaches. 

“There’s definitely been challenges, but also I’m so grateful for the amount of support. I have the community, the coaching staff, the environment. Everything has definitely allowed me to still be myself while learning from this and growing. I just feel very fortunate to have such an amazing group of girls around me who all share similar values to me and support me through anything.”

Madraga, who is recovering from an ACL tear, was unable to be out on the pitch, but she was proudly cheering her teammates on from the stands.

“Obviously, I would’ve loved to be out there to support my mom for myself, but the fact that my best friend could do it for me, and do it so well, was the best feeling in the world.”

Her best friend, Jana Van Niekerk, notched her very first U Sports goal — a perfectly placed free kick from 30 yards out. 

Van Niekerk shared what the goal meant to her.

“It felt amazing, and the fact that I could score it on the day that was dedicated to Kadence’s family and to her mom was even better.”

Van Niekerk’s goal was Madraga’s favourite moment of the game. 

“I want nothing but the best for [Jana], and I’ve always said [that] if it isn’t me who plays, I always want it to be her because she’s just such a kind person. She’s so hard-working. [The goal] was a long time coming, and yeah, me and some other girls in the stands teared up a bit.”

After scoring, Van Niekerk ran to the sidelines and embraced Madraga.

She explained how the moment came about and what her friendship with Madraga means to her. 

“We did plan it at halftime when I found out I was gonna go on. We did say if I was gonna score that she would come down and we would celebrate.”

“We’ve been playing together for a long time … So I think, especially now that we’ve spent so much time together, our bond has really grown a lot. Her friendship means a lot to me, and being able to kind of joke around with her and make her laugh during this tough time, I think, has been a big part of helping her get through it.”

The Huskie men’s soccer team followed with their own Play for a Cure match after the women’s game, marking their first time participating in the initiative. 

Second-year midfielder Jackson Kovitch shared what inspired the team to join in.

“Our team decided to play for a cure this year mostly because we’ve seen how it’s evolved all around Huskie athletics. It’s been a part of the women’s side for years now, and other programs have continued to pick up on the movement. Our team thought it would be a really good initiative to step in and decide to continue to do this and carry it on with the university. So despite being our first year, [it] was definitely really positive.”

He added that the impact echoed beyond campus. 

“It’s extended far beyond just the families and friends of the people within the program, [it’s] also just an opportunity for people all around Saskatoon to participate in the Soccer for Cancer game and everything that kind of comes along with that — whether you end up donating money or just coming to the game and showing support.”

For Jackson Kovitch, the day held personal significance. His father, Jason Kovitch, lives with incurable follicular lymphoma. 

“I’ve never been vocal in the past about my experience and our family’s experience, so for me to be able to have our team dedicate that to me and do as much as they had — it really meant a lot.”

After several years of treatment, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, Jason Kovitch is now in remission.

Jason Kovitch is a familiar face in the USask community, both as an avid Huskies supporter in the stands and as a manager at the USSU. Being able to play in front of him is something Jackson Kovitch doesn’t take for granted. 

“My dad has been a huge supporter of my whole life when it comes to soccer. We would go to the park together, probably almost every weekend as a kid and most days and nights … knowing that my dad’s always there in the stands to watch me has been a real blessing … I really am grateful for what I’ve been able to have with my dad and with Huskie Athletics as a whole to be able to support us.” 

Although the men ultimately lost 2-4 in their match against Thompson Rivers University, their impact extended far beyond the score sheet. 

“I was really thankful for how last weekend went. It wasn’t even about the result at a certain point. It was more just the fact that we were able to do something special.”

Together, the women’s and men’s Huskie soccer teams made this year’s Play for a Cure a deeply meaningful day for both programs, honouring the families behind the players while raising awareness beyond the pitch.