Cuglietta ready to help the Bears’ cause this year
University of Alberta men’s team begins process of defending national soccer title
Nikko Cuglietta was ecstatic his University of Alberta Golden Bears soccer team won the 2016 U Sports national championship, but there was a big part of him that wished he was truly able to enjoy it.
Soak it all in. Experience it himself.
Cuglietta was forced to watch the national championship online last fall because he sustained a knee injury earlier in the year and was waiting for surgery to repair his torn anterior cruciate ligament.
“It was devastating not being able to be there with the guys,” said Cuglietta. “That’s been my biggest motivation since they won the national championship. I knew our team had a great chance to win another national championship, and I was going to do everything I could to be back and be a part of it.”
CugliettahadhissurgeryonDec.5, and Doctors felt it would likely take a full year to recover. But nine months and eight days later Cuglietta was back on the pitch playing for the Golden Bears and he hasn’t lost a step.
In nine games (five starts), the third-year forward scored seven goals and has been an integral part of the success the Bears (9-1-4) have achieved this season.
This weekend, they travel to UBC for the Canada West Final 4 tournament with their sights set on locking down another berth in the national championship.
The Golden Bears are looking to repeat as Canada West and U Sports national champions.
They face the Trinity Western Spartans on Friday (6 p.m. MT) in the Canada West semifinal.
Getting Cuglietta back into action much earlier than anticipated has given the Bears another big offensive weapon, and his presence and production on the field makes Alberta even more dangerous offensively.
“It’s great to have him back. At one stage we weren’t sure if he was going to be ready,” said Bears head coach Len Vickery. “He dedicated himself to getting back healthy and back on the field and he worked incredibly hard on his rehab and recovery.
“We couldn’t believe the way he was able to come back and perform at such a high level this early on. He’s a natural goal scorer and he’s been a big scoring threat for us this year.”
This was the first serious injury Cuglietta had ever endured during his soccer career. The long road to recovery was certainly difficult, but the biggest hurdle he had to face was the mental side of dealing with the injury.
Cuglietta wondered if he could still be the same player when he returned.
“It was a real mental struggle, because you work so hard to get back, but you can’t help it have some thoughts,” said Cuglietta.
His return to the lineup on Sept. 29, however, erased any doubts he may have had. Cuglietta went into the game in the second half and scored two goals and had a team-leading five shots on goal in a 7-0 win over the University of Lethbridge.
“When Len told me I was going in, I had to take a few minutes to myself. I was so excited, but there were a lot of nerves. I just told myself just go out and play hard and have fun,” said Cuglietta. “It didn’t take long and everything started to feel natural. I’ve had so much fun being back playing with the guys.”
As the defending national champions, No.3-ranked team in the country and the top-ranked team in the Canada West conference, Alberta certainly will be the favourites heading into Final 4 tournament and will have a big target on their backs. But Vickery is confident his team can pull through once again.
“This time of year every game is a must-win scenario and we managed to do it last year and we’re seeking to do it again this year,” he said. “The words national champions come up before every game. Teams know they’re up against a strong team. Every game this year has been a real challenge for us, but we’ve found ways to come through and I expect us to be at our best.”