Svyatik Artemenko (born February 11, 2000) is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League on loan from Rivers FC in League1 British Columbia.

Svyatik Artemenko
Personal information
Full name Svyatoslav Artemenko
Date of birth (2000-02-11) February 11, 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Odesa, Ukraine
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Rivers FC
Number 1
Youth career
Bonivital SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021 Guelph Gryphons 15 (0)
2023– Thompson Rivers WolfPack 12 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 WSA Winnipeg 14 (0)
2019Valour FC (loan) 0 (0)
2021–2022 Guelph United FC 25 (0)
2022York United (loan) 0 (0)
2022 FC Berlin 7 (0)
2023 Electric City FC 18 (0)
2024– Rivers FC 2 (0)
2024–Valour FC (loan) 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 20, 2024

Early life

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Artemenko was born in Odesa, Ukraine.[1][2] At the age of two, he moved with his family to Winnipeg, Canada.[3] He played youth soccer with Bonivital SC[4] and represented Manitoba at the 2017 Canada Summer Games.[5]

University career

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In 2021, he began attending Guelph University, where he played for the men's soccer team.[6] He was named the team Rookie of the Year in 2021.[7] He helped the team win the OUA Championship and was named the OUA goalkeeper of the year and to the U SPORTS National Championship All-Tournament team.[8]

In 2023, he began attending Thompson Rivers University, where he played for the men's soccer team.[9]

Club career

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In 2019, he played with WSA Winnipeg in USL League Two.[10] Also in 2019, he signed with Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League as an emergency backup goalkeeper, but did not appear in any matches.[11] He attended training camp the following years with Valour, but did not earn a contract.[12][13]

In 2021, he joined Guelph United F.C. in League1 Ontario.[14] He was named a West Division All-Star and West Division Top Goalkeeper.[15][16] In the playoff semi-final, Artemenko scored the winning penalty kick, before making the winning save in a penalty shootout against Master's FA to advance to the next round,[17] where Guelph won the championship defeating Blue Devils FC.[18]

In early 2022, he went to Ukraine to trial to earn a professional contract with FC Podillya in the second tier Ukrainian First League, earning a contract on February 23.[19] However, the next day, Russia invaded Ukraine suspending all soccer activities in the country and Artemenko registered for the Ukrainian army.[20]

On May 5, 2022, following his military service in Ukraine, he returned to Guelph United to re-join them for their 2022 season.[21][22][23] He made his return in a Canadian Championship match against Canadian Premier League club HFX Wanderers FC.[24] In August 2022, he joined Canadian Premier League side York United FC as an emergency goalkeeper substitute for a few matches following an injury to Niko Giantsopoulos.[25]

In August 2022, he joined FC Berlin of the United Premier Soccer League ahead of the 2022 UPSL Fall season.[26]

In March 2023, he joined Electric City FC in League1 Ontario.[27][28]

In 2024, he began playing with Rivers FC in League1 British Columbia.[29] In May 2024, he joined Valour FC on a short-term replacement player contract, following an injury to their starting goalkeeper.[29]

Military career

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Between the ages of 16 and 18, Artemenko trained as a combat engineer with the Canadian Reserve Forces in Winnipeg.[30]

In February 2022, Artemenko, who was in Ukraine pursuing a professional soccer career, enlisted with the Armed Forces of Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[31][32] While he was not required to enlist in the army as he was a Canadian citizen, he felt it was his duty to protect his ancestral homeland.[33] He was initially not allowed to join due to not being a Ukrainian citizen, however, the next day his application was approved as part of an International Legion.[34] His club team, Guelph United hosted a fundraiser to raise funds for the Ukrainian Red Cross in support of Artemenko's cause.[35] He returned to Canada in early May, following a two-month tour of duty.[36][37] In April 2024, Canadian sports broadcasting channel TSN filmed a documentary focusing on Artemenko and his experience.[38]

Career statistics

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As of August 19, 2023[39]
Club statistics
Club Season League Playoffs National Cup[a] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
WSA Winnipeg 2019[10] USL League Two 14 0 14 0
Valour FC (loan) 2019 Canadian Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0
Guelph United FC 2021[14] League1 Ontario 13 0 2 0 15 0
2022[23] 13 0 1 0 14 0
Total 26 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 29 0
York United FC (loan) 2022 Canadian Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0
FC Berlin 2022[40] United Premier Soccer League 7 0 7 0
Electric City FC 2023[41] League1 Ontario 18 0 18 0
Career total 65 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 68 0

  1. ^ Includes appearances in the Canadian Championship.

References

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  1. ^ Carty, Matt (May 5, 2022). "Winnipeg goalkeeper who fought in Ukraine returns to Guelph, Ont. semi-pro soccer club". Global News.
  2. ^ Caudle, Daniel (March 2, 2022). "Local soccer club rallies around former teammate now fighting in Ukraine". Guelph Today.
  3. ^ Mastroleo, Gabriele (March 2, 2022). "Ucraina, professionista lascia il calcio a 22 anni: "Devo difendere il Paese"" [Ukraine, professional leaves football at 22: "I have to defend the country"]. Sport News (in Italian).
  4. ^ "U16B Bonivital SC Playing for GOLD!". Winnipeg Youth Soccer. October 23, 2016.
  5. ^ "Svyatik Artemenko Canada Games profile". 2017 Canada Summer Games.
  6. ^ "2021 Season Preview: Men's Soccer". Guelph Gryphons. September 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "2021-22 Gryphon Athletics Awards Ceremony". Guelph Gryphons. April 9, 2022.
  8. ^ "Artemenko goes from frontlines to the goal line for TRU". Thompson Rivers WolfPack. September 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "Svyatik Artemenko TRU profile". Thompson Rivers WolfPack.
  10. ^ a b "Syvatik Artemenko 2019 USL2 Stats". USL League Two.
  11. ^ Jacques, John (August 29, 2019). "Meet The Canadian Premier League Emergency Goalkeepers". Northern Tribune.
  12. ^ Tait, Ed (May 18, 2021). "Valour FC camp report: Who is Winnipeg's no. 1 goalkeeper?". Canadian Premier League.
  13. ^ Jacques, John (February 26, 2022). "Goalkeeper Artemenko Set For War In Ukraine". Northern Tribune.
  14. ^ a b "Svyatik Artemenko 2021 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  15. ^ Thompson, Marty (December 22, 2021). "2021 L1O Men's Premier Division Awards: Guelph sweeps West; Phillip & Kotsopoulos take MVP". League1 Ontario.
  16. ^ Jacques, John (December 23, 2021). "Six Former CPL Talents Named In League1 Ontario Awards". Northern Tribune.
  17. ^ Jacques, John (October 31, 2021). "Locked In: Guelph And Blue Devils Reach L1O Final". Northern Tribune.
  18. ^ Thompson, Marty (October 31, 2021). "Playoffs Roundup: Blue Devils pull off pair of upsets, Guelph & Woodbridge advance to Finals on PKs". League1 Ontario.
  19. ^ Jackson, Jon (March 2, 2022). "Pro Soccer Player Ditches Kit to Join Ukrainian Military". Newsweek.
  20. ^ Friesen, Paul (March 1, 2022). "Pride over fear: Winnipegger trades in soccer cleats for combat boots in Ukraine". Winnipeg Sun.
  21. ^ "Warm Welcome Back for Goalkeeper Svyatik Artemenko". Guelph United FC. May 5, 2022.
  22. ^ Jacques, John (May 5, 2022). "Safely Returned From War, Artmenko Back On The Pitch With Guelph". Northern Tribune.
  23. ^ a b "Svyatik Artemenko 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  24. ^ Schaffner, Andre (May 11, 2022). "Recap: Guelph United falls to HFX Wanderers in 2022 Canadian Championship action". Waking the Red.
  25. ^ Ngabo, Gilbert (August 24, 2022). "He fought the Russians in Ukraine out of a sense of duty. Now he's back in Canada chasing his soccer dream". Toronto Star.
  26. ^ Jacques, John (August 30, 2022). "Artemenko Set For FC Berlin Stint". Northern Tribune.
  27. ^ "Electric City FC name starting goalkeepers for 2023 season". The Peterborough Examiner. March 14, 2023.
  28. ^ Mahmoudi, Nelson (March 14, 2023). "Winnipeg Footballer-Turned-War Hero Signs With Electric City". Northern Tribune.
  29. ^ a b @ValourFootball (May 19, 2024). "New (but WPG grown) signing!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Brasil, Sydney (February 28, 2022). "Winnipeg Soccer Goalie Svyatik Artemenko Enlists in Ukrainian Army". Complex.
  31. ^ Caudle, Daniel (February 25, 2022). "Former Guelph United goalkeeper now preparing for battle in Ukraine". Guelph Today.
  32. ^ Tait, Ed (March 1, 2022). ""You don't expect a call where he says, 'Coach, in five minutes I'm getting on a train and in five hours I'll be at the battlefront.'"". Valour FC.
  33. ^ Martínez-Cachero, Wilko (February 25, 2022). "A firsthand account of what it's like to be in Ukraine right now". USC Annenberg Media.
  34. ^ Artemenko, Svyatik (June 2022). "A soldier's story: From Canada to Ukraine". Maclean's.
  35. ^ "Guelph soccer team hosting Ukraine fundraiser in honour of goalie". Guelph Mercury. March 16, 2022.
  36. ^ Caudle, Daniel (May 5, 2022). "Local soccer goalie returns to Guelph after fighting in Ukraine". Guelph Today.
  37. ^ Mojo, Adesola (May 7, 2022). "Svyatik Artemenko: Ontario Soccer Player Who Fought In Ukraine Returns To Canada". Verve Times.
  38. ^ Hastings, Marty (April 9, 2024). "TSN documentary to focus on goalkeeper Artemenko, says TRU WolfPack". CFJC-TV.
  39. ^ Svyatik Artemenko at Soccerway
  40. ^ "FC Berlin Stats 2022". United Premier Soccer League. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022.
  41. ^ "Svyatoslav Artemenko 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
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