Alumni Spotlight: Stefan Cukovic

The FIFA World Cup is captivating audiences worldwide right now, as the sport holds cultural relevance in nations across the world. That's reflected in the history of Rustlers soccer, as the most accomplished player in program history is Stefan Cuckovic.

Following a career in the sport that took him from his native Serbia to Alberta, British Columbia and back to Europe, Cukovic has never forgotten his time at Lakeland.

"I liked the soccer program, school, traveling," he said. "It was busy, but it was a nice experience."

International journey and on-pitch excellence

Cukovic arrived in the Border City bac in the fall of 2013, after having moved to regina in 2012 for his last year of high school to pursue education and soccer and stay with relatives. Following a soccer tournament with his friend and fellow Rustlers Alumni Darko Hardi he was introduced to coach Kevin Wagner.

"He tried me out in an indoor facility and then said I'd like to sing you," Cukovic said. "Then I worked to get into school, including an English proficiency test."

The versatile athlete then spent four years at Lakeland, where he formed several lasting friendships. In addition to Hardi, teammate Sasha Savic also had Serbian heritage and the pair helped Cukovic acclimate to his surroundings in Lloydminster.

"Their families had moved to Canada when they were kids, so they weren't international players from an eligibility perspective," he said. "But they remembered their roots, Serbian culture and language, so having them as roommates was really nice. Sometimes after school and practice, you need to be able to speak your language."

Cukovic also took to the Lloydminster campus and his instructors.

"I liked the program because it was very straight forward," he said. "Classes were small size and you could actually talk to your instructors."

"I liked how easy going it was, how green it was outside. It was so easy to wake up and walk five minutes to school."

Outside of soccer, Cukovic worked within the athletics department on the game day crew. He occasionally had roles like camera operator and stats keeper, but he primarily worked in the concession, which allowed him to connect further with staff and students on campus.

"I liked to meet and talk to people," he said. "It was great experience, being around the games and watching basketball, I loved the game days in the gym."

Following the adjustments of his rookie season, Cukovic quickly established himself as one of the best players in the country and helped the team to multiple playoff appearances. In his second season, the team won bronze and Cukovic was named ACAC Player of the Year and a CCAA All-Canadian. Those accolades gave him the opportunity to create several memories.

"Kevin and I went to nationals in Sheridan, Ontario, near Niagara Falls," he said. "We got to hang out for a few days there."

Following an injury riddled third year, Cukovic earned his second straight MVP award and All-Canadian recognition with 9 goals and 4 assists, steady leadership and an ability to dominate a match while playing large minutes out of the midfield. He was also a CCAA player of the Year nominee and Lakeland's Male Athlete of the Year

"That [season] motivated me to continue playing soccer and pursue greatness in the sport," he said. "My only regret from my time at Lakeland was not winning a championship that season with that team."

Cukovic was also a three-time ACAC All-Conference selection (twice for soccer) and was a part of the Rustlers winning two silver and two bronze in futsal.

A Championship Side-quest

While in Fort McMurray to receive his All-Canadian award and watch the national championship, he met a former teammate who had played in Croatia who convinced Cukovic to pack up and head to Nanaimo for his last year of eligibility. After he graduated from Lakeland with a Bachelor's of Management and Marketing Major, he joined the Vancouver Island University Mariners, who were set to host nationals in the fall of 2017.

"I wasn't going for my masters, so I just had to take 3 classes to be able to play," he said. "I took geography, French and some other stuff, so I could compete for a national championship."

His start to the season was a rough one, picking up an achilles injury that took a couple of weeks to recover.

"My coach talked me down when I was really discouraged and wanted to leave," Cukovic said. "I worked hard to get back onto the team in time for nationals.

After not starting in the quarters or semis, Cukovic took the field in the gold medal game as a striker and scored the winning goal.

"It was amazing, that was a really nice moment I'll remember forever," he said. "It started pouring rain right after the game and there were a ton of international students there, waving Egyptian and Serbian flags."

Return to Europe and Professional Career

Over a year out from his time at VIU, Cukovic moved back to Serbia to continue his soccer journey, playing in semiprofessional leagues for several years. Settling in Belgrade, he reconnected with elementary school friend Vladana after 15 years while working at the same company. They've since married, had their son Petar and still work together at a company called Izinga, where Cukovic is an accounting administrator.

The passion for game remains, as he continues to play lower league semipro soccer and pickup games during week nights.

"That's what keeps me 'sort of' in shape," he said. "I love to stay active and physical, I've been playing soccer for 30 years now and once you get used to it, you don't want to stop it."

However, life keeps him very busy, especially with his son's burgeoning love for the game.

"Petar is three and is a big fan," Cukovic said. "We go out to the neighbourhood field whenever we have time. I just want him to enjoy it and see that I love it too and maybe he'll play [competitively when he's older] but it's up to him."

The Rustler alumni credited his time as a student-athlete for preparing him for his life as a family man, as well as the opportunities he's received over the past decade.

"It gave me that opportunity to go on in life and get a degree and learn a new language," he said. "Everybody thinks, after you graduate you got to get a six-figure job, but real life gives you a lesson. Then you get into a new stage of your life."

"It taught me lots about discipline and responsibility."