Svyatik Artemenko

Svyatik Artemenko (born February 11, 2000) is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Electric City FC in League1 Ontario.

Svyatik Artemenko
Personal information
Full name Svyatoslav Artemenko
Date of birth (2000-02-11) February 11, 2000
Place of birth Odesa, Ukraine
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Electric City FC
Youth career
Bonivital SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021 Guelph Gryphons 15 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 WSA Winnipeg 14 (0)
2019 → Valour FC (loan) 0 (0)
2021–2022 Guelph United 25 (0)
2022 → York United (loan) 0 (0)
2022 FC Berlin 7 (0)
2023– Electric City FC 18 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 19, 2023

Early life

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

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]

Club career

In 2019, he played with WSA Winnipeg in USL League Two.[8] 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.[9] He attended training camp the following years with Valour, but did not earn a contract.[10][11]

In 2021, he joined Guelph United F.C. in League1 Ontario.[12] He was named a West Division All-Star and West Division Top Goalkeeper.[13][14] 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,[15] where Guelph won the championship defeating Blue Devils FC.[16]

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.[17] However, the next day, Russia invaded Ukraine suspending all soccer activities in the country and Artemenko registered for the Ukrainian army.[18]

On May 5, 2022, following his military service in Ukraine, he returned to Guelph United to re-join them for their 2022 season.[19][20][21] He made his return in a Canadian Championship match against Canadian Premier League club HFX Wanderers FC.[22] 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.[23]

In August 2022, he joined FC Berlin of the United Premier Soccer League ahead of the 2022 UPSL Fall season.[24]

In March 2023, he joined Electric City FC in League1 Ontario.[25][26]

Military career

Between the ages of 16 and 18, Artemenko trained as a combat engineer with the Canadian Reserve Forces in Winnipeg.[27]

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.[28][29] 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.[30] 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.[31] His club team, Guelph United hosted a fundraiser to raise funds for the Ukrainian Red Cross in support of Artemenko's cause.[32] He returned to Canada in early May, following a two-month tour of duty.[33][34]

Career statistics
As of August 19, 2023[35]
Club statistics
Club Season League Playoffs National Cup[lower-alpha 1] Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
WSA Winnipeg 2019[8] USL League Two 140———140
Valour FC (loan) 2019 Canadian Premier League 00—00—00
Guelph United FC 2021[12] League1 Ontario 13020——150
2022[21] 130—10—140
Total 260201000290
York United FC (loan) 2022 Canadian Premier League 00—00—00
FC Berlin 2022[36] United Premier Soccer League 70———70
Electric City FC 2023[37] League1 Ontario 180———180
Career total 650201000680
  1. Includes appearances in the Canadian Championship.

References
  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. "Syvatik Artemenko 2019 USL2 Stats". USL League Two.
  9. Jacques, John (August 29, 2019). "Meet The Canadian Premier League Emergency Goalkeepers". Northern Tribune.
  10. Tait, Ed (May 18, 2021). "Valour FC camp report: Who is Winnipeg's no. 1 goalkeeper?". Canadian Premier League.
  11. Jacques, John (February 26, 2022). "Goalkeeper Artemenko Set For War In Ukraine". Northern Tribune.
  12. "Svyatik Artemenko 2021 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  13. Thompson, Marty (December 22, 2021). "2021 L1O Men's Premier Division Awards: Guelph sweeps West; Phillip & Kotsopoulos take MVP". League1 Ontario.
  14. Jacques, John (December 23, 2021). "Six Former CPL Talents Named In League1 Ontario Awards". Northern Tribune.
  15. Jacques, John (October 31, 2021). "Locked In: Guelph And Blue Devils Reach L1O Final". Northern Tribune.
  16. Thompson, Marty (October 31, 2021). "Playoffs Roundup: Blue Devils pull off pair of upsets, Guelph & Woodbridge advance to Finals on PKs". League1 Ontario.
  17. Jackson, Jon (March 2, 2022). "Pro Soccer Player Ditches Kit to Join Ukrainian Military". Newsweek.
  18. Friesen, Paul (March 1, 2022). "Pride over fear: Winnipegger trades in soccer cleats for combat boots in Ukraine". Winnipeg Sun.
  19. "Warm Welcome Back for Goalkeeper Svyatik Artemenko". Guelph United FC. May 5, 2022.
  20. Jacques, John (May 5, 2022). "Safely Returned From War, Artmenko Back On The Pitch With Guelph". Northern Tribune.
  21. "Svyatik Artemenko 2022 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  22. Schaffner, Andre (May 11, 2022). "Recap: Guelph United falls to HFX Wanderers in 2022 Canadian Championship action". Waking the Red.
  23. 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.
  24. Jacques, John (August 30, 2022). "Artemenko Set For FC Berlin Stint". Northern Tribune.
  25. "Electric City FC name starting goalkeepers for 2023 season". The Peterborough Examiner. March 14, 2023.
  26. Mahmoudi, Nelson (March 14, 2023). "Winnipeg Footballer-Turned-War Hero Signs With Electric City". Northern Tribune.
  27. Brasil, Sydney (February 28, 2022). "Winnipeg Soccer Goalie Svyatik Artemenko Enlists in Ukrainian Army". Complex.
  28. Caudle, Daniel (February 25, 2022). "Former Guelph United goalkeeper now preparing for battle in Ukraine". Guelph Today.
  29. 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.
  30. Martínez-Cachero, Wilko (February 25, 2022). "A firsthand account of what it's like to be in Ukraine right now". USC Annenberg Media.
  31. Artemenko, Svyatik (June 2022). "A soldier's story: From Canada to Ukraine". Maclean's.
  32. "Guelph soccer team hosting Ukraine fundraiser in honour of goalie". Guelph Mercury. March 16, 2022.
  33. Caudle, Daniel (May 5, 2022). "Local soccer goalie returns to Guelph after fighting in Ukraine". Guelph Today.
  34. Mojo, Adesola (May 7, 2022). "Svyatik Artemenko: Ontario Soccer Player Who Fought In Ukraine Returns To Canada". Verve Times.
  35. Svyatik Artemenko at Soccerway
  36. "FC Berlin Stats 2022". United Premier Soccer League. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022.
  37. "Svyatoslav Artemenko 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
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