Al started his soccer playing days on the Riverhead meadow. He never gave goaltending a thought back then. In fact when he played his first several years of minor ball he played fullback and forward positions in helping his teams win one peewee title and two bantam championships.

As an Under-16, Al started playing in goal and it was then that Allan Ross recognized his goaltending ability and immediately selected him for the Provincial Under-18 team. Al was outstanding in net as he helped the Newfoundland team win the National title in 1974.

Bob Slaney was still the number one goalie with the Laurentians and Al had no problems in sitting on the bench as he was being mentored by one of the best goalies in the history of soccer in Newfoundland. Although Bob official retired in 1974 Al had played in a number of games and assured all Laurentian fans that Bob was leaving the goaltending job in good hands.

Al was selected again by coach, Allan Ross, as the Goalie for the Summer Games team who competed in the 1977 Canada Games. In a tour of England and Scotland, Al certainly learned new goaltending techniques from his European counterparts. Upon returning from Europe, he called upon the Newfoundland Soccer Association to act quickly on improving the goalkeeping skills by getting "some retired professional goalie or an active pro goalie to come in for a season and hold clinics all over the Province.

His success as a goalkeeper had many sports enthusiasts calling him the best goalie to have ever played in the province of Newfoundland and indeed one of the top amateur goalies in all of Canada. His spectacular saves were responsible for many Provincial Challenge Cup titles and some excellent showings at the national tournaments. .

Al continued to play until 1984 when work commitments forced him to move away. His talent had him named Top Goalie for most of the years he played. He was also named Most Valuable Player several times. .

The St. Lawrence Soccer Hall of Fame welcomes Al Slaney. .