Fullbacks Katherine Meo and Rebecca Waterman are no strangers to Manitoba's starting lineup.

Meo, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario was recruited ahead of the 2016 season. Prior to joining the Bisons she was an impact player for both the Thunder Bay Chill and St. Patrick Saints, capturing two city championships with the latter.

The versatile defender can play on both the left and right sides of the back end, but is also capable of playing in a more advanced position in the midfield.

"I used to play midfield but more on the defensive side," she says.

"So, fullback I enjoy because I like being able to make the runs on the wing and be able to attack but also defend and have the excitement of getting a good tackle or getting a good win off a one-one."

Meo redshirted her first year but has been a consistent presence in the Bisons' starting 11 for the last three seasons. She was a key reason why Manitoba surrendered just 15 goals last year, a program record, however it's her offensive game that's been particularly notable, specifically against Thompson Rivers in mid-September where she had her first assist of the season on an excellent through ball.

"When I switch formations, we play in a 3-5-2 and so I end up in the midfield line. I think my offence is improving a lot because of that too. I also think my defence and being stronger on tackles has also improved over the years."

Second-year Calgary native Rebecca Waterman — an indoor champ with the Calgary Rangers Elite in 2016-17 — got thrown into the fire right away for the U of M, starting three of the first four games of her rookie year and six total due to injuries to starters Haydn Burdeny and Shaylyn Dyck.

Manitoba pitched four shutouts during that time, which clearly demonstrated the team's depth in the back line.

"At the beginning of the season I felt like our back line of Hayden, Shay, myself and [co-captain] Hayley Ward was kind of scattered, but the dynamic definitely grew as the season went along," noted Meo.

"We grew to have a core of five in the back instead of just the four and we could all interchange without having much of a difference on the field."

Waterman echoed her teammates' sentiments.

"I think it's really important to be versatile, because you want to be able to rely on the players who will be coming in and that they'll be able to make the same difference without a drop in intensity. Especially being the defence you're the last line before the goalie, so as long as everyone is on the same page, then it's a good thing."

Manitoba's back line has certainly been on the same page in 2019, with the core five, along with impact rookie Stefanie Young out of BC all making a difference. Young's five goals are second on the team, however Waterman has also been a difference-maker offensively, including a big rush against Regina at the beginning of the year that set up a goal on a corner kick.

"I think I've continued to improve on my offensive game," Waterman says.

"I find that the level up from youth soccer to university, everyone is more involved in the offence, including the fullbacks pushing up and that's something I'm continuing to improve on, and also being consistent with the busy schedule and two games every weekend."

While Waterman and Meo have both demonstrated their skills on the pitch, it's their desire and willingness to get better every day off of it that stands out to their head coach.

"First of all, they are girls that really want to learn. They are keen to understand the concepts defensively and they work really hard," Vanessa Martinez Lagunas says.

"We try to learn from our defeats, so I always tell them there will be defeats and there will be wins, but we will continue to improve if we learn from those defeats. Sometimes it's hard but these girls have stuck together, they fight together and spent a lot of time training and watching video. They have a lot of input in what we do and how we do it, so I give them a lot of credit for that."

Having been on the roster for a few seasons now, both players are accustomed to the scenery and vibe that Manitoba has to offer. And while it's not necessarily the same as Ontario or Alberta, the 204 has definitely become a second home for both athletes.

"It's different because I'm used to having a more open area and more nature and mountains, but I think what makes Winnipeg home to me now is just the teammates and people that I'm constantly around and all the friends I've made," Meo says.

"The other out of town girls on the team have definitely grown to be a second family for me."