With university classes back in session, the excitement on campus continues to build for the 2019-20 season. This weekend, Bisons soccer gets the spotlight as they open their season at home against Saskatchewan and Regina.
On the road, Bisons football take their freshly-minted No. 6 ranking in the nation to Calgary for a rematch of last year's Hardy Cup semifinal. Also, Bisons golf starts in earnest with both the men's and women's teams in action at three separate tournaments.
All the details on that and more in our weekend preview.
Women's Soccer – September 6 vs. Saskatchewan (7 PM), September 7 vs. Regina (7:30 PM)
WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
LIVE STATS
UPDATES: follow @BisonWSOC on Twitter
Bisons soccer begins their 2019 campaign at home, as they take on two shades of green in the Huskies and Cougars.
Coming into this season, the goal for the Bisons is to improve out of the middle tier of the Canada West conference. In 2018, they finished with a regular season record of 6-5-3 — the best result for the Herd since the conference was split into Prairie and Pacific divisions. However, their season was cut short in heartbreaking fashion after a shootout loss to the UNBC Timberwolves (1-1; 3-1) in the play-in round.
This season, defence is a major strength for Manitoba. A year after setting a program record for goals against with 15, the core talent of fourth-years
Hayley Ward,
Shaylyn Dyck,
Haydn Burdeny, as well as third-year
Katherine Meo and second-year
Rebecca Waterman all return.
Check out our full season preview of Bisons soccer.
As for the opposition, Saskatchewan returns their top goal-scoring threat in 2019 in Payton Izsak. The midfielder tied the team lead in goals (4) and points (5) with fellow rookie Cassidy Hayward, creating a formidable and young one-two punch. Unranked Saskatchewan will need them to take a step this season, as the team was in the back half of the conference with just 14 goals scored (11
th in CW).
Regina, who finished last season 3-9-2 and also struggled scoring with just nine goals, has a more veteran threat to watch for in forward Sydney Langen. The Regina native started all 14 matches last season and has accumulated four goals and three assists in her time with the Cougars.
Tickets for Bisons soccer games are $5 for adults, with UM students and fans 12-and-under in free. Friday's game is also Spirit Cup for residencies and Alumni Night, with all UM alumni getting 2-for-1 tickets. Fans in attendance Friday could win an iPad, courtesy of Westoba Credit Union!
Football – Friday, September 6 at Calgary – 6:30 PM CDT
GAME NOTES
WATCH: CanadaWest.TV
LIVE STATS
UPDATES: follow @MBBisons on Twitter
If the first week of Manitoba Bisons football action was any indicator, the team may be ready to surprise opponents in 2019. After beating Saskatchewan Huskies 43-19, another test is on tap in Week 2, as the No. 6 Bisons (1-0) travel to Calgary to face the No. 4 ranked Dinos (1-0) at McMahon Stadium.
This early season matchup is also a rematch for Manitoba, with Calgary the team that bounced them from the post-season in 2018, winning 37-13 at home in the Hardy Cup semi-final last November. Though the makeup of both teams has changed since, both the Bisons and Dinos have predictability under centre, with Manitoba sending out fourth-year quarterback
Des Catellier and Calgary suiting fifth-year and defending Hec Crighton winner Adam Sinagra.
Catellier — who threw for 163 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 — offers continuity at the position, but a batch of new running backs also turned heads in Manitoba's win over Saskatchewan last Friday. Recruits
Michael Ritchott and
Logan Fischer, along with third-year
Victor St. Pierre-Laviolette, combined for 177 yards out of the backfield against the Huskies, with Ritchott leading the group with 70 yards on four attempts and a touchdown. Ritchott was also excellent in the return game, adding 101 yards on kick returns and 10 on punts.
Calgary has dominated this matchup in recent history, though, with an 8-2 record over the last ten games. The last Bisons win over the Dinos was in 2014, when the Herd won 37-15 to notch their 11
th Hardy Cup. Right now, the streak sits at seven losses, counting both regular season and playoffs.
Golf – St. Thomas Invite (Sept. 7-8); Bemidji State Invite (Sept. 9-10); Tracy Lane Memorial (Sept. 9-10)
While the men's team already has one tournament under their belt, this weekend sees the first where both Bisons golf teams hit the road for competition. The men will send one team to Maple Plain, Minnesota for the Minnesota and St. Thomas Collegiate Invitational on Sept. 7-8 and one to Bemidji for the Bemidji State Invitational on Sept. 9-10. The women will also head to Bemidji for the Tracy Lane Memorial, also on Sept. 9-10.
This season, all eyes are forward to the inaugural Canada West Golf Championships, with the first edition being contested in Kelowna from Oct. 4-6. In leading up to this new title, the men will be led by captain
Josh Neufeld, a fifth-year who had six top-three finishes in 2018 and four team tournament victories in 2017.
On the women's side, third-year
Marissa Naylor leads a team with some new blood in its third year as a program. For her personal resume, Naylor was the top Bison at three tournaments last season and finished T-1 at the Jamestown Fall Invitational. New Bisons on the women's side include Kate Gregoire, a multi-sport athlete also on the women's hockey team, as well as Mikayla Albert, Cora-Lynne Paré and Mickayla Popronick.
Check out our full season preview of Bisons golf.
Notes from the Range
