History will be made this Saturday at 5:30 pm, as the women's soccer team (7-6-1) hosts their first-ever playoff game at IG Field. It's also the first time Manitoba is hosting a playoff game in the decade-long tenure of head coach Vanessa Martinez-Lagunas. 

The road to get to this point was long and winding, and it started with the team's preparation in the pre-season. This was the first year teams were able to travel across Canada and the US since 2019, and the Herd took full advantage of this, playing against defending national champion MacEwan, as well as perennial contender Saskatchewan and a number of top teams in the states, such as UND and Bemidji State. 

"We played against really good teams that are feisty and never give up. You have to be the same and keep that intensity and focus for 90-plus minutes," Martinez-Lagunas said. "I think the girls realized there is no time to rest or have a mental or physical lapse. When you do that, the opponent is going to take advantage."

After learning valuable lessons in losses to the Huskies and Griffins in the pre-season, Manitoba responded. They defeated Saskatchewan 1-0 on the road in the opening weekend of the season, marking their first victory at Griffiths since 2008. 

They were also in the fight in a 1-0 loss (eventually overturned to a 1-0 win after MacEwan used an ineligible player) to MacEwan at the end of the regular season, and also gave No. 1 nationally ranked UBC all they could handle in a 2-1 defeat where they led in the second half. 

"I think we've definitely proved that we can compete with [the top teams], and I think for sure it's helped instill a lot of confidence in our team and our program and all the work we have been doing," said team captain Jessica Tsai, who tied for second on the team with six points in the regular season. 

"It's tough to be coming out of some of these games with a one-goal difference, but there's also so many positives to take from that, especially with MacEwan when you compare how we did in pre-season versus how we did in the regular season. You can see the result of all the work we have been doing. It's also a lesson on resiliency and how to come back from those kinds of games and build off the team chemistry."
 
Staying fearless
Team culture was a major point of emphasis for the group this year, something they spoke about often during the pre-season. As a group, they came up with a mantra of "fearless," which they've embodied all season while playing for each other every game. 

"I think everyone has a different interpretation of [fearless]. Not even in the actual games themselves, but going into them, we knew we were going to have a tough season. We were going to be facing top teams like Calgary, UBC, MacEwan and all that, and so for me it was about having confidence in our team that we could 100 percent compete with any team we were up against," said Tsai. 

"Apart from the actual meaning of the word, having that mantra to fall back on and knowing that the whole team is in the same head space and that the whole team is fighting with you and supporting you, is definitely huge."

As Tsai mentioned, Manitoba's roster has been there for each other through thick and thin, doing whatever it takes to help achieve the team's goals. 

A great example is veteran holding midfielder Alex Paul, whose turnover led to Manitoba's goal against UBC. She battled her way back into the starting lineup after not being able to travel in the pre-season. 

At the end of the prior school year, she was struggling due to COVID relegating her and her teammates to online classes. She decided she needed to prioritize her mental health, so she dropped a few classes and didn't have enough credit hours to compete this summer. 

Instead of taking it as a negative, she focused on the positives, working her way back into the starting lineup by the time the second week of the season rolled around. 

"It helped me in a way. One, I had injuries that I needed to take care of, and that gave me the opportunity to go to the clinic and take care of them. Two, just having to be able to earn my spot back on the starting lineup, it really just pushed me to play hard when I did get back on the field, and play the best I can. I did that, and I'm back in the starting 11. It feels great," she said. 

"I didn't want to just get back for myself, I wanted to get back for all of them. I needed to pass that class and get back on the field, because they're all relying on me, and I love them all so much. It felt great."

There are countless other examples of the Herd playing for each other, including forward Janelle Chomini battling through numerous bumps and bruises to stay in the lineup on a weekly basis, as well as goalie Karina Bagi working her way back into the lineup after an upper body injury early in the season. 

And so as the Bisons get ready to welcome Regina for the third time this year, it's safe to say they're ready. 

They've outscored the Cougars 4-2 in two games, going 1-0-1, and despite not having leading goal scorer Bianca Cavalcanti (nine tallies on the year), they know any player can step up at any time to help the team, much like they did when Cavalcanti was out of the lineup against the T-Birds earlier in the year. 

"The main message is that on this team, we have 32 amazing players, and any one of them is ready to step up when we need," said Martinez-Lagunas. "We showed that when Bianca wasn't able to play, the team was still super competitive against the best teams in the country. She has helped the team tremendously and is a big contributor, but we also have many other girls who are ready to step up and contribute to the team's success."