WINNIPEG -- The Regina Cougars played spoiler on Saturday night at Investors Group Field, upsetting the Manitoba BIsons 2-1 in the first-ever home soccer playoff game at Investors Group Field.
The game-winner came in the 92nd, as Makenna Sackmann got her foot on a corner and blasted it home to send Regina to UBC next weekend for the conference quarterfinals. The placement of the corner from captain Taylor Bubnick was immensely accurate, and Sackmann got all of the ball on the other end, charging in from behind the play to make contact from ten yards out.
Manitoba dictated play in the opening 45 and entered the break up 1-0 on a brilliant strike from
Jenna Kunkel 12 minutes before halftime. Her fourth goal of the year was set up from some excellent passing by
Bianca Bucci, who intercepted the ball and played it Kunkel. She did the rest, going top shelf on a highlight-reel goal from 22 yards out where she found a bit of space.
Manitoba, without leading scorer
Bianca Cavalcanti, pressed for more, but were unable to increase their lead in a game that saw a number of impressive runs. One of the Herd's best came in the 15th minute, as forward
Janelle Chomini sped past multiple Cougars at midfield, eventually drawing a foul as she entered Regina's end.
Regina answered through offensive catalyst Peyton Enns. She used her physicality and speed to gain leverage in the attacking third, earning a penalty kick in the 66th. The Winnipeg native cashed in for her second career goal against the Bisons, leveling the game at one.
The Cougars rode the wave of their game-tying goal all the way until the end, keeping consistent pressure on Bisons goalie
Karina Bagi until the eventual game-winner on the second of back-to-back corners. Despite the final score, the Bisons netminder was spectacular, making ten saves, including in the 80th minute on a left-footer from close range by super sub Sophia Stevens where she followed the ball and sprawled to her right while out of the net.
"Of course we missed [Cavalcanti], but Jenna stepped up. It was a beautiful goal. We scored the goal, we had the game under control, and then after the penalty kick everything went downhill," said Bisons head coach Vanessa Martinez-Lagunas.
"Something we need to keep improving on is managing the game. I think overall, my analysis of the season is that we made big steps forward and we need to keep improving our game management. For me, that's the summary of the season."
