Manitoba and Winnipeg will renew their cross-town rivarly this week on the pitch, as the 33rd annual Duckworth Challenge kicks off on Thursday at 7 pm at the Ralph Contafio Soccer Soccer Complex. The rematch will take place on Saturday at 1 pm at UM's West Turf Field.

The Bisons have never lost to Winnipeg in the soccer portion of the Duckworth Challenge, which was started by the late Dr. Henry E. Duckworth (president of the University of Winnipeg from 1971-81 and Chancellor of the University of Manitoba from 1986-92) in an effort to profile the intense but friendly cross-town rivalry between the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba.

The challenge originated in the 1991-92 season, with basketball and volleyball, with soccer being added in 2013 following Winnipeg joining women's soccer in Canada West conference play. 

Manitoba's all-time Duckworth Challenge record in soccer against Winnipeg is 8-0-2, and the Herd also won the trophy last year, with women's soccer, women's basketball and women's volleyball securing wins, 3-2 overall. 

Last year, the Bisons out-scored Winnipeg 4-0 during their two-game series. Midfielder Taryn Cabak had the game-winner on a header in a 1-0 win during the challenge in 2023, while captain Jessica Tsai, Paris Sidhu and Evelyn Lekivetz scored in the rematch.

The Bisons are just nine points out of the fourth and final playoff spot in the Prairie Division with four games to go in the regular season, adding even more importance to this week's tilt. They're coming off a weekend where they beat third place Alberta 1-0. It was Manitoba's first-ever victory against Alberta, with Tsai scoring the only goal on a penalty kick set up by Ava Memka and Paris Sidhu. 

Tsai -- who has four goals in her last four games -- is tied for the team lead in that category, with five, alongside rookie sensation Nyema Prentice-Whyte, whose five goals are the fourth-most by a rookie in a season in school history. The former's nine points also lead Manitoba, and the four-year captain is only two career assists shy of tying the school record, of 26, set by Olympic gold medalist Desiree Scott. 

Meanwhile, goalie Holly Dyker is coming off a career-high nine saves against the Pandas, and her three shutouts are tied for third in Canada West. 

As a team, the Bisons have scored the sixth-most goals in the conference, with 19. Meanwhile, Winnipeg has found the back of the net just five times. Overall, nine different Bisons have a point this year, including senior forward Janelle Chomini, whose seven points are a career high.