No current player on the Bisons women's soccer team has suited up in more games than fifth-year forward
Tabata Bravo. Making the move from Toluca, Mexico to Canada to play for the Herd beginning in 2021, her 59 career regular season games played rank sixth in school history.
Bravo was the first Mexican player to ever be recruited to the Bisons. Learning a new language and finding her footing in a new country took time. But her teammates welcomed her with open arms, becoming fast friends while helping Bravo gain confidence.
"Believe it or not, I was a really shy person when I first came here. I wasn't talking to anyone. I was in my room the entire time," she admits.
"The girls were super welcoming. They were super open to helping me and willing to accept me and include me in their conversations, even if the words I said probably didn't make any sense to them, they would still laugh along."
One place Bravo has always felt at home, is on the pitch. A member of the Mexican U17 national team, she was also captain of her Lioness FC club program and her IPEFH Leonas Rosas school program. At Manitoba, she fit seamlessly into the culture of the group.
"Sport has always been an escape for me. It's always been my safe place, and it's where I've met the most amazing people in the world," she beams.
"Coming here to Canada because of soccer, it helped me to meet my partner, and it gave me also a Canadian family. They take such good care of me."
Bravo found a role with the Bisons right away. She started ten games in 2021, scoring her first career U SPORTS goal against Winnipeg in the final game of the regular season. It was a fitting reward for the striker, who'd stepped into a new position as a rookie, playing fullback on the left side.
"I was so nervous [to play fullback], but all the girls were like you've got this! You've been practicing. The more positions I can play and I can adapt to, the more possibilities I will have to play in a game. And honestly that's all I want. I just want to play. I love soccer. This is who I am and this is my biggest passion," Bravo says.
"[On the goal], it was a corner kick and I was ready to receive. I was at the right place at the right time. I batted the ball into the net. It felt so nice, because everyone knew how much I wanted a goal, everyone knew how hard I was working. I remember even [former goalie] Karina [Bagi] sprinted all the way to the other side to come and huddle with me!"
Now a senior, Bravo has come a long way since 2021. She's well known as one of the loudest, most positive players in the country, earning the trust and respect of all her teammates.
In fitting fashion, she scored the first goal of the 2025 season for the Herd, embodying the same positive attitude that fans and teammates have long known her for.
"After my first year, I saw that the team was taking it well. I started feeling more confident. That love and that passion kept growing on me. It fills me with joy to see people happy and achieve their dreams. If I push myself and I keep growing, then that will also help you to push yourself and keep growing. That way we can all push together," she says.
"I love encouraging people. I love seeing them grow, I love cheering them on and I love helping them to believe in themselves. If I really want to help people in general at work, at soccer, with my family, the best way to approach it is in a positive way. It doesn't have to be super big. It can be something as simple as a high five. People feel included, people feel seen.
