After two weeks on the road to open the season, the Bisons women's soccer team (0-3-1) returns home for the first time in 2025, hosting second-place Mount Royal (3-0-1). This is just the third meeting between the two sides since 2019. Mount Royal has won each of the last two contests, including their most recent matchup, 3-1 in 2023. The Herd's last victory against MRU came in 2019, 3-1 at home. Game times are 12 pm on Saturday and 1 pm on Sunday at Bison East Field.

There will be no shortage of fire power when the conference opponents go at it. Both teams are in the top seven in Canada West in shots, with the Cougars in fourth, at 67, and the Bisons in a tie for seventh, at 52. 

Three different Bisons have found the back of the net already this year, in senior forward Tabata Bravo, veteran defenceman Evelyn Lekivetz and stalwart midfielder Sarina Mann. Mann's goal last Saturday against Regina was the first of her U SPORTS career, and came in thrilling fashion. Bravo -- whose two points are tied for a career-high -- intercepted the ball in Bisons territory, racing down the pitch to find a sprinting Mann, who demonstrated excellent touch to finish off the play with Regina's goalie in her face. 

Speaking of Bravo, she is one of three Bisons who enter this weekend's play in the top ten in program history in career regular season games played. Her 57 games played following this weekend rank seventh, while forward Paris Sidhu's 56 games played rank eighth and midfielder Chloe Morin's 55 games played rank ninth. 

On the MRU side, look for a variety of players to contribute. Tamara Djurisic is the school's all-time leading goal scorer just two seasons in, Isabella Chirico, the team captain, scored her first goal since 2022 last weekend in a win over MacEwan (the first time MRU had ever beaten the national powerhouse).

In general, the Cougars' lineup is made up of second-years. Look for Gabrielle Linfiord, Julia Makoloski and Dany Jaurez to all make an impact.