University of Manitoba Athletics

Part of the 2017 Bisons recruiting class, Michaila Pilcher had originally planned to leave home for university. However, with the University of Manitoba’s women’s soccer program so close to her hometown of Springfield, Manitoba, Pilcher opted to stay home.

“After realizing that there was a great soccer program that could also fit my academic needs so close to home, I realized that the U of M would be a great fit for me,” said Pilcher.

In the past, the midfielder has been a member of Chico’s Soccer School of Excellence and most recently, Winnipeg Phoenix FC. She has performed in exhibition matches against the Bisons, leading to her invitation to the Bisons ID camps.

Playing at such a competitive level can become demanding, however Pilcher has her former teammates and coaches to thank for her successes.

“Mostly I had to overcome some self confidence issues in order to continue playing soccer at a high level. It's easy to get down on yourself at times but I overcame this with the help of players and coaches from my club teams!”

Though her involvement during the 2017-18 season came as rookie, she appreciated the level of prestige that came from hosting the National Championship. 

“Nationals was a great experience and a very exciting atmosphere all around. Being able to see some of the most talented players in Canada come together and compete against each other was definitely an exciting experience.”

As the Bisons continue to improve, Pilcher is bringing a complementary mentality to the team. As the 2018-19 season is set to kick off, she is hoping that will continue for both herself and the Bisons. 

“Personally, I would like to keep improving all aspects of my individual game and make some kind of impact within the team.”

 “As for the team I think that we would always like to do better than in previous years so improving our record and consistency in comparison to last year would be an important goal”

2017: Recruited from the Winnipeg Phoenix SC. Grew and developed in her first season. 

Personal: The Springfield, MB native has also been a member of Chico's School of Soccer Excellence and Team Eastman for the Manitoba Summer Games. She also travelled to Scotland to play in 2014, and has participated in multiple tournaments in the U.S. Is enrolled in the Faculty of Arts.