It was a massive weekend for Providence athletics, with both Pilots soccer programs in MCAC
action and men's volleyball heading out on their first preseason trip to Briercrest College.
Women's Soccer
The Pilots women's soccer team had a dream weekend, securing back-to-back wins in dominant and dramatic fashion.
On Saturday, the Pilots rolled past the Assiniboine Cougars in a 14-0 result, with every player touching the field in a true team win. Goals and assists came from all over the pitch:
Avery Meyer's relentless work in the midfield earned her MCAC Player of the Game honours.
Sunday brought the test of the season so far as the Pilots faced the undefeated Brandon University Bobcats. Providence wasted no time making a statement, with Halle Owen striking twice in the first half — once off a corner from Laurianne Chiasson and again from a setup by Serena Negrich. Brandon stormed back early in the second half with two quick goals, but the Pilots answered through a brilliant free kick finish from Olivia Swaby. The Bobcats equalized again late, setting up a nail-biting finish. With just minutes left on the clock, Owen completed her hat trick, burying the game-winning goal off another free kick delivery from Chiasson to hand Brandon their first loss of the season.
It was an intense, physical battle to the very last whistle, but the Pilots showed their grit and came away with one of the biggest results of their season so far.
Men's Soccer
On the men's side, the Pilots handled business against Assiniboine on Saturday, earning a 2-0 win behind a stellar shutout performance from goalkeeper Santiago Vasquez. The goals came from:
Vasquez was named MCAC Player of the Game for his incredible performance in net!
Sunday's rematch against Brandon was a chance to measure growth after a tough 1-5 loss in their last meeting. Despite conceding early on a Bobcats free kick, the Pilots fought back as Gurkarndeep Bhangu equalized just before halftime from a setup by Downie. While Brandon found the net again in the second half to edge out a 2-1 win, Providence showed marked improvement and composure against a strong opponent.
Downie was named MCAC Player of the Game for his relentless attacking play and ability to create chances up front.
Both soccer teams now turn their attention to this weekend's clash with USB Les Rouge in Winnipeg.
Men's Volleyball
The Pilots men's volleyball team traveled west for a preseason series at Briercrest College, using the trip to fine-tune their game before the MCAC season begins. Providence competed in four matches over the weekend, winning their opener 3-1 before falling 0-3 in the second. They bounced back in dramatic fashion, pulling off a five-set 3-2 victory in their third match and closing the weekend strong with a 3-1 win.
Head Coach Paul Armbruster was encouraged by both the performances on court and the growth off it:
"It was great to kick off our preseason with four games against Briercrest. Lots of valuable experience gained as we have several new players and I was happy with how bought in the guys are to trying to learn from the reps. We showed good resiliency with comebacks in both games on Saturday and it was nice to be on a road trip early in the year to help build team chemistry. There was lots of laughter and good conversations happening! Solid weekend on and off the court for us."
With valuable reps in hand and strong signs of resiliency, the Pilots now shift focus toward their upcoming Red Deer Polytechnic Invitational Tournament this upcoming weekend!
