WINNIPEG – The Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference championship trophy is making a return trip to Brandon.

The Bobcats successfully defended their women's soccer title after blanking the Saint-Boniface Les Rouges 2-0 in Sunday's league final.

BU's Jade Barrault was recognized as playoff MVP and she felt her team played with passion.

"We had motivational speeches from the coaches and our veteran players before the game that really struck a chord with us," said Barrault. "We carried those emotions with us, played with heart and reached our ultimate goal."

Brandon and Saint-Boniface were scoreless at the break. The second-half saw both sides endure tough weather conditions as rain, sleet and snow fell to the field at the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex.

First-year Bobcat Faythe Miller opened the scoring in the 78th minute for the defending champions and Barrault believes that broke the ice.

"Faythe came in like a bulldozer in the second-half," added Barrault. "She did awesome and her first goal gave us momentum. We played with purpose and really dominated after that."

Fellow BU rookie Hasana Church added the insurance marker while Sydney Carter-Squire earned the clean sheet in the Brandon net.

In Saturday's semifinal, BU edged the top-seeded Providence Pilots 2-1 in a shootout. Carter-Squire made some critical saves and Jaycee Castle collected the lone goal in regulation for the Bobcats.

Brandon entered the MCAC Final Four tournament seeded fourth following an injury riddled regular season.

The 2016 title was the first-ever for the BU women's soccer program since entering the MCAC, but repeating as champions feels more rewarding for the Bobcats.

"Last year was history making, but there were more obstacles and battles to overcome this season. Everyone worked hard and stepped up. This championship deserves a lot of celebration," said Barrault.