Otterburne, MB - It was a historic weekend for Brandon University Athletics as both the Men's and Women's Futsal teams captured the MCAC Futsal Championships on Sunday, completing a dream season for the program.
The Bobcat Women capped off an incredible undefeated 6-0-2 regular season with a dominant championship run. The squad was an offensive powerhouse all year, led by MCAC Rookie of the Year Deborah Meron, who netted a team-high 11 regular-season goals. The scoring depth was relentless, with Jorja Hoad tallying 6 goals and 2 assists, and Sara Switzer adding 4 goals of her own.
The hardware poured in for the women's side leading up to the tournament. Mackenzie Boyes was named the MCAC Women's Futsal Player of the Year, while head coach Diego Rodriguez took home Coach of the Year honors. Boyes, Switzer, and Dizengremel were all named to the All-Conference Team.
In Saturday's semi-final against the CMU Blazers, the Bobcats showed their resilience. After falling behind 2-0 early, the team roared back with four unanswered goals from Hoad, Dizengremel, Church, and Boyes to secure a thrilling 4-2 victory and punch their ticket to the final, where they ultimately claimed the championship banner.
The Bobcat Men matched that championship energy, turning a stellar 6-1-1 regular season into a title-winning weekend. The team was anchored by standout performances from Matheus Ruffini, who was named the MCAC MOP Runner-Up, and Bryson Haywood. Both Ruffini and Haywood earned well-deserved spots on the All-Conference Team.
Their path to the championship featured a dramatic semi-final clash with CMU that perfectly mirrored the women's game. Finding themselves in an early 2-0 hole, the Bobcats unleashed a devastating offensive response. Goals from Lukas Weiss, Ruffini, Victor Andrade, and Victor Lamb completely flipped the script, resulting in a 4-2 victory that propelled them into Sunday's final. Carrying that momentum forward, the men secured the championship victory, solidifying a double-banner weekend for Brandon University.
