The Bisons women’s soccer team faced off against Winnipeg Wesmen, ending in a dramatic 2-2 draw. The match was filled with intensity, showcasing both teams’ determination and skill.

The Wesmen struck first in the eighth minute when Sydney Butler found the back of the net, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by the Bisons.

Nyema Prentice-Whyte quickly emerged as a key figure for the Bisons, showcasing her exceptional dribbling skills and agility. She consistently pushed the ball forward, weaving through defenders and creating scoring opportunities. The Wesmen’s defenders, particularly number 21, Jaida Clancy, were determined to thwart her efforts.

As the match progressed, the physicality increased, particularly from the defenders of both teams. After conceding goals, defenders from each team became more conscious, leading to several fouls.

In the 39th minute, Nyema Prentice-Whyte equalized for the Bisons, bringing life back to the crowd and leveling the score at 1-1. Just when the momentum seemed to shift, the Wesmen got back just before halftime, with Jazmyn Castro scoring in the 44th minute to restore their lead at 2-1.

The second half saw the Bisons searching for another equalizer. Despite several near misses and moments of brilliance, including impressive dribbling from their wingers, they struggled to break through the Wesmen’s defense. The crowd was restless, chanting for the Bisons as they fought to regain control.

The Bisons’ defenders showcased solid distribution at the back, effectively getting the ball to the wingers and initiating plays. However, the midfielders struggled with passing, often losing control and possession at crucial moments. While there were several promising through-balls to the wingers, they frequently missed their mark by mere inches, allowing the Wesmen’s goalkeeper to snatch them up.

In a dramatic turn of events during extra time, Nyema Prentice-Whyte scored her second goal of the match, sealing the draw and sending the fans into a frenzy. The Bisons celebrated their hard-fought point, demonstrating their fighting spirit and determination to compete against a fierce rival.

At the touchline, Bisons women’s soccer head coach Vanessa Martinez-Lagunas was highly engaging, issuing instructions to guide her players. Whenever a substitution was made, she took the opportunity to provide clear directions to the incoming players.

In a post-match interview, coach Martinez-Lagunas said “it’s always a good fight against our cross rivals of Winnipeg. […] I am just very proud that the team kept fighting to the end and that we got that point at the end in the last breath of the match. I think it shows our spirit, […] I think also the team has shown great improvement and great growth from the beginning of the season to this moment. So we’ll keep pushing, we’ll keep learning, you know, every game we learn and we get better.”

Martinez-Lagunas added, “I think it was not that we struggle in position in midfield, I think it was more that we were trying to force it too much. So I think the goal that we scored — and actually the two goals we scored — it was because we were able to play the wing and then switch the ball quickly and then get it into the box. So that’s something we need to keep doing better. When we do it, we are very lethal.

“So, I think just keep working on that decision making when we need to split them and when we need to go around until we see a bigger opening so that we don’t force plays that don’t have to be played and force if the space is very tight.”

Nyema Prentice-White described herself as “on top of the world” during the post-match interview after having scored both goals for the Bisons.

“I’ve never felt how I felt with the second goal in any soccer environment. It felt so exhilarating because that was such an influential goal. That needed to happen because if we lost, that’s points lost. That’s our place in the stands.”

She continued, “I play it safe a lot. And in today’s game, I knew that I needed to do something to be impactful.”

“But dribbling past players, […]  you get through one, you get through two, you get through three. But if you can capitalize off of that kind of scenario, then goal scoring opportunities are going to come.”

When asked what strategies were implemented to create strong scoring opportunities, Prentice-White described a change during the final six minutes of the game.

“I knew I needed to change in some type of way. My original position was striker, and honestly, what I kept doing was alternating between the striker and the winger position on both sides.”

The Bisons women’s soccer team will face the Saskatchewan Huskies on Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. at the West Turf Fields.