The Bisons women’s soccer team opened the 2025 season with a 3-1 loss to MacEwan Griffins.
MacEwan Griffins made an early attempt for goal, with Alyx Henderson firing a shot in the sixth minute [6:59] that was stopped by Bisons goalkeeper Holly Dyker.
Nearly four minutes later, MacEwan Griffins got on the board as Raeghan McCarthy converted a penalty in the 10th minute to open the scoring.
The Bisons came close to equalizing in the 15th minute when Breyanna Johnston-Krulicki’s shot struck the crossbar. At 19:59, she had another opportunity, but her shot went higher.
Taryn Cabak tested MacEwan Griffins goalkeeper Sabrina Alexander with a shot in the 21st minute, but Alexander was equal to the task. Six minutes later, Bisons’ Mia Fonseca’s header was also denied by goalie Alexander, keeping the Bisons off the scoresheet.
At the half-hour mark [30:28], Brynn Hobal tested the Bisons goalkeeper Dyker with a shot, but Dyker made the save. About a minute later, at 31:59, with Hobal’s assist, MacEwan Griffins doubled their lead and McCarthy found the back of the net — her second goal of the match and season. MacEwan Griffins intensified their offensive push between the 38th and 43rd minutes, with several attempts on goal. Despite the pressure, the Bisons stayed composed and successfully kept them at check.
In the final two minutes of the first half, both teams pressed for a breakthrough, but their efforts were denied. The half ended with MacEwan Griffins holding a 2–0 advantage.
In the early stages of the second half [50:00 to 58:38], both the Bisons and MacEwan Griffins showed attacking intent, creating chances. However, several shots were either wide or blocked by defenders.
In the 59th minute, MacEwan Griffins extended their lead to 3–0 as Henderson found the net, finishing off an assist from Paige Colby.
Following the goal, both teams made a series of substitutions in an effort to adjust tactics and introduce fresh energy into the match.
For the Bisons, Tabata Bravo came on for Taleesa Minnaar in the 63rd minute and later delivered a consolation goal in the 81st minute, with an assist from Sydney Arnold.
MacEwan Griffins maintained their composure to secure a 3–1 victory to close out the game.
In the second game of the series on Saturday, Aug. 30, the Bisons fell 3–1 once again to the MacEwan Griffins.
Football
The Bisons men’s football team (0-1) was defeated 21-9 by the UBC Thunderbirds (1-0) in the season opener.
Neither team was able to break the deadlock in the first quarter, which ended scoreless at 0-0.
In the second quarter, the UBC Thunderbirds took a 7-0 lead at the 10:19 mark when Edgerrin Williams-Hernandez caught a 12-yard pass from Drew Viotto. They extended their advantage to 14-0 with just 20 seconds remaining, as Williams-Hernandez had a 37-yard pass from Viotto.
Bisons’ Maya Turner connected on a 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter, putting the team on the board and narrowing the deficit to 14-3 for the Bisons at the 0:56 mark.
At the 9:10 mark of the fourth quarter, Jackson Tachinski made a one-yard run to set the score at 14-9, but the Thunderbirds extended their lead to 21-9 after Trey Montour received a 4-yard pass from Derek Engel at 04:58.
The Bisons soccer team will play Regina Cougars on Saturday, Sept. 6 and Sunday, Sept. 7 in Regina, Saskatchewan.
The Bisons football team will play Calgary Dinos on Friday, Sept. 5 in Calgary, Alberta.
