VOYAGEURS START EXHIBITION SEASON ON THE RIGHT FOOT
LAC LA BICHE – Friendly Manitoba was good to the Portage College Voyageurs this past weekend. Hosting visiting squads from l'Université de St. Boniface and Assiniboine College for a pair of exhibition matches August 16 and 17, the Voyageurs posted a hard-fought draw and an impressive win to finish off a stellar weekend. The victory, against the Assiniboine Cougars, was a first for the women's program in several years. Although the points don't count in the standings, Head Coach Macky Singh knows the results are important for the team's fitness and especially its psyche, particularly one that was routinely beaten down on the scoreboard last year.
"It's given the team a little confidence…And that's already a massive kind of thing," he said.
On Saturday afternoon, in cool, blustery conditions, the Voyageurs played a solid game against a solid squad, escaping the Bold Center Soccer Field with a 1-1 draw. Dani Funk scored Portage's lone marker while Rayna Kupsch was named Player of the Game for the Voyageurs.
"The game was great," said Singh. "It was a battle and that's what we need to play in to get ready for the regular season."
On Sunday afternoon, in sunny and hot conditions, the Voyageurs continued their strong play, besting Assiniboine College 6-0. Funk was against stellar, potting five consecutive goals and snagging Player of the Game honours for her squad. Brooklyn MacGillivray added a marker in the 86th minute to complete the scoring. In a sign that this year's edition of the Voyageurs is already a much-improved team, Singh, who spent most of last year teaching fundamentals and emphasizing the positive, was already tempering expectations and preaching level-headedness.
"We cannot be complacent because that's where we were last year on the women's side," said the experienced head coach of the rebuilding Assiniboine squad. "So we've got to make sure that we don't get too excited about it because we're not gonna face opposition like that in our league."
Players of the Game – August 16
Université de St. Boniface: Jade Lopez
Portage College: Rayna Kupsch
Players of the Game – August 17
Assiniboine College: Lexi Constant
Portage College: Dani Funk
