Finalist Cougars set to open futsal season
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The Assiniboine College Cougars were a goal away from glory last season.
While that doesn’t get them anything to start the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference men’s futsal campaign, it’s worth a lot to the program. The Cougars know what it takes as the eight-game season begins against the host Brandon University Bobcats on Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
“They know it all comes down to details. That’s why we were good last year,” said head coach Chris McLachlan.
Deion Grant dribbles during Assiniboine College men’s futsal practice on Tuesday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
“We had players that played disciplined and followed instructions well, stuck to our game plan, and we were able to give some teams trouble while we did that. The guys have the belief that if we play to our strengths, we’re going to have a chance against anyone.”
The Cougars went 2-4-2 last year to secure the No. 3 seed, then defeated the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers 7-6 in the semifinals.
They had a thriller of a final, pushing the top-ranked St. Boniface Les Rouges to extra time but falling 4-3 on home court.
“What led us to a lot of success was playing structured and waiting for other teams to come to us. We found when we’re able to do that, you can generate a lot of opportunities, especially in futsal, on quick counters,” McLachlan said. “We were frustrating to play against last year because we stayed so disciplined.
“We have some really fast players this year as well, so we can have the option of playing a more pressing style when we need to.”
As usual, change is the norm for the school with the shortest academic programs in the five-team league.
McLachlan is looking to a new core group anchored by goalkeeper Dylan Cruz, with his brother Kevin as one of the key guys on both ends of the floor.
Striker Carlos Mejia and defender Fernandez Monias will help fill out the five-man lineup, which should have enough depth to get through the season.
The Cougars are at home on Jan. 24 against Les Rouges and Jan. 25 against the Blazers.
They complete a three-game home stand the following weekend against the Providence Pilots, then have three straight road games before capping the campaign at home against the Bobcats on Feb. 13.
It’s a new format, compared to last year when teams hosted tournament-style match days and teams played twice a day.
McLachlan prefers the new schedule.
“It was tough before, if you played a match and it didn’t go your way. You had to quickly adjust and sometimes that weighed on the guys’ minds,” McLachlan said.
“To have that extra day between matches, one opponent to focus on per day, we’re excited about that.”
COUGAR WOMEN SEEK RETURN TO PLAYOFFS
Kiyanna Arevalo was named MCAC women’s futsal player of the year last season. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
Head coach Manuel Luben found immediate success on the court last year, leading AC to the playoffs and earning coach of the year in his debut.
Assiniboine went 3-5-0 with two wins over CMU and one over St. Boniface before losing a hard-fought semifinal 4-1 to eventual champion Brandon.
“They are pretty excited because last season we were able to make it to the playoffs, so that’s the idea for this year,” Luben said.
“Sometimes it’s hard because I have players for just one year … but I know I have a few key players like Kiyanna (Arevalo), Angela (Fetsch), Kiera Griffin and my goalkeeper Michele (Omand). That’s going to be a big help this year.”
Arevalo was voted player of the year, a first for the team and second for the school on the futsal court, after Theo Manias earned the nod for the men’s team in 2024.
Luben said Arevalo, a five-foot-three striker from Saskatoon, brings a ton of valuable futsal experience to the team.
“Honestly, I didn’t have to teach her that much. She had the skills required for a player to be good at futsal, same with Angela,” Luben said.
“They are really great soccer players, fast, good technique, good soccer skills, so I’m really happy about it.”
Luben is excited about his additions, including Lexie Constant, Riley Porterfield, Jaymakah Miller, and Tasmine Martinez-Okemow, who should provide stability on defence and keep the team in games.
He also likes the one-match-a-day format.
“Playing two games in the same day was hard for us,” Luben said. “This year is going to be different; it’s going to be better. We only have one game a day, so we’ll be able to rest.”
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com