Grade-point anecdotes — Roziere, Bobcats load up on local talent

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This article was published 11/02/2020 (2181 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the midst of his final season at the helm of the Brandon University Bobcats men’s futsal team, Jesse Roziere is already reloading the women’s squad he’ll take over for the 2020 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference women’s soccer season.

The natural first step in that recruitment process was looking close to home, and Roziere has scored a trio of talented Brandonites to kickstart his recruiting class in Chloe Roziere, Madison Kynoch and Jillian Barrett.

For each of them, soccer has brought up adversity and helped them learn how to grow from it.

Roziere tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee at Westman FC tryouts during her Grade 10 year. She had surgery the summer before Grade 11, then came back and scored the lone goal to lift her Vincent Massey Vikings over the Neelin Spartans in last year’s city final.

Joining the Bobcats as a central midfielder, however, she isn’t necessarily in search of the spotlight.

“I love to score goals but I love to create them as well. I’m not as fast a player as lots are on my team, but I like to stay back, help on defence, but also bring up and help create opportunities and chances that we can. For me, I’d rather help create them than score,” Roziere said.

“I’m super excited to be a part of the team. Jesse’s put a lot of work into building this team and we’re going to show the league what we can do in the upcoming years.

“It’s also exciting to play with the girls I’ve played with before and creating the team we’ve been waiting to create.”

The road to recovery, as any athlete who has gone through major surgery knows, was a challenging one. But Roziere’s mindset through it all helped her become a better player in the long run.

“It wasn’t physical, it was more mental,” she said. “It was hard to watch the games but I can say from experience now that I learned a lot more from sitting and watching about the player I wanted to be, rather than playing on the field. It kind of set me back a lot more than I was hoping, but now that I’ve regained my confidence and my strength, I’m ready to get back out there and play how I usually do.”

Roziere could very well continue to share the middle of the pitch with Kynoch, a five-foot-six Massey midfielder who has also spent years developing her game at a high level before high school with Westman FC.

Kynoch said it’s been cool to reconnect with former teammates already at Bobcats’ morning sessions.

“Making connections between the players is really good,” Kynoch said. “If you can communicate on the field, that’s important for the game, but also starting training now, it’s good to see how the team plays because everybody has a different strategy. Setting those plays up now is going to help us to be stronger.

“As a middle midfield, you have to have a super good understanding of the game and how to make the plays, how to push forward and when you need to pull back. I feel like my understanding of the game is good.”

Kynoch had a scare last month when she had to go under the knife, thankfully having her appendix removed before it burst. She bounced back fast and is running, working out and preparing for her shot at MCAC minutes.

“Very, very excited for it. Just ready to go into university in general, especially with the soccer team as a group to be with,” said Kynoch, who plans to study pre-professional veterinary medicine.

“Physical activity in general is a super big part of my life. Soccer, ever since I started it when I was little, my biggest friend group. It’s helped me with physical activity, it’s helped me cope with different things, all-around it’s just helped my life go forward.”

Kynoch’s time with Westman FC and her high school team offer unique and valuable experiences that translate to her next chapter.

“With the travelling team when I was younger, it was a really good experience for me. It taught me how to lose and how to be OK with it but also to push forward and play for the win,” she said.

“It was good to not just play with your specific age group (in high school), but expand a bit more and see how mature players can help you build your own game. The community with soccer has really helped me, I’ve gotten along with all the people and it’s really fun.”

Barrett, a five-foot-three centre back joins a defensive unit that allowed 18 goals in 10 games in the 2019 outdoor season, then surrendered five in a semifinal loss to the Université de Saint-Boniface Les Rouges.

While centre backs are usually some of the taller players, the Crocus Plainsmen product feels comfortable at the heart of the defence.

“I like it. It’s a lot less running than if you’re on the sides,” she said. “You have to watch everything at the back.”

Barrett also played for Westman FC, and credits Jesse Roziere for helping her develop a lot three or four years ago. His decision to take over the women’s team helped influence her.

“I really grew that year and it was a hard year for all of us with all the conditioning, but it made me grow as a player and get used to the fact that you have to work hard for things to happen,” Barrett said.

“I did take some time to think about it because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take a year off or not, but I decided it was a really good opportunity and it would help me grow as a player too.

“I knew it would help keep me in shape and I love soccer, so it’s a win-win.”

Barrett has enjoyed what the sport has done for her as a person as well.

“It’s definitely brought me out more as a person and helped me come out of my shell a little bit, become more of my own person,” she said. “I was really quiet before and I still am, but I’m a bit louder person now.”

The Bobcats are sitting third in the MCAC women’s futsal standings with two games left before hosting the final four March 7-8.

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