Rodriguez nets four in return to HLC field

Homecoming weekend meant a little extra to Camilo Rodriguez.

The best scorer in Brandon University Bobcats men’s soccer history made an emphatic return to the Healthy Living Centre field on Saturday, scoring four goals in a 5-1 triumph over the Providence Pilots.

Rodriguez, who won back-to-back Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference player of the year awards before leaving the team for the 2024-25 season, couldn’t have been happier to play on home turf again.

“It’s an amazing feeling. I missed the field, I missed the guys, I missed the support that we get from the fans here,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a pleasure to be back, a pleasure to play the beautiful game with the guys again, and I couldn’t have asked for a better result.”

The former Crocus Plainsmen striker left BU following back-to-back soccer championships to sign with the Keyano College Huskies of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. He felt he’d accomplished what he wanted to with BU and wanted to take on a new challenge.

“Unfortunately, things with school didn’t work out,” said Rodriguez, who never played for the Huskies. “I became academically ineligible, so I got my classes back up and with my brother (Diego) being the (new head coach at BU), it motivated me to come back even more.”

Rodriguez opened the scoring by tucking a shot in off the right post early in the first half.

He doubled the lead just three minutes into the second half after Kevin Garcia nearly did so on a blast from 30 yards out. Providence goalkeeper Santiago Vasquez got just enough of the ball to tip it off the crossbar. The Pilots cleared it but Bryson Haywood quickly dribbled into the penalty area and drew a foul.

Rodriguez cashed in and allowed the Bobcats to settle into a sound defensive structure and protect the lead.

Matheus Ruffini extended it in the 67th minute from 30 yards out, then raced over to the hot dog tent set up by Bailey’s Cafe general manager Sean Taron — his boss — to grab a grease missile and take a few bites before running back onto the pitch.

Rodriguez scored his hat-trick goal 10 minutes later after a terrific run by rookie right back Declan Hoad to collect a through ball and drop it back to the left-footed striker, who, of course, made no mistake.

“I was surprised because I know people know me in the league, people know my left foot,” Rodriguez said. “I was coming into this game not expecting to have any time on my left foot but I had time on my left foot and I know I can get a shot off if I have my left foot.”

Pilots striker Zach Harman ended Matheus Souza’s clean-sheet bid on the stroke of 90 minutes, but Rodriguez restored the four-goal lead right before the final whistle.

On Sunday, Carter Wiebe scored his second-career goal as BU beat the St. Boniface Les Rouges 2-0. The BU women defeated the Pilots 4-2 and Les Rouges 3-0.

The Bobcats certainly looked better than their season-opening four-goal loss at Canadian Mennonite University.

“The biggest difference is our aggressiveness and our will to play,” Rodriguez said. “Last weekend, we slacked on that a little bit. We slacked on the commitment, and this game we knew was our home field, and we don’t lose on our home field. We came and gave it our all.”

Brandon is back in action on Wednesday evening against Assiniboine College at Cougars Field at 8:15 p.m., following the women’s match at 6 o’clock.

Rodriguez is excited for the rookies to get their first taste of the crosstown rivalry. He said they’re catching on quickly.

“These strong guys, the new guys, they want to learn, they want to play,” Rodriguez said. “The biggest thing I’ll give them is they’re really coachable, so they’ll listen to the vets, listen to the coach, anything we say to them, they listen. When they listen, things like this happen.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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