Bobcats capture double gold in futsal

The Brandon University Bobcats came home from the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference futsal championships with double gold for the first time on Sunday.

After Diego Rodriguez Sr. coached the women to their second-straight crown, Diego Rodriguez Jr. helped the men reclaim the title in Otterburne.

Both beat the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers 4-2 in the semifinals on Saturday, then the women knocked off the host Providence Pilots 5-3 before the men topped the defending champion St. Boniface Les Rouges 2-1.

“I am so proud of my girls. They did really, really good. They’re working hard and they deserve it,” Rodriguez Sr. said.

“Being against Prov is a tough team to play but the girls, they dug deep the best they could.”

With major turnover looming for the women’s soccer program, young players stepped up massively. MCAC rookie of the year Deborah Meron netted Brandon’s first two goals, with all-conference first-year Sara Switzer netting the third.

Final four MVP Reegan Garnhum, a second-year midfielder, netted the game-winner and insurance marker to seal a thrilling game in which Brandon trailed twice.

Meron struck first, though, on a back-and-forth passing play with Kenadie Janzen less than two minutes in.

The Pilots tied it with eight minutes left in the first half and it stayed level through the break.

Brandon let in a soft one from distance early in the second half, but Meron equalized just 10 seconds after play restarted.

BU conceded another slow dribbler from eight metres away to trail 3-2, but tied it with 16 minutes left on a long, low shot of its own.

Garnhum tucked a rebound home for the game-winner with less than 11 minutes remaining, then tipped a long throw from her goalkeeper home 30 seconds later to make it 5-3.

Brandon defended well from there until the final buzzer.

“Every time we need the stronger players … they show up,” Rodriguez Sr. said.

“Deborah, she’s a really talented rookie. She has really nice dribbling skills, so she’s the one, really, that challenged players.”

BU MEN UPSET USB

The men’s game lacked the same scoring punch but had all the excitement, with both sides creating plenty of good chances but defending well.

Brandon had already overcome a big hurdle, going into extra time with CMU for the second time after losing a heartbreaking outdoor soccer final 2-1.

“It’s a little bit of revenge, but not in a bad way, in a good way,” Rodriguez Jr. said. “We were so close until the last minute there, so the guys definitely deserved it and worked hard the whole year to be where they’re at.”

The final was scoreless for 14 minutes, when Brandon drew a free kick in a dangerous spot. Matheus Ruffini’s shot was deflected wide for a corner kick but Victor Andrade quickly collected the ball and fed it back to the all-conference veteran, who tucked it into the top-right corner.

It stayed tied through halftime and the majority of the second half. Again, Andrade set up a huge BU goal, firing the ball in from the left corner. The USB keeper was unable to corral it and rookie Zach Lamb was waiting to knock in a freebie.

Les Rouges cut the deficit to one with six minutes to play, but couldn’t tie it. Brandon keeper and final four MVP Matheus Souza saved a 10-metre penalty kick with 90 seconds remaining and the Bobcats held on.

“The guys kept working, they didn’t let any fatigue or tired legs get in the way. They just play with heart, play with passion like they had been all season,” Rodriguez Jr. said.

“It’s fantastic to have young players step up. It shows they’re one big group, not necessarily depending on an individual player. The group works hard to make each other better and it makes me excited to think what else this group can achieve working together.”

The Bobcats had to play the majority of the season without superstar and Rodriguez Jr.’s brother, Camilo Rodriguez, who scored four goals in the season opener on Jan. 17, but was suspended following an incident at a men’s league game at BU’s Henry Champ Gymnasium the following day.

When an opponent got close to Rodriguez Jr. during a stoppage in play, Camilo Rodriguez — a spectator at the time — ran across the court from the bleachers and attacked the player.

The suspension prevented Camilo Rodriguez from participating in the rest of the season, but he plans to return in 2026-27.

“He is committed to learning from the situation and is focused on playing soccer in the fall for the Bobcats,” said BU athletic director Russ Paddock.

“The guys were definitely able to step up when it was needed the most,” added Rodriguez Jr., who declined to speak on the incident.

“Some players that maybe don’t get as many minutes, whenever I needed them due to injuries, they stepped up and kept us fighting for the top seed in the league.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com