Neelin captain Pearce joins BU soccer

Emytt Pearce is seeing his future in sports more clearly than ever.

A short but pivotal senior year on the soccer pitch has helped him realize where he wants to be, and the Brandon University Bobcats are certainly happy about it.

Pearce has joined a stacked rookie class at BU for the 2026 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference men’s soccer season.

“I’m really excited. I’m just glad I get to continue my athletic career past high school,” Pearce said.

“It’s in my nature to try to be the best I can at whatever I’m doing. I’m starting to put a lot more effort into soccer.”

The six-foot striker had a promising start to his soccer career, playing a few years up with Westman FC before the COVID-19 pandemic. He said hockey has been his main focus in recent years, with soccer just a secondary sport for the summer.

But he took a big step forward — both literally and figuratively — with the Neelin Spartans this spring.

Pearce jumped up from his defending role to play striker, while also being named captain.

The Spartans went winless in league play, but played the Crocus Plainsmen tight all year. Pearce lifted them to their lone draw of the regular season by racking up a first-half hat trick before Crocus rallied in the second half to tie it 3-3.

Neelin earned two wins at the first annual Spartans Classic, beating Portage 6-1 and Crocus 2-1.

It lost to Vincent Massey 3-2 in penalty kicks. Hat trick aside, Pearce is most proud of that result.

“I definitely grew as a leader, being the captain. I really took a lot of pride in that,” Pearce said.

“When we talked at the end of the last game, I let the team know there have been few things I’ve taken so much pride in. And I know it’s kind of silly, it’s high school soccer, it’s a three-week season, but I really love that team and gave it my all.”

He’s excited to join the program alongside his girlfriend, Spartans girls captain Nicole Dyck, who committed to the BU women’s program last month.

Pearce plans to work towards a bachelor of science with a major in biology, while joining a rookie class that includes Plainsmen Ben Ibitoye, Boissevain native Russell Harper, Morden’s Levi Francis, Massey’s Parker Cels, Minnesotan Elijah Carlson-Lee and Pakistan product Anser Khan.

Pearce feels his biggest strength is in his aggressive style, coming from the ice.

“Hockey and soccer are very different sports, but I have the mindset of a hockey player,” he said. “I need to get better with the ball. I play my best when I’m with the ball, but I feel I can get a little more confident.”

Pearce played two seasons of U17 AAA hockey, first with the Westman Ice Bandits in 2023-24, then with the Brandon Wheat Kings the following year.

He spent the past winter with the Central Plains Capitals in the U18 AAA league, posting three goals and seven assists in 47 games as his team went 14-30-2-2 and missed the playoffs.

As much as he loved the game, he’s ready to shift his focus and join one of the strongest post-secondary soccer teams in the province.

“I’m super happy to finally be focusing on one sport. The past year, I’ve been asking coaches from hockey and soccer what they think I should do because it’s kind of the age where I’ve got to branch off into one focus,” Pearce said.

“I’m not sad to be leaving hockey in any way; I’m super excited to be playing university soccer and especially for the Bobcats. It’s a team I grew up watching, and I can’t wait to play.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com