Les Rouges are champion with upset win over Bobcats in 2022 MCAC Men’s Soccer Championship Final in Brandon

On a sunny, warm afternoon, the #3 seed Université de Saint-Boniface (USB) Les Rouges (7-1-4 regular season record; 2-0 post-season) won the championship after an upset win over #1 seed Brandon University (BU) Bobcats (10-0-2 regular season record; 1-1 post-season) by a 4-3 margin at Sportsplex Field in the 2022 MCAC Men's Soccer Championship Final, hosted by Assiniboine Community College (ACC), on Sunday, October 30 in Brandon.

USB have won the conference title fives times and first one since 2017 (2014-17, 2022).

USB's Michael Zarychta opened the scoring after a cross went thru a Bobcat defender at the 13 minute mark. Brandon, the defending champion, responded when 2022 MSOC Player of the Year Camilo Rodriguez was pulled down in the box and he was successful on the ensuing penalty kick halfway into the first half. Only six minutes later,

Franck Oumar N'Dia notched the second of the match for Les Rouges after the ball found its way onto his foot in the box and he blasted it home for the halftime lead.

In the second half, Brandon tried for the equalizer but it was USB which increased the lead with N'Dia scoring his second with a long shot that went through the legs of the Bobcats' keeper. Salting the game away occurred in the 84 minute as Ibrahim Bezzahou scored from a goal mouth scramble and a 4-1 lead.

The Bobcats would not go down without a fight as they scored twice in a couple minutes left in the game when Rodriguez had his second from the penalty spot and Bryson Haywood added another but it was too late and a new champion was crowned.

USB's head coach Seif Dhaoui commented after the win, "We had new players and new system and continued to get better this season and executed the plan today. We tried to not have Camilo receive the ball and pressure the passers to him and once we had the lead to continue the momentum and not let go of it."

Fourth year defender Ayman Soussi was named Player of the Championship and was emotional after the championship. "I thank the coaches as couldn't do it without them. I started in 2017 and this means the world to me. Our talent didn't change and we are a cohesive team with the young players and it showed during these playoffs."

The MCAC champion also earned a berth into the 2022 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Soccer Championships hosted by Langara College in Langley, BC running from November 9-12 as only the second time for MCAC representative at the Nationals.

Soussi remarked, "It is a big honour to represent Manitoba at the Nationals." While Dhaoui talked about now and the future, "It will be amazing to see the level of other teams at the Nationals and we are young team with lots of second year players. Our first time there and there is no pressure and will compete as best as possible and build on that."

2022 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference Soccer Championship

Hosted by: Assiniboine Community College; Central Time listed

Saturday, October 29

12 p.m.            MSOC: #1 seed BU Bobcats 2  #4 seed CMU Blazers 0

12 p.m.            MSOC: #3 seed USB Les Rouges 4  #2 seed PUC Pilots 0

2:30 p.m.         WSOC: #1 seed USB Les Rouges 4  #4 seed CMU Blazers 0

2:30 p.m.         WSOC: #2 seed PUC Pilots 3  #2 seed BU 0

Sunday, October 30

12 p.m.            Men's Championship Final: #3 seed USB Les Rouges 4  #1 seed BU Bobcats 3

2:30 p.m.         Women's Championship Final: #1 seed USB Les Rouges 4  #2 seed PUC Pilots 1

Photo: Aidan Froese