WINNIPEG – A performance worthy of the venue, the Bison women's soccer team rose to the vastness of Investors Group Field on Friday, October 9 as they defeated the University of Winnipeg Wesmen 2-0. 

For the Bisons, it was their first appearance at the stadium with a capacity of 45,000 - home to the Bison men's football team, the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and last summer's FIFA Women's World Cup. In front of loyal fans, they got impressive goals from Sara Schur and Chelsea Dubiel on a pair of tricky set pieces.

"[It was] a dream come true, we had a lot of emotions and to see all the people that came to support the girls, to see them play, that was fantastic," said Bisons head coach Vanessa Martinez Lagunas. "We loved the experience and it was a big honour."

"We're so lucky and I'm so proud of our team for being able to play here. It's been an amazing experience and we've worked so hard to get to where we are," said Schur. "We really showed what we have as a team and that passion that we have." 

"I feel like playing in a stadium definitely increases the level… the intensity of our program," said Dubiel. "This can only help our team get better and push us to make this program something great and be one of the best programs in the country."

With the win, Manitoba improves to 5-2-2 and, for the moment, they're the top team in Canada West's East Division. The Wesmen fall to 1-7-1. 

Both teams showed tightness early, but it was the Bisons who shook the first-game jitters off first. At the 24-minute mark, Elyce Molyneaux tricked the Winnipeg defence by deflecting a corner to Megan Graca, who launched a pass into the box for an open Dubiel, which she headed in for her first of the season.

First-year Bisons goalkeeper Madison Wilford came up big a couple times after that, saving two headers by Danielle Bulloch, one in each half, to keep the Wesmen off the board.

The insurance goal for the Bisons came at the 69-minute mark on an even trickier set piece, this one also off a corner kick. With their coach yelling instruction on the sideline, Molyneaux and Selina Speranza had a quick back-and-forth to freeze the defence before another cross was put in for Schur to finish off. For Schur, a first-year midfielder, it's her second on the year. 

The Bisons and Wesmen will now head to the Winnipeg Soccer Complex for the first game in the annual Duckworth Challenge. Kickoff is once again set for 6 p.m. CST.

Written by: John Gaudes