Rebels capture futsal championship
ROGAN CHAHINE, CONTRIBUTOR
The women’s Rebels futsal team poses after a win at home against the Université de Saint Boniface Les Rouges. SUPPLIED/ Ben Wettlaufer
The Red River College women’s teams cannot stop winning. After earning soccer and basketball championship titles, the Rebels have captured a futsal gold medal.
On March 5, the RRC Rebels took on the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC) finals game. The Rebels upset the top-seeded Blazers 5-3 to clinch gold.
Futsal, a game similar to soccer, is typically played in a gym with four players and a goalie per side. The game usually moves much faster than outdoor soccer.
Paige Procter, one of the Rebels’ newest fixed defensive players, said the fast-paced nature of futsal made for a tense match.
“We were up 3-0 and they scored two really fast goals,” said Procter, 22. “We couldn’t let the energy and excitement of the game lose our focus.”
And they didn’t. For many Rebels players, the victory marks their second championship this school year, as they were a part of the outdoor soccer team that brought home gold in October.
Stephanie Morris fights for the ball in a match against the Université de Saint Boniface Les Rouges on February 22, 2016. SUPPLIED/ Ben Wettlaufer
Procter said the team has been building great chemistry since their pre-season tournament in Minneapolis in August.
“Minneapolis was a good bonding experience,” she said. “You build a comradery. I never felt like I was new to them.”
Stephanie Morris is a graduating digital media design student who has been on the team through her two years at RRC. She said after the regular soccer season, the team didn’t know if the school would be funding a futsal team.
“For a lot of us, it was the last time we’d play together,” said the 24-year-old. “It was quite emotional.”
Procter said the team was excited when they realized they would be playing futsal together.
“I’ve played on lots of soccer teams, and there are lots of teams that I’ve played for where the girls aren’t so nice to each other,” said Procter. “It’s nice to be on a team where everybody supports each other, on and off the field.”
Doug Lawrie, the Rebels’ coach, said he’s extremely proud of the players.
“The soccer and futsal championship wins wouldn’t have happened unless every player contributed their best in the role I gave them,” he said. “We also came through significant adversity with injuries to key players and the team rose to these challenges.”
