Brandon Manitoba: “The Wheat City” or “The Pothole City”? Written by: Hannah Hiebert

You better have an ice pack handy because these potholes will shake you around so bad you might get whiplash. Don’t pick up your drink if you’re about to hit a pothole, otherwise that $10 frappe from Starbucks will spill all over your interior. You know it’s bad when you have to turn on your brights in the city at night, because a pothole might commit third degree murder on your tires. The Wheat City? Nope. Welcome to Brandon Manitoba, The Pothole City! Where there are bumpy roads and, of course, alarmingly large potholes!

Seriously, our roads are appalling. This has been my hometown since I was six years old, and I have never seen our roads in the shape they are in today. As I have referenced above, with our roads in awful shape there is a considerable risk of seriously damaging your vehicle if you do not see a pothole in time. Strong impacts to a vehicle can include weakened tire belts, damaged shock absorbers and struts, punctured tires, damage to the vehicle’s front-end suspension, and if hit hard enough potholes can even affect the wheel alignment of the vehicle.

I do not understand why the City of Brandon has been this negligent about the condition of our roads, because car repairs to fix the damage caused are certainly not cheap. Factor car repairs into our current economy and it creates a financially stressful situation that could be lessened if the City of Brandon would fix our roads. Thankfully, they have begun the process, despite being long overdo. As disruptive as construction is, I will take the disruptions and detours over the constant fear of damaging my car every time I drive around town.

Please remember to be mindful of the roads as you are driving around town. Do not travel over the speed limit, and stay alert to allow yourself time to react when you see a pothole in the road and need to slow down. Do not travel too closely behind people, in case they need to slow down because of a pothole.

Drive safely everyone!

Interview with Bobcats Basketball Coach Gil Cheung By Mahé Rabesa

The Bobcats' phenomenal season comes to an end with a heartbreaking loss to the Victoria Vikes, ranked #1 in Canada. The Bobcats lost 98-85 in the quarter-finals on their way to the Nationals. Still, it was an excellent season for the men's basketball team led by Head Coach Gil. With 12 wins and 8 losses, the Bobcats are one of the best teams in Canada West, ranking 8th. Having been very competitive throughout the season, the men's basketball team worked hard and fought to the end. The team's game is simple and highly structured. The players work well together and move the ball quickly, which makes for some spectacular plays, much to the delight of fans. The team is very good behind the three-point line, but is also aggressive, and many players attack the rim well. It's a fairly complete team that also plays very well defensively, offering an excellent defensive rotation. I think the team can be proud of their performance this season! We had the chance to interview head coach Gil Cheung to talk about the season. 

Now, let's delve into the world of Coach Gil and his team to find out what they're most proud of, their strengths and weaknesses, to look back on their best game and discuss next year's objectives!

To begin with, what are you most proud of this season?

After losing Anthony who was Defensive Player of the Year, 1st Team All Conference, and Jahmaal who was the 3rd leading scorer in the conference and 3rd Team All Conference, we ended up with a strong record, made the playoffs, and advanced in the playoffs as well. We gave UVIC, the #1 team in Canada, a great run in the playoffs as well.

What was your best game of the season? And why?

I think our best game was our first game after a month off against UW. University of Winnipeg just finished second in Canada West and we beat them by 26pts here at the Healthy Living Center. We executed almost a perfect game plan on both ends of the court, and did that for 40 minutes. I thought our second game of the year, beating U of M by 25 when they were #5 in Canada was a great game for us as well.

Which statistics are you most proud of? And why? 

We were ranked #11 in Canada this season, and we finished as the 3rd most efficient offensive team on Synergy Sports in the country. It was our goal to be at the top or near the top of this category and we were able to play a fast, uptempo, exciting style of basketball all year.

What did you find different about the team this year compared to last? 

Not a ton really. Results wise we were identical. I felt this year’s team was a bit better defensively in the half court, but losing some huge pieces from last season, we weren’t as strong on our defensive glass.

What would you say are your team's strong points? 

We were one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, and our pace of play was a strength.  We were always able to create shots, and play with speed. We loved pushing tempo, and everyone on our team can shoot, so our spacing, shot selection, and draw/kick game was definitely our strength.

What should your team be working on? 

We are looking to rest these next 2 weeks, and will need to be working in the weight room, to become stronger and more dynamic. 

What will you remember about this season?

Just the interactions with this group. The season is long, strenuous, and can really drag on. We bused home from Edmonton and then we played back-to-back weekends in BC -  it can be exhausting. I will remember this season mostly for the great student athletes I got to work with each day, the best coaching staff, who do not get paid anything, but show up each day and give up every weekend for this University.  I will remember the big crowds, and the kids - the kids who look up to our guys, and hope to be a Bobcat one day. We have this amazing platform to give back to this region, and we never take that responsibility lightly. We are truly lucky.

To conclude, do you have any goals for next season?

Build with the core group that we have, bring in a strong recruiting class, return to the playoffs, advance, and be one of the Top 10 teams in the country.

Thank you very much Coach Gil Cheung for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you an excellent off-season and hope for the best next season! 

You can see the Bobcats in action next season at the Healthy Living Center - it’s completely free for BU students, so come and cheer them on. Go Bobcats!

February Bobcats Recap by Trinity Nylon

February Bobcats Recap

by Trinity Nylon

Men’s Soccer

The futsal season for the Bobcats men’s soccer team has been filled with excitement. The MCAC (Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference) operates the futsal season in a tournament-style format, with teams playing two games per competition day. 

The season opened on January 14th with the Bobcats facing off against the CMU Blazers and St. Boniface Les Rouges. During their first game, the men's team dominated with a 4-1 win over the Blazers. However, the Bobcats fell to St. Boniface in the second game with a 2-3 loss. 

January 20th was a new day when the Bobcats played at home against the ACC Cougars and Providence Piolets. Our men’s team split with an early win against the Cougars but fell in a close 3-4 game against the Piolets. 

On February 4th, the Bobcats got redemption against the Providence Piolets when they beat them 9-5 in the early game. However, ACC held our Bobcats to a draw (4-4) in their second match of the day. 

The final weekend of the regular season saw a flip of the opening weekend's results. The Bobcats fell 2-9 to the Blazers in the opening game. The Bobcats managed to get their groove back by the afternoon, defeating les Rouges 4-2. 

Going into finals weekend, the Bobcats were tied for first in the league based on points; however, they were dropped to second under Providence due to their goal differential. The Bobcats are back at the HLC on March 9th and 10th, where they will be looking to secure the futsal championship for the third straight year. 

Women’s Soccer

The Bobcats women’s soccer team entered the futsal season under the direction of Diego Rodriguez Sr. and Bailee Ploshynsky following the resignation of head coach Orlin Chalmers in late November. The regular season began on January 14th, with the Bobcats facing off against the CMU Blazers and St. Boniface Les Rouges. During their first game, the women’s team started shaky but secured a close win (3-2) over the Blazers. Unfortunately, the Bobcats fell short of the victory in their second game against St. Boniface with a 5-6 loss. 

Weekend number two (January 20th), the Bobcats got back on track, dominating the ACC Cougars with an 11-1 win. The momentum continued into their second game of the day, earning a 5-3 victory over the Providence Piolets. 

On February 4th, the Cougars and Piolets had the opportunity for a rematch. This was no problem for the Bobcats, who began the day with a 4-3 win over the Piolets, followed by a 9-3 win over the Cougars.  

The final weekend, of the regular season, February 17th, had mixed results for the Bobcats. They began their day with a 2-0 win over the CMU Blazers, earning their first clean sheet of the futsal season. However, in their rematch against St. Boniface, they inched their way closer to a win but could not secure it with a tied game (1-1).  

Going into finals weekend, the Bobcats are ranked second in the league under les Rouges. The Bobcats will have their season debut at the HLC on March 9th and 10th, where they will be looking to secure their first futsal championship after a loss in the futsal final last season. 

Men’s Volleyball

The Bobcats men’s volleyball team started off strong for the second half of the regular season. On January 5th and 6th, they secured two straight wins against the University of Calgary Dinos. Trinity Western University proved to me a bit more of a challenge for the Bobcats as they fell in the fourth set on January 19th. The following day, the Bobcats persevered and showed grit on the court, ultimately winning the five-set rematch. 

January 26th and 27th the Bobcats as they swept the UBC-Okanagan Heat in three sets in both matches. However, Mount Royal showed the Bobcats what they were made of on February 2nd and 3rd, with the Bobcats falling in both matches. 

The two final weekends of the regular season put the Bobcats on a three-game win streak – beating Thompson Rivers in both matches (Feb 9th and 10th) and UBC Thunderbirds Friday night (Feb 16th) – however, the Bobcats were unable to hold on through their final game falling to UBC in their fifth set. 

The Bobcats have secured their place in the Canada West Quarterfinal and will begin with a three-match series against Trinity Western – playing February 22nd to 24th.

Women’s Volleyball

The Bobcats women’s volleyball team started off the second half of the Canada West (U-Sport) season with promise, earning themselves their first win in three sets against the University of Regina Cougars. However, the Cougars returned with a fight the next day, securing themselves their first win of the season in five sets. 

In the following four weekends of the regular season, the Bobcats faced off against Trinity Western University, Mount Royal University, Thompson Rivers University, and the University of British Columbia but ultimately proved unsuccessful. The Bobcats were unable to qualify for the Canada West Playoffs. 

Men’s Basketball 

The Bobcats women’s basketball team started the second half of the Canada West season hot with four straight wins, defeating both MacEwan University and the University of Saskatchewan during both double header matches. However, the Bobcats got too comfortable, falling to Fraser Valley on January 26th and 27th and the University of Victoria the following weekend. 

The Bobcats were safe, having already secured their spot in the Canada West Championship Tournament starting February 21st. Wednesday, they secured a win on their first game of the tournament against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 62-55. However, they were unprepared for their rematch against the University of Victoria, who knocked them out of the tournament with an 85-98 loss in the quarter-final. 

Women’s Basketball 

The Bobcats women’s basketball team started off the second half of the Canada West (U-Sport) season with fire. On January 13th, the Bobcats played a hard-fought game against MacEwan University, dropping by only five points. The following day, the Bobcats returned with a vengeance, securing themselves their first win of the season 96-62. 

In the following four weekends of the regular season, the Bobcats faced off against the University of Saskatchewan, Fraser Valley, and the University of Victoria but ultimately proved unsuccessful.  The Bobcats were unable to qualify for the Canada West Playoffs. 

Bobcats December Update by Trinity Nylen

Men’s Soccer

In November, the Bobcats men's soccer team travelled to Windsor, ON, to compete in the CCAA Men’s Soccer National Championship. They played against the Douglas College Royals, Keyano College Huskies, and the University of Kings College Blue Devils during the tournament. The Bobcats had three hard-fought matches and ultimately secured a win in their final game against the Blue Devils. In league history, the Bobcats became the first Manitoba team to win a game at the Soccer National Championship.

The Men’s Soccer team was also recently named The Brandon Sun’s Team of the Year for their accomplishments in the 2023 season.

Women’s Soccer

BU’s women’s soccer team also had the opportunity to travel to their first-ever national championship in the program's history. The Women’s Soccer CCAA National Championship was held in Summerside, PEI. The women faced Champlain College Cavaliers, University of Kings College Blue Devils, and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Trojans. After a disappointing loss in their first game, the Bobcats dropped by one point in their following two matches. Striker Keeshae Masters scored the first-ever goal by a Manitoba team on the national stage in the team’s second game against the Blue Devils.

Men’s and Women’s teams will begin their indoor futsal season in mid-January.

Men’s Volleyball

The Bobcats Men’s Volleyball team is currently in a four-way tie for the third-place ranking in the Canada West division on U-Sports. Their final weekend before the winter break ended on a high note after two back-to-back wins against the UFV Cascades. However, the Bobcats split in the Wesmen Classic Tournament with two wins and two losses. Entering the second half of the regular season, Bobcat players Paycen Warkentin (1.34) and Phillip Lauter (1.32) lead the conference in blocks per set.

Women’s Volleyball

The first half of the Bobcats Women’s Volleyball team's regular season has been a rocky start with a record of 0-12. In the new year, the games to watch will be against the University of Regina on January 12th and 13th as each team battles to get a win on their sheet.

Men’s Basketball

The Brandon Men’s Basketball team is tied with the University of Manitoba for third place in Canada West. This team is showing up on the leaderboards, with Elisha Ampofo leading the conference with a 62.5 three-point percentage and Sultan Haider Bhatti’s 11.4 rebound average. The team is looking to secure some crucial wins going into the second half of the season.

Women’s Basketball

The Bobcats Women’s Basketball team's regular season has not started as they would hope, with a record of 0-10; they are excited for what's to come in the second half of the regular season. Bobcats Reetta Tulkki was named Brandon University’s Women’s Athlete of the Month in November.

Brandon’s Santa Parade

Brandon’s Santa Parade took place Last Saturday, November 18th. Families flooded the sidewalks to watch the many colourful, bright, and music-filled floats go by. The Brandon University carollers sang beautifully. At the end of the parade were the infamous Santa and Mrs. Claus. The parade was a grand success, following the announcement of a change in management for future years.

Bobcats Monthly Update By Trinity Nylen

Men’s Soccer

For both the men’s and women’s soccer teams, October was proof that adversity makes us stronger.   

The BU Men’s Soccer team began October in stride and feeling strong but were met with adversity as a team in the latter part of the month, causing them to lose their national top 15 ranking and finish in second place in the MCAC (Manitoba Collegiate Athletic Conference) league. The team and coaching staff had their minds firmly set on making it to nationals from the beginning of the season. When faced with some poor-quality play over several games, they addressed the causes of the situation head-on. They made a strong plan that brought the team together to focus on a team goal and renew efforts to play for one another and for their graduating players.

Entering the playoff weekend (Oct 28th and 29th), the team was forced to adapt as both semi-finals and finals were postponed and moved indoors due to the severe snow and ice build-up on the host university CMU’s soccer fields.

In the semi-final match, BU faced off against the CMU Blazers. Only minutes after the whistle blew, MCAC Player of the Year Camilo Rodriguez put the team ahead, which was later followed by a goal from Matheus Ruffini. Shortly after Ruffini’s goal, the Blazers were awarded a penalty kick, resulting in a goal. However, the Bobcats successfully held on for the entirety of the second half, securing their spot in the MCAC final.

The MCAC men’s final was a hard-fought match between the Bobcats and the Providence University Pilots.  Rodriguez scored the lone goal with a penalty kick after a scoreless first half. Bobcat defenders Nathan Chubaty and Victor Lamb, along with the strong performance of their keeper Matheus Souza, shut down all opportunities for the Pilots. This team effort secured the Bobcats their spot at the CCAA National Championship in Windsor, ON, November 8-11th.

League Award Recipients: Nathan Chubaty – True Sport, Zach Wood - All-Conference, Victor Andrade – All-Conference, Camilo Rodriguez – All-Conference and Player of the Year, Matheus Souza – Final Four MVP.

Women’s Soccer

The Bobcats Women’s Soccer team started the 2023 outdoor season with some adjusting to do, as new head coach Orlin Chalmers, as well as former Bobcat Bailee Ploshynski in an assistant coach role, joined Diego Rodriguez Sr. in leading the Women’s soccer program. The Bobcats had early success, and had a shot at entering playoff weekend with the top seat, when they ultimately fell to the Providence Pilots in the final game of the regular season.

The early snow also resulted in an adjustment of time and place for the Women’s team, forcing games to be moved indoors.

The Bobcats were faced against the CMU Blazers in their Semi-Final Game. With early intensity, Kenadie Janzen secured the opening goal, which was later followed by goals from Ashley Robinson, Brogan Henry, Kylie Van De Woestyne, and a second from Janzen. CMU managed to get one on the board with a lone goal off of a free kick. This win was the momentum the Bobcats needed.

The keyword for the Bobcats Women’s Soccer team throughout this outdoor season was grit – the ability to dig deep for 90 minutes to secure a win, and that is precisely what they did in the Finals against the Pilots. Though the Bobcats were in control of the game throughout most of the first half, they let up a corner kick to the Pilots, leaving the score 0-1 at halftime. However, they did not let the score get them down; returning to the pitch for the second half, the bobcats dug deep and played their game. Mackenzie Boyes scored off of a remarkable cross at the start of the second half, which was quickly followed by a strong shot by Janzen to put the Bobcats ahead. This team dug deep for the remainder of the match, not giving any room for the Pilots offence to attack. This grit punched their ticket to the CCAA National Championship in Summerside, PEI, November 8-11th.

League Award Recipients: Molly MacPherson-Blair – True Sport, Ashley Robinson – All-Conference, Brogan Henry – All-Conference, Emilie Dornez – All-Conference, Tarin Ballan – Final Four MVP.

Men’s Volleyball

This October, the Men’s Volleyball team opened their season with a doubleheader against the University of Saskatchewan on October 20th and 21st. The Bobcats came out to play on opening night, but after a long five-set battle, the Bobcats ultimately fell to the Huskies. Saturday, the Bobcats came out looking for a day-two win. They were able to come through with a win in the first set but could not maintain that momentum, losing to the Huskies in four sets.

The Bobcats held their home opener against the University of Alberta the following weekend, and they showed up ready to play! The men defeated the defending conference champs in four sets, dominating the game. Bobcat Paycen Warkentin scored ten kills and seven block assists (0.533 Kill%), while teammate Liam Kindle scored nine kills (0.533 Kill%). However, the following day, the Alberta Bears returned prepared to manage the bobcat attack, defeating the Bobcats in three close sets.

Women’s Volleyball

The Women’s Bobcats are looking to gain their footing under new Interim head coach Kailan Robinson. This October, the Women’s Volleyball team also opened their season against the University of Saskatchewan on October 20th and 21st. Though the first two weekends resulted in losses for the Bobcats, they are excited about the potential they see on the court.

Basketball

Bobcats Basketball season had yet to begin in October, but both teams have been eagerly anticipating the start of the season. The Bobcat's home opening weekend will be Nov 10th and 11th at the Healthy Living Centre.

Brandon University Athletics - Composite Schedule

Brandon University Athletics

Brandon University Athletics - Composite Schedule

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, 2022
Women's Soccer at St. Boniface 3:15 PM Winnipeg, Man.

L 0-2

Men's Soccer at St. Boniface 1:00 PM Winnipeg, Man.

W 1-0

Men's Volleyball vs University of Winnipeg 6:30 PM Brandon, Man.

L 2-3 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 24-26, 15-9 - HOME TOURNAMENT SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2ND, 2022

Men's Volleyball vs University of Saskatchewan 1:00 PM Brandon, Man.

W 3-1 19-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-22 - HOME TOURNAMENT
Women's Soccer vs Canadian Mennonite University 3:15 PM Brandon, Man.

L 0-1

Men's Soccer vs Canadian Mennonite University 1:00 PM Brandon, Man.

W 4-0

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6TH, 2022
Men's Basketball vs Western University 7:00 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN. HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2022

Women's Rugby vs University of Regina 2:00 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN. JOHN REILLY FIELD SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9TH, 2022

Women's Soccer at Canadian Mennonite University 3:15 PM Winnipeg, Man.

WINNIPEG, MAN.

Men's Soccer at Canadian Mennonite University 1:00 PM Winnipeg, Man.

WINNIPEG, MAN.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, 2022

Men's Volleyball vs University of Saskatchewan 8:30 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN. HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15TH, 2022

Women's Soccer vs St. Boniface 3:15 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

Men's Volleyball vs University of Saskatchewan 2:00 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN. HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE
Men's Soccer vs St. Boniface 1:00 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16TH, 2022
Women's Rugby vs University of Manitoba 1:00 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN. JOHN REILLY FIELD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 2022

Men's Basketball vs Universite du Quebec a Montreal 7:00 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN. HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 2022

Women's Rugby at Mount Royal University 3:00 PM Calgary, Alta.

CALGARY, ALTA.

Women's Volleyball at Thompson Rivers 5:30 PM Kamloops, BC

KAMLOOPS, BC TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTRE
Men's Volleyball at Thompson Rivers 7:15 PM Kamloops, BC

KAMLOOPS, BC TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTRE
Men's Basketball vs University of Manitoba 8:00 PM Winnipeg, Man.

WINNIPEG, MAN. DUCKWORTH CENTRE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22ND, 2022

Women's Soccer vs Canadian Mennonite University 3:15 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

Women's Volleyball at Thompson Rivers 3:00 PM Kamloops, BC

KAMLOOPS, BC TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTRE

Men's Soccer vs Canadian Mennonite University 1:00 PM Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

Women's Rugby at University of Lethbridge 4:00 PM Lethbridge, Alta.

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.

Men's Volleyball at Thompson Rivers 4:45 PM Kamloops, BC

KAMLOOPS, BC TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTRE
Men's Basketball at University of Winnipeg 6:00 PM Winnipeg, Man.

WINNIPEG, MAN. DUCKWORTH CENTRE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, 2022

Women's Soccer at Providence 3:15 PM Otterburne, Man.

OTTERBURNE, MAN.

Men's Soccer at Providence 1:00 PM Otterburne, Man.

OTTERBURNE, MAN.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, 2022
Women's Volleyball vs UBC 6:00 PM Brandon, MB

BRANDON, MB HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE
Men's Volleyball vs UBC 7:45 PM Brandon, MB

BRANDON, MB HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 2022

Women's Soccer at MCAC Final Four Semi-Finals TBD Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

Men's Soccer at MCAC Final Four Semi-Finals TBD Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

Women's Volleyball vs UBC 5:00 PM Brandon, MB

BRANDON, MB HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE
Men's Volleyball vs UBC 6:45 PM Brandon, MB

BRANDON, MB HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, 2022

Women's Soccer at MCAC Championship TBD Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

Men's Soccer at MCAC Championship TBD Brandon, Man.

BRANDON, MAN.

Copyright © 2022 Brandon University Athletics

Free Fitness Classes At BU

The HLC is now offering FREE Fitness classes for Faculty and Students. These free fitness classes will be offered in the morning, duringlunch time, and after workStudents will be able to take advantage of this offer January to April while Staff and Faculty will have access for the entire month of January.

The classes will be given by Enver Naidoo, a recent Manitoba Fitness Leader of the Year award recipient, approached the HLC and Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU) to bring this free programming to the Brandon University community.

Most classes take place in the HLC Mezzanine and the following is the schedule taken from the BU website:

MONDAY

4:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – After-Work Mixer – Strength & Cardio Circuit (45 minutes)

Build muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance using a variety of portable equipment and body weight exercises that will challenge you to work hard and help you achieve your fitness goals.

TUESDAY

12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – Tabata (30 minutes)

A high-intensity interval training that consists of eight sets of fast-paced exercises each performed for 20 seconds interspersed with a brief rest of 10 seconds.

WEDNESDAY

4:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – After-Work Mixer – Strength & Cardio Circuit (45 minutes)

Build muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance using a variety of portable equipment and body weight exercises that will challenge you to work hard and help you achieve your fitness goals.

THURSDAY

11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Tabata (30 minutes)

A high-intensity interval training that consists of eight sets of fast-paced exercises each performed for 20 seconds interspersed with a brief rest of 10 seconds.

12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Core & More (30 minutes)

Enjoy a total body workout and improve your muscular strength and endurance while using a variety of portable equipment and body weight exercises.

FRIDAY

11:45 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Strength & Core (30 minutes)

Build muscular strength and cardiovascular endurance using a variety of portable equipment and body weight exercises that will challenge you to work hard and help you achieve your fitness goals.

12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Cardio HIIT (30 minutes)

This interval training workout will utilize a variety of work to rest formats as well as different portable equipment and body weight exercises to improve your overall fitness. This class is suitable for all fitness levels and both high and low impact options will be available.

Things to remember:

*All fitness levels are welcome

*Low impact and modifications will be provided

*Suitable for all ages

*Bring a water bottle

*Fitness attire required

*Come on your own or bring a friend

Title Drought Finally Ends

Winnipeg Blue Bombers ended a 29-year drought by winning the 107th Grey Cup final Sunday night, beating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-12 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. Most current Bombers had yet to take a breath in 1990, when 26-year-old quarterback Tom Burgess last led Winnipeg to a Canadian Football League championship.

Much of the Bomber fan base also wasn't even born and has no memory of that night in Vancouver. Now however, they have very fresh memories of an unseasonably mild November night in Calgary, when the Blue Bombers homegrown running back Andrew Harris scored two touchdowns. The game where Kicker Justin Medlock kicked five field goals and the Bomber defence took the ball away from Hamilton's offence six times and sacked quarterback Dane Evans five times.

To the Winnipeg Football Club, this victory is not just a validation. It is a cause for celebration and form of closure to to alleviate decades of frustration. A win seemed a statistical improbability. No one really expected to actually win. The football league with only eight or nine teams for most of its recent existence, one comes to expect to excel at failure or to be cursed with exceptionally poor luck in order to wind up without a championship for nearly three decades.

The game didn't feel like a lock for Winnipeg until the final minutes. Pessimism is hard to overcome, especially after going so long without a Grey Cup win. It’s something that Winnipeg and all of Manitoba have to celebrate and brag about for quite some time. 

SNL Season 45 Premiere: But Who’s Going to Appear?

The hit sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live is set to premiere its

45th season, and is almost reaching 50. 45 is a pretty big number, and

you can likely expect that they will go all out for the season

premiere. 5 years ago with Season 40, I began to watch it after having

seen a rerun of the previous season and some clips online of various

sketches from throughout the years. The show has become iconic in

American television, and will often go all out and find the biggest

names possible to host the show, especially for their last show prior

to Christmas and New Year’s, and also their season premiere and

finale. Big names that have hosted and performed during past premieres

include Chris Pratt with Season 40, who hosted with Arianna Grande as

the musical guest, and he was there to promote the summer blockbuster

of 2014, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Grande had a number

of songs breaking records that same summer.

Season 40 saw many people returning for the anniversary special, but

also had James Franco and Seth Rogen appear despite their canceled

film “The Interview” which mockingly showed the two actors as

celebrity talk show hosts who are tasked with assassinating North

Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and the finale had Louis CK, which was his

second last time on the show prior to the sexual misconduct

allegations against him. Season 41 saw host and musical guest Miley

Cyrus, and then later in the season there was the controversial

hosting pick of the Republican Presidential Candidate and business

tycoon Donald Trump, who gave the show the highest ratings of all time

for the series. Fred Armisen, who was a former cast member on the

show, had returned to host the finale, and since then many big stars,

like Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman and Matt Damon, and Star Wars

Sequel trilogy actor Adam Driver, who hosted the premiere of the

previous season, with Kanye West as the musical guest, who made the

controversial comments about slavery being a choice while wearing a

Make America Great Again ball cap in support of President Donald

Trump.

Typically, high grossing movies will have their stars appear, and last

season Brie Larson, Idris Elba, Don Cheadle and Paul Rudd all hosted

with the 4 having appeared in Avengers Endgame, although Elba was

promoting a different project at the time, and Larson was promoting

captain Marvel’s Solo film, though it does tie into Endgame, while

Cheadle and Rudd who play War Machine and Ant-Man respectively were

there to build hype for the 4th Avengers flick. Although by the time

Rudd had hosted the season finale, Endgame was already shattering box

office records, going on to beat James Cameron’s Avatar and claim the

#1 spot of highest grossing film of all time. It might be an

opportunity for SNL to continue milking the success of Endgame to gain

more viewers during the season premiere.  Additionally, Gwyneth

Paltrow who plays Tony Stark’s wife Pepper Potts in the MCU appeared

during the Weekend Update sketch during the episode hosted by Elba.

For hosts, an MCU star seems most likely, as Spider-Man: Far From Home

also made its theatrical debut on July 2nd as a follow up to Endgame,

and grossed over a billion dollars, and the director’s cut is

currently in theaters. Tom Holland plays Peter Parker in the film, and

with the Sony MCU Spider-Man debacle still going on, it might gain SNL

more attention to have a star from that film. Holland is notorious for

spoiling extremely private details about big projects, so if he is

hosting it’s surprising that we haven’t heard anything. Jake

Gyllenhaal has a play going on in New York right now which he stars

in, and could promote that along with Far From Home, as he’s a bit

more of a household name, and he plays the villain Mysterio. Josh

Brolin has hosted the show before and has had a long film career, most

notably his early work included The Goonies, and more recently in

Endgame he reprised his role as the mad titan Thanos, who really looks

like if The Rock became a California raisin. Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett

Johansen and Jeremy Renner who played Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye

could go on as well as Bradley Cooper and Chris Hemsworth, who played

Rocket Raccoon and Thor. Tom Hardy who is the actor for Venom in the

Sony film of the same name last year could host to help build hype for

the sequel which was announced in the summer, which has also teased

that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is set to appear, along with Woody

Harrelson who is set to play Carnage, and he’s another candidate as

he’s got a lot hype for his character to be fleshed out in the sequel,

as we only saw a brief cameo in the last movie.

Former cast member and Tony Stark actor Robert Downey Jr could host,

and it’d be even more interesting to see him don the Iron Man armor

one last time, even if it’s as host. Having him host in character

would be great. Other potential candidates include Samuel L Jackson

who had been in both films, and also Jon Favreau, who also directed

the remake of The Lion King. Zendaya played MJ in Far From Home, and

we could see her as a host.

Other people who could host other than the prominent MCU stars

mentioned include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Jason Statham who were

in the Fast & Furious spinoff movie Hobbs & Shaw. Idris Elba played

the villain in the movie, although he was just featured last season,

so I don’t know how soon they might have him back, although Chris

Hemsworth and Steve Martin have hosted more than once in less than a

year. Keanu Reeves starred in John Wick Chapter 3 earlier this year

could also be an option. Australian comedian and political cometary

show host Jim Jeffries from the Jim Jeffries Show on Comedy Central

might be another person, as Season 4 of his show is happening soon.

Millie Bobby Brown who plays Eleven on the Netflix series Stranger

Things could host, as could David Harbour who plays Hopper in the

series, as the series released its 3rd Season during the summer. John

Oliver of HBO’s Last Week Tonight could host, making him the first HBO

star since the finale of Game of Thrones to appear on SNL.

James McAvoy had been featured in the horror film IT Chapter 2 which

is based on the Stephen King horror film, but he hosted earlier this

year in January, so I don’t know that he’d be the one they choose. If

anyone were to host from that film, I’d say it’s likely going to be

Bill Hader, who was a former cast member and made a cameo earlier this

year in an episode hosted by John Mulaney. Bill Skarsgard who plays

Pennywise in the film could appear. Speaking of Stephen King, the King

of Horror has a new book coming out, so SNL may lean in a different

direction and have him as host, or they may lean towards getting him

for the Halloween special.

Will Smith took to the silver screen as the Genie from the live action

remake of Disney’s Aladdin, taking over for the iconic comedian Robin

Williams after the tragic passing of Robin in 2014, and knowing

Smith’s musical talent, it’s very possible he could be both the host

and musical guest. Naomi Scott played Princess Jasmine as well, so she

could be host. Donald Glover played Simba in Lion King Remake, and it

wouldn’t be his first time as host and musical guest, as he hosted in

Season 43 prior to the release of the Hans Solo Star Wars Anthology

Film: Solo which saw him as a young Lando Calrissian, taking over for

Billy Dee Williams, and it was around the time of his hit

controversial song “This Is America.”

Musical guests could include Beyoncé, who again was in the Lion King

remake, but for me, the most likely candidate for musical guest is

rapper Lil Nas X, whose song Old Town Road peaked charts worldwide and

became quite the meme over the summer. More than likely Kanye west

won’t be returning anytime soon after the incident last year, so don’t

expect to see him back. Former Beatles member Paul McCartney could

also be a choice for musical guest. Billie Eilish is another musician

who is going viral.

Cameos for the season premiere are hard to predict, but it’s more than

likely we’ll see Alec Baldwin returning to his role as President

Donald Trump, who is running for re-election in 2020, as well as Larry

David as Democratic Candidate Bernie Sanders, who he played

prominently in Season 41 and had a minor appearance in Season 42, and

appeared as a host in Season 43 and did an impression of Sanders for a

$100,000 Pyramid Celebrity Edition sketch. Jason Sudeikis could

comeback as former Vice President and 2020 candidate Joe Biden.

There are several new cast members set to appear, including the first

prominently Asian cast member, and the most recent Asian person to

appear, with SNL having quite a few Asian actors like Awkwafina and

Sandra Oh appear last season, and also Aziz Ansari, who is of Indian

descent, and Kumail Nanjiani who is Pakistani in the two seasons prior

to 44, and Lucy Liu, who hosted over 18 years ago, with SNL seemingly

lacking any Asian performers up until recently, which may be due to

criticism over this particular issue which creator and producer Lorne

Michaels was facing. Leslie Jones, who joined just shortly after the

start of Season 40, was reportedly not returning for Season 45. The

announcement was made on August 27th.

Whoever may appear, expect them to be big, and the musical guest will

be just as huge. My bets are on an MCU star with Lil Nas X for musical

guest, but it could be anyone who I mentioned or more. Saturday Night

Live airs on NBC at 10:30 PM central time and on Global and CTV, but

be sure to watch NBC for the latest updates on the show. The premiere

is set to happen on September 28th, this weekend, so tune in and

enjoy, unless you’re easily offended by political jokes. Then really

nothing on late night TV is funny for you.

Bobcats Launch New Season’s Ticket Special!

The Bobcats' 2019-20 season ticket drive is underway and fans who act fast will be treated to an outstanding offer.

The first 200 season ticket buyers will receive a special bundle of one-time coupons totalling over $100 in value:

• $25 gift card from Smitty's Sportsline Lounge 

• Complimentary A&W Teen Burger and fries

• Free pita at Pita Pit

• Free dessert at Montana's

• Free menu entree at Freshii 

• Complimentary LA Squishy and popcorn from Jiffy Food and Video

• Free slice of pizza at Pizza Pizza 

• Free wings at the Tavern (with minimum $10 food/drink purchase) OR 2 buffets for the price of 1 at Aaltos 

• Healthy Living Centre punch card 

(The special coupon offer does not apply to youth season tickets)

Season ticket holders also get a Bobcat Nation t-shirt and a fridge magnet home schedule calendar sponsored by Subway and Dash Delivers.

BU Athletics, in conjunction with 12 participating partners, are also pleased to offer a Rewards Card for all season ticket holders. Each card is good for discounts and special offers from the following Rewards Card Partners:

A&W, Brandon Source Sports, Chilli Chutney, Freshii, Harvey's, Mary Brown's, Montana's, Pita Pit, Smitty's Sportsline Lounge, Swiss Chalet, Sobeys West End and Supplement King.

Fans can pick up their season tickets from the front desk of the Healthy Living Centre.

Adult season passes are $100; seniors, BU staff, faculty and alumni pay $75 while youth (age 14-17) are $50. Kids 13-and-under can catch all Bobcat home games for free, as can all current BU and ACC students.

Action gets underway on Friday, October 18 when the Bobcat volleyball teams welcome the Thompson Rivers WolfPack for their Canada West season opener. Meanwhile, the Bobcat basketball teams hit the floor for the first time at the HLC on November 1 against the Saskatchewan Huskies.

 Flex packs are also available with the ticket vouchers allowing fans to attend any regular season home game they would like. Four-game flex pack tickets can be purchased for $30 and 10 tickets for $70.

HLC Classes; Try Them Free!

The Healthy Living Centre is having their Annual "Try it for Free Week” starting this Sunday, Sept 8th, and runs until Sunday September 15th. All our fitness classes, clubs etc are all FREE. You name it, we got it! From Yoga and Zumba, too Kickboxing and Strollercize, we truly have something for everyone. All of the Intramural activities available start up Monday as well! 

The classes and intramural available were reported on in last week’s published issue and is available from the HLC website. 

Wheat Kings Name New Coach!

The Brandon Wheat Kings continued an off-season revamp by hiring Dave Lowry as their new head coach. Lowry joins the Wheat Kings after spending the last two years as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings. He wasn’t retained by the Los Angelos team after they hired Todd McLellan as their head coach in April. He helped the Victoria Royals to a 209-124-27 record over the course of five seasons prior to jumping to the NHL and earned WHL Coach Of The Year honours on two occasions.

Lowry was Canada’s head coach during the 2016 world junior championship and was an assistant with the team a year prior when they won gold.

Brandon general manager Darren Ritchie, who was promoted by the organization last week, is believed to have said that hiring Lowry is a positive step for the organization.

Lowry played 19 seasons in the NHL with Vancouver, St. Louis, Florida, San Jose and Calgary. He scored 164 goals and 351 points in 1,084 career games while helping the Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Final in 1995.

In a sweet ending to the article, the promotion to coach also brings Lowry closer to his son, Adam, who is a member of the Winnipeg Jets.

Fitness Classes For Students!

The Healthy Living Centre offers a wide variety of courses for all levels of experience are scheduled, offering all members something to help achieve their fitness goals. These classes and descriptions are taken directly from the Healthy Living Centre website. 

Fit 4 Life

Personal trainers Ashley Hosfeld and Suzanne Rowley will lead a new and exciting program for seniors that are young at heart and looking to stay fit for life. Each week you will use body weight, light weights and circuits to increase functional fitness & quality of life. As a registrant in Fit 4 Life, choose from 3 different classes per week or come to them all. Registration is purchased as 10 or 20 session punch cards or drop in. 

Class 1 Forever in Motion: Mondays at 9:00 am and Wednesdays at 11:00 am

Class 2 Walking with Weights: Mondays at 9:00 am and Wednesdays at 11:00 am

Class 3 Low Impact and Sculpt: Thursdays at 9:00 am 

LUNCH TIME EXPRESS

As a registrant in Lunch Time Express, choose from 2 different classes, held twice per week or come to them all. Registration is purchased as a 20 session punch card or drop in. It gives you the flexibility to come to classes when it fits in your schedule. 

Classes Include:

Strength & Core

Enjoy a total body workout and improve your muscular strength and endurance while using a variety of portable equipment and body weight exercises. This 30 minute class is suitable for all fitness levels.

Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:45am - 12:15pm 

and also; 

Cardio HIIT

This interval training workout will utilize a variety of work to rest formats as well as different portable equipment and body weight exercises to improve your overall fitness. This 30 minute class is suitable for all fitness levels and both high and low impact options will be available.

Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:15pm - 12:45pm

SPIN IT

You’ll Burn Big Calories in this class, about 400-600. The intensity will vary throughout the session thanks to different body positions (i.e., standing versus sitting), pedal speed, and resistance. The instructor will tell you when to change your settings so your ride feels like it would outdoors—complete with hill climbs, sprints, and coasting. Best of all, you will learn how to ride the bike in a way that maximizes your fitness, while minimizing any risk of injury. Learn to ride right and get fit! Class is appropriate for all levels.

Thursdays 4:30 pm Starting October 3.

Strollercize

The 12 class course offers a fun, brisk-paced and challenging 60-minute class that will help to increase your cardiovascular level, as well as your muscle strength and endurance using the indoor track and circuit training techniques. Emphasis will be placed on safe postpartum movements and core/pelvic strength. All fitness levels welcome. Stroller required. No experience necessary.

Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:00 pm

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is a high intensity workout. You will learn combinations of punches, kicks, and other strikes, and train in fighter conditioning exercises. Everybody is welcome. No past boxing experience is required. 

Tuesdays at 5:15 pm 

Shred & Shine Boot Camp

Burn fat (not time) and discover a stronger version of yourself with this one hour mix of strength & endurance training. 

Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6:45 pm 

Tabata

Tabata is a high-intensity interval training that consists of eight sets of fast-paced exercises designed to help you shed fat fast.

Tuesdays at 6:00 pm 

Fundamentals of Yoga

An on-going class for beginners and continuing beginners - everyone welcome! This class includes pranayama (breathing practices), basic asana (postures), vinyasa (flow), tensegrity (gentle anatomical sequences), restorative yoga and medication. What is practiced each week changes to provide ongoing learning and fun. 

Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 pm 

Beginner Vinyasa Yoga

Bring balance to you day by slowing down the hectic pace of city life in one of our soothing flow yoga classes. These slower paced flowing classes focus on the basics of yoga, breath work and movement. Beginners and experienced yoga students alike will enjoy the lighthearted and individually challenging nature of the class. No level of experience required.

Mondays & Wednesdays at 7 am 

Zumba

Zumba combines Latin and International music with the fun, effective movements at your own pace. Ditch the workout and join the PARTY! Inspired by Latin dance and music, Zumba draws from varying styles in its routines, including meringue, salsa, hi-hop, flamenco and more. Music selections include both fast and slow rhythms to help tone and sculpt the body with easy to follow dance moves. No experience necessary.

Wednesdays at 5 pm 

As a student, many classes are offered at a discount or even sometimes free of charge. You can register online or at the front desk of the HLC. Your student fees help you to stay fit!

Chess As Part Of Paris 2024 Olympics

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Recently the FIDE chess association and the French Chess association have been working to promote chess as an Olympic sport for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Chess has now become a candidate for the Olympic Games and to potentially become a sport. Chess becoming an Olympic sport can only be confirmed by the International Olympic Committee. The last time chess was considered a candidate for an Olympic sport was just after the match played between Garry Kasparov and IBM’s Deep Blue. Although it was considered at that time not as much effort was being put into making it an official sport as it is now.

Should chess be an Olympic sport? Well, chess is physically demanding in ways most people don’t realize. Some claim playing chess for 2 hours is the equivalent of running 8 kilometres. As stated from the IOC and the FIDE association.

Back in 1927 the world championship match between Capablanca and Alekhine took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. World championship time parameters were 2.5 hours for 40 moves, if the game did not end then it would be continued the next day. The player to get 6 wins becomes world champion and draws do not count. Capablanca had been champion for quite some time, he did little to no preparation before the match in 1927. Alekhine gave up smoking, drinking and did a serious physical training regime as well as analyzing games. By game 34 Alekhine had worn down his opponent so much that Capablanca resigned the next game before it even started. This stands to show that high level chess players must have the physical and mental stamina to play major league games for extended periods of time.

As for popularity in chess, back in 1972 the Fischer v. Spassky match was literally the most popular event in all of the world. It was even being watched by people who didn't know how to play the game! After Fischer won, upon his return to New York he was awarded a medal by the mayor of the city. If almost 50 years ago chess could reach this level of notoriety, it certainly has the potential to become popular like that again. To quote from Fischer, “Chess is a great game. A game and a sport for the mind. I never thought I’d see the day when chess would be all over the front pages.” 

One argument for why games like Chess and Go should be part of the Olympics and not games like Fortnight is because of the history. Chess has been played for at least 2000 years by some of histories greatest minds. Another argument is that chess is an entirely skill-based game except for the chance of which colour pieces you get. In almost every other game, except Go and Draughts, there is a serious luck-based component. Most sports in the Olympics are not based on luck at all. Do you think chess should be part of the Olympics? I think so!

Bobcats Volleyball: National silver Medalists

After bringing home a win during the Canada West conference championship, the Bobcats mens team suffered a loss at the hands of the Trinity Western Spartans at the national championship game in Quebec City back on March 17th. The men had just most recently beat the Spartans at home when they played them for the title in the west. This had been the fourth game the Spartans and the Bobcats faced off, and this time the Spartans took a clean sweep over the men.

Trinity Western won each of the three sets scoring 25-23, 25-21 and 25-19. It was through careful planning and execution that the Spartans changed up their serving strategy and kept Brandon on their heals throughout the whole game. The men were not prepared for this technique nor were they able to properly counter it as even BU coach, Grant Wilson, mentioned the Spartans “did it to a T.” 

The Spartans scored 8 aces alone and had a total of 45 kills, almost 20 more kills than the Bobcats. Despite this the men still had a great season overall and achieved some truly miraculous feats through hard work and dedication. Seth Friesen scored the team high with 10 kills and Elliot Viles was close behind with 7. The co-captains Brady Nault and James Weir were also great in their final matches as Bobcats, Naut had 8 digs and Weir had 4 kills on six swings.

This is the second time Brandon has brought home the silver medal from nationals when in 2011 the men lost to the then home town Trinity Western Spartans.

Congratulations on the phenomenal season gentlemen, best of luck with your studies and farewell to those of you who will be leaving the Bobcats team for good. We all appreciate the games you guys put on for BU and the enthusiasm you filled the HLC with. Best of luck next year.

An Evening Of Minimalism

The Music department’s piano Ensemble will be presenting works for two pianos from the genre of minimalism, a genre that focuses on repetition and simplicity.

Bobcats Volleyball: Canada West Champions

Brandon University Boabcats have won the Canada West conference title in the U-Sports realm of men’s volleyball. If you haven’t seen or heard yet you may have been somewhere under a rock this past week because the news has spread everywhere across the community. My cousin doesn’t even go to school here and he was telling me about it. Truly a remarkable feat that the men have accomplished.

The men’s team had won the Canada West league title back in 2012-2013 and since then it is has been a series of close encounters but never a solid finish. This is truly a remarkable time for the men as not since members like Sebastien Steigmeier, Sam Tuivai and Roy Ching have been on the team have the men done so well. That 2012-2013 year the men had a record of 26-13 while the men of 2018-2019 have a record of 25-3. This is not the final journey for the men this year though as they will soon be travelling to Quebec City to face off with the other U-Sports competitors. 

Nationals will be no small challenge for the men but if they play as well as they did against the Spartans this past weekend everyone is sure in for a show! The men’s most recent game went back and forth in 5 intense sets that continually built upon one another till the men finished off their opponents with damning blow’s from Seth Friesen, Elliot Viles and Robin Baghdady. Each of the hitters had a wicked streak of kills totaling 43 points altogether. The co-captains Brady Nault and James Weir each did amazing too as Nault had 11 digs and Weir had a match high of 5 blocks. Reece Dixon is credited with 43 assists and was a vital part in setting up the Bobcats offence.

The mens next games will take place on March 17th-18th in Quebec as the men go to play the best of the best. Good luck men!

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MCAC Athlete Of The Week

Dan Harrison of the men’s futsal team has been named the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC) athlete of the week. This is added onto the long list of achievements which Dan has gained over his years as a Bobcat!  Harrison has been a key piece to the men’s defence as a goal keeper who refuses to give up. Making some incredible saves and showing excellent leadership on the team, Dan has shown time and time again why he is deserving of awards like these.

The men have played 11 games so far this year and won all but two, where one ended in a tie and one ended in a loss. The mens next games will take place at home at 1:00 p.m. on March 2nd. The futsal Final Four tournament (Copa De La Paz Championship) takes place on the weekend of March 9-11th and will be hosted out in Winnipeg.

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Bobcats VolleyBall: The Road Forward

Your Brandon Bobcats are on a bit of a hot streak as they crush the Calgary Dino’s chance in the playoffs! The Volleyball team won both sets of games, defeating their prey with a clean sweep 3-0 on Thursday and finishing their rivals on Friday 3-1. This was no walk in the park however and every point was fought over with desperation and deliberate planning, both teams offering different moments against one another.

The Bobcats are ranked No. 1 in the league and the Dino’s were ranked No. 8. This latest set of victories however will lead the Bobcats on towards the semi-finals. It has been a long road for the Bobcats but it  has certainly been another successful year. This regular season the men won 20 out of their 22 games. Last year the men played 24 regular season games and lost 7 of them.

This past set will hopefully propel the men going forward in the Canada West playoffs. Although this latest battle wasn't a cake walk the Dino’s were not able to push the series to a third round of games on the Saturday. The Brandon offence was just too good for the Dino’s defence as all three of the Bobcats starting outside attackers scored in the double figures. Seth Friesen scored 17 kills, robin Baghdady had 13 and Elliot Viles had 10. Reece Dixon had 47 assists and libero Brady Nault finished with 13 digs.

The mens next games will be played in Brandon as they take on the Mount Royal Cougars. These two teams have played each other before in the past and it has not turned out the best for Brandon, as those games resulted in the Bobcats only 2 losses during the season. The game will be taking place at the HLC on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and with the second game on Friday. Dependant on the results of those matches the teams may have to play again Saturday if necessary. Best of luck in your games Bobcats, way to go!

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