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BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Manitoba Bisons forward Izzi Fust is blocked by Winnipeg Wesmen forward Jennifer Kallon on a drive Friday.

Herd charge out of the gate

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Friday, Oct. 30, 2026

The Manitoba Bisons have designs on finding some sustained success this season.

A solid first step was taken Friday night, as the Bisons earned a hard-fought 83-70 season-opening victory against the cross-town rival Winnipeg Wesmen in Canada West women’s hoops action at the Duckworth Centre.

Fourth-year forward Anna Miko propelled the Bisons on the strength of an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Samantha Onyebuchi also supplied an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.

“We’ve all basically played against each other for the last, what, six-ish years? So I mean it’s nice to come compete in university, but especially in their gym, it’s sweeter to get the win,” Miko said.

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VINCENT THIAN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Reigning world junior pair Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov make their Skate Canada senior debut on Friday.

Pair preps for weekend test in Kelowna

Laurie Nealin 5 minute read Preview

Pair preps for weekend test in Kelowna

Laurie Nealin 5 minute read Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026

KELOWNA, B.C. — Their first spin around the ice at Skate Canada International on Thursday was a mix of business and pleasure for Winnipeg pair skaters Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov.

Job one for the practice session was to get accustomed to the size and feel of the ice surface at Propsera Place while test-driving the lifts, throws and jumps they’ll perform Friday in their senior ISU Grand Prix competition debut.

“The big thing is the patterns (skating into elements) because these boards are very narrow but very long — it’s NHL size — so when you’re setting up elements you need to make sure you’re using the full length or else you’re going to run into the boards,” Elizarov explained in a post-skate chat with media.

“The second thing is the ice which is sometimes really soft or really hard. This ice is really soft.”

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Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026

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Petr David Josek / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud have embraced their emerging leadership role with a transformed Team Canada.

‘Mom and dad’ Pereira and Michaud lead Team Canada at Kelowna Grand Prix

Laurie Nealin 5 minute read Preview

‘Mom and dad’ Pereira and Michaud lead Team Canada at Kelowna Grand Prix

Laurie Nealin 5 minute read Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud’s spirits couldn’t be higher as they begin their fourth ISU Grand Prix season this weekend at Skate Canada International as Team Canada’s top medal prospects.

Fresh off a decisive victory at Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany last month, the reigning world pair skating bronze medallists were riding a wave of confidence and excitement — and feeling “a mom and dad energy” — as they contemplated the assignment ahead in Kelowna, B.C.

“To go out and win our first Challenger (event) was a great confidence boost in our back pocket,” said Pereira, who admitted to a case of jitters before taking the ice in Oberstdorf.

“No matter how many years you do this, you still always get the first competition nerves. We’re just glad we were able to remind ourselves how to handle that and put out two great skates.”

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Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

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(John Woods / Free Press) Winnipeg Wesmen setter Tristan Arnold is pumped to lead his team this season. The fifth-year believes the sky is the limit for this year’s iteration of the men’s volleyball squad.

Wesmen setter Tristan Arnold ready to meet the challenge

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Wesmen setter Tristan Arnold ready to meet the challenge

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026

In a group that features some intriguing unknowns, Tristan Arnold is a certainty for the Winnipeg Wesmen.

The fifth-year setter and team captain enters his final men’s volleyball season as the unquestioned starter for the first time after spending most of his university career buried behind some talented players, then promoted briefly before bouncing between the bench and the floor.

It’s easy to see why the Glenlawn product is stoked for the upcoming campaign. This opportunity didn’t come without challenging his patience and some questions about his belonging in the sport he’s played from a young age.

“I’ve worked really hard to continue to play volleyball,” Arnold told the Free Press Tuesday. “There’s been a couple of times throughout my career where I’ve thought about packing it in, but I was just too committed to the boys, too committed to whoever I was playing for at the time.”

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Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026

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Zachary Peters / Bison Sports Manitoba Bisons forward Izzi Fust (right) speaks with Faith LaRocque (left). Women’s basketball head coach Michele Sung said Fust’s drive to always play hard and natural gravitas is ‘a really valuable asset to have’ on the team.

Fust sisters reunite as Bisons’ campaign gets set for tip-off

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Fust sisters reunite as Bisons’ campaign gets set for tip-off

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

Izzi Fust is in a better place.

Don’t get it twisted; this isn’t an obituary, far from it. The standout third-year forward feels as lively on a basketball court as she has in years.

After spending the first two years of her university career with the Regina Cougars, Fust returned home this summer and is gearing up for her first season with the Manitoba Bisons.

Her homecoming came one year after older sister Kyu made the jump from Regina to Manitoba.

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Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

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JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Tevan Vigilance is still young but he is considered one of the older guys on the University of Manitoba Bisons basketball team.

Herd ushers in new era of men’s hoops with roster of newcomers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Herd ushers in new era of men’s hoops with roster of newcomers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026

The stage is new. The role, however, is a familiar one to Taven Vigilance.

For the first time since his days as a highly touted high school recruit at Oak Park, Vigilance will be asked to help drive the Manitoba Bisons offence this season.

An elevated role for the 6-7 guard, entering his third year comes as the Bisons turn the page to a new era of the men’s basketball program, having lost all five of its starters from a season ago.

Vigilance spent this summer honing his craft, knowing this opportunity was coming. He focused on his ability to dribble off a screen, in particular, which is a common demand of Bison ball-handlers who need to understand how to decisively read defenders off the pick.

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Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026

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PETE CATIGAY PHOTO West St. Paul’s Quinn Lavoie helped lead AK Soccer Academy to a 19-1-1 record in the Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association and win the Manitoba Soccer Association Cup this year, punching the club’s ticket to the national tournament. AK went 4-1 in provincials — their only loss coming without Lavoie in the lineup — and won the championship final 7-2 after receiving four goals from Lavoie.

Sky is the limit for Lavoie

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Sky is the limit for Lavoie

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Anisha Kinnarath Salam is gearing up for an important week.

AK Soccer Academy, the Winnipeg-based club Kinnarath Salam and her father started in 2019, is in Surrey, B.C., this week for to the Canada Soccer National Championships — a first for the 15U girls team — and Kinnarath Salam believes her side has a legitimate shot at winning it all.

“We’ve had the squad, but this is a very talented group,” said Kinnarath Salam. “A few of these girls have been with us since they were five years old. A few have been with us since they were like 10. But we got some powerhouses last year.”

One of those new headlining talents is winger Quinn Lavoie, a product of West St. Paul who has brought a tantalizing blend of speed, technical skill and high IQ on the pitch.

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Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

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BISON SPORTS Manitoba Bisons libero Chelsea Siebenga (10) is one of two veterans on the women’s volleyball team who was developed during the club’s decorated era. Siebenga has embraced her mentor role alongside fellow fifth-year Aviendah Plett.

‘A brave new world’ for Bisons volleyball

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

‘A brave new world’ for Bisons volleyball

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

Life is bound to look different when you’re without one of the best cores in the country.

Just ask Chelsea Siebenga, the standout fifth-year libero who, along with fifth-year middle Aviendah Plett, is all that remains from a decorated era of Manitoba Bisons women’s volleyball.

“It’s definitely different,” Siebenga said. “Those six people had been on the team the whole time I was a Bison. Those were my friends basically, the people that I would hang out with, so having them gone, it makes the team feel… like a completely different team, to me, at least.”

For the first time in five years, the Bisons will enter a season without Raya Surinx on the left side of their attack. The two-time U Sports Player of the Year opted to forgo her final year of eligibility and begin her professional career in Italy.

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Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

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DAVID LARKINS / WESMEN ATHLETICS Winnipeg Wesmen outside Ella Werbiski (14) is one of the veterans leading the team this season.

Wesmen women’s volleyball vets set on leading team to new heights

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Wesmen women’s volleyball vets set on leading team to new heights

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026

The Winnipeg Wesmen have taken their lumps over the last two years.

The women’s volleyball team has been the younger sister to some of Canada West’s more veteran programs while it refilled its cupboard with talent and cut its teeth.

The Wesmen are optimistic that those days are behind them, however.

The core of this squad is all grown up now and looking to jump into the next echelon with the rest of the conference heavyweights.

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Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026

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BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Six programs in the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League folded before the start of the 2026-27 season once the Hockey Manitoba U18 AAA ban took effect.

‘Detrimental to the growth of female hockey in Manitoba’

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

‘Detrimental to the growth of female hockey in Manitoba’

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Friday, Oct. 2, 2026

She lived the best of both worlds.

For the last three years, the 17-year-old wore a sweater for two different hockey programs — her high school team and AAA club in the Manitoba Female Hockey League — and was preparing to flourish in both colours again this winter.

Recently, however, the blue-liner was disappointed to learn she is no longer eligible to play her Grade 12 season with her school owing to a new policy imposed by Hockey Manitoba that bans players from participating in the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League if they are rostered on a U18 AAA team.

The rule applies to all athletes who play for both Winnipeg-based and rural AAA teams.

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Friday, Oct. 2, 2026

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JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Rifles’ Cohen McCluskey is a big reason the team still has a shot at the post-season. The linebacker that head coach Geordie Wilson calls a ‘tough old school guy’ had nine tackles and an interception against the Edmonton Wildcats on Sunday.

Winnipeg Rifles can still secure post-season berth despite starting season 0-4

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Winnipeg Rifles can still secure post-season berth despite starting season 0-4

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2026

The Winnipeg Rifles have a seat at the table, something they would’ve certainly taken a few weeks ago.

A solid three-phase performance in a 25-13 win over the Edmonton Huskies on Sunday kept the junior football club’s playoff hopes alive as the team heads into the final week of the regular season in the Prairie Football Conference.

The path to punching their ticket isn’t easy, however. The Rifles must travel to a perennially difficult environment in Saskatoon to face the Hilltops (4-3) on Sunday (1 p.m.), a contest that only matters if the Huskies beat the Edmonton Wildcats on Saturday.

But after starting the season 0-4, it’s a deal that the Rifles will happily take.

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Wednesday, Sep. 30, 2026

Manitoba Moose

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Nikita Chibrikov is still working his way back to peak form.

Four Jets clear waivers to join Moose

Ken Wiebe 3 minute read Preview

Four Jets clear waivers to join Moose

Ken Wiebe 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 26, 2026

The Winnipeg Jets organizational depth has yet to take a hit on the waiver wire.

On Saturday afternoon, all four players exposed to waivers — defenceman Isaak Phillips and forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Noah Gregor and Parker Ford — cleared, which means they can be assigned to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

Owing to injuries to captain Adam Lowry and winger Cole Perfetti, both Chibrikov and Ford started last season on the NHL roster but spent the bulk of last season with the Moose.

Chibrikov, chosen in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has dealt with multiple lower-body injuries during the prior two seasons and is still working his way back to peak form.

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Saturday, Sep. 26, 2026

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Daniel Crump / FREE PRESS FILES The St. Paul’s Crusaders have grown into a perennial powerhouse, capturing the ANAVETS Bowl four times between 2009-2013 on top of winning the provincial championship in the top division 13 times, most recently in 2022.

Crusaders football celebrates 95th anniversary

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Preview

Crusaders football celebrates 95th anniversary

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Friday, Sep. 25, 2026

Few understand better than Stacy Dainard how steeped the St. Paul’s High School football program is in history.

The head coach of the Crusaders’ varsity team for the last 25 years has watched the institution’s presence on the gridiron blossom over four decades since he donned the maroon and white as a player from 1984-87.

Dainard figures he will harken back to those days more this weekend when a flock of Crusaders alumni from across the country gather to commemorate the football program’s 95th anniversary.

“We were a competitive team. We had some very committed coaches and some very committed student-athletes,” said Dainard, who reached the provincial championship in each of his first three seasons as a student-athlete. “It was a good time. Football wasn’t as big as it is now, or at least high school football wasn’t as big as it is now. But it was a very competitive league.”

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Friday, Sep. 25, 2026

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Wheelchair Basketball Canada photo Joshua Brown (6) has represented Manitoba at three Canada Games and played for the national U23 team. The East St. Paul product was most recently on the senior men’s national roster for the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa earlier this month.

East St. Paul product’s next wheelchair basketball chapter in Spain’s best men’s division

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

East St. Paul product’s next wheelchair basketball chapter in Spain’s best men’s division

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

Every time Joshua Brown takes the court, the line between dreams and reality blurs.

You see, Brown, born and raised in East St. Paul, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy early in life. Understanding his condition, he came to terms with the challenge it would be to play stand-up sports competitively.

That didn’t stop him from dreaming, though.

Brown remembers watching Canada’s best in wheelchair basketball at the Paralympic Games on television as a youngster, and vividly recalls what went through his mind at the time.

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Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

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BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Winnipeg Rifles quarterback Riley Element’s (18) 1,450 passing yards and 10 touchdowns pace the conference again this season after the pivot led the conference in passing yards and was tied for the most passing touchdowns last season.

Big time roster turnovers reflected in Rifles play

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Big time roster turnovers reflected in Rifles play

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

The Winnipeg Rifles needed to get out of their own way.

That was the consensus in the junior football club’s locker room after it opened the Canadian Junior Football League season with four straight losses before breaking through with a 37-23 home win over the Edmonton Huskies last weekend.

The Rifles kept their playoff hopes within reach with three games remaining in the regular season. If nothing else, it injected some much-needed confidence into a group that believes it has the talent to compete with the rest of the Prairie Conference, but needs to stop shooting itself in the foot.

“It was definitely a sense of urgency. It was definitely a must-need win, and especially a lot of our other games, we would be in the game, and then we would kind of start beating ourselves almost,” said Jarome Penner, the club’s leading receiver.

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Friday, Sep. 18, 2026

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ZACHARY PETERS / BISON SPORTS Manitoba Bisons fifth-year receiver Nathan Udoh (left) is being leaned on as one of the oldest players in a youthful locker room.

Bisons look to bounce back against Dinos at Murray Field

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Bisons look to bounce back against Dinos at Murray Field

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2026

Nathan Udoh has been around long enough to know how quickly things can change in the Canada West conference.

The fifth-year Manitoba Bisons receiver is one of the oldest players in a youthful locker room that is experiencing the ebbs and flows of a U Sports season for the first time, and to say his experience if being leaned on would be an understatement.

“I try to lean on that and help guys who haven’t been in these situations just to keep their heads and how hard you have to play,” Udoh said Wednesday. “I think that’s the biggest thing that there is no snap that you take off, and playing with that intensity is really where it starts.”

The Bisons have already endured a roller-coaster two games into the season. After shocking the country by steamrolling the reigning conference champion Saskatchewan Huskies 40-22 in their season-opener, the Bisons fell back to earth in a 22-8 road loss to the Regina Rams last weekend.

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Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2026

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