Staff
The road to a repeat crown begins tomorrow for Jess Caul.
Fort High’s female athlete-of-the-year in 2013 is about to embark on another post-season journey with the Providence University College Pilots, based in Otterburne, Man., that she hopes will end as well—or even better—than last year.
The second-year Pilot helped defending champion Providence once again claim first place in the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference this season with a 7-1 conference record and an 11-1 overall mark while outscoring their opponents 45-8.
That puts them into a semi-final match-up against the fourth-place Canadian Mennonite University Blazers from Winnipeg (1-6-1) that goes tomorrow in Otterburne.
The winner then will face the other semi-final survivor between No. 2-seeded Red River College Rebels (5-2-1) and third-ranked Brandon University Bobcats (3-2-2) on Sunday.
“We just need to play our game and kick some butt,” said Caul, who has seen most of her playing time at the striker position this season.
She also has played some on the left wing and at left defensive back.
“We know we can do it,” Caul added.
Meanwhile, regardless of how the weekend pans out, the Pilots will be off to Minneapolis next week, where they’ll try to return to the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II national championships Nov. 12-15 in Kissimmee, Fla.
The Pilots have a bye to Wednesdsay’s final of the NCCAA Central region playoffs, which begin Tuesday with a semi-final matchup between the North Central University Rams (Minneapolis) and the Faith Baptist Bible College Eagles (Ankeny, Iowa).
Providence beat the Eagles 6-1 and the Rams 2-0 earlier in the season to grab the spot in the final and what could be a crucial extra day of rest.
The Pilots won bronze at the NJCAA nationals last year.
