Cougars push for another trip to final

Six months ago, the Assiniboine College Cougars were one goal away from a magical season.

While the bulk of that men’s futsal lineup that pushed the team to its first-ever Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference final is gone, the residual effects will carry over into the soccer season starting on Saturday.

The Cougars open the MCAC campaign against the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers at 3:15 p.m., on the new Cougars Field at the Maple Leaf Foods Sports Complex with high hopes.

“We have a few guys returning from that, and it gave them the confidence they need. At those games, there were a lot of former players, and a lot of people talked to us about coming back,” said head coach Chris McLachlan.

“As a result, we got quite a few guys back and guys that are just taking programs to just play soccer, so that’s a different thing for us.”

The Cougars were the No. 3 seed for the futsal playoffs. They upset the Brandon University Bobcats 7-6 in the semifinals, then fell 4-3 in extra time to the St. Boniface Les Rouges, who also captured the soccer championship in 2024-25.

Some of those players include Andres Rubio Olarte and Benny Torres, while former Cougars star Jafet Sandoval is back in the fold after realizing the program has a chance to also make a run on the outdoor pitch.

“We have a lot of talent this year. I know I’ve said this in previous years, but this is 100 per cent the most depth we’ve had,” McLachlan said. “It will be for sure the most talented team we’ve had during (assistant coach) Adam (Gooden) and my time here. It’s a matter of fitting those guys together to make sure we play well as a team.”

It’ll be tough to replace last year’s stars, Theo Manias, Paulo Pinto, Danylo Denysevych, Vadym Kochenko, and goalkeeper Gerardo Alas.

But McLachlan didn’t have to look beyond one household to find three strong talents. Keeper Dylan Cruz and his brothers Alan and Kevin should spend plenty of time on the pitch this year.

“(Dylan’s) confident, he’s athletic, and he can be a leader on the field,” McLachlan said. “Watching his senior men’s games, he’s always talking. Both of his brothers are playing with us this year as well.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what he can bring.”

Alan Cruz will anchor the back line, along with returner Nelson Flores and a few rookies.

Sandoval, Rubio Olarte, Ferhad Mohammadi, and a handful of newcomers will fill the midfield.

“That’s maybe what I’m most excited about. We have a whole bunch of guys that can play those centre mid positions,” McLachlan said. “There’s even room for if guys are injured that we can put other players in there confidently.”

The Cougars stay home on Sunday to face the Providence Pilots for the first of four doubleheader weekends in the regular season.

McLachlan hopes his team’s increased depth will lead to more energy on the back half of those weekends, as well as the luxury of rotating players through the more demanding positions instead of needing his few stars to play 180 minutes every weekend.

The Cougars close the regular season at home against the Bobcats on Oct. 19. The playoffs begin six days later, hosted by the No. 1 seed instead of a pre-determined, rotating host.

AC’s goal is simply to get there.

“We proved in futsal,” McLachlan said, “you just have to get in the playoffs, and anything can happen.”

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