By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)

It’s impossible not to mention the Manitoba Fearless when discussing historical women’s tackle football programs in the nation. Pioneered in the mid-late 2000’s by the likes of Tannis Wilson and Lisa Zueff-Cummings, the program existed a full two years before the debut of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL).

There from the start has been head coach Craig Bachynski, a key pillar in the amateur football community for over 30 years who’s also currently on the staff of the Winnipeg Rifles. A two-time member of Team Canada, he recalls a trip out west before the WWCFL was in existence.

“The first year that we did something, we put a team together to go to Alberta to play a team from Calgary and a team from Edmonton because there was no league and there wasn’t a place for people to play. What we did was took the labour day long weekend and flew up there, spent about a week and played three games [against Calgary and Edmonton].”

The early days of Fearless practice in the late 2000’s consisted of Bach teaching what he called “football 101” to the players.

“It was about okay, here’s the football, this is the size of the field. There was nothing taken for granted. It was terminology and all that stuff.”

But as the 2019 WWCFL season gets set to begin this weekend in Saskatchewan, the Fearless find themselves in a much more advantageous position, with a roster filled with veterans and rising stars.

“Where it started was a bunch of fun -loving people just wanting to play the sport. It’s gone from the rec mentality up to now having a more serious, elitist kind of attitude,” Bachynski says.

“We now have ladies who work out together 3-4 times a week and then they play football together. The pressure they put on each other to be better has gotten them to a high level.”

While increased expectation levels and maturity in the game have both been factors in Manitoba’s internal development over the years, an equally valuable external element has been the Manitoba Girls Football Assocation, founded in 2011 by Wilson and Zueff-Cummings, which gives young prospects a chance to hone their skills before moving up to the WWCFL at  an older age. 

“Now we’re starting to get the fruit from that league,” added Bachynski. We’re starting to get ladies who’ve progressed and played since they were 12, 13 and 14 and are now 17, 18 and 19.”

The Fearless have been through many bumps in the road over the years, however they’ve stuck to the path and have assembled a roster filled with national experience and tons of athleticism and will.

Bachysnki sees the potential and has set his sights high this year, with the ultimate goal of knocking off Regina and Saskatoon, who have combined to win the league title every year since the WWCFL’s inception in 2011.

“Really what it is is we’re trying to keep up to what’s going in Saskatchewan. Because if we’re going to do anything in this league, it’s controlled by Regina and Saskatoon.

Our goal this year is to knock one of them off so that we can have a home football game in the playoffs. That is our goal. Our ultimate goal is trying to win it all, but we really would like to host a playoff game here this year and really give everyone an understanding of what women’s football is about.”

Manitoba has no shortage of weapons on both sides of the ball, including at the quarterback position where Marta Breul and Madison Siwicki are battling it out.

Breul was a receiver in her debut season in 2018 and has natural athleticism due in part to her high-level volleyball and soccer background, while Siwicki comes to the team from the Interlake Thunder, where she was a two-time MGFA All-Star.

“Ideally we’d like to get both of them on the field at the same time, and we may work our way through that in the next couple of weeks but I love the way that they push each other,” Bachynski noted.

“We’ve sort of broken them up and given them fairly equal reps together. We’re waiting for someone to take the bull by the horns and be the number one. It’s a good thing to have. What has kept us behind and kept us back [in previous seasons] is our lack of depth at that position. So to have two ladies that we’re going to develop is gold for us.”

Among those aiding the two pivots in the backfield will be Hallie Eggie, who made the transition from defensive back for her second year in 2018 and went off, leading the league in rushing by over 200 yards.

“[Offensive coordinator] Nathan [Weichel] has designed a lot of the offence around her, just to try and get her in the open and take advantage of her, or use her as a decoy for other things to open up,” says Bachynski.

“She’s so competitive and so intense and driven and really loves to win and do everything it takes to be successful. And she likes to bring everyone along with her when she does that.”

There’s also a plethora of dangerous targets in the receiving corps, including Aashanti Tshiovo, the sister of Remis — who had 688 yards receiving on a revamped Valley Huskers squad last year.

Aashanti is still eligible for the MGFA, but has decided to test her skills even further, which should come as no surprise as she’s played on boys’ teams her whole life and is also a skilled soccer player.

“She’s an amazing young athlete. She started working out with us early on indoors when we were at Gateway,” Bachynski says.

“She wants to become part of the Team Canada movement in the next 3-4 years, whenever they do it. And for her to do that she has to play at the next level and she understands that. She’s tough on herself. She’s very athletic and a bit like Hallie in terms of being motivated and intense.”

Defensively, the heart and soul of the squad lies in linebacker Lisa Thomas, a 12-year veteran who was selected to Team Canada in 2013. She’s a two-time team MVP and is also the St. Vital Mustangs’ CFO.

“She’s been here a long time,” smiled Bachynski. “She’s a very valuable leader and a veteran on this team who brings it all the time.”

Aiding Thomas in the linebacking corps is five-year veteran Nicole Chermcora, who’s been awarded the Fearless Heart Award the past two years in a row.

“She’s our defensive coordinator’s partner, so I don’t think she has any choice but to know and learn defence,” joked Bachynski. “She’s a pretty intense individual who loves to play.”

The defensive line is also loaded with players such as Brooklyn Dyce and a vastly improved Maggie Yestrau, who enters her second year in 2019.

Dyce is the daughter of CFL coach Bob and sister to Manitoba Bisons receiver Trysten. She’s an accomplished soccer athlete who was on scholarship at NDSU and wreaked havoc during last week’s controlled scrimmage against fellow WWCFL team Winnipeg.

“She’s incredible. She’s powerful, she’s strong and she’s got a nose for the football,” her head coach says. “She played when she was younger for the Crescentwood Grizzlies and she loves it. She brings it every time.”

Yestrau had a background knowledge of football prior to 2018 due to her son Chase being a member of the Sunrise Coyotes and now the Winnipeg Rifles. But it wasn’t until last season that she chose to strap on the pads herself, making great strides as the year progressed.

She worked really hard in the offseason after last year to not only just be a player, but be a contributor,” says Bachynski.

“We lost some of our defensive linemen from last year so she has stepped up and played really well for us. She’s gotten faster and stronger and she’s more motivated.”

Manitoba’s first game of the 2019 WWCFL season is this Saturday on the road against Regina. Your first chance to catch both local WWCFL teams live will be May 12 at East Side Eagles field at 11 a.m. as they battle for early season bragging rights.