Bianca Cavalcanti Leads Manitoba Bisons to Stunning Comeback Victory
The Manitoba Bisons didn’t just steal a win in Lethbridge. They ripped the script to pieces.
Down 2-0 with less than 10 minutes to play on Sunday at Community Stadium, staring at a winless conference start and a weekend sweep at the hands of the Lethbridge Pronghorns, the Bisons erupted. Three goals in just under seven minutes. All from the same boot.
By the final whistle, Manitoba had a 3-2 victory, a split of the weekend series, and Fabio Capone had his first win as interim head coach.
From control to collapse for Lethbridge
For most of the afternoon, Lethbridge held this game in a tight grip.
The hosts struck first in the 25th minute, edging in front and carrying that 1-0 cushion into halftime. Manitoba chased, pressed, and probed, but the equalizer never came. When the Pronghorns doubled their lead in the 73rd minute, the Bisons looked buried.
Two goals down on the road. Less than 20 minutes left. A day after losing 2-1 to the same opponent.
It felt like the series was slipping away.
Cavalcanti flips the match on its head
Then came the 81st minute, and with it, a spark.
Bianca Cavalcanti finally broke through, smashing Manitoba onto the board and slicing the deficit to 2-1. It was a lifeline, a reminder that Lethbridge still had work to do.
They never got the chance to settle.
Just over two minutes later, Cavalcanti struck again. Suddenly it was 2-2, the Pronghorns reeling, the momentum violently swinging toward the visitors. Manitoba, who had spent so much of the match chasing, now smelled blood.
The pressure kept building. Every Bisons touch carried purpose, every run dragged tired defenders out of position. Lethbridge, once comfortable, looked stuck in survival mode.
The inevitable arrived in the 88th minute.
Cavalcanti completed a remarkable hat trick, burying the winner and completing one of the most ruthless late-game turnarounds the program has seen in recent memory. Three goals in less than seven minutes. From 2-0 down to 3-2 up.
The Bisons’ bench exploded. The Pronghorns could only watch it all unravel.
A first win, and a statement, for Capone
Cavalcanti accounted for all three Manitoba goals, leading an attacking surge that transformed a looming defeat into the Bisons’ first conference victory of the season. Behind her, goalkeeper Bridget Murphy held firm when it mattered, earning the win in goal as Manitoba refused to let the weekend end in disappointment.
For Capone, the result carried weight beyond the standings. The comeback marked his first win as interim head coach and offered a powerful snapshot of the resilience he’s been trying to build within the squad.
“This one means a little more than just a result. There have been a lot of challenges, lessons and moments behind the scenes that have made this journey so meaningful. I'm incredibly proud of this group and grateful to be part of their journey. This is only one chapter. The story continues to be written. And the best part is, we're writing it together. One training, one game, one moment at a time. This group is starting to believe in what we can become and I couldn't be prouder to be on this journey with them,” Capone said from the road after the win.
The Bisons leave Lethbridge with a split instead of a sweep against them, momentum instead of frustration, and a signature comeback already etched into their season.
Next, they bring that surge of belief back to Winnipeg.
Homecoming awaits at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Princess Auto Stadium, with free admission for all fans — and a Bisons side that suddenly looks ready to play like the team Cavalcanti’s hat trick suggested they can become.
