Bianca Cavalcanti Leads Bisons to Dramatic Comeback Win

The Manitoba Bisons didn’t just win a game on Sunday. They flipped a script, salvaged a weekend, and handed interim head coach Fabio Capone his first victory in charge with one of those finishes players talk about for years.

Down 2–0 on the road to the Lethbridge Pronghorns and looking at a second straight defeat, Manitoba exploded late, scoring three times in the final 10 minutes to steal a 3–2 win at Community Stadium and earn a split of the weekend series.

From flat to frantic

The game drifted away from the Bisons for more than an hour.

Lethbridge struck first in the 25th minute and carried that 1–0 lead into halftime, managing the tempo and forcing Manitoba to chase. When the Pronghorns doubled their advantage in the 73rd minute, the Bisons looked buried. Same opponent, same weekend, same problems as Saturday’s 2–1 loss.

Then the clock hit 81.

That’s when Bianca Cavalcanti dragged Manitoba back into the match. Her first goal cut the deficit to 2–1 and jolted life into a team that had been chasing shadows. Just over two minutes later, she struck again, levelling the match at 2–2 and turning a routine home win for Lethbridge into a frantic scramble.

The momentum swing was instant and brutal.

Lethbridge, so composed for 80 minutes, suddenly found itself hanging on. Manitoba, sensing a broken opponent, pushed higher, moved the ball quicker, and hunted the winner.

Seven minutes, three goals, one statement

With the Pronghorns reeling, Cavalcanti finished the job.

In the 88th minute, she completed a stunning hat trick, smashing home the winner to cap a three-goal burst in less than seven minutes. From 2–0 down to 3–2 up, all through the same boot.

Cavalcanti accounted for all three Manitoba goals, the clear spearhead of an attack that refused to accept another defeat. Behind her, Bridget Murphy stood firm in goal to secure the result once the comeback was complete.

For a team still chasing its first conference win of the season, the manner of the victory mattered almost as much as the points themselves.

A first win and a new chapter for Capone

For Capone, it was more than a debut win on the touchline.

“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,” he said from the road after the match.

The Bisons now head back to Winnipeg with something they didn’t have 10 minutes from time on Sunday: momentum.

They return home with a split from the Lethbridge trip and a dramatic comeback win in their pockets. Next up for the Herd is homecoming at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Princess Auto Stadium, where fans will be admitted free.

If this was chapter one under Capone, homecoming suddenly feels like a chance to see what this group can turn into with belief at their back.