Bianca Cavalcanti's Hat Trick Leads Bisons to Comeback Victory
The Manitoba Bisons didn’t just steal a win in Lethbridge. They ripped the script to shreds.
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, Manitoba somehow walked away with a 3-2 victory and a defining early-season moment.
All of it wrapped inside Fabio Capone’s first win as interim head coach.
From flat to furious
The afternoon began as a frustrating sequel to Saturday’s 2-1 loss.
Lethbridge struck first in the 25th minute and carried that 1-0 advantage into halftime, looking composed and comfortable. When the Pronghorns doubled their lead in the 73rd minute, the Bisons looked buried. Same opponent, same problems, and this time the hill was even steeper.
But the match didn’t drift to a quiet finish. It ignited.
Manitoba refused to fold and finally found a spark in the 81st minute. Bianca Cavalcanti, who had been searching for a way into the game, carved it open. Her finish cut the deficit to 2-1 and, suddenly, everything changed.
Lethbridge wobbled. Manitoba surged.
Just over two minutes later, Cavalcanti struck again, levelling the match at 2-2 and turning what had felt like a long, slow defeat into a frantic chase for a winner. The Bisons’ bench roared. The Pronghorns, who had controlled the scoreboard all day, were now hanging on.
Seven minutes, three goals, one statement
With the momentum completely flipped, Manitoba pressed for the kill shot. They got it from the same boot.
In the 88th minute, Cavalcanti completed a remarkable hat trick, burying the winner to cap a three-goal explosion in less than seven minutes. From 2-0 down to 3-2 up, almost in a blink.
Every Manitoba goal belonged to Cavalcanti, who led the charge in a ruthless late onslaught that delivered the Bisons’ first conference victory of the season. Behind her, Bridget Murphy held firm in goal to secure the result once the comeback was complete.
For Capone, the final whistle carried a different kind of weight. This wasn’t just his first win in charge; it was a snapshot of the resilience he’s trying to build.
“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.
Homecoming with a tailwind
The Bisons leave Lethbridge with a split of the weekend series, but more importantly, with belief. A two-goal hole, a late surge, a hat trick hero, and a coach’s first win — that kind of afternoon can change the temperature of a season.
Next, they bring that momentum home.
Manitoba hosts homecoming at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at Princess Auto Stadium, where fans will be admitted free. After what they just pulled off on the road, the question now is simple: what do they do for an encore?
