Providence Pilots seasons in full swing

Providence Pilots athletes are busy across three different sports as the collegiate season heats up across the province.

VOLLEYBALL

The MCAC women’s volleyball standings will be a fight to the absolute finish, with three of the conference’s four teams sitting with seven wins heading into play this weekend.

Providence’s place at the national championship is locked up due to the school hosting the upcoming tournament, but they will need some help on the out of town scoreboard to host a playoff game this year.

The men’s team has the most wins of any MCAC team, but trail Assiniboine in the standings due to games the Brandon-based school has in hand.

First place in the conference should come down to Feb. 6/7, as the top two schools battle in a back-to-back at Assiniboine.

The school’s next MCAC home games are Feb. 13 when they host St Boniface.

The semi-finals are set for Feb. 21 with the best of three final the next week.

BASKETBALL

The Pilots’ women’s basketball team appears on track to defend their Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title from last season, racking up a 6-0 record so far this season.

Providence should comfortably qualify for the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship. The conference has just three teams, with the first-place finisher hosting the second place finisher in the league finals. The Pilots are 3-0 in provincial play.

The men’s team has had less luck, and will be in tough to even make the championship tournament in NIAC or the finals of MCAC.

They have an 0-4 record in provincial play, and will need to make up two games on St Boniface to reach the final. Canadian Mennonite University has had an outstanding season, splitting a back-to-back with regional powerhouse Trinity Bible College in NIAC play.

The Blazers lead both conferences.

The Pilots will host CMU Jan. 30 and St Boniface Feb. 6 for their respective match-ups of back-to-back weekend series, with lots on the line for both the men’s and women’s teams.

FUTSAL

The MCAC futsal schedule moved from a tournament format to an individual game format last season with Providence hosting games on campus in Otterburne instead of at the Niverville Resource and Rec Centre. Teams are in the middle of their eight-match regular season.

Providence have only played a single match so far this season, after poor weather last weekend cancelled province-wide travel. They’ll play make-up games with CMU Feb. 29, with a trip to Brandon to take on Brandon University and Assiniboine College Jan. 30/31.

The MCAC futsal playoffs are set for Feb. 21/22.