The Selkirk Strikeforce are changing things up this Manitoba Major Soccer League season.
Last year didn’t end the way they’d hoped, missing the playoffs despite a strong start.
This season, they’ve revamped the roster with a few new faces and greater commitment from the group to ensure they have plenty of substitutes for their MMSL Division 3B games.
That team buy-in has paved the way for a more aggressive game plan, according to head coach and midfielder Jordan Bruenig.
“It’s more guys in the attacking third,” said Bruenig. “More movement, more guys in the final third, and that creates more openings where their defenders will struggle with the amount of guys we’re putting in front of them. That’s the whole point of the attackers I’m bringing in—just giving it to them over and over so their defenders get tired. If they’re tired, then it’s good for us.”
Now two matches into the season, Bruenig’s strategy has paid off. The club has outscored opponents 9-3 in back-to-back victories.
They’ve also had hat tricks in both contests by two different players.
The first came during their 5-1 season-opening win over Superbia FC on May 6 at Shaughnessy Park Field, when Aaron Bell scored three goals and Devin Racicot added a pair.
The second came last Tuesday in a 4-2 win over Storm City, also at Shaughnessy, where Erick Medina netted a trio and Racicot tallied again for his third of the campaign.
“It’s gone really well—kind of how I had written it—especially with the team talks we’ve had,” said Bruenig. “Changing the tactics and being more aggressive is actually something we don’t normally do. We’re usually a very strong defensive team and we focus there, and I shifted a little bit last year with that. This year, I’m really pushing the aggression. I want to create a lot of chances, and we’ve scored a lot. We’ve also created a lot we didn’t score, and that’s what matters in this formation and with the tactics I’ve brought in.”
So far, the results speak for themselves—Selkirk was the first club to reach a 2-0 record in Div. 3B.
They’re also coming off a second consecutive Skylight Adult Soccer League winter championship, and that momentum has carried over into the outdoor season.
“It always helps to get results at the beginning of the season,” said Bruenig. “Last year, a couple of games didn’t go our way and we kind of fell into a rut—it was a little hard to get out of. I feel very confident and good about the way these two games have gone. Hopefully we can get ourselves into a good position this year and fight for the top.”
A successful season could also help them earn promotion to a higher division next year.
Next on the Strikeforce schedule is a matchup with Thunder FC on Wednesday, May 21 at Buhler Recreation Park. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
