Taryn Raabe made eight saves in her final match Sunday in a bittersweet sendoff for a long-serving steward of Wesmen Soccer.

Raabe earned her second start of the season and 33rd of her career but Winnipeg couldn't close the season with a result, dropping a 3-0 Canada West conference decision to the Regina Cougars at the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex.

The Cougars' win, combined with a Manitoba loss Sunday, vaulted Regina into the final post-season spot in the Prairie Division, and sent the Bisons into the off-season.

The Wesmen officially said good-bye to five seniors on their final matchday of the season: Raabe, along with Madisyn Furber, Emma Friesen, Victoria Bloom and Drew Kennedy were honoured in a pre-match ceremony that extolled a group who in various ways had become the faces of the program, staying on through the struggles of the COVID stoppage and pressing on through to their graduations.  

Raabe, meanwhile, put a bow on her five-year stint with the Wesmen and finished it with 268 career saves, enough to put her temporarily in the top 10 in Canada West history. 

And there could be little fault found in her play Sunday: Jessica Merk and Kirsten Koellmel both scored first-half goals that were top form. Merk's goal, in particular, was highlight-worthy as she struck a perfectly placed free kick in the 12th minute to open the scoring. 

Sana Karam had the other Regina goal in the 78th minute.

The Wesmen put three shots on Kareena Anderson, with the Regina keeper making her biggest stop when she denied a glorious chance for Chloe Zarrillo from close in in the 17th. 

Furber started her career as a keeper but switched to an attacking role in her sophomore season, scoring her first goal the following season and also notching one earlier this season.

Kennedy transferred in from U of M in time for the 2021 season and trained with the team during the pandemic shutdown. She started 26 straight games to start her career at Winnipeg.

Friesen scored goals in each of the past three seasons, including a notable marker this year that allowed the Wesmen to earn a quality draw with Alberta in September. 

After arriving from Victoria, B.C., Bloom became a steadying and physical force on the Wesmen back line, starting 10 matches last season — with 10 matches logging 90 minutes — and appearing in 10 matches with three starts in 2023.