Maya Turner kicks OT winner after becoming 1st woman to play regular-season U Sports football game

Manitoba Bisons kicker Maya Turner made the game-winning field goal in overtime on Saturday, capping a historic day that saw her become the first woman to play and score in a regular-season U Sports football game.

The Maple Grove, Minn., native hit the decisive kick from 21 yards late in the second overtime to give the Bisons a 27-24 lead over the Regina Rams at IG Field in Winnipeg.

The visiting side then failed to convert a field goal attempt of their own, triggering a sequence of hugs and taps on Turner's helmet from teammates and coaches as Manitoba celebrated the homecoming victory.

"I'm so excited. It was such an unreal experience," said Turner after the game. "I think since the last field goal I've just been full of adrenaline and excitement. We won a big game, a tight game. The team fought all the way until the end. I'm just proud of everyone today."

Earlier in the game, Turner nailed a field goal from the same distance with 9:48 to go in the first quarter to give Manitoba a 3-2 lead. She also went three-for-three on extra-point attempts, finishing the game with a total of nine points.

"It makes me feel honoured that [Manitoba Bisons head coach Brian Dobie] trusted me in that position to make potentially a game-winning field goal," Turner said. "He trusts me under pressure, and he believed in what I could do. I heard the crowd scream really loud. I guess I didn't notice before. It just felt good to get some points on the board."

It was the dream regular-season debut for Turner, who played soccer at Loyola University in Chicago before transitioning to kicker with its football team and attending kicking camps in the United States.

Dobie, one of the many Turner sent practice videos to, invited her to Winnipeg for an evaluation in 2022, where she impressed and was offered a roster spot. Turner kicked a 25-yard field goal in a pre-season game against Saskatchewan later that year, becoming the first woman to score in a U Sports football game.

"What Maya accomplished today, she didn't have to just go out there and do her job and be another player, she had to be under the stigma of 'she better hit those'," Dobie said.

"She went out there and nailed it, and kicked the game-winning field goal."

Turner's sister, who played professional soccer in Portugal, celebrated her achievement on social media.

Also on Saturday, safety Haley Van Voorhis became the first woman to play in an NCAA football game at a position other than kicker while helping Division III Shenandoah University defeat Juniata College.

Fellow football trailblazers Kristie Elliott and Sarah Fuller previously made history as kickers at the NCAA level. 

In 2021, Elliott became the first Canadian woman to play and score in an NCAA football game with Simon Fraser University, while Fuller was the first to do both for a Power Five school with Vanderbilt in 2020.