Lethbridge – The University of Manitoba Bisons defeated the Lethbridge Pronghorns 7-4 over an action packed sixty minutes, Friday night at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
 
Lethbridge goal scorers were Taylor Gal, Ryan Pottruff and Winston Day Chief, who earned two on the night. Tyler Dittmer, Ian Duval, Dane Crowley, Brendan Rowinski and Jared Walker all earned goals for the Bisons while Blair Macauley contributed two goals for his team.
 
Lethbridge net-minder Scott Bowles turned aside 30 of 36 shots before being relieved by Dylan Tait in the third period. Tait saved 8 of 9 shots he faced. Joe Caliguiri saved 24 of 28 shots on the night.
 
Boxscore
 
Austin Lauder’s quick pass to Bisons’ leading scorer, Macauley, earned Manitoba an early goal as his quick shot beat Bowles to open the scoring.
 
Not letting up offensively, the Bisons, on an ensuing power play, saw Dittmer skillfully roof the puck up over the glove of the Lethbridge net-minder, doubling the Bison lead midway through the first.
 
Moments later, Day Chief would answer back for the ‘Horns, as an outlet pass from a battle in the corner found him at the hash marks before firing a wrister past an unsuspecting Caliguili and narrowing the gap to one.
 
After one period of play, the shots on goal favored the visiting Bisons 13-8.
 
Manitoba needed less than a minute into the second frame to add another to the score sheet as Macauley’s quick stick earned him his second of the game.
 
And it didn’t stop there. A centre-ice turnover on a ‘Horns power play saw the Bisons come streaking through into the offensive zone and after a failed first attempt, a loose rebound found the stick of Crowley who wound up and launched the puck high glove side past Bowles for a shorthanded marker.
 
With tension building between the clubs, and both clubs taking penalties Day Chief capitalized on the opportunity to score his second of the game on a late Lethbridge power play.
 
Facing nearly a two minute 5-on-3, Bowles stood tall between the pipes, denying a flurry of attempts by the charging Bisons.
 
Another early period goal up the Bison lead as Manitoba took advantage of an odd man rush that allowed Duval to notch his team’s sixth goal of the night.
 
Lethbridge added another power play goal midway through the third as Gal found the back of the net for his eighth of the season.
 
Taking advantage of their eighth power play of the game, Potruff released a rocket from just inside the blue line that blew past Caliguiri to bring the home team within two but that would be as close as the ‘Horns would get.
 
Walker rounded out the scoring with just less than five minutes to play. His wrister from inside the circle soared over the blocker side shoulder of Tait.
 
With the win the Bisons improve to 15-4-2 and move into a second place tie with the idle Saskatchewan Huskies, while the ‘Horns fall to 5-15-3 but still hold a three point advantage on the Regina Cougars for the final spot after the Cougars lost to Calgary tonight.
 
Game two of the weekend series is set for tomorrow night at Nicholas Sheran Arena. The puck drops at 7pm and the game will be also be broadcast live on www.canadawest.tv