Winnipeg - With the Canada West women’s hockey division looking as congested as ever, and the 2011-2012 season winding down, the University of Manitoba Bisons needed to make every game count as they hit the ice Saturday, January 28 evening at the Max Bell Centre.
After failing to net a single goal against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns the night before, the Bisons completely fell apart in the rematch, losing 8-5, despite outshooting Lethbridge 38-23. It was the most goals scored in a game this season by the Pronghorns, and the most given up by the Bisons.
Boxscore
Manitoba scored the game’s first goal early, but then gave up seven straight, even prompting head coach Jon Rempel to change goalies in between the first and second period. A late third-period comeback ignited the team, but the effort came far too late to close the gap.
The Pronghorns’ goals were scored by Jenna-Marie Durnan (2), Megan Bailey, Glenda Edie, Courtney Minor, Breanna Frasca, Erica Williams, and Ashley Beattie. Net minder Crystal Patterson was sharp in goal for the second night in a row, stopping a total of 33 shots.
The Bisons goals were scored by Addie Miles and Meagan Vestby (2), Kristin Cockerill and Kayla Duna. Goaltender Leiette Klassen allowed three goals on nine shots before being replaced by Tara Lacquette, who made only nine saves over the final two periods.
With the results of the game, the Bisons fall to 10-7-3, and are now five points out of the playoff spot held by Lethbridge, who is now 13-7-2.
“It was a night where we got absolutely no bounces, and they got every bounce,” said Bisons head coach Jon Rempel following the loss. “I think that they probably worked a little harder than us early in the game, and their special teams were better and that turned the game quickly in their favour, and both our goalies had a rough night. Those things happen in sports.”
“They earned it this weekend, and they came in here and got it done. It’s important to play for pride right now, and whatever happens will happen.”
The Bisons looked dominant for the large majority of the first period, and jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when captain Addie Miles grabbed a rebound and deked Pronghorns’ net minder Crystal Patterson to slide the puck in the cage.
After grabbing the lead, Manitoba controlled the play in to the latter half of the period. Things began to go downhill for the Bisons when Lethbridge’s Jenna-Marie Durnan tied things up after stuffing a rebound past goaltender Leiette Klassen on a power play, with under five minutes to go in the period.
Just over a minute later, Klassen would throw out another rebound, this time to the Pronghorns’ Megan Bailey, who made no mistake in giving Lethbridge a 2-1 lead. But it didn’t end there.
The Bisons went down two men before the period was through, and the Pronghorns’ Glenda Edie capitalized on the 5-on-3 opportunity, rifling a puck through traffic and into the cage for three straight Lethbridge goals, and the 3-1 lead, which they would take into the second period.
Manitoba goalie Leiette Klassen’s night ended between periods, as Tara Lacquette took her spot between the pipes to start the second period.
Lacquette looked strong in goal in the opening minutes, but despite that, things only continued to get worse for the Bisons. When the puck bounced toward Manitoba’s net, Lethbridge’s Courtney Minor scored a controversial goal after crashing the net, knocking it out of place and putting the puck over the line at the same time. 4-1 Pronghorns.
Just when it looked like it couldn’t get any worse, it did. Less than two minutes later, Lacquette struggled to find the puck after facing a shot, and it trickled out behind her where Lethbridge’s Breanna Frasca easily smacked it in to put her team up by a commanding 5-1 score.
The Bisons looked like they might have an opportunity to get back in the game on a 5-on-3 power play, but the Pronghorns ended up killing it off and going on a power play of their own.
With things back to even and time winding down in the second, Lethbridge would strike yet again as Jenna-Marie Durnan grabbed her second of the night on 2-on-1 rush, getting in alone on Lacquette and sniping the shot over her shoulder for the 6-1 lead.
It was just 49 seconds later that the Pronghorns’ Erica Williams crashed the net to jam in a loose puck, and increase their runaway score to 7-1.
After a shocking seven unanswered goals, Meagan Vestby finally got the run stopped after tipping in a shot from the point, and bringing her team to within five, at a score of 7-2 Lethbridge.
With time running out in the second, the Bisons went on the power play and head coach Jon Rempel made a desperation decision and pulled Lacquette from goal for a 6-on-4 advantage. Manitoba got as close as having the puck right on the goal line, but couldn’t get a marker, ending the period at 7-2 Lethbridge.
The first half of the third period went by without a goal, but it was the Pronghorns who struck first, when Ashley Beattie pounced on a loose puck in front of the Bisons’ net, increasing their lead to 8-2.
Manitoba got the last word in, though, as Meagan Vestby got her second of the night in the dying minutes of the third period, bringing the score to 8-3.
Next up was the Bisons’ Kristin Cockerill, who streaked down the wing and fired a shot top shelf, closing the gap to 8-4.
Want some more? You got it. Manitoba’s Kayla Duna ignited the crowd with under a minute to go in the period, getting her stick on a rebound and increasing the score to 8-5.
The three goals were scored in a span of a minute and 43 seconds, but it was too little too late and the Pronghorns walked away with the 8-5 win.
