Bisons split with Dinos

Saurette scores game-winning goal in rematch

Regan Sarmatiuk, Staff

After losing their lead in the third period and falling to the Calgary Dinos on Friday night, the Bison men’s hockey team avoided making the same mistake in the rematch Saturday, Nov. 5, although it was a close call.

The Bisons took a 3-1 lead into the third, but defensive breakdowns allowed the Dinos to even the score midway through the period. Bison captain Kevin Saurette came through, however, notching the game-winner with 3:55 remaining in the game, adding an empty-netter in the dying seconds to give Manitoba a 5-3 win.

“It felt good to see the puck go in the net,” said Bison head coach Mike Sirant after the game.

While he acknowledged it wasn’t ideal that his team allowed the Dinos back into the game in the final frame two nights in a row, he still felt the Bisons’ play improved in the rematch.

“It was better than last night, it was a step forward,” said Sirant. “The real growth for this team [was] in that they didn’t get down on themselves and that guys stepped up and we found a way to win.”

The weekend split leaves the Herd with a 3-6-1 record on the season.

The Bisons ran into some hot goaltending in Friday’s game from the Dinos’ Scott Talbot, who stopped 48 shots, helping his team to a 2-1 victory. The herd’s lone goal came in the second period from rookie Steve Haddon, who took a pass from another first-year Bison, Richard Wood, on a two-on-one. Talbot was preparing for a shot from Wood rather than a pass to Haddon.

The Dinos’ Travis George scored at 7:11 of the third to tie the game, and Brett O’ Malley had the game-winner just over a minute later, when he was allowed to walk in alone on Bison goaltender Krister Toews.

Saturday night, the Dinos’ Alexander Lalonde struck first with a shorthanded goal about 20 seconds into the Bisons’ first power play of the evening. Manitoba bounced back five minutes later when rookie Nick Cowan scored, making it a 1-1 game.

The Bisons came out hard to start the second period, taking a 3-1 lead with goals from Aaron Starr and Wood. Toews was solid in net for the Bisons, making some key saves, including one on a breakaway by a Dino player just out of the penalty box.

The herd started well in the third, but ran into trouble in their own end about five minutes in, allowing Calgary’s Jarret Lukin to score in the midst of a scramble. The Dinos’ Wes Reid evened the score at 3-3 on the power play five minutes later, but Calgary wasn’t able to follow through on their momentum as Saurette scored the game-winner with four-minutes remaining, and then added the empty-netter for the 5-3 victory.

The Bison men’s hockey team will see their next action against the UBC Thunderbirds Nov. 11 and 12 on the west coast.