Basketball

Last week Bison Sports announced the captains for the 2010-11 men’s and women’s basketball teams. For the women’s team, three captains were chosen: fifth year player Kayla Klassen and fourth year players Lauren Mortier and Mubo Ilelaboye. On the men’s team, fifth year Eric Garcia returns to captain the team for the second consecutive season.

Both teams had their season openers this past Friday, playing host to the University of Winnipeg at the Investors Group Athletics Centre.

The women’s team played earlier in the evening, in a game where the first half was mostly dominated by the Wesmen, who took a 31-19 lead into the second. The Bisons brought it within 10 points, starting the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, but ultimately fell to the Wesmen by a score of 65-47.

For the men’s team, Manitoba was forced to play a tight game in the first quarter but would eventually pull away, taking a 9-point lead going into the second half. Everything clicked for the Bisons, as they easily won their season opener 108-88. Both teams take to the road for their next game, playing Fraser Valley on Oct. 29.

Football

The Bisons were in Edmonton over the weekend, taking on the University of Alberta Golden Bears on Oct. 23. The lead exchanged five times early in the game, with the Bears eventually taking a slim 16-14 lead into halftime. The Bisons struck early in the second half when SB Tyson Hinds caught a 26-yard TD pass from QB Khaleal Williams after an Alberta turnover. Sadly, that would be the only points the Bisons scored for the rest of the game, as Alberta converted three field goals and scored three rushing TDs, winning the game 46-21.

Following the loss, the Bisons fall to 1-6 on the season and currently sit last place in the Canada West conference. The Bisons play the last game of their season at home against UBC on October 30.

Soccer

The Bison women’s Soccer team was in Victoria Saturday afternoon, playing against the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades. The Bisons were tame throughout the match as the Cascades rolled to a 3-0 win. The next day the Brown and Gold dropped a 2-1 decision to Victoria in a game that moves Manitoba’s regular season conference record to 1-7-4 on the year.

The Bisons’ final two games of the season come on the road against the University of Regina on Oct. 30-31.

Hockey

Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams were in action Oct. 23, playing on the road against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

In the men’s game, neither team had any success in the scoring department through the first two periods. The Bisons struck early in the third on with a power-play goal and followed it up with another power-play goal midway through the third, as they shut out the Huskies in a 2-0 victory. Manitoba players Blair Macaulay and Jeremy Schappert both had a goal and an assist in the win, while Bisons goaltender Steve Christie was awarded first star of the game for his dominant play in net.

The two teams would play again the next day, with the Bisons suffering a close 4-3 overtime loss to the Huskies. Manitoba forward Nolan Walker led the home team with two goals.

After losing to the University of Saskatchewan 5-2 on Friday, the Bison women’s team was hoping to bounce back in the second game of their back-to-back series with the Huskies.

After a scoreless first period that saw the home team kill off a flurry of penalties, the Bisons gave up the game’s first goal 2:48 into the second. The Huskies made it 2-0 at 10:07, but the Bisons quickly responded, as Danielle Vigler’s goal brought the Bisons to within one of tying it going into the third period. Unfortunately, the Huskies would put it away early in the third period, keeping Manitoba off the score sheet, cruising to a 4-1 win.

Play resumes on Oct. 29-30 when both men’s and women’s teams play back-to-back games against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.