It was goaltending that ultimately decided the University of Manitoba Bisons women’s hockey teams clash with the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Friday evening. Manitoba peppered the opposition net with a flurry of shots, but the visitors left the Wayne Fleming Arena with the 3-2 victory.
Not long after the puck drop, Manitoba-native Aislinn Kooistra jumped on a loose puck that bounced behind goalie Rachel Dyck and shoveled in the game’s first goal. The Pronghorns fought to extend their lead, with a Chelsea Kasprick breakaway that was smothered well by Dyck.
Midway through the first period, the Bisons would get themselves on the board. A shot from the slot by Alana Serhan flew through traffic and took a touch off a skate to elude Lethbridge goalie Alicia Anderson.
The Pronghorns then took all momentum away from the Bison within the first quarter of the second period.
First, Sarah Spence picked out Dyck’s short side to grab the go-ahead goal for the Pronghorns just one minute in the second frame. A few minutes later, the lead was extended to 3-1 when Jenae Culp followed up some expert stickhandling by Kaitlyn Bauer and beat Dyck from the slot.
Dyck was pulled after conceding three goals on 13 shots, with Amanda Schubert entering the game in relief.
By the end of the second period, Anderson had risen as a difference maker with 23 saves on 24 shots.
Manitoba did manage to get themselves within one goal in the third period, as Alanna Sharman’s tallied a marker midway through the third frame. The goal was her team-leading seventh goal this season. however it was the closest Manitoba would come to tying things up.
The second-year winger managed to create further chances on Anderson, but the Pronghorn’s goalie kept the Bisons silent. The rookie ended the night with 31 saves on 33 shots to preserve her first win against the Bisons this season.
The Bisons and Pronghorns face off on Saturday afternoon at 1pm at the Wayne Fleming Arena in the rematch.
