This weekend the University of Manitoba men’s hockey team were swept on the road against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. The Bison basketball teams were in Calgary to play the Mount Royal University Cougars. The men lost two tough games, with the women coming away with a sweep to extend their winning streak to three games.
Men’s hockey slips up in Lethbridge
Bison head coach Mike Sirant has been Manitoba’s bench boss for 21 seasons, and certainly knows the parity in the Canada West conference. The lowly Lethbridge Pronghorns are last in the Canada West but proved to be a tough opponent for the Bisons.
After two periods Friday, the Pronghorns and the Bisons were locked at one goal apiece. Bison Channing Bresciani scored his second goal of the season early in the third, igniting a goal rush. Lethbridge’s Spenser Jensen answered back on the power play a few minutes later. Just over a minute after that, Bison forward Michael St. Croix put the Bisons ahead again. Mitchell Maxwell tied it up for Lethbridge and sent the game to overtime.
In the first period of overtime, Ryon Moser scored his first goal of the season to give Lethbridge a 4-3 win.
The Bisons lost again in overtime Saturday, taking two of a possible four points out of the weekend. After a clean scoresheet in the first frame, Manitoba and Lethbridge exchanged goals in the second. It was the final 20 minutes again where most of the scoring happened.
Lethbridge grabbed a 2-1 lead early in the third through Justin Valentino, but Joel Schreyer evened the score for Manitoba minutes later with his first of the season. Valentino scored his second of the game to make it 3-2 Pronghorns. Kamerin Nault, who is appearing to have a flair for the dramatic, scored with four seconds remaining to tie the game.
Maxwell scored 17 seconds into overtime to give the Pronghorns their second overtime win over the Bisons.
Manitoba sits in fourth place in the Canada West with a 6-4-2 record, one point back of the third placed University of Calgary. It will be a crucial weekend coming up for Manitoba when the Dinos come to town on Nov. 24-25.
Bison women’s basketball dominate Mount Royal, men get swept
Yes folks, you read that headline right. The Bison women’s basketball team have three wins this season, and it is only November. The Bisons won four games in the whole of 2016-17, and never recorded a sweep, but they dusted off the broom this weekend against the Mount Royal Cougars.
Taylor Randall led the way for the Bisons on Friday night, scoring 15 points, five assists, and two rebounds in the 91-63 win. Emma Thompson had 14 points, and Claire Harvey had 12.
Saturday was more of the same for the Bisons in a 79-53 win over the Cougars. Nicole Konieczny led the way, notching a double-double, scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds. Manitoba is now 3-5 on the year, and sits in 12th place in the Canada West.
The men were not as successful, falling just short in both games. On Friday, the Bisons lost a 83-81 heartbreaker in overtime. Usual suspect Justus Alleyn led the way for the herd, notching 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. James Wagner was right behind him with a double-double, 19 points, 11 rebounds, and one assist.
On Saturday the Bisons lost another close game, falling 80-77. Alleyn and Wagner once again led the Bisons, scoring 27 and 24 points, respectively. With the pair of losses, the Bisons fall to 5-3 and sit in sixth place in the Canada West.
The Bison basketball teams will host the University of Brandon Bobcats on Nov. 24-25 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
