The U of M Bisons men’s hockey team faced off against the MacEwan Griffins in a thrilling weekend series at the Wayne Fleming Arena.
The Griffins took the first game 5-4 on Friday, Jan. 24 but the Bisons bounced back with a convincing 6-3 win in the rematch on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Friday’s game was a nail-biter, with the Griffins coming out strong and scoring the first goal of the game at 9:15 by forward Marc Pasemko. Another forward, Liam Ryan, made it 2-0 for the Griffins at 16:29, and defender Sean Comrie increased the lead to 3-0 on a power play before the end of the first period.
The Griffins continued to dominate in the second period, scoring two more goals at 10:39 and 11:04 to take a commanding 5-0 lead. However, the Bisons refused to give up, and forward Jonny Hooker scored their first goal of the game at 15:56. Despite their best efforts, the Bisons were unable to score another goal in the period, and the Griffins took a 5-1 lead into the third period.
The Bisons came out strong in the third period, determined to achieve a comeback. Forward Skyler Bruce scored the Bisons’ second goal of the game on a power play at 6:23, and Hooker scored his second goal of the game on another power play at 11:09. Forward Jackson Arpin raised the Bisons’ hopes even further with a goal at 11:45, but despite their best efforts, they were unable to tally the game. The Griffins held on for a 5-4 win.
The game was marked by a total of 12 penalties, with four in each period. The Bisons had five penalties, while the Griffins had seven. The Griffins also outshot the Bisons 28-26 in total, but the Bisons had more shots in the second and third periods.
Bisons forward Jonny Hooker shared highlights of the game.
“We just got a little bit of momentum, and we had full belief that we were going to come back and win that game. We came a little short, but we just got a little momentum going,” said Hooker.
“That was a really important game for us,” he continued. “It’s disappointing that we couldn’t come all the way back. I liked our fight and the way we came out in the end of the second and third, but we just couldn’t quite get all the way back.”
Saturday’s rematch was a different game, as the Bisons came out strong and determined to turn the tables. The Griffins scored the first goal of the game at 4:43, but the Bisons tied the game on a power play at 16:01 by Bruce. Forward Carter Chorney gave the Griffins a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period, but the Bisons were just getting started.
The second period saw the Bisons come out on fire, with Bruce scoring his second goal of the game at 2:00. Hooker gave the Bisons their first lead of the game on a power play at 11:03, but Pasemko tied the game on a power play of his own. The second period ended 3-3.
The third period saw the Bisons take control of the game, with defender Lucas Fry giving them the lead at 11:48. Forward Riley Stotts doubled the lead on a power play at 15:08, and Hooker sealed the win with a brilliant goal at 17:09. The Bisons took the game 6-3, splitting the weekend series with the Griffins.
The game saw a total of seven penalties, with one in the first period, five in the second and one in the third period. The Bisons had only two penalties, while the Griffins had five. The Griffins outshot the Bisons 34-27, but the Bisons made the most of their opportunities.
As the Bisons look ahead to their next series they can take pride in their performance against the Griffins. With their offence firing on all cylinders and their defence holding strong, the Bisons are poised to make a deep run in the conference.
The Bisons men’s hockey team will face the Regina Cougars on Friday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. CT and Saturday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. CT in Regina.