The Bisons men’s hockey team secured a 4-2 victory over the Mount Royal University Cougars on Friday, Oct. 24 at the Wayne Fleming Arena. The game was an intense, high-octane affair, with both teams creating scoring opportunities from the opening face-off.
The Bisons’ Jonny Hooker broke the deadlock in the 9th minute [9:15], giving his team a 1-0 lead. However, the Cougars responded swiftly, with Kyle Walker scoring an equalizer with just under three minutes [17:22] remaining in the first period. The teams headed into the intermission tied at 1-1, setting the stage for the second period.
The Bisons came out firing in the second period, with forward Skyler Bruce scoring the only goal of the period at the first minute [1:02]. Despite both teams’ efforts to score, the Bisons’ lead remained unchanged, and they took a 2-1 advantage into the third period.
The Bisons’ Lucas Brennan sealed the win with a power-play goal in the 15th minute [15:36] of the third period, increasing their lead to 3-1. However, the Cougars refused to give up, and Spencer Moe scored a goal two minutes and a second later [17:37], reducing the deficit to one goal with a score of 3-2.
In the fourth period, with less than two minutes [18:55] remaining in the game, the Cougars’ goaltender pulled out of the net in an attempt to tie the game. However, Hooker took advantage of the empty net, scoring his third goal of the season and securing a 4-2 victory for the Bisons.
The win puts the Bisons in a strong position to claim the second spot or remain in the third spot in the East Division standings, provided they can replicate their performance in the return leg against the Cougars on Saturday, Oct. 25.
The Bisons’ head coach, Gordon Burnett, explained he and his players are not bothered about the standings. “I’m worried about just the process of recovering tonight and preparing for tomorrow. For us, it’s just about going through the process and playing our game and trying to make them adjust to us. I think if we do that and we skate at the same level we skated at tonight, then that process […]and the score will take care of itself. So, we’re really not worried about that right now. We’ll look at the standings Saturday night after the game.”
Throughout the game, both teams showed discipline and physicality, with several players serving penalties.
Tanner Willick and Lucas Brennan of the Bisons were sent to the penalty box for two minutes each in the second period.
In the third period, Mount Royal’s Leith Olafson was given a two-minute penalty for tripping, and Layton Feist was sent off for hooking with just under five minutes remaining in the game. The latter penalty proved costly for the Cougars, as it led to the Bisons’ third goal. The game ended with the Cougars outshooting the Bisons 36 to 19.
The Bisons will look to build on their momentum and secure a crucial win in the return leg against the Cougars.
The Bisons team captain, Hooker, said “It was a team win and that was pretty great […] We’re confident we can beat anyone in this league every night […] Every game is a big game this year, and especially against a division rival — it just makes it even bigger. But it gives us confidence that we can beat these guys and we can beat anyone.”
