The Bisons men’s hockey team faced the University of MacEwan Griffins in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday, Jan. 23. The herd won the game 4–3 in overtime.

The Griffins opened the scoring in the first period when Caden Cabana found the net, assisted by Vincent Scott and Myles Gauld. Eric Alarie tied the game for the herd with passes from Caden Zaplitny and Ben Bonni. The Griffins bounced back as both Brody Tallman and Sam Simard scored to give the Griffins a 1-3 lead.

In the second period, the Bisons started their comeback on the power play. Lucas Brennan scored with help from Dawson Pasternak and Skyler Bruce, making the score 2-3. This period saw high sticking and slashing from both teams, reflecting the aggression in the game.

The Bisons tied the game early in the third period when Michael King scored off an assist from Andrew Boucher. The herd’s defence held the Griffins back for the remainder of time to send the game into overtime with a 3-3 scoreline.

In the overtime, Pasternak scored the Bisons’ game-winning goal during a power play, assisted by Luke Brenton and Jonny Hooker. The final score was 4-3.

On Saturday, Jan. 24, the Bisons played the Griffins again, and the herd again won the game in overtime with the same scoreline of 4-3. These two back-to-back games reflect the herd’s ability to stretch the game and pull the clutch in overtime.

The Bisons men’s hockey team will face the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. CT and Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. CT in the Wayne Fleming Arena. The last time the Bisons faced the Bears, the herd lost the match 4-7.