The Bisons women’s hockey team made it to the nationals for the first time since 2019. Despite giving it a tough fight, the Bisons lost 1-3 to the Concordia University Stingers in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 19, and lost 0-2 to the University of Waterloo Warriors in the consolation match on Saturday, March 21.
On Thursday, Audrey Clavette gave the Stingers a 0-1 lead in the eighth minute [08:14], after her team had seven shots. After that, the Stingers put more pressure on the Bisons by taking twelve more shots, and in the fourteenth minute [14:17], they scored their second goal.
The Bisons later tried to return to the game and put pressure on the Stingers, but Brenna Nicol was sent to the penalty box for tripping at 16:58. The Stingers then put pressure on the Bisons thanks to the powerplay, but they were unable to convert their opportunities, and the period ended 0-2.
The Bisons got off to a better start in the second period, winning more faceoffs in the first two minutes. Beatrice Caron of the Stingers was sent off for slashing in the third minute [03:19], but the Bisons were unable to capitalize on the powerplay. The Stingers took a more comfortable advantage when they scored their third goal in the thirteenth minute [13:53]. Aimee Patrick of the Bisons was sent off for contact to the head, less than three minutes [17:23] before the second period ended, but the Stingers were unable to increase their lead.
In the third period, the Bisons scored early to get back into the game. The Bisons’ frustration grew as they attempted to score their second goal, but their several attempts were denied. Despite the Bisons’ exploration of empty nets and timeouts, the score remained 1-3. While the Stingers went to the semi-finals, the Bisons settled for a consolation game against the University of Waterloo Warriors.
On Saturday, the Bisons faced off against the Warriors. The Warriors scored 17 seconds into the first period. The Bisons were penalized for too many players on ice in the fourth minute [04:49], resulting in a player being sent to the penalty box. The Warriors were unable to convert their powerplay opportunities. The Bisons’ Sara Harbus was also sent off for tripping in the tenth minute [10:06], but the Warriors still failed to capitalize.
Despite both sides taking 43 shots in the second period, no goal was scored and the game remained 0-1 heading into the third period. The Warriors scored another goal early in the third period. Nikki McDonald put the Warriors up 0-2 in the sixth minute [06:18], making it difficult for the Bisons to tie. Despite their best efforts to score a goal, the Bisons were defeated 0-2.
