Box Score Lethbridge – Three goals in the opening ten minutes of play put the wheels in motion for the University of Manitoba Bisons, who went on to post an impressive 8-2 win over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, Friday, February 7 night, at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
Brenden Rowinski and Jesse Paradis each netted individual markers for Manitoba while Jordan DePape and Jory Coates took care of the other six goals, each earning three a piece on the night. Daniel Iwanski and Daniel Fainmann each scored for Lethbridge.
Alex Sirard got the start for the Horns and faced 33 shots prior to being replaced by Dylan Tait, who entered the game at the start of the third period. Tait turned aside 11 of the 14 shots he faced.
Joe Caligiuri started in net for Manitoba and looked strong between the pipes, turning aside all but two of the 33 shots he faced on the night.
The Bisons opened scoring with a power play goal by Rowinski, early in the opening frame. With bodies in front of the net, the third-year forward found himself in perfect position to get the puck past an unsuspecting Sirard. Sirard was tested early and often as play continued at a blistering pace. Streaking into the slot with speed,
Ian Duval had a great chance, in close, but the Lethbridge net-minder stayed with him and shut the door.
Austin Lauder found Coates wide open and hit him with a great stretch pass through traffic. Waiting, momentarily, before unloading a hard wrist shot, the first year forward fired the puck high blocker side over Sirard's right shoulder. Thirty seconds later, DePape hit the post but was quick to grab his own rebound and place the puck into a wide open net to give his team a 3-0 lead in the opening half of the frame.
Lethbridge's Cass Mappin went hard to the net in the final minutes of the period but his effort was denied by Caligiuri, who stayed with him to make the stop. Horns captain, Dan Iwanski, was there to grab the rebound, however, and he managed to get the loose puck over the line, closing the gap to two with just under four minutes left to play in the first.
It took little more than a minute into the second period for Manitoba to re-establish their three goal lead. Parked beside the net, Jordan DePape took a cross-ice pass from Rowinski and sent a hard blast top shelf for his second of the night. Coates added his second marker of the night, from Travis Bobbee, at 6:20 in the second.
Manitoba added a sixth goal near the midway mark of the third. Duval put a hard shot on net and
Jesse Paradis' got his stick in perfect position to tip the puck in, low blocker side. Fainmann added a late goal for the Pronghorns but that would be as close as they'd come. DePape and Coates each completed their hat-trick, adding two more markers in the final two minutes of play.
With this win, the Bisons improve to 10-11-4 and moved into a three-way tie for fourth in the conference while the Pronghorns fall to 2-20-3. Game two of the weekend series goes tomorrow night at Nicholas Sheran Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. MT and the game will be live-streamed at http://canadawest.tv. Full stats: http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/men/en/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1652
