REGINA, Sask. - Aaron Lewadniuk's hat trick propelled the University of Manitoba Bisons to a 5-3 men's hockey victory over the Regina Cougars at The Co-operators Centre on Saturday afternoon.

Brett Dudar and Taylor Dickin also scored for the Bisons, who earned the weekend split with the win. Austin Bourhis scored twice for the Cougars, and Sanfred King also scored once.

The Bisons didn't waste any time opening the scoring on Saturday afternoon, as it only took 58 seconds for Lewadniuk to net his eighth of the season. The Bisons came streaking into the Cougar zone and it was Shaquille Merasty with a nice feed across the crease to Lewadniuk who easily beat Kilgore.

Manitoba added to its lead midway through the period, at the tail end of a Regina penalty. Merasty took a feed from Brock Sutherland and slid the puck across the crease to Dudar who was waiting at the side of the open cage. He converted to give the Bisons a 2-0 lead.

Regina replied in the first, as Dylen McKinlay collected a rebound off a Sanfred King shot and fed it across the ice to Bourhis, who was streaking down the wing behind the defence. Bourhis one-timed the shot past a sprawling Byron Spriggs to draw the Cougars within a goal.

The Bisons restored the two goal lead before the frame ended, on their fourth powerplay of the first period. Dickin was the beneficiary of some nice passing from the visitors, as Sutherland and Darren Bestland collected assists on the goal. Mitch Kilgore would finish the period in net but Lucas Gore came on in relief to start the second.

The Cougars were the first to strike in the second period, as the red-hot line of King, Ian McNulty and McKinlay produced another goal. McKinlay poked the puck away from a Bisons defender, sending McNulty in on a 2-on-1 with King. McNulty opted to pass and found King who wired a wrist-shot that Spriggs got a piece of, but not enough as it slipped past the red line for King's third goal of the weekend.

Lewadniuk took over late in the second period, notching two goals in a two-minute span. The first came off a slick move in front where he moved past a couple Cougar defenders and out-waited Gore before backhanding it in. Lewadniuk's hat trick goal was the result of a failed clearing attempt by the Cougars and another smooth deke to the backhand.

The scoring continued in the third period, as Bourhis scored his second of the game 2:32 into the frame. Bourhis took a great backdoor feed from Fowlie and made a smooth move to his forehand, going against the momentum of Spriggs to the open side of the net. The goal marked his third of the season and cut the Bisons lead to 5-3.

Bourhis's marker was as close as the Cougars would get, as Spriggs shut the door multiple times late to seal the win.

Spriggs finished with 29 saves. Kilgore made 12 saves on 15 shots and Gore made 19 saves in relief.

Manitoba moves back to .500 with the win, at 12-12. The Cougars drop to 7-15-2.

The Cougars will travel to Vancouver next weekend for a matchup against the UBC Thunderbirds. Manitoba host Saskatchewan at the Wayne Fleming Arena on January 23-24 weekend.