With only two conference games remaining in Canada West men's hockey for the 2014-15 season, the Manitoba Bisons want to continue their winning ways as they have won five of the last six conference games.
The Bisons travel to play at #10 Mount Royal Cougars on January 29-30 before a two week break for the 2015 Winter Universiade. Puck drop versus the Cougars will be 8 p.m. CT on Thursday and 8 p.m. CT on Friday.
In the conference standings, Manitoba is in fifth place with a 14-12-0 record for 28 points and clinched a playoff spot while they are battling UBC who is in fourth with a 12-9-5 mark for 29 points. Mount Royal sits in third with a 16-9-1 for 33 points and three points back of second Calgary. The top six make the post-season while the top four host playoff round.
This is the second two game series between the two teams this season as they played earlier in October at Manitoba with both teams split wins as Manitoba won the second game (Oct. 17/14: L 4-0; Oct. 18/14: W 1-0).
Heading into the crucial series for both teams, Manitoba holds a 5-7-0 away record while Mount Royal has a home mark of 7-4-1.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan have four players in the Canada West Top 10 scoring. For the Bisons, forward Jordan DePape is sixth with 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) while forward Aaron Lewadniuk (11g, 12a) is in tenth at 23 points. For the Cougars, Cody Cartier (13g, 24a) is in third spot with 37 points and Tyler Fiddler (8g, 21a) is in fifth with 29 points.
In the nets, Bison netminder Deven Dubyk has played in 20 conference regular season games and tied for second in Save Percentage at .918, seventh in Goals Against Average at 2.50, tied for second with two shutouts and tied for second in conference win with ten. Cougars' tandem is Dalyn Flette and Cam Lanigan Flette has played 13 games and fifth with 2.33 GAA while Lanigan has played 14 games and eighth with 2.54 GAA.
Bison Notes: Bison head coach Mike Sirant plus forward Jordan DePape with defenceman Luke Paulsen will represent Team Canada at 2015 Winter Universiade.
