Vancouver, BC – A stream of trips to the penalty box combined with facing one of the nation's top power plays proved to be too much for the defending conference champion UBC Thunderbirds (0-1-0-0) to overcome falling 5-4 to the visiting Manitoba Bisons (1-0-0-0) to open the 2017-18 Canada West women's hockey season Friday, October 6 night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

The Bisons scored three times on the power play in the first two periods staking themselves out to a 5-2 lead after 40 minutes. The 'Birds battled back in the third including a pair of goals by captain Celine Tardif, but the deficit was just too great.

The second period was one to forget for the 'Birds as Manitoba broke the game open with three goals in less than four minutes started by Courtlyn Oswald then Venla Hovi and finished with a 5-on-3 power play marker by Alexandra Anderson which gave the Bisons a three-goal lead heading into the final period.

In the first, the Herd was down 1-0 early when Logan Boyd scored only 44 seconds into the contest but Bisons' Megan Neduzak and 2016-17 Canada West women's hockey Outstanding Player of the Year Lauryn Keen scored on the PP for a 2-1 lead into the second frame.

UBC was called for a delay of game minor after being late to come out of the dressing room for the final period while the T-Birds spent six of the first seven minutes of the frame on the penalty kill.

But some solid work on the PK proved to be the start of a big momentum swing for UBC.

After some good offensive zone pressure by the 'Birds, Tardif fired a wrister from the blue line that found its way through traffic and past Bisons netminder Rachel Dyck to pull UBC within two, with both Tiffany Chiu and Shay-Lee McConnell picking up their first assists. Then with the T-Bird net empty for the extra attacker, Tardif finished off her second career Canada West multi-goal game with ten seconds on the clock, just not quite enough time to complete the comeback.

The Bisons outshot the 'Birds 37-21 and finished 3-for-8 on the power play. UBC failed to score on four man advantages.

After facing 31 shots through two periods, UBC starter Amelia Boughn was replaced to start the third by Tory Micklash who stopped all eight shots she saw.

Emily Costales earned her first career Canada West goal with a second period marker on a play that was made possible by some tremendous Ireland Perrott puck handling earning the rookie forward her first helper.

Manitoba was led by Hovi with one goal and two assists while fourth year forward Alanna Sharman potted two assists in the road win. Keen was named first star while Mikaela Fisher was second star. Dyck earned the win with 16 saves in the nets for the Herd.

The two teams battle again on Saturday Oct. 7 afternoon. Puck drop at Doug Mitchell is set for 4 p.m. CT.