Box Score WINNIPEG -- The University of Manitoba Bisons women's hockey team welcomed the Trinity Western Spartans back to The Rink Training Centre in Oak Bluff, Manitoba on Saturday afternoon for the second of back-to-back games between the two teams. 
 
Down 3-1 to the Spartans to begin the third period, Jena Barscello, who had the first goal for Manitoba, scored her second of the game at the 9:04 mark to pull her team back to within one. Less than six minutes later, Bison defender Camille Enns notched her first of the season to tie the game at 3-3 with ten minutes to go. 
 
What appeared to be a comeback in the making for Manitoba was quickly stymied by the visitors who answered with two quick goals of their own at 10:03 and 11:10, restoring their lead by two at 5-3. Kate Gregoire added another for the Bisons at 7:13 with shot through the five hole of Spartan keeper Mabel Matais but unfortunately, that was as close as the Bisons could come, dropping their third game of the season by a final score of 5-4
 
"We saw what Trinity Western is made of today," commented Barscello. "Going forward we need to make sure we come out ready to play in the first period and not play catch up. We learned a lot and we will be ready for Mount Royal next week."

For the second-straight game, it was Trinity Western who scored first. At the 16:35 mark of the first, Olivia Leier of the Spartans tipped the puck past Bison goalie Emily Shippam after a pass into the slot from line mate Brooklyn Anderson. The Bisons pushed for the game's tying goal for the remainder of the frame, the most notable chance coming from Ashley Keller but the left pad of Maltais stopped her point-blank. 
 
With the clock winding down in the first, a Manitoba giveaway at the Spartans' blue line resulted in a breakaway for Anderson who went with the forehand to backhand deke to beat Shippam. The Anderson tally gave the Spartans a 2-0 advantage heading into the second. 
 
The two teams traded power play opportunities throughout the middle frame resulting in both goals scored in the period. First, Barscello got her Bison team on the board with a nice move from the goal line to the front of the net where she put her backhand shot over the shoulder of Maltias. Unfortunately for Manitoba, the Spartans reclaimed their two-goal lead with just over a minute left in the period. The Spartans' Kate Klassen put home her first goal of the year after a lengthy scramble in front of the Bison net. Trinity Western once again headed to the intermission with a two goal lead, this time at 3-1 with 20-minutes to play. 
 
In the third, Barscello's second came after her initial shot was stopped by Maltais but after the puck bounced back towards the net off the boards, the second-year forward stuffed it home on a backhand. Along with Barscello's second, goals from Enns and Gregoire made up the late offensive push from the Bisons. However, the Spartans had an answer of their own after each Manitoba tally and went on to seal the 5-4 victory, their fourth win of the season.
 
Next weekend, the Bisons head west to Calgary to face the Mount Royal Cougars for a pair of games on October 28 and 29. Manitoba will return to the Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg for their next pair of home games on November 4 and 5 for against the University of Alberta.