WINNIPEG – The line of Kylie Lesuk, Aimee Patrick and Dana Goertzen were responsible for both goals on Thursday night at Wayne Fleming Arena, as the Manitoba Bisons out-lasted the Regina Cougars 2-0 in a physical affair. 
 
With six players from Manitoba on the Cougars' side, there was no love lost in this one. Each team laid down monstrous checks in a gritty battle between the rivals. 
 
Meagan Relf got her second career shutout (her first coming last weekend against TWU), stopping 18 shots, while Arden Kliewer was sensational for the Cougars, making 29 saves in the loss. 
 
With the win, Manitoba improves to 4-6-1-0, two points ahead of their opponent for the sixth and final playoff spot in Canada West. Regina is now 3-7-1-1. 
 
Goertzen scored the eventual game-winner just 1:38 into the contest. 
 
Defenceman Camille Enns kept a loose puck in the attacking zone, dishing it to Patrick, whose shot from the blue line was tipped in by Goertzen for her third goal of the season. It's a career high for the second-year, who's also tied her single season points total, with five. 
 
Patrick added her third goal of the year as an insurance marker at 8:45 of the third. 
 
Lesuk dispossessed Alexis VanNetten of the puck at the Bisons' blue line, calmly bringing the biscuit into the offensive zone. She then dumped the puck off to a trailing Patrick at the blue line, who wristed a shot high blocker over Kliewer. 
 
The goal was the culmination of a great evening for the Lesuk line, who consistently pressed offensively. 
 
Goertzen had a strong stick all game, providing countless zone entries, while Lesuk showcased her speed and vision, and Patrick – who led all players with six shots on net -- used her size, skill and accuracy to cause problems.  
 
"It was a lot of fun," said Patrick. 
 
"We came out with a lot of energy to start and built off that first shift. On the second goal, Kylie came out flying and I was just there supporting her. She dropped it for me and I was just trying to change the angle because we had been hitting a lot of shin pads earlier. I got lucky there."
 
Kliewer kept her side in the game multiple times, including late in the third. 
 
With just over eight minutes gone, she got her blocker on a wrist shot from defenceman Hanna Bailey, steering the puck to the end boards. The Bisons' blue liner had plenty of time and space on the odd-player rush, but Kliewer kept her positioning to make the stop. 
 
The Cougars also had three power plays, but their potent unit – which came operating at 20 percent and with 42 shots – was largely held to the outside. 
 
Brandon native and former Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League champ Paige Hubbard led all Cougars with four shots on net, while the visitor's best chance came with eight minutes to play. 
 
Jordyn Blais had the puck land on her stick from behind the net, and with space she rocketed a slap shot from in close, but Relf made the stop, as well as the rebound on Kaylee Dyer. 
 
Both teams play again tomorrow at 7 pm.