WINNIPEG- Coming in to Friday night and with the Canada West regular season winding down, the University of Manitoba Bisons women's hockey team were three points back of the Trinity Western Spartans and their opponent on Friday night, the Calgary Dinos, for the sixth and final playoff spot.
 
Coming in the weekend Manitoba knew the two games against the visiting Dinos at Wayne Fleming Arena would be pivotal in their quest to return to the post season in 2023. 
 
With the game tied at 2-2 early in the third and the Dinos yet to have a lead in the game, Calgary's Rebecca Clarke put her squad up 3-2 after squeaking a shot through Bisons goaltender Kimmy Davidson at 6:52 of the final frame. Clarke's sixth of the season proved to be the game-winner, as Calgary went on the claim the 3-2 victory. The two-points put a gap between Calgary and the Spartans, who lost to UBC on Friday, for fifth and sixth place in Canada West. 
 
With the loss, tomorrow's game against Calgary will be even more crucial as Manitoba fights to remain in the conference playoff picture, currently sitting in seventh, still three point back of the Spartans. 
 
"We talked about it in the room after the game and we know that we definitely aren't out of the playoffs," said Bisons captain Kaitlyn Chatyrbok. "There are still six points on the line for us and we are only three points back of Trinity. Nobody is hanging their head. We just need to regroup and reset and come back tomorrow."
 
Second-year forward Jena Barscello needed only 5:21 to get the scoring started in the game. Streaming up the left side of the ice, Barscello placed her shot perfectly in the top right corner of the net and over the glove of Calgary's goaltender Gabriella Durante, giving Manitoba the early 1-0 edge. However, 90 seconds later after a Kate Gregoire took a roughing penalty, the Dinos answered with a power play goal to tie the game at 1-1. Despite the early goals from both sides, sustained offence was hard to come by for either team the rest of the period with both squads headed to the second period still tied. 
 
Both teams remained locked in defensively throughout the first 13 minutes of the second until a Calgary boarding penalty put the Bisons on the power play, looking to take back the lead. 
 
Early in the woman-advantage, the Bisons' Kylie Lesuk -- making her return from injury -- stopped a shorthanded breakaway opportunity for the visitors with a timely stick check before the Dino player mustered a shot. Calgary took a second-consecutive penalty, this time for slashing, giving the Bisons a 5-on-3 power play. As the first penalty expired, Herd defender Rachel Gottfried rang her shot from the slot off the post but it was collected and slid home by Ashley Keller, putting the Bisons back up, 2-1. 
 
However with 1:01 left on the clock in the middle frame, the visitors tied the game back up at 2-2, forcing the game to be decided in the third period. 
 
Clarke's goal in the final frame proved to be the game winner as the Dinos stole the victory by a final score of 3-2.
 
"One thing about our team is that effort is never the issue," added Chatyrbok. "Everyone in that room always works as hard as they can. Sometimes things don't go your way but we can still be proud of our effort tonight. Everyone put their best foot forward."
 
The Dinos and Bisons return to the ice again tomorrow at 2 p.m. for their second and final game of the weekend.