The University of Manitoba Bisons (4-7-1) played a hard match against their rivals, the University of Winnipeg Wesmen (1-10-1) that finished in a 2-2 tie. 

A total of six cards were shown Saturday as the Bisons fought to the very end to keep their post season hopes alive. Fortunately, a final push by the squad, and some timely finishes by one rookie helped Manitoba finish with four out of the six points available during the double header.  

Both teams were energized after the Bisons earned a momentous Duckworth Challenge victory on Thursday. Right out of the gate, each team clearly had something to prove in their final meeting of the season.

Winnipeg was the first to strike.

In the seventh minute, first-year Wesmen forward Jazmyn Castro sent a corner to the back post. Streaking from outside the box, Sydney Butler headed the ball through the Bisons defenders to give the U of W a 1-0 lead.

As both team's dug in, the physicality quickly rose.

Manitoba's determination helped them earn more opportunities. Bisons captain Jessica Tsai had a couple glorious chances to get her team on the board, including a dangerous break away in the 37^th. However, Wesmen goalkeeper Camille Forbes was up to task, breaking up plays and gathering loose balls in front.

Near the end of the half Tsai did manage to contribute. A shot from the fifth-year midfielder was blocked by a Wesmen player in front and fell on the boot of Bisons striker Nyema Prentice-Whyte. The rookie from Markham, Ontario made no mistake, finishing with her left foot to tie the game.

Prentice-Whyte's goal was her team leading sixth goal and Tsai's 25th assist of her career, leaving Manitoba's captain only one back of Olympic Gold Medalist Desiree Scott's program record.

Even with the Bisons supporters helping fuel the home team's momentum, the Wesmen would respond five minutes later.

Winnipeg's Castro sent a towering ball from 35 yards out over the head of Bison's keeper Holly Dyker to put the U of W up by one heading into halftime.

The rough stuff continued in the second half. After two yellows were handed out in the first, three more were handed out before the final whistle. Winnipeg committed nine fouls in total, compared to Manitoba's four. The Bisons took advantage of free kick opportunities but were unable to muster much.

At the other end, Dyker stopped Winnipeg's Kennedy Shymko on a breakaway in the 77^th to keep the Bisons within one.

With time dwindling, the crowd continued to cheer on the Bisons with even more enthusiasm. Each Wesmen challenge received jeers from the gallery, and the tension began to swell as Manitoba laid the pressure on late.

Things looked very bleak for Manitoba as the clock hit 90. However after a Wesmen injury caused a brief delay, six minutes of added time breathed new life into the herd. A few minutes later, the Bisons struck.

Upon receiving a ball near midfield, Manitoba's Tabata Bravo made a short burst down the line before crossing an ambitious ball with the outside of her foot through a seam of Winnipeg players. 
The pass found the foot of Prentice-Whyte, who drove the spinning ball into the back of the net with a slight touch. Prentice- Whyte's second of the game was definitive, allowing both sides to finish the final minutes of the match at a 2-2 tie.

In a match that saw her team claw their way to the very end, Prentice- Whyte said she knew exactly what to do when the ball left Bravo's foot.

"There was a determination to put everything on the line," she said. "I knew that as soon as the ball curved a certain way, any type of touch would have put it in"

Saturday's two goal performance by Prentice-Whyte leaves her sitting with the fourth most goals ever by a Bisons rookie and tied for the fourth most goals in one single season by any Manitoba player.
She said it's surreal to have so much success in her first year but wants still wants to be "locked in" for the final two games of the season.

Prentice-Whyte's never-say-die attitude is the same mindset Bisons head coach Vanessa Martinez Lagunas believes has helped her team see recent growth.

"We always get prepared for that battle, and we know it's not gonna be easy," she said. "We need to focus on what we can control. We want to finish really strong, and hopefully get those two W's next weekend."

The Bison's now sit fifth in Canada West's Prairie Division, with key matchups against Saskatchewan and Regina to close out the year at home next weekend.