WINNIPEG --
Lucas Brennan's powerplay goal in the third period served as a game-winner on Friday night at The 'Flem, as the Manitoba Bisons defeated Mount Royal 4-2 to improve to 3-2 on the season. Mount Royal fell to 3-4.
The win was Manitoba's first over Mount Royal -- last year's Canada West finalists -- since November of 2021, and it was third-year head coach Gordon Burnett's first win over MRU during his time as bench boss.
The Bisons were held without a shot for the first nine minutes of play, but their patience eventually paid off. At 10:45 in the first, with traffic in front of the net,
Blake Swetlikoff fired a pass through the slot from the right circle. It bounced off a Cougar's leg to the front of the crease where
Jonny Hooker swatted it five hole past netminder Riley Sims for a 1-0 Bisons lead on their first shot of the game.
"A scramble I think, guys trying to get it on net, puck popped up and I'm trying to time it as it hits the ice, trying to get it on net and I think it found its way through the five hole," said Hooker on his opening goal.
The Bisons continued to threaten afterwards but failed to find the back of the net in the period. Mount Royal attempted to tie the game numerous times, which included
Braden Holt denying Josh Tarzwell on a breakaway with his right pad at 4:41.
Late in the period, the Cougars ability to generate offence from the perimeter of the offensive zone would finally yield results. Vaughn Watterodt won a board battle on right wall, passed it up the boards to Kyle Walker at the blue line, who ripped a slapshot over the left shoulder of Holt to tie the game 1-1 with 2:38 to go in the first. Holt reacted late due to bodies battling in front of him.
The Bisons struggled at times in the second period but started hot out of the gate. At 1:02 in the middle frame, an aggressive forecheck below the goal line by
Skyler Bruce forced the puck up the middle of the Cougars zone to
Caden Zaplitny. Zaplitny, with a glorious opportunity held onto the puck momentarily and slid the pass back to Bruce, parked just outside the crease, who fired it into the open cage to regain the Bison's lead 2-1.
The Bisons defence shined in the third period. After giving up 15 and 16 shots in the first two periods the Herd limited Mount Royal to a mere five.
An early period powerplay at 16:45 yielded no goals but late in the third the Bisons earned another opportunity with Layton Feist in the box for hooking with 5:16 to go.
This time the Herd kept the pressure on, and
Eric Alarie found his way around the back of the net feeding the puck to the left hashmarks through the middle of the ice perfectly landing on Brennan's stick. Brennan fired the shot blocker side past Sims and gave the Bisons a 3-1 lead with 4:24 to go.
"After we had two big penalty kills to get that powerplay goal was huge for us, especially late in the period, we know they're going to pull their goalie so to get that cushion was nice. It's awesome for Brenny to get that one especially as a first year, he can sure rip the puck so really happy to see the powerplay find success there," said Holt on the impact of the late powerplay goal.
The Cougars didn't go away quietly and with the net empty a long range shot from Tanner Komzak hit Spencer Moe's body and into the back of the net to make it 3-2 with 2:23 remaining.
That's as close as Mount Royal got as when they pulled the goalie again, Hooker was able to find the empty net from the red line to ice it for Manitoba 4-2. The final shot count was 36-19 for the Cougars.
The Herd rematch with the Cougars tomorrow night at 7pm inside the Wayne Fleming Arena.
