Box Score WINNIPEG — Kendra Zuchotzki's first of the season on the powerplay in the first period, served as the game-winner on Friday night's game at The 'Flem, as the Saskatchewan Huskies defeated the Manitoba Bisons 3-1 to improve to 3-2-2-0 while the Herd fell to 1-4-1-1.
 
Defence was a large part of the first period for both sides. Shots were few and far between as the forwards on either side struggling to pierce each team's armour.
 
The Bisons had an early opportunity to score with Sara Kendall in the box under a minute in, for tripping but couldn't find a clear lane to the net. Kendall of the Huskies made the Bisons pay later in the period. At 14:05 into the first, she cut in from the left side of the ice, toe dragged around one defender, held onto the puck and cut across the crease herself, roofing a backhand past Emily Shippam for a 1-0 lead.
 
Kendall took another penalty shortly after and the Bisons nearly tied it as Julia Bird's shot caught just enough of Colby Wilson's arm to go off the crossbar and wide at 4:57. Claire Moorman was called for tripping at with just over a minute left in the first but that's all the time the Huskies needed to add another tally. With 42 seconds left Zuchotzki fired a long range shot from the left boards and it beat Shippam glove side to double the lead 2-0.
 
The Bisons went into the first intermission down 2-0 on the scoreboard but led 15-6 in shots.
 
The Bisons built off their edge in shots to create high danger scoring chances in the second. Just over five minutes into the frame, Norah Collins found herself on the receiving end of a breakaway pass, cut to her left but was denied by Wilson.
 
Collins' nose for the net paid off at the midway mark of the period. Aimee Patrick from the point lifted a perfect pass to Collins all alone in front, who in one quick motion spun and fired it past Wilson to put the Herd on the board. The assist served as Patrik's 48th career point as a Bison, which leads all active players, and is 13th in school history.
 
"I think the one thing with Norah, she's dynamic with her speed. She has the ability to change her speed, the ability to control the puck and take it through lanes, through the middle of the ice and wide, read pressure, she creates a ton on her own and I thought she did that really well today," said Bisons head coach Jordan Colliton.
 
Bison's captain Dana Goertzen may have thought she had the tying goal on her stick a minute later after a slick feed from below the goal line left her all alone in front, but a quick left pad save from Wilson kept the score 2-1. With 3:45 left in the second Julia Bilous had an opportunity to tie the game too off a breakaway from the right circle but also hit the left pad of Wilson.
 
At the end of the frame, the Bisons trailed 2-1 on the scoreboard with 14 seconds left of a penalty kill and led in shots 23-12.
 
The Bisons pressured throughout the third period but couldn't find ways past the strong Huskies' defence.
 
A late game dagger from Kendall on a cross-crease pass from Jayde Cadieux to make it 3-1 spelled trouble for the Bison's attempts at a comeback. Cadieux herself had three assists in the contest.
 
The Herd didn't give up but even with the net empty couldn't beat Wilson again and fell to Saskatchewan 3-1. Wilson stopped 37 of 38 shots on net while Shippam stopped 15 of 18 shots.
 
The Bisons and the Huskies rematch tomorrow at 5pm at 'The Flem.