Winners of three in a row and seven out of ten games in 2026, the Bisons women's hockey team heads into the final weekend of regular season play with plenty of momentum.
The 11-win Bisons can clinch the final playoff spot in Canada West's East Division with a win on Friday over Calgary, coupled with a Saskatchewan Huskies loss. An outright sweep for Manitoba would also secure the Herd a playoff spot for the third year in a row, where they would travel to face either Trinity Western or Alberta. Click
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This weekend will also serve as the final home weekend in the careers of
Emily Shippam,
Julia Bird,
Hanna Bailey,
Aimee Patrick,
Brenna Nicol and
Jessie Haner, who will be recognized prior to Saturday's game.
Manitoba has been firing on all cylinders since the second term began. Their 63 total goals are fourth in all of Canada West, just one shy of the most in the East Division. A total of 37 of those goals have come in the second half of the season, with 17 different players recording a goal this year.
Bird, an assistant captain, leads the way with ten goals. That's a career-high, as are her 15 points. Bird's ten goals are the seventh-most in a season by a Bison, and her 53 career points are 15th in school history.
The active leader in career points is fellow senior Patrick, whose 66 in that department are tied for ninth in school history. Her 23 points this year lead Manitoba, rank third in Canada West and are the ninth-most in a campaign in school history, while her 14 assists are second in the conference and also a career-best. Patrick has been on a tear in 2026 specifically, with points in eight of Manitoba's ten games, and 12 overall.
Additionally, Bird, Patrick and fellow veteran
Norah Collins have all scored at least nine goals this year, marking the first time since 2017-18 that three different Bisons have accomplished the feat. Collins has added seven assists, which is a career-high, while her 16 points are tied for her career best.
Overall, 11 different Bisons have either set or tied career highs in points, goals or assists this year.
