CALGARY -- For the first time since 2019, the Bisons women's hockey program is heading to nationals. The Herd punched their ticket to Waterloo with a 6-1 win over Mount Royal in a series-deciding game three of the conference semi-finals on Sunday. They will now travel to Vancouver to play UBC in the conference championship next weekend, which will determine their seeding at nationals, running from March 19-22. 

As it's been all season, the story for the Bisons was their depth, with six different players finding the back of the net.

Julia Bird -- who led the team with 12 goals in the regular season -- scored the game-winner for Manitoba on a rebound just 5:22 into the first period, and Kelsey Huibers added an insurance marker eight minutes later on a wrist shot. That was more than enough for the Herd, who didn't trail for a second game in a row, after keeping their season alive the night prior in a 3-1 win. 

Sophia Heidinger added a tip-in on the powerplay in the second period, the sixth special teams marker of the post-season for Manitoba, the most of any team in Canada West. Norah Collins, Jessie Haner and captain Dana Goertzen put the game to rest with three goals within the final two minutes of play. 

Manitoba has the top six leading-point getters in the conference playoffs, led by senior forward Brenna Nicol. In just six games, the Nipigon native has tied her career high of eight points, achieved in 20 regular season games in 2022-23, and this past season. 

As a team, 11 different Bisons have scored a goal in the playoffs, led by Nicol, Sadie Keller and Bird, who all have three goals. Meanwhile, 16 different players have recorded a point. 

In net, veteran goalie Emily Shippam has a 1.84 GAA, and she's now 3-0 in series-deciding game threes in her career, after topping Trinity Western in triple OT last year, along with Alberta and MRU this season. 

"It's pretty cool. I spent a lot of time here and to do that against that team is unbelievable," said head coach Jordan Colliton, who was previously on MRU's staff as assistant and associate head coach, and had many friends and family in attendance. 

"I appreciate all my time here – it helped build me into the coach that I am today. To do it with this group is special. We're going to enjoy this moment tonight, and earning a spot at nationals. Everything we've been through will help prepare us for this weekend."

The victory marked another enormous accomplishment in what has been an incredible second half run for the program under first-year bench boss Colliton.

After beginning the season 1-7-4, Manitoba didn't lose more than twice afterwards, including a 2-1 win over then No. 3 nationally ranked MRU on December 5th. They went 9-1-2 during their second half schedule, earning the final playoff spot in Canada West during the final weekend of the regular season, thanks to an overtime winner from Goertzen against Calgary on February 13, a 3-2 win. 

Then, they knocked off the defending Canada West champion Alberta Pandas on the road in three games, marking the first conference road playoff series win for the program in a decade. This weekend, their storybook run continued, coming back from a game down to defeat the Cougars with back-to-back victories. 

"In all sports, it's really easy to get discouraged and lose confidence. We went on an 11-game losing streak, but never once did we steer away from what we had set out to do at the beginning of the season when we made our goals. After that 11-game losing streak we haven't lost two in a row since," said Goertzen shortly prior to the playoffs.

"On that 11-game losing streak we got a point against UBC in their home rink, we hadn't done that since I've been here. MRU, they were ranked top three in U SPORTS. We took a point from them. We just kept building. Every point that we did happen to steal during that losing streak, it just went to how we are as a team. We didn't veer from adversity."