WINNIPEG - The No. 8 ranked University of Manitoba men's hockey team was able to avenge last night's shutout loss to the UBC Thunderbirds with a 5-2 win at the Max Bell Centre on Saturday night.
The second period proved to be the difference maker in the the contest, as the Bisons were able to score three times in the frame to get some separation from the T-Birds. Manitoba's Tyler Dittmer had points on both of the Bisons' first two goals, while his team's goaltender Steve Christie made a number of key saves to preserve the win.
Each team scored once in the final period, with UBC's
Wyatt Hamilton bringing the Thunderbirds within two with just under six minutes to go, before Manitoba's Mike Hellyer potted an empty netter with under a minute remaining to seal the victory.
Tyler Dittmer and the Bisons' powerplay extended the 1-0 lead from the first period to two at the seven minute mark of the second frame, but this goal started an offensive frenzy, as two more goals were scored in fifty seconds. UBC made it 2-1 with 12:42 remaining off the stick of
Matthew Schneider 20 seconds before the Bisons Greg Beller restored the two-goal cushion. Before the period was over, Ian Duval wired a slap shot into the top corner on another Bison powerplay, making the score 4-1 after two periods.
It didn't take long for the Bisons to get on the board in the first period, as Jared Walker put the Herd ahead off a rebound on a shot by Tyler Dittmer. The play went back and forth for the rest of the period, with the Bisons' David Brown picking up two penalties in the last two minutes of the period. Steve Christie had to be sharp on a number of occasions in the period, but Walker's goal held up through the first, as the Bisons took a 1-0 lead into the dressing room.
With the win, the Bisons move to 11-7-2 this season, with UBC dropping to 7-13-1. The Bisons will travel to Calgary next weekend, while the Thunderbirds will host Lethbridge.
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