Vancouver, BC – The Manitoba Bisons doubled up the Thunderbirds 6-3 Friday night as Manitoba exploded for three goals in the third to put the game out of reach for UBC. Luke Paulsen scored his first career CIS goal for the Bisons' who had three players score multi-point games.
The Thunderbirds fall to 3-9-1, now having lost four straight, look for a spark moving forward to get the team back to its winning ways. The Bisons' are in a tie for fifth after improving their record to 5-7-1 with the win, their third straight.
Ten minutes into the opening frame, Dylan Kelly notched his third of the season converting on a saucer pass that found his stick in the slot. Paul Chiarelli and Luke Cain were awarded the helpers on the only score of the first period.
Matt Hewitt, who got the start for the Thunderbirds, was solid for the most part, stopping 10 of 11 shots fired his way in the first 20 minutes.
The best chance for UBC in the first was a scramble in front that found the back of the net with 12 seconds to go in the frame. Unfortunately, for UBC, the referee waved off the goal as the net was off its moorings.
The Thunderbirds had another close call to start the second. Manitoba goaltender Joe Caligiuri was able to react in time to clear a goal line opportunity after a puck that was redirected trickled past him.
The Bisons responded with two quick goals to increase their lead to three before the Thunderbirds cut the lead back down to two. Jory Coates began the flurry of scoring, capitalizing on a juicy rebound that Hewitt was unable to coral after making the initial save off the Bisons' Austin Lauder.
Three minutes later Jeremy Schappert scored his first of the year off a nice spin move in the slot that had Hewitt going the wrong way. The play was started off by a Bisons 3-on-1 that the Thunderbirds were able to turn away but failed to clear the puck out of the defensive zone.
With the momentum going against them, the Thunderbirds were able to respond and cut the lead back to two courtesy of
Nick Buonassisi who broke Caligiuri's shutout streak that lasted 147 minutes, a span that stretched over three games. The team's leading scorers,
Cole Wilson and
Anthony Bardaro, both collected helpers on the goal.
With five minutes remaining in the second, Manitoba defender Schappert, the early goal scorer, went down and needed teammates assistance off the ice. Schappert would not return, the result of what looked to be a leg injury.
Just minutes into the third, with the game 3-1, the Bisons' leading scorer Adam Lewadniuk added to his season total after being left wide open at the side of the net and making no mistake on a rebound, beating a sliding Hewitt.
The Thunderbirds had a quick answer as
Neil Manning scored on the power play but that was short-lived as the Bisons responded with their own 20 seconds later. After a scramble out front, Taylor Dickin was able to chip one over Hewitt, as the sprawling goalie was unable to recover and locate the puck.
Adding to the score sheet was Luke Paulsen who, on the team's sixth goal, buried his first career CIS marker, a milestone for the Bisons defender. Paulsen finished the night with a goal, an assist and a plus-three rating.
Joe Antilla capped off the game's scoring by tipping in a
Brendon Wall point shot that fooled Bisons' goaltender Caligiuri. Despite having four goals on the campaign, it was only the second game in which Antilla had a goal, thanks to a hat-trick performance back on November 2.
Brad Hoban also had an assist on the play, his second of the night and the only UBC player to have a multi-point performance in the 6-3 loss.
Hewitt finished the game with 31 saves on 37 shots losing to his counterpart, Caligiuri, who made 22 of 25 saves on the night.
The Thunderbirds and Bisons are back in action tomorrow night for the second of a two-game series at 7:00 pm at Father David Bauer Arena.
