Box Score

CALGARY – The Calgary Dinos women's hockey team closed out its first semester of play on a losing note splitting their series with the Manitoba Bisons, falling 3-2 Saturday night at Father David Bauer Arena.

The game was a fierce battle between both squads, with the Bisons outshooting the Dinos 24-21 and scoring the winning goal with less than six minutes left in the match-up. The Bisons were 1-for-7 on the power play, with the Dinos going 1-for-5.

The Dinos looked poised to hit the scoreboard early with a Hayley Wickenheiser feed to forward Sinead Tracey, however Bison goalie Tara Lacquette came up with a sprawling save to halt the Dinos' attack. Another great opportunity came on a centering pass from Dinos forward Alex Gowie to a streaking Madison Gee. Gee could not get a handle on the puck, however keeping the score at none-all.

It was the Bisons who struck first on a shot by Lesley St. Godard from the point that went over Dinos goalie Amanda Tapp's left shoulder finding the back of the net. St. Godard was assisted by Rachele Bosc, and the goal was her first of the year. The Dinos retaliated less than 2 minutes later with a shorthanded goal by Sinead Tracey, who snatched up a Manitoba turnover in their own zone and went straight to the net, lighting the lamp for the fifth time this season.

Rookie defender Stephanie Zvonkovic gave the Dinos the lead at 5:45 into the second period on a slapshot from the blue line that snuck past Lacquette, Zvonkovic was assisted by Erika Mitschke and Calaine Inglis on the on the score. With the Bisons holding a two-man advantage late in the second period Manitoba evened things up on a Maggie Litchfield-Medd score at 18:37. Addie Miles and Michelle Pawluk assisted Litchfield-Medd on her eighth of the year. Shots on goal in the second were even at eight apiece.

Dinos goalie Amanda Tapp was tested early in the third facing a flurry of shots from the Bisons. Arguably her best save of them all came on diving foot stop that robbed the Manitoba of the lead. Manitoba took the lead with just over five minutes left in the contest on a blue line shot from Addie Miles that managed to find the back of the net. Miles was assisted by Nellie Minshull on the goal., which proved to be the game-winner as the Dinos could not get the equalizer to push the game into overtime.

The Bisons move to 6-4-2 with the win, while the CIS No. 3-ranked Dinos drop to 9-3-0. The Bisons will hit the road again to face the No. 8 Alberta Pandas before they head into the semester break. The Dinos' next regular season came will not come until Jan. 6, 2012 when they face their provincial rival Alberta Pandas in a home and home series.   

-UC-