Ryan Stelter, Bison Sports

WINNIPEG – The #6 University of Manitoba Bisons saved it for late against the University of Regina Cougars in a 2-1 women's hockey win at the Wayne Fleming Arena on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Courtlyn Oswald played the hero for Manitoba, scoring with 36 seconds remaining to cap off a comeback victory for Manitoba against Regina in a pivotal series. It was a spirited affair between the two Prairie rivals, but Regina falls to 5-3-1 and Manitoba moves to 6-3-0 in Canada West play.  

"This group has won a lot of close games and a lot of big games the last three, four years together," said Bison head coach Jon Rempel after the game. 

"One of the things they've been able to do is play big when games are coming to the end of games, they know they can do it and they keep trusting it and they found another way to do that today."

Jane Kish drew the start for the Regina Cougars on Saturday, and she faced some high quality shots making nine saves in the first period. On the other end of the ice, Lauren Taraschuk was fairly busy, making seven saves, including some point blank shots. The two teams headed into the dressing rooms knotted at zero after 20 minutes.

The Cougars broke the deadlock on the power play six minutes into the second period. Tamara McVannel raced in from the left point and snuck a shot through the wickets of Taraschuk. McVannel's goal ended Taraschuk's shutout streak of 147:08 minutes. 

Manitoba nearly had the equalizer towards the end of the frame when Oswald and Mekaela Fisher came in on a 2-on-1, but Oswald's shot wasn't enough to trouble Kish.

In the third period, Manitoba pressed furiously for an equalizer, with many chances, but Kish stood firm in between the pipes. With 4:23 remaining, and Martina Maskova off for a five-minute major, Erica Rieder scored from the top of the slot to tie the game up.

With 36 seconds remaining in the game Alana Serhan took a point shot, only to have the puck sit precariously on the line. Oswald flew in to jam the puck over the line to score the game winner. 

"Honestly it was all a blur, plays like that happen so fast," Oswald said after the game. "Just kind of sitting on the goal line and just jabbed it until it finally went in."

Manitoba will stay at home and host the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Nov. 17-18 at the Wayne Fleming Arena while Regina play at Alberta on the same weekend. 

Three stars:

First star: Courtlyn Oswald (MB)

Second star: Lauren Taraschuk (MB)

Third star: Jane Kish (REG)