Lethbridge – Four unanswered goals led the University of Manitoba Bisons to a big 4-0 win, Saturday night, completing the sweep of a two-game weekend series against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
Alana Serhan, Alanna Sharman, Megan Tully, and Jayden Skoleski each scored individual goals for Manitoba.
Starting in net for the Bisons was Rachel Dyck, who secured a well-deserved road shut-out, turning aside all 31 shots she faced.
Crystal Patterson started for the Pronghorns and faced a total of 40 shots on the night.
The opening period of play of saw lots of action at each end of the ice as each team looked to notch an important early goal. Plagued with penalty trouble early in the frame, the Bisons were shorthanded for four of the opening six minutes but Dyck managed to keep the game scoreless, neutralizing great chances by Amber Yuha, Sadie Lenstra, and Kirsten Reeves.
The Pronghorns continued to put pressure on the Manitoba keeper. Jodi Gentile's shot came close and Kirsten Reeves put a hard shot on target that was confidently gloved down by Dyck.
After struggling to materialize many scoring chances in the opening half of the period, a series of smart passes and a well-timed shot earned them the first goal of the night, at 15:59. Alana Serhan great outlet pass from behind the net found Caitlin Fyten, at the point, who quickly sent the puck cross-ice to Sharman, whose wrister beat Patterson blocker-side.
Overlapping penalties against the Pronghorns meant the Bisons would have an extended power play opportunity midway through the second period. Patterson stood tall between the pipes, however, and kept the game within one.
Lethbridge was called for yet another minor penalty in the final minutes of the period, which meant the Bisons had another chance on the power play. This time they made it count. Skoleski notched her first of the season, on the power play, making it a 2-0 game with less than three minutes left to play in the second.
Three minutes into the third, Tully widened her team's lead to three. Skating into the Horns' zone with support, the first-year defender chose not to pass but instead unload a hard wrister that found room between Patterson and the post.
Midway through the third, Serhan added her second goal in as many games, this one on the power play, as the Bisons extended their lead to four.
With this win, the Bisons improve to 12-5-1 while Lethbridge falls to 4-14-0. Next week, Manitoba returns home where they will play host to the visiting University of Regina Cougars, while Lethbridge travels to Edmonton to face off against the University of Alberta Pandas.