Hunter's last-minute marker completes Golden Bears comeback

by Mitchell Clinton, U of Manitoba Sports Info Assistant

WINNIPEG - Through forty minutes of play it looked like the No. 9-ranked University of Manitoba Bisons men's hockey team was going to hand No. 2Alberta its second regulation conference loss of the season, but after the third, it was the Bisons skating off the ice the losing team after a 4-3 final on Friday at the Max Bell Centre.

Alberta (19-1-1) scored three goals in the final period, including one with just under forty seconds left to come back on the Bisons (12-7-2), who held a two-goal lead heading into the final period.

Bisons head coach Mike Sirant says the loss was tough to take. "It's that fine line. We had possession in the defensive zone and with a couple of breakdowns here and there they ended up capitalizing on their scoring chances. It's a tough loss, this one hurts."

The third period proved to be the killer for the Bisons as Alberta picked up three goals of their own including a late marker to pick up the win. Alberta's Mark Ashton scored five minutes into the final period to get his team within one, then Ian McDonald put one past Bisons' goaltender Steve Christie to tie the game up. The Bisons had a brief power play after Alberta's Chad Klassen took a high-sticking penalty with under two minutes to go, but that quickly changed to four-on-four action when Ian Duval took a hooking penalty 20 seconds later. The winning goal came off the stick of Eric Hunter in the Bisons crease with 38 seconds to go, giving Alberta its 19th conference win.

The speed from the first period continued in the second, and the Bisons seemed to gain momentum from killing off an early penalty to Blair Macaulay by scoring two goals within 12 seconds of each other. Kyle Howarth put the Bisons on the board just under five minutes into the period, only to score his second of the game on a rebound he put past Alberta netminder Real Cyr. Alberta took a penalty two minutes later, and the Bisons capitalized again, as Macaulay buried another rebound, making up for his penalty earlier in the period. After forty minutes, the Bisons were ahead 3-1.

The opening period was a showcase of the speed both teams possess, as both goaltenders had to be on their toes early and often. The Bisons outshot Alberta by one in the first, but fell behind just before the halfway mark of the period, when Alberta's Jesse Gimblett scored on a breakaway with Eric Hunter and Sean Ringrose picking up assists.

The Bisons will get another chance to upset the Canada West conference leaders (Saturday) night (Jan. 30) at the Max Bell Centre. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. CT, and Sirant feels the Bisons have to be better despite the effort in (Friday's)game. "At times we were outstanding, but you have to be close to perfect against a team like Alberta. (Saturday) we just have to respond."