Manitoba Bison win Canada West title in triple overtime
Manitona wins best-of-three Canada West Final women’s hockey series in game three by a 3-2 score in 3OT
Manitoba captures their first-ever Canada West Championship in the 12 year program’s history
The Manitoba Bison women’s hockey team made more team history this weekend with their first ever Canada West Championship in the 12 year program’s history after winning 3-2 in triple overtime against the Alberta Pandas in the third and final game of the conference championship. With the series win, Manitoba has advanced to the six team 2009 CIS Championship held at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia from March 19-22.
Bison women’s hockey head coach Jon Rempel happily said after the historic team win, “This is a special bunch of kids since day one this season. This result is something to be proud of and we need to soak it in tonight as it is a big accomplishment for our program. Our penalty kill was unbelievable as we killed all the penalties today and fed off that during the game. Our attitude was good throughout the game and I was happy on how we bounced back from the game two loss.”
In game three of the 2009 Canada West best-of-three series, Manitoba battled back twice from one goal deficits and rookie Nellie Minshull fired the series-winner at 5:29 of the third overtime period. Alberta had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 but the Bisons responded with goals from regular season team leader Tammy Brade at 18:53 of the second period and Bison regular season scoring leader Addie Miles scored only 37 seconds after the Pandas regained a 2-1 lead in the third period at the 5:37 mark.
Alberta outshot the Herd by a 48-20 advantage with Bison goalie Stacey Corfield making 46 saves in her fourth win during the 2009 Canada West playoffs. Manitoba went 0 for 5 on the power play while the Bisons were 8 for 8 on the penalty kill.
Series game-winner and 2008-09 Canada West All-Rookie Team member Nellie Minshull exclaimed after the game, “It was a spontaneous reaction as I whacked at the puck and persevered and it went in. Our team is ‘so close’ and determined to do well that we believe in each other to push through to get the final result.”
For Manitoba, this is the first conference championship series win after facing Alberta during the last five consecutive seasons. The Herd has now won their first two games ever in Clare Drake Arena (U of Alberta campus).
Click here for game scoring summary.
Click here for the Bison Women’s website to follow the Bison at the CIS Nationals.
Story courtesy of Bison Sports (March 15, 2009)
Share