Short-handed Griffins grit out solid effort in rematch but fall 5-2 to Bisons
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | MacEwan University | Manitoba |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPlays | 0 for 3 | 2 for 4 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 5 (18) | 3 (6) |
| Shots on Goal | 22 | 33 |
| Face Offs Won | 0 | 0 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
-With files from Manitoba Athletics
WINNIPEG – Down to just nine forwards and five defencemen on Saturday due to COVID protocols, the MacEwan Griffins men's hockey squad gritted out a solid effort they can be proud of on Saturday night.
Unfortunately, that's merely a moral victory as they lost steam late, giving up three third period goals to fall 5-2 to the Manitoba Bisons.
"In terms of the game itself, our system play was a lot better," said assistant coach Sean Ringrose, comparing the effort to Friday's 4-2 loss. "We did a good job early on the powerplay that led to our second goal. We were able to get up on them and played a pretty solid 40 minutes.
"Unfortunately, we just ran out of gas in the third period with lack of bodies. It was, overall, a great effort from our guys with the little number of guys we had."
The result drops the Griffins to 3-11-0 in the standings, putting their Canada West playoff hopes on life support.
"Missing that many bodies, it's certainly tough," said Ringrose, who noted forward Tyler Smitties played well on defence in the contest. "Guys are playing a ton more minutes than they're used to and guys stepped up and played well. The attention to detail and system play was better tonight. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough in the end, but I'm definitely proud of the way the guys played tonight."
Jordan Taupert wired Chase Thudium's pass from the slot past Bisons' goaltender Jeremy Link high blocker side to open the scoring 6:56 into the contest. After Manitoba tied it 1-1 on Noah Basarab's first of two in the contest, the Griffins regained the lead on Zach Webb's tally.
But just like Friday's contest, MacEwan gave up four unanswered goals the rest of the way, including two to Devon Skoleski in the third period.
"We still had a lot to be proud of tonight," said Griffins captain Ethan Price. "We worked hard, skated well and stayed positive on the bench. We can't look at the past. These games are in the past now and we will keep on grinding every day."
Ty Taylor made 28 saves for the Griffins, while Link had 20 for the Bisons.
MacEwan now heads into a bye weekend before returning to action at home Jan. 28-29 vs. Mount Royal University. They have some building blocks, despite losing both on the road trip.
