Box Score Box Score

The University of Regina's men's hockey team opened up the second half of the Canada West schedule with a 3-2 loss to the Manitoba Bisons on Friday night in a conference game at The Co-operators Centre.

Manitoba (11-4-2) got goals from Mike Hellyer, Jared Walker, and Blair Macaulay while goalie Joe Caligiuri stopped 15 shots in the victory. Lucas Gore (pictured) made 34 saves for the Cougars with Brett Leffler and Matt Strueby providing the offence for the U of R.

Manitoba opened up the scoring six minutes into the first period despite being a man down. After forcing a turnover, Ian Duval came in on a 2-on-1 and slid it over to Hellyer, who beat Gore for his fourth of the season. The Bisons extended the lead with a power play goal later in the opening 20 minutes, as Walker's long shot through traffic picked the far corner and gave the visitors a 2-0 cushion going into the first intermission.

Leffler got the Cougars (4-11-2) on the board in the early stages of the second. A shot rung around the boards was tipped out front to the second-year forward, who found himself alone at the side of the net and scored his fourth Canada West goal of the campaign to cut the lead to 2-1.

Manitoba restored the two-goal lead in the opening minute of the third as Macaulay picked off an errant Regina pass and scored his Canada West-leading 14th of the season and what would turn out to be the game-winning goal after holding off Gore with a move to the forehand on the ensuing breakaway.

The Cougars pulled Gore with just under three minutes left in the third and Matt Strueby cut the deficit to one with a goal off a rebound with 33 seconds left, but the home side was unable to come up with the equalizer despite heavy pressure in the waning moments of the game.

Manitoba was 1-for-7 on the power play, while the Cougars were scoreless on their three opportunities with the man advantage.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at The Co-operators Centre.