Box Score Box Score

The University of Manitoba opened up the Canada West quarterfinals with a 6-2 win over the Regina Cougars on Friday night in Game 1 of the best-of-three series in Winnipeg.

The game was closer than the score indicated, as Manitoba led 4-2 for most of the third before getting a late empty netter and adding another goal in the final minute. Troy Hunter scored both goals for the Cougars, while Blair Macaulay scored a pair for Manitoba and Ian Duval, Tyler Dittmer, Del Cowan, and Paul Ciarelli all added singles for the Bisons.

Manitoba opened the scoring early in the first period with a weird one. A puck was banked off the back of Cougar starting goalie Lucas Gore and in, with Duval getting credit for the first goal of the series. Manitoba's lead was extended to two past the midway mark of the first when Gore made a nice initial save on a Dittmer shot, but Macaulay pounced on the rebound and scored from in tight.

Dittmer made the lead 3-0 for Manitoba after tipping in a pass to notch the Bisons' third power play goal of the contest early in the second period. The Cougars got one back with a power play goal of their own four minutes later when a shot by Brock Appleyard was saved by Manitoba's Jesse Decker, but Hunter scored on the rebound to get the visitors to within two.

Cowan snapped a wrister from the right faceoff circle to beat a screened Gore, restoring Manitoba's 4-1 lead going into the third.

Hunter banged home his second goal off another rebound six minutes into the third, but that was as close as the Cougars would come. The U of R held a 14-8 advantage in shots in the second and outshot the Bisons 13-9 in the third, but Deckert stood tall for Manitoba with 35 saves in the win.

Macaulay sealed the deal with an empty netter with 1:29 left in the third, and Ciarelli added a meaningless goal off a turnover with 43 seconds left to put the final score at 6-2 in favour of the Bisons.

Gore stopped 30 of 35 shots for the Cougars, who were 1-for-5 on the power play. Manitoba was a lethal 3-for-4 with the man advantage, as the Bisons' efficiency on the power play might very well have been the difference in the game.

The two teams will battle in Game 2 of the best-of-three Canada West quarterfinals on Saturday night (7:00) at the Max Bell Arena in Winnipeg. If the Cougars pull out the road win, Game 3 will go on Sunday night at 7:00.