Box Score Box Score

Rianne Wight's goal in the ninth round of the shootout gave the University of Regina's women's hockey team a 3-2 win over Manitoba on Friday night at the Max Bell Arena in Winnipeg.

The win keeps the Cougars one point up on UBC for second place in the Canada West standings. The U of R can clinch second – and a bye through to the conference semifinals – with a point on Saturday against the Bisons. An Alberta win over UBC on Saturday would also give the Cougars second place.

Kylie Gavelin and Kendra Finch both scored in regulation for the Cougars, while second-year goalie Jennifer Schmidt made 29 saves and stopped all nine Manitoba attempts in the shootout to seal the victory.

Meagan Vestby opened the scoring five minutes into the opening frame after firing a wrist shot past Schmidt from in tight to notch her eighth goal of the season. That stood as the only goal of the first period, which saw the Cougars outshoot the Bisons by a 10-6 margin.

Gavelin tied up the game for the Cougars after beating Manitoba goalie Dee-Ana Marion on a wraparound six minutes into the second period, giving the rookie forward four goals on the season. That lead lasted until with three minutes left in the middle frame, when Taylor scored her first Canada West goal on a deflection to put Manitoba back in the lead.

Finch's ninth goal of the season tied up the game early in the third, and despite both teams being given power play chances late in regulation that stood as the lone goal of the period. Both teams also had opportunities with the man advantage in overtime, as Manitoba's Danielle Vigier was called for hooking midway through the extra frame and Regina's Stephanie Sawchuk took a hooking penalty of her own late in the period.

In the shootout, both teams went the first eight rounds without scoring. Schmidt stopped Nellie Minshull in the ninth round, and Wight – making her fourth attempt of the shootout – ended it after putting a deke on Marion and popping the winner.

The two teams will finish off the Canada West schedule on Saturday night in Winnipeg.