Bison Briefs

STEVE BOHRN STAFF

Men’s volleyball

The men’s volleyball team hosted Th ompson Rivers on Jan. 26 and 27, but did not fare quite as well as the women’s team, who also hosted the WolfPack.

In a result that most would consider an upset, the WolfPack upended the Bisons with a 3-1 decision on Friday night by scores of 25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18.

Toon van Lankvelt had an impressive 15 kills for the Bisons and Josh Klassen had four service aces, but they were no match for the strong Th ompson Rivers attack, which had an impressive 53 kills on the night.

The Zoons (as Bisons men’s volleyball team have nicknamed themselves) came back with a vengeance on Saturday, with a 3-1 (22-25, 25- 13, 25-17, 25-16) win of their own, bringing the team back to .500 (8-8).

What started out as a competitive matchup through the fi rst two sets turned into a Bisons runaway, thanks to the attack of Klassen and Matt Blachin, who had 18 and 15 kills apiece. Kyle Joslin did his part to engineer the Bisons off ence with his match-high assists.

The Bisons’ next action is on Feb. 3 and 4 at the IGAC against Saskatchewan.

Men’s hockey

The men’s hockey team played a two-game set against the UBC Th underbirds on Jan. 26 and 27 and came away from the weekend with their playoff picture looking a little bleaker.

The Th underbirds shut the Bisons out 2-0 on Friday in a goaltending duel. Krister Toews stopped 24 of 25 shots in the Bison goal, but was out done by his counterpart from UBC Francois Th uot who stopped 31 shots to earn his fi rst CIS shutout.

The Bisons did not fare much better on Saturday but did manage to beat the UBC goaltender once, albeit on a penalty shot. Chris Falloon converted on a nice move, but it was only enough to avoid the humiliation of two consecutive shutouts. The fi nal score was 4-1 in favour of the Thunderbirds.

With their playoff hopes in question, the Bisons will regroup and travel to Saskatoon next weekend for two huge games against the Saskatchewan Huskies. The Bisons have had no luck against the Huskies this season, losing all four games so far.

Women’s hockey

The women’s hockey team was briefl y in second place in the Canada West this weekend, after a Jan. 26 victory against the Regina Cougars, but a loss on Jan. 27 quickly saw the Cougars (12-7-1) jump back past the Bisons (12-8-0) in what looks like its going to be a tight race until the end of the season for the conference’s second seed.

Manitoba had goals coming from all directions, in their 5-2 victory. Sarah Stebeleski had two goals, while Amy McQuoid, Danielle Fouillard and Tammy Brade each chipped in one apiece. Stacey Corfi eld played well, making 23 saves to earn the victory.

In what looked like a game headed to overtime, the Cougars were able to score late, and pull out the hard-fought victory. Cougars forward Karissa Swan scored on a beautiful shot with less than three minutes to give the Cougars the 3-2 win.

Leanne Kisil and Meghan Ross were the Bisons’ goal-scorers. Corfi eld played well for the second night in a row, making several miraculous stops, to keep the Bisons competitive.

The Bisons close out the regular season at home, playing host to the Saskatchewan Huskies for two games on Feb. 2 and 3. The following weekend will see the Lethbridge Pronghorns in town for two more games.

Men’s basketball

The Bisons played a couple of close road games against the Brandon Bobcats, but twice found themselves on the wrong side of a twopoint margin. The Bobcats were victorious 83-81 on Jan. 26 and 87-85 on Jan. 27.

Isaac Ansah scored 31 points on Friday as the Bisons came so close to overcoming a 14-point Bobcats lead, but just couldn’t close it out in the fi nal minutes of the game. The Bisons were able to tie the game up with 3:16 remaining, but were never able to get any further.

Saturday night was nearly the same script for Manitoba. The Bisons used the long ball to once again erase a large defi cit, to take a 85-84 lead with just 42.3 seconds left in the game. However, the Bobcats once again showed their poise, and why they are the second-ranked team in the nation, as Yul Michel drained three free throws in the dying seconds to squeak out the victory. Christopher Pereira led all scorers with 25 points.

With just four games remaining on the schedule, the Bisons will need to start winning these close games, if they hope to make the playoff s. The Bisons sit just two points behind the Regina Cougars for the fi nal playoff spot in the Great Plains division.

The Bisons host the Calgary Dinos and the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Feb. 2 and 3 at the IGAC.

Women’s basketball

The women’s basketball team was also in Brandon for the weekend of the 26th and 27th. The games didn’t provide any nail-biting fi nishes, so Bisons fans are going to have to settle for a pair of blowout victories.

The Bobcats looked very much like a team in search of their fi rst victory of the season, but the Bisons were dominant, defeating the Bobcats 82-58 on Friday night and 81-47 on Saturday night.

Kaitlyn Flett and Rachel Hart lead the way for the Bisons on Friday as Flett had a gamehigh 28 points, while Hart added 12 of her own, grabbing nine rebounds in the process.

On Saturday, Sarah Holder scored 20 and Hart scored 10 more. The seventh-ranked Bisons improved their record to 12-6, giving them the top spot in the Great Plains division. The 12th win also ties head coach Pam Danis’ career-high for wins in a CIS season.

With just four games remaining, the Bisons will hope to break that record. They get their fi rst chance this weekend, as they host the Calgary Dinos and Lethbridge Pronghorns.

Track and field

The Bisons held their Grand Prix No. 4 track meet on Jan. 24. Many of the Bisons had impressive performances on the day.

Nathan Labbe’s long jump fell one centimetre short of the CIS standard and ranks him second in the country. Kja Isaacson’s 600-metre time is now fourth in the country and Jana Cassidy moved to number 1 in the country with her 600- metre time from this meet.

The Bisons are continuing to train for the Canada West Track and Field Championships, which will be held in Winnipeg this year on Feb. 23, and 24.

Football by Romer Bautista, Staff

On Jan. 28. the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sports Broadcasters Association honoured the football squad for their terrifi c 2006 season. At the 51st annual dinner and awards ceremony, the Bisons took home the award for province’s team of the year, a fi tting end for a team that went 8-0 in the regular season, and made it all the way to the Canada West-fi nal Hardy Cup.

Former Bisons football player Israel Idonije was also honoured at the ceremony, taking home the award for the province’s best male athlete of the year. Idonije is a member of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, who will be competing in Super Bowl XLI this weekend. Idonije is the fi rst Bison to make the NFL, and is only the fourth former CIS player to play in the Super Bowl.

For more coverage of the Super Bowl see page 27.





Volume 94 Issue 19	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	January 31, 2007

Home About Us Advertise Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Personals Volunteer	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly Bison Briefs STEVE BOHRN STAFF Men’s volleyball The men’s volleyball team hosted Th ompson Rivers on Jan. 26 and 27, but did not fare quite as well as the women’s team, who also hosted the WolfPack. In a result that most would consider an upset, the WolfPack upended the Bisons with a 3-1 decision on Friday night by scores of 25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18. Toon van Lankvelt had an impressive 15 kills for the Bisons and Josh Klassen had four service aces, but they were no match for the strong Th ompson Rivers attack, which had an impressive 53 kills on the night. The Zoons (as Bisons men’s volleyball team have nicknamed themselves) came back with a vengeance on Saturday, with a 3-1 (22-25, 25- 13, 25-17, 25-16) win of their own, bringing the team back to .500 (8-8). What started out as a competitive matchup through the fi rst two sets turned into a Bisons runaway, thanks to the attack of Klassen and Matt Blachin, who had 18 and 15 kills apiece. Kyle Joslin did his part to engineer the Bisons off ence with his match-high assists. The Bisons’ next action is on Feb. 3 and 4 at the IGAC against Saskatchewan. Men’s hockey The men’s hockey team played a two-game set against the UBC Th underbirds on Jan. 26 and 27 and came away from the weekend with their playoff picture looking a little bleaker. The Th underbirds shut the Bisons out 2-0 on Friday in a goaltending duel. Krister Toews stopped 24 of 25 shots in the Bison goal, but was out done by his counterpart from UBC Francois Th uot who stopped 31 shots to earn his fi rst CIS shutout. The Bisons did not fare much better on Saturday but did manage to beat the UBC goaltender once, albeit on a penalty shot. Chris Falloon converted on a nice move, but it was only enough to avoid the humiliation of two consecutive shutouts. The fi nal score was 4-1 in favour of the Thunderbirds. With their playoff hopes in question, the Bisons will regroup and travel to Saskatoon next weekend for two huge games against the Saskatchewan Huskies. The Bisons have had no luck against the Huskies this season, losing all four games so far. Women’s hockey The women’s hockey team was briefl y in second place in the Canada West this weekend, after a Jan. 26 victory against the Regina Cougars, but a loss on Jan. 27 quickly saw the Cougars (12-7-1) jump back past the Bisons (12-8-0) in what looks like its going to be a tight race until the end of the season for the conference’s second seed. Manitoba had goals coming from all directions, in their 5-2 victory. Sarah Stebeleski had two goals, while Amy McQuoid, Danielle Fouillard and Tammy Brade each chipped in one apiece. Stacey Corfi eld played well, making 23 saves to earn the victory. In what looked like a game headed to overtime, the Cougars were able to score late, and pull out the hard-fought victory. Cougars forward Karissa Swan scored on a beautiful shot with less than three minutes to give the Cougars the 3-2 win. Leanne Kisil and Meghan Ross were the Bisons’ goal-scorers. Corfi eld played well for the second night in a row, making several miraculous stops, to keep the Bisons competitive. The Bisons close out the regular season at home, playing host to the Saskatchewan Huskies for two games on Feb. 2 and 3. The following weekend will see the Lethbridge Pronghorns in town for two more games. Men’s basketball The Bisons played a couple of close road games against the Brandon Bobcats, but twice found themselves on the wrong side of a twopoint margin. The Bobcats were victorious 83-81 on Jan. 26 and 87-85 on Jan. 27. Isaac Ansah scored 31 points on Friday as the Bisons came so close to overcoming a 14-point Bobcats lead, but just couldn’t close it out in the fi nal minutes of the game. The Bisons were able to tie the game up with 3:16 remaining, but were never able to get any further. Saturday night was nearly the same script for Manitoba. The Bisons used the long ball to once again erase a large defi cit, to take a 85-84 lead with just 42.3 seconds left in the game. However, the Bobcats once again showed their poise, and why they are the second-ranked team in the nation, as Yul Michel drained three free throws in the dying seconds to squeak out the victory. Christopher Pereira led all scorers with 25 points. With just four games remaining on the schedule, the Bisons will need to start winning these close games, if they hope to make the playoff s. The Bisons sit just two points behind the Regina Cougars for the fi nal playoff spot in the Great Plains division. The Bisons host the Calgary Dinos and the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Feb. 2 and 3 at the IGAC. Women’s basketball The women’s basketball team was also in Brandon for the weekend of the 26th and 27th. The games didn’t provide any nail-biting fi nishes, so Bisons fans are going to have to settle for a pair of blowout victories. The Bobcats looked very much like a team in search of their fi rst victory of the season, but the Bisons were dominant, defeating the Bobcats 82-58 on Friday night and 81-47 on Saturday night. Kaitlyn Flett and Rachel Hart lead the way for the Bisons on Friday as Flett had a gamehigh 28 points, while Hart added 12 of her own, grabbing nine rebounds in the process. On Saturday, Sarah Holder scored 20 and Hart scored 10 more. The seventh-ranked Bisons improved their record to 12-6, giving them the top spot in the Great Plains division. The 12th win also ties head coach Pam Danis’ career-high for wins in a CIS season. With just four games remaining, the Bisons will hope to break that record. They get their fi rst chance this weekend, as they host the Calgary Dinos and Lethbridge Pronghorns. Track and field The Bisons held their Grand Prix No. 4 track meet on Jan. 24. Many of the Bisons had impressive performances on the day. Nathan Labbe’s long jump fell one centimetre short of the CIS standard and ranks him second in the country. Kja Isaacson’s 600-metre time is now fourth in the country and Jana Cassidy moved to number 1 in the country with her 600- metre time from this meet. The Bisons are continuing to train for the Canada West Track and Field Championships, which will be held in Winnipeg this year on Feb. 23, and 24. Football by Romer Bautista, Staff On Jan. 28. the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sports Broadcasters Association honoured the football squad for their terrifi c 2006 season. At the 51st annual dinner and awards ceremony, the Bisons took home the award for province’s team of the year, a fi tting end for a team that went 8-0 in the regular season, and made it all the way to the Canada West-fi nal Hardy Cup. Former Bisons football player Israel Idonije was also honoured at the ceremony, taking home the award for the province’s best male athlete of the year. Idonije is a member of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, who will be competing in Super Bowl XLI this weekend. Idonije is the fi rst Bison to make the NFL, and is only the fourth former CIS player to play in the Super Bowl. For more coverage of the Super Bowl see page 27.


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