Bisons bring home the bronze
Manitoba’s second consecutive third-place showing at nationals
Aaron Kozak, The Fulcrum (University of Ottawa)
OTTAWA (special to the Manitoban) — The Bisons swarmed the ice, embracing veteran goaltender Dana Hoogsteen, as the final buzzer rang to end the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) bronze medal women’s hockey game between the University of Manitoba Bisons and the University of Alberta Pandas on March 10. After being the number-two goalie on the depth chart throughout the season, Hoogsteen replaced usual-starter Stacie Corfield in net after she suffered an injury in the team’s previous game, a 3-1 win over St. Francis Xavier.
“I’ve always been there if I happen to get thrown in . . . I’ve been so excited, especially since this will be my last year,” said Hoogsteen after the win.
Apart from her skill on the ice, Hoogsteen is also a four-time Academic All-Canadian and has won multiple awards for her dedication to sport, academics and humanitarianism.
The game-winner was awarded to Chantal Larocque 13:30 into the second period after a skilful play by the Bisons defence to save the puck from escaping the Pandas’ zone. The puck was then thrown into traffic in front of the net, where Larocque was able to punch it past Alberta goaltender Dana Vinge.
Larocque had seven goals and 14 assists in 20 conference games with the Bisons and was named a Canada West second team all-star for the 2007-08 season.
Stephanie Messner added the insurance goal into a wide-open glove-side shortly into the third period, receiving a beautiful cross-ice pass from second-year forward Amy Coates.
The win came following a rough start to the tournament for the Bisons, who lost 6-0 in the tournament opener on March 7 against the top-ranked McGill University Martlets. This loss didn’t dampen their spirits too much, though, as they fought back with a 3-1 win over St. Francis Xavier on Saturday, qualifying for Monday’s bronze medal contention.
“We proved that we belonged here again; it just took us a little bit longer to get going than it should have,” explained head coach Jon Rempel, who has taken the Bisons to three CIS championships in the past four years, winning bronze each time.
Getting the win over the Pandas was especially significant for the Bisons, as it was a rematch of this year’s Canada West finals in which the Pandas won in a two-game sweep. However, having that loss to the Pandas behind them just might have given the Bisons the intensity they needed to overcome the Pandas this time around.
“I think the fact that we lost to them in triple overtime [in game two of the Canada West finals] definitely gave us an edge. . . . We know how they play and we know how to break them down,” said Bison captain and three-time Canada West all-star Leanne Kisil.
Looking forward to the future of the team, the Bisons will be losing some key components in captain Kisil and goaltender Hoogsteen. But they also have some promising young talent, as well. Eighteen-year-old Addie Miles led the team this past year in points, racking up 10 goals and 12 assists, and was named to the Canada West and CIS all-rookie team as well as the Canada West rookie of the year for the 2007-08 season. Also, game-winning goal-scorer Chantal Larocque is only in her second year of eligibility, as is Amy Coates, another promising Bison forward.
The Bisons finished 18-4-2 in 24 conference games this past season, 2-2 in the Canada West playoffs and 2-1 in the CIS championship. Their conference record this year marks their best yet in the program’s 11 years — their previous best being last year’s 30-point finish.
