Bisons soccer team impressive in playoff debut

Romer Bautista, Staff

Participating in the playoffs for the first time in history, the Bisons soccer team definitely looked like a team that belongs, winning its first game of the weekend and nearly making it to the Canada West finals.

The Bisons started the playoffs with a 3-2 shootout win over the University of Alberta Pandas.

Alberta’s Lisa Jennings converted on the Pandas’ only shot on goal of the first half in what turned out to be the only goal of the first 45 minutes of action.

The Bisons came out of the halftime break with goals by Carrie Nash and Caley Miskimmin to give the Bisons a 2-1 lead. That advantage would diminish in the 72nd minute after Laura Matemisz’s goal.

With regulation resulting in an even score, and with two 15 minute extra time periods not enough to decide a winner, the two teams headed into a shootout. In the shootout, Bisons goalkeeper Ashley Forbes stopped two shots, while the first four Bison shooters (Miskimmin, Stephanie Rurak, Dana Baker, and Desiree Scott) scored, advancing the Bisons to the semi-final match against the University of Victoria Vikes.

In the semi-final match, the Bisons once again were headed for extra time, as they and the Vikes were held scoreless after 90 minutes.

It looked like another shootout was looming, as the first 28 minutes of extra time were scoreless. But finally, in the 118th minute of the game, the Vikes’ Moira Hood pounced on a loose ball that landed at her feet by lobbing it over Forbes and the rest of the Bisons defenders and into the back of the net, giving the Vikes the 1-0 win.