Bisons women’s hockey crushes Cougars in dominant weekend
Israel Adeogo Abejoye, staff
The Bisons women’s hockey team beat the University of Regina Cougars in a two-game weekend series on Friday (0-2) and Saturday (1-6).
On Friday, Feb. 6, the Cougars were physical, earning a bodychecking penalty by Trinity Grove in the 16th minute [16:53] of the first period, but the Bisons failed to capitalize on the power play. The scoring began in the second period with Hanna Bailey’s goal for the Bisons in the 17th minute [17:42], amidst a flurry of penalties on both sides. The Bisons added an insurance goal in the third period with Jessie Haner’s empty net goal about twelve seconds to the end of the game [19:48].
In Saturday’s rematch, the Bisons struck early with Sadie Keller’s goal in the third minute [03:23], following Cougars’ Quinn McLaren’s cross-checking penalty. The Bisons continued to roll and scored three more goals in the second period. Julia Bilous
scored in the sixth minute [06:55] and Norah Collins added a power-play goal in the ninth minute [09:10], following Cougars’ Jordyn Blais cross-checking penalty.
Aimee Patrick (11:14) and Sara Harbus (15:24 and 17:59) added to the scoring for the Bisons, while Pippy Pritchard scored the Cougars’ lone goal in the thirteenth minute [13:40].
The Bisons were led by Harbus’s two goals and powerplay goals from Collins and Bailey. The team outshot the Cougars in both games, 12-33 and 19-26, respectively. Strong goaltending and opportunistic scoring secured the series win. The Bisons’ physicality was evident, with multiple penalties on both sides. Ultimately, the team’s skill proved too much for the Cougars.
The Bisons women’s hockey team will host the Calgary Dinos on Friday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. CT and Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. CT at the Wayne Fleming Arena.
Dominant performance followed by tough loss for Bisons
Cougars even series with 1-3 win on Saturday against Bisons men’s hockey
Israel Adeogo Abejoye, staff the Bisons men’s hockey team dominated the Regina Cougars 6-1 on Friday, Feb. 6, but suffered a 1-3 setback on Saturday, Feb. 7, in their weekend series.
The Bisons started strong, pressuring the Cougars from the outset. However, the Cougars took the early lead with Eric Houk’s goal in the 10th minute [10:12] of the first period, following a Bisons penalty. The Bisons quickly bounced back, tying the score 1-1 with Andrew Boucher’s goal in the 12th minute [12:46], before taking the lead 2-1 with Eric Alarie’s goal in the 18th minute [18:00].
The Bisons scored two more goals in the second period, including a power-play goal in the 19th minute [19:14]. Despite a few penalties on both sides, the Cougars failed to capitalize, and the Bisons entered the third period with a 4-1 lead.
The Bisons added two more goals in the third period, securing a 6-1 victory. Kaycee Coyle and Dawson Pasternak were sent to the penalty box for the Bisons, while Carter Belitski served time for the
Cougars. The Bisons outshot the Cougars 36-25.
Gordon Burnett, Bisons men’s hockey head coach, explained the team’s strategy for the win. “I think that we’re just focused on ourselves and what we’re supposed to do [...] I think we’re fortunate to score six goals. They have an incredibly athletic and good goalie, and they’re working hard. They have their chances. We’re lucky that Holt made some big saves when he had to [which kept] us in the game.”
Bisons defender, Luke Brenton, also played a large part in the defence line. He contributed to stopping the Cougars’ attacks and driving the Bisons offence forward.
“There’s a bit of strategy to hockey, especially being a defender. You’ve got to know when to pick your times to jump and […] it’s about being defensive first,” Brenton stated.
“Being a defender, [you have to keep] worrying about your own zone and making sure the other team won’t have a chance against [your team], and then you can pick and choose your times to jump in to play offensively,” he added.
“Overall, I’m really proud of the boys.”
In the rematch on Saturday, Feb. 7, the Bisons lost 1-3 to the Cougars. The Cougars struck first in the first period with Parker Jasper’s goal in the 14th minute [14:58] after a Bisons’ penalty. The Bisons pushed hard, but the period ended 0-1 in the Cougars’ favour.
The Bisons’ penalties continued in the second period, with Lucas Brennan being sent off for hooking, and the Cougars capitalized with Cole Wirun’s goal in the 15th minute [15:43]. The Bisons responded with Skyler Bruce’s goal in the 18th minute [18:10], but the Cougars’ lead proved too much to overcome this period.
The Cougars sealed the win in the third period with a power-play goal in the fifth minute [05:17]. Despite dominating shots 34-18, the Bisons could not find the back of the net again.
The Bisons men’s hockey team will play the Calgary Dinos on Friday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. CT and Saturday, Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. CT in Calgary, Alberta.
PHOTO BY FAROUK ANIMASHAUN /VOLUNTEER
PHOTOS BY MIKE THIESSEN
Bisons men’s basketball overpowers Bobcats
Bisons rise to the occasion to beat Brandon 89-76, 87-65
Abdul-Jalilu Ahmed, staff
T
he Bisons men’s basketball team recorded an 89-76 win against the Brandon University Bobcats on Friday, Feb. 6 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
The Bisons took control, earning a 17-5 lead at 2:27 in the first quarter after a jump shot by Mason Kraus. Daren Watts made a layup at 1:06, assisted by Kraus, to make it 21-7. At 0:25, Cieran O’Hara scored on a layup, assisted by Kraus, extending the lead to 23-7. Arjun Hehar made a layup for the Bobcats with 15 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 23-9.
Watts scored on a layup at 4:06 in the second quarter to give the Bisons a 35-17 lead. Ramogi Nyagudi made a layup at 1:45 to extend the advantage to 40-21. Malik Brown made a free throw for the Bobcats with three seconds remaining, making the score 40-23 at halftime.
Kraus made a layup at 6:49, assisted by Watts, in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 49-30. Taven Vigilance made a layup at 2:51, to keep the advantage 60-42. With three seconds to end the quarter, Vigilance made a jump shot to bring the score to 66-52.
At 6:22 in the fourth quarter, Kraus made a free throw, giving the Bisons a 74-54 lead. Miguel Nitro scored on a layup at 1:12 to extend the margin to 85-69. Watts made a dunk at 0:37, assisted by Tito Obasoto, to make it 89-71. At 0:00, Travis Hamberger made a three-point jump shot for the Bobcats, but the Bisons secured an 89-76 victory.
In the second game on Saturday, Feb. 7, the Bisons continued their strong play, defeating the Bobcats 87-65.
The Bisons led 29-16 after the first quarter and outscored the Bobcats 21-11 in the second quarter. The Bobcats responded by winning the third quarter 21-19, but the Bisons held on, taking the fourth quarter 18-17 to achieve the win.
Bisons men’s basketball coach Kirby Schepp reflected on the victory after the game. “It was a tough game,” he said. “The game didn’t mean a lot to [the Bobcats], so they were resting guys for playoffs. It was a great opportunity to get a lot of our bench in, get them some experience a little bit. In some ways it was a tough game to play in, but I’m just glad we got the win and we’re looking forward to playoffs.”
Before the game, seniors Kraus, Watts, O’Hara, Obasoto, Samuel Jensen and Manyang Tong were recognized.
Schepp described the group as “family.”
Schepp explained why he chose to start the game with those seniors. “I just wanted to give those guys one last run together. We started in the second half, too, and that was probably the last time those five guys will play together, at least on this floor. It was just great to see them go out.”
Obasoto talked about his experience playing alongside his fellow seniors. “Honestly, it’s surreal. I [wouldn’t trade
it] for the world. I had the opportunity to go somewhere else and a big part of me staying at home was the group of guys we had. The fact that we all played since we were in elementary school, middle school, high school, and we got to play together on the biggest stage just meant the world to me. Honestly, I feel like the chemistry is what put us above and had us break the record. That’s what it’s all about — camaraderie and chemistry.”
He shared his thoughts on what lies ahead for Bisons men’s basketball. “We have a bright future. I feel like the young guys got the right environment to grow and practice with five great seniors every day, day in and day out. Practices aren’t easy. Practices are harder than games sometimes […] and they have the right preparation to do great things next year.” Kraus also spoke about his experience playing with fellow seniors on the team. “It
was a great experience with all of our guys competing, getting some of the young guys in today. It was just great seeing them, especially since next year six of us are going to be gone.” He believed that the future of Bisons men’s basketball is “going to be bright.”
Kraus added, “Our old guys set a good tone and a good standard for the young guys so they can come in every day and compete and just show what they got.”
PHOTOS BY MIKE THIESSEN / STAFF
Bisons dominate Brandon Bobcats
Third-quarter surge lifts Bisons women’s basketball over Bobcats
Faiyaz Chowdhury, staff
T
he Bisons and the Brandon University Bobcats traded runs all night before the herd won 95-89 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre on Friday, Feb. 6. The Bobcats had already qualified for the playoffs prior to this weekend. The game was relatively even until halftime, with the herd leading by three points. However, by the end of the third quarter, the Bisons were leading by 13 points.
Anna Miko opened the scoring for the game with a layup. The herd stretched the scoreline to 13-0. Averill Ella made a layup, becoming the first Bobcat to score, 13-2. The Bisons maintained this gap until 3:04 minutes remaining, with a 20-10 score. The Bobcats then went on a run and scored seven more points, ending the first quarter 20-17.
The second quarter had both teams going head-tohead, each scoring 26 points. The game went into halftime with a 46-43 score. Macaya Copeland for the Bobcats shone in this quarter, scoring
“You [have to] pressure on their defence if you want to make ball movement a little bit easier”
— Michele Sung, Bisons women’s basketball head coach
nine points, grabbing two assists and two rebounds. The herd’s defence could not contain Copeland. But the Bisons were able to maintain significant but brief leads (13-0, 20-8, 31-22) in the first half as the Bobcats were
determined to reduce the gap, highlighting their offensive capability.
In the third quarter, Piper Ingalls made a spectacular three-point jump shot, to tie the score to 46-46. With another three-pointer from Amaya McLeod, the Bobcats were leading 49-46. The herd took back the lead a few minutes later when Paige Schatkowsky scored a layup, 52-51. The Bisons offence proved effective as they outscored the Bobcats by 10 points (28-18) in this quarter. The third quarter ended 74-61.
The last quarter started with the Bisons stretching the lead with back-to-back three pointers by Avya Khan and Taylor Schepp, making
the score 80-61. Both teams would keep scoring until the score was 95-81. This is where the Bobcats found the wind in their sails and started scoring consecutive points, reducing the deficit 95-89. Miko had a night to remember for the Bisons, scoring 20 points and getting 15 rebounds. Samantha Onyebuchi also had a spectacular night for the herd, scoring 19 points.
On Friday, the Bisons women’s basketball head coach Michele Sung said the team had already taken “care of a win [last] Saturday,” so they “knew [they] had taken another step toward a playoff push here.” She explained, “It’s more about tomorrow,” and if they win again it “just changes
the playoff opponents.”
Looking at the third quarter, she said they “got some stops back-to-back” and “locked into defence for a little bit,” which allowed them “to stay on pace with [the Bobcats]” and build the 10-point lead. She also emphasized that she wanted her group to attack, saying, “You [have to] put pressure on their defence if you want to make ball movement a little bit easier and getting into the free-throw line a bit more of a reality,” instead of “settling [and] playing from the outside of the free-throw line.”
The Bisons and the Bobcats played again on Saturday, Feb. 7, and the herd went on to win the game 93-77. Ella
Averill scored 29 points for the Bobcats, but that was not enough to win. Over the 2025-26 conference season, Schepp scored 240 points and Miko scored 223 points for the Bisons.
The Bisons might face the Calgary Dinos in the playoffs. The Bisons finished sixth in the Prairie Division, which placed them 11th overall in the playoff standings. Under the Canada West playoff format, the 11th seed is matched up against the sixth seed in the play-in round, and the Dinos earned that sixth seed in the Prairie Division standings. These rankings stand as of Sunday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m.
