WINNIPEG- After a lopsided loss to the Alberta Pandas on Friday night, the University of Manitoba Bisons women's hockey team welcomed the Pandas back inside Wayne Fleming Arena for the weekend series finale on Saturday afternoon.
 
Alberta used a three-goal second period in the first game to propel them to a decisive 5-0 victory. Manitoba, who was on a three-game losing streak heading into Saturday, was looking to improve upon their 3-6-0-0 conference record.
 
Saturday turned out to be a much closer game between the two sides but the Bisons still found themselves down 3-2 late in the game. With only 52 seconds on the clock, Kate Gregoire had a glorious opportunity to tie the game and force overtime, but the Pandas' goalie Elle Boyko came across her crease to stop the one-timer.
 
Shortly after the Gregoire scoring opportunity, the Bisons took a penalty, effectively ending their comeback chances, resulting in a 3-2 loss.
 
Turning the tides from the previous night, Manitoba got on the board first with a goal at the 7:50 mark of the opening period. Second-year Jena Barscello tallied her third of the season after finding some open space around the faceoff dot and ripping it over the glove of Panda goaltender Boyko.
 
However, the Bisons first lead of the weekend only lasted a few minutes as Alberta tied the game up at 1-1 with 5:31 left in the opening frame when Raegan Yewdall beat Snaith to a loose puck in the neutral zone. On the resulting breakaway, Yewdall proceeded to beat Meagan Relf with a shot high on the glove side.
 
At the started of the second period, it appeared that Alberta had taken a lead of a shot that was tipped in the Bisons net by the Pandas' Abby Soyko. The referees called the goal off for a high-stick but the visitors scored on an almost identical play just a few minutes later. The shot from the point once again came from Alberta's Taylor Kezama, this time it was deflected home by Jadynn Morden to grab the 2-1 advantage. The Pandas added their third on a shot from Danica Namaka but before the period came to an end, the Bisons responded.
 
With 1:25 left on the clock in the second, Sam Sichkaruk's shot deflected off the body of an opposition player and past Boyko. Sicharuk's second goal of the season gave the Bisons some momentum heading into the third, down just 3-2.
 
Still trailing by one with 10 minutes remaining in the game, Relf came up with a massive pad save during a Pandas' 2-on-1, keeping her team in striking distance. Gregoire's glorious chance to tie the game came with just 52 seconds left, but Boyko's save sealed the win for Alberta by a final score of 3-2.
 
Next weekend Manitoba will travel west to Alberta where they will face the University of Calgary Dinos for a pair of games on November 11-12.