Rally driven by Griffins' veterans makes Currie's 40-save effort stand up for 3-2 win over Bisons
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
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|
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Team Stats
Manitoba
| Game Statistics | MacEwan University | Manitoba |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPlays | 0 for 3 | 0 for 0 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 1 (2) | 4 (8) |
| Shots on Goal | 12 | 42 |
| Face Offs Won | 0 | 0 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
WINNIPEG, Man. – After spotting the Manitoba Bisons a two-goal lead after 20 minutes, the MacEwan Griffins women's hockey team roared back with three unanswered goals to score a 3-2 win on Friday night.
It's a sign things are coming together for a team that started slowly and got behind the eight-ball in the Canada West standings.
With the result – the Griffins' second win in their last four games – they improve to 5-14-2.
It's not enough to move the needle on a longshot push for a playoff spot, especially since Alberta also won, but it's a step forward and that's important.
"At the end of the day, we're in the situation that we're in and we can't change anything that's in the past at this point," said Griffins head coach Chris Leeming. "So, it really is living that cliché (of one game at a time). I guess that's where it comes from.
"I saw a lot of character out of our team today. At the start, it would have been easy for them to put their tail between their legs and not come out like they did in the second. In the third, it was even better. We didn't get a ton of shots tonight, but there were some big blocks we got from people that don't typically do it and Taya (Currie) was pretty solid for us between the pipes tonight, so we just want to keep building our game."
Currie earned first star honours after stopping 40 of 42 shots on the contest, coming up big multiple times throughout and, most importantly, in the dying minutes. After Allee Isley gave MacEwan the lead with 4:32 left in the contest, Manitoba pulled goaltender Emily Shippam for the final 2:29, but couldn't beat Currie.
"Late in the game when we were up, Taya was pretty solid for us," said Leeming. "She just slowed the play down, controlled rebounds and didn't give up any secondary chances when they were pushing with their goalie pulled.
"I thought we defended really well and played on the inside a lot better in the last 40 minutes of the game."
SWEET VICTORY!
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Hockey (@GriffinsWHKY) January 24, 2026
Impressive comeback for the @MAcEwanGriffins, who rally from 2-0 down to win 3-2 over the @umbisons!
Stay tuned for a recap.#GriffNation
BOXSCORE➡️https://t.co/cpXDD9TqPR pic.twitter.com/flpZdnV3nd
Then the play of MacEwan's veterans was the secondary story to the contest.
It was fifth-year leading scorer Sydney Jack who got the party started when she jumped on a neutral zone turnover, beat a defender and lifted a backhand over Shippam's blocker for MacEwan's first of the game late in the second period.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Hockey (@GriffinsWHKY) January 24, 2026
Jumping on a neutral zone turnover, Sydney Jack splits the D and backhands one high blocker side to get the @MacEwanGriffins on the board.
They're trailing @umbisons 2-1 after 40 minutes.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/X53Sz23wXX
After first period Manitoba goals by Kelsey Huibers and Alyssa Rasmuson, Jack's tally gave the Griffins belief that a comeback was possible.
Then it was a play of pure teamwork from fifth-year Rian Santos, fifth-year Claire Hobbs and fourth-year Kori Paterson that earned the tying goal. Just as a powerplay expired, Santos drove the puck into the zone and shot wide with the biscuit careening off the back wall right to Hobbs, who sent a pinpoint pass behind Shippam and through the crease to Paterson for a back-door tap-in.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Hockey (@GriffinsWHKY) January 24, 2026
Tie game in Winnipeg!
Kori Paterson converts off a crafty pass from Claire Hobbs as @MacEwanGriffins even the score 2-2 with @umbisons in the third period.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/mHoVH935UD
"It was just as the powerplay was ending and we got a really good breakout," said Leeming. "Rian did a really good job driving the puck into the zone and keeping the play alive for us. Chobbs has a great playmaking skill set and Kori was in a good spot.
"We talked a lot about getting to the net to score goals today and I thought all three of them embodied that."
None more than Isley's game-winning goal late in the third period as Santos sent it back into play from behind the goal line, Shippam couldn't find it and Isley charged into the crease to smash the loose puck in.
GOAL��
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Hockey (@GriffinsWHKY) January 24, 2026
Allee Isley charges onto a loose puck in the crease and gives the @MacEwanGriffins a 3-2 lead late in the third period!#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/S7jWz6LSfp
"It was nice to see them rewarded, to be honest with you," said Leeming of all of his veterans driving the bus offensively. "We had conversations on getting on the inside when we're in the O-zone, creating secondary chances and putting pucks on net. That's kind of how that play came to be. Allee's someone that's been very focused and committed on getting better. She's doing extra work at practice, doing extra video every day at the rink, as well.
"It was great to see those people get rewarded. Those were some of our senior players that really stepped up in those moments for us."
The teams will meet again on Saturday (1 p.m. MT, Canada West TV).
