October 5 - Third-year forward Rick Wood scored a pair of goals to help his University of Manitoba Bisons open up their 2007-08 season with a 4-2 win over the Regina Cougars in Canada West men’s hockey action on Friday night at the Sherwood Arenas.

Wood’s two goals came in the latter stages of the second period, increasing Manitoba’s lead to 4-1 going into the second intermission. Wood’s first goal came on a penalty shot awarded to the Bisons after the Cougars were caught covering up the puck in their own crease.

Krister Toews recorded the win in net for Manitoba, stopping 23 of 25 Regina shots. Adam Ward took the loss for the Cougars, allowing four goals on 17 shots.

The Cougars opened up the scoring in the first period, as Jesse Matlock took a cross-crease feed from Dustin Bru and slipped the puck past Toews just seconds after a Bison penalty expired. Matlock’s tally, his first of the season, was the only goal of the opening frame.

In the second, Manitoba defenceman Dalyn Flatt was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for delivering a check to the head of Cougar forward Devon Smith, who didn’t return. The only goal generated on the ensuing power play was a Manitoba marker, as second-year forward Calin Wild slipped behind the Cougar defence and scored on a breakaway to tie up the game at one.

The Bisons took the lead a few minutes later when Nolan Waker jumped on a loose puck in front of the Regina net and fired it past a sprawling Ward. Wood scored his penalty shot goal with eight minutes remaining in the second to give Manitoba a 3-1 lead, then scored his second goal four minutes later after breaking down the left wing after a pass from Nick Cowan and rifling a shot past Ward.

Cody Thoring’s first goal of his CIS career pulled the Cougars to within two with six minutes left in the game, but that’s as close as Regina would come. Dustin Bru and Jesse Matlock recorded assists on Thoring’s power play marker.

The Cougars were 1-for-9 with the power play, while Manitoba was 1-for-5 with the man advantage. The referee doled out 41 minutes in penalties to the Bisons – the majority of them going to Flatt and Stephane Lenoski, who were each tossed from the game – while the Cougars were given just five minor penalties.

These two teams will meet again on Saturday night at the Brandt Centre. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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