WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Fourth-year goalie Kate Fawcett (Tottenham, Ont.) made 36 saves to lead the Trinity Western Spartans to a 3-1 win over the Manitoba Bisons to open the Canada West quarter-finals Friday night at Wayne Fleming Arena in Winnipeg, Man. The win gives the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
 
Scoring for the Spartans were fourth-year forward Chloe Reid (Leduc, Alta), second-year forward Kyra Anderson (Regina, Sask.), and third-year forward Kara Yackel (St. Paul, Man.).
Scoring the one goal for the Bisons was Sadie Keller.
 
Manitoba's Emily Shippam made 21 saves for the Bisons in the loss.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans and the Bisons will match up again tomorrow in game two of the best-of-three-quarter final series. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at the Wayne Fleming Arena and can be seen live on Canada West TV.
 
QUOTABLE
Trinity Western Head Coach Peter Hay
"Character win tonight as we have a million excuses why we weren't good in the first half of the game due to a brutal travel day but proud of how we found a way with big PKs and a massive Power Play goal which ended up being the game-winner. Once again, Taps was unreal in net and helped us after being outshot and outplayed for much of the game. Now we have our legs and are back to some regular schedules I am pumped to see the energy to be better tomorrow and try to win again. We know it's not going to be easy but we will be ready to battle."
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Bisons had the advantage in the opening period outshooting the Spartans 9-6, but it was the Spartans who went into the dressing room with the lead after the first 20 minutes. TWU's Chloe Reid got the lone goal of the period with 4.1 seconds remaining. Reid converted a rebound off a point shot from third-year blueliner Presleigh Giesbrecht (Gretna, Man.) to give the Spartans the 1-0 lead.
 
Manitoba's Sadie Keller got the equalizer 7:37 into the second period. Keller banged in a rebound off a Brena Nicol shot to tie the game 1-1. The Bisons outshot the Spartans 13-10 in the second period.
 
TWU got the lead back on the power play. First-year defence (Saskatoon, Sask.) started the goal with a point shot through traffic. The rebound went to the open Anderson on the left side of the net where she hit the open net to put TWU up 2-1 at 6:51 of the third period. Yackel got the insurance goal with an empty net goal with five seconds left to give TWU the 3-1 victory.
 
NOTABLE 

• The Bisons outshot the Spartans 37-24.
• TWU was 1-3 on the power play, while Manitoba was 0-3.
• The Spartans finished in third place in the West division at 14-12-1-1, while the Bisons finished in second place in the East division at 15-11-0-2.
• The Spartans are currently 5-8 lifetime against the Manitoba Bisons.
• Fawcett has only given up one goal in the last 220 minutes.
• Early this year the Spartans split with the Bisons losing 4-1 and winning 3-2 January 10-11.
• Last week the Spartans swept the No. 6 Mount Royal Cougars 3-0, and 1-0 SO, in Calgary, Alta.
• Last week the Bisons swept the Saskatchewan Huskies 5-2 and 2-1 in Winnipeg, Man.
• TWU fourth-year goalie Kate Fawcett (Tottenham, Ont.)  was named Canada West Women's Hockey Player of the Week.

 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country, and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
 
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in U SPORTS. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
 
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