LONDON, Ont. (U SPORTS) – The Queen's Gaels are off to the consolation semifinals for the second straight year after losing to the Manitoba Bisons on Friday afternoon in quarter-final action at the 2018 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship at Thompson Arena.
 
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The game started off with Manitoba dictating the pace of play, generating shots and limiting the Gaels' opportunities in the first four minutes of the game. Despite the shot differential, play was a fast-paced back and forth affair, before Oswald tipped in a point shot from Alana Serhan to put the Bisons up 1-0 just prior to the 10-minute mark.
 
The Gaels attempted to respond with a pair of two-on-one scoring chances, but Taraschuk kept her team in front with a number of important saves. The first saw OUA MVP and All-Canadian Katrina Manoukarakis breaking down the left side and firing a shot that Taraschuk handled.
 
The Bisons kept their momentum going into the second period, where they exploded for three goals.
 
Manitoba doubled their lead less than two minutes into the period, capitalizing on their second power play of the game, with Sharman notching her first point of the contest.
 
Then, with just over a minute to go in the frame, a point shot from Sharman was tipped by Anderson to make it 3-0.
 
With 16 seconds left in the period, Manitoba added to their lead when a cross-ice pass from Lauren Warkentin slid through the slot and connected with the open stick of Keen, who found the back of the net.
 
With six and a half minutes left to play in the contest, the Gaels pulled goaltender Stephanie Pascal in a last-ditch effort to get on the board, but the Bisons managed to preserve the four-goal lead for the win. 
 
"I'm aware of the odds of winning a game like that, we need to do everything we can do try and be successful," said Holmberg. "You never know what can happen - that sort of mentality of the team is to never quit until that las whistle."
 
Manitoba will play in Saturday's second semifinal, which is set for 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, while Queen's moves into the consolation semifinal at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.
 
Players of the Game
Manitoba: Alanna Sharman
Montreal: Emily Gervais