Karissa Kirkup is enjoying another season with the University of Manitoba Bisons women's hockey team. This is the seniors second year with the team after joining them for the 2015-16 season.

This past weekend the Bisons, who are part of the University Sports Canada West Division, took on the first place University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and came away with a win and a loss.

Saturday afternoon Manitoba dropped a tough 4-3 decision to UBC.

"I thought we didn't have the best start. Honestly yesterday (Friday) we kind of took it to them the entire game," said the Bisons forward. "I would say they came out flying today and they wanted the win a little bit more than us. The first couple of minute was evident, but I think we for sure got better as the game went on. We had a strong finish and just couldn't put the puck in the net."

Meanwhile the day prior the Bisons shutout UBC 2-0.

So far this season the Virden native has 6 goals and 10 points in 16 games and is working toward achieving her Kinesiology & Rec. Mgmt. degree.

Manitoba is currently sitting in third after this weekends action, with a 13-7 record, while the Thunder birds are in first at 17-3.

On the team this year is Junior Venla Hovi, from Tampere Finland, who represented her country in Vancouver at the 2012 Olympics. So, the team took off for Europe for training camp and for a few preseason games.

"Going to the finals last year definitely, but so far this year was our Europe trip," said the former Westman Wildcat captain. "Just having family to come on the Europe trip with me and then bonding with the girls. It was kind of two weeks solid with kind of no breaks from the team. You really got to know the players."

The Bisons went a perfect 4-0 over seas with stops in Helsinki Finland, and Stockholm Sweden, and that transitioned into play back home. The team started the season off a perfect 15-0 (including pre-season), and were 6-0 to start the regular season until they met the Thunderbirds in B.C. and dropped a pair of games to UBC.

Up next for the Bisons is the Lethbridge Pronghorns (4-14-2), who will come to Winnipeg this upcoming weekend for a pair of games Friday (7 p.m.) and Saturday (1p.m.).