By Virg Foss
GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Many happy returns to you, Erik Fabian and Robbie Bina.
The two University of North Dakota men's hockey players quickly made their presence felt Sunday afternoon as the Fighting Sioux opened the season with a 5-2 victory over the visiting University of Manitoba Bisons.
Fabian, a senior wing from Roseau, Minn., had missed the last seven games last season after being injured and undergoing off-season knee surgery.
Fabian scored the first goal just 3:46 into the contest, swatting in his own own rebound for a shorthanded unassisted goal to get the Sioux rolling early.
Bina, a senior defenseman from Grand Forks, missed all of last season after suffering a broken vertebra in his neck during the 2005 WCHA Final Five.
He was the last player introduced in the starting lineup and drew a standing ovation from the 9,633 fans in attendance at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"As soon as they started cheering for me, I had a bunch of goose bumps running up and down my spine,'' said Bina. "It was great to have them (the fans) behind me all the way, and I just want to say thanks for all the support.''
The Sioux, with 19 players back from a team that reached the NCAA Frozen Four last year, never trailed after Fabian's early marker. UND built the lead to 2-0 on a goal by freshman Hunter Bishop (Fairbanks, Alaska) when he rebounded his own shot past Manitoba goalie Krister Toews.
Manitoba answered with goals by Nick Cowan late in the first period and by Nolan Walker midway through the second period to tie it at 2-2.
But Sioux sophomore forward Jonathan Toews (Winnipeg, Man.) collected the game-winning goal at 15:40 of the second period when Ryan Duncan (So., Calgary, Alta.) sent him in free with a perfect feed off the left wall.
The goal by Toews came just 16 seconds after the Sioux began a 5-minute power play after a checking-from-behind penalty against the Bisons.
Specialty team play was big for the Sioux. Along with the shorthanded goal by Fabian, sophomore defenseman Taylor Chorney (Hastings, Minn.) and Duncan joined Toews with third-period power play goals.
All told, the Sioux scored three times on nine power-play tries while blanking Manitoba on all five of its chances.
"Our specialty teams certainly weren't pretty,'' said UND head coach Dave Hakstol. "But we did score a couple of good goals on the power play and scored a shorthander. And I don't think we gave up a whole lot of great opportunities (on Manitoba's power plays.''
The exhibition game doesn't count on UND's overall record, nor do individual points count in season statistics.
But nevertheless, it was an impressive win for the Sioux, who lost five underclassmen since last season to signings by pro hockey teams.
Hakstol said it was a good test for UND. "They're a veteran team,'' Hakstol said of Manitoba. "They're smart, they're strong. You expect a few bumps along the way in the first game, and certainly we had those. We didn't move the puck very well tonight. We didn't play with a lot of speed.''
The Sioux did outshoot Manitoba overall by a 37-20 margin and polished off the Bisons with solid efforts from the power play and penalty killing units.
Hakstol used it as a true exhibition game. He played 24 of his 25 eligible players, including all three goalies. The only player who didn't dress was freshman Michael Forney (Thief River Falls, Minn.), who has been recovering from injuries from last season. Forney may play next weekend, Hakstol said, in the non-conference home-opening series against Quinnipiac.
It wasn't hard for Hakstol to notice the immediate contributions from Fabian and Bina.
"Erik Fabian, that's what he brings to us,'' Hakstol said. "He scored on his own rebound because he drove to the net and stopped on the top of the crease. That's the kind of goals he scores. What a great way to make his comeback by scoring on his first shift.''
Bina, a huge fan favorite, was solid on the blue line, playing his usual steady game.
"Robbie Bina, as he always does, was very quietly rock solid out there,'' Hakstol said.
Hakstol no doubt had something to do with Bina being the last player introduced in the starting lineup, setting up a dramatic start to the season.
"I think we all expected it (the loud crowd reaction),'' Hakstol said. "I was in the tunnel as part of the ovation. It was exciting to see him come back and see the crowd react the way they did. You can bet our team had the same reaction for him.''
Sophomore Philippe Lamoureux (Grand Forks) started in goal for the Sioux, finishing with eight saves and allowing one goal in playing the first 30 minutes. Freshman Anthony Grieco (Brampton, Ont.) took over from Lamoureux midway through the second period and was beaten by the first shot he faced just 13 seconds after he got into his first college game. But he stopped the next nine shots he faced, including a flurry of three quick shots late in the second period.
Sophomore Aaron Walski (Fargo) took over for Grieco in goal six minutes into the third period and stopped the only shot he faced.
But it was the emotional ovation for Bina in pre-game introductions and the quick goal by Fabian that set the tone for the Sioux.
"Obviously for me, I couldn't write that any better,'' Fabian said.
Virg Foss, who spent 35 years covering college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald before retiring in October 2005, can be reached at virgfoss@yahoo.com
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