CALGARY - An unsuccessful weekend for both the University of Calgary Dinos and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns finds both squads now searching for answers. This weekend in a home and home set, the two Alberta teams will try to regain composure and fight their way out of their respective three-game losing streaks.
The Calgary Dinos, ranked as high as fifth in the country this season, very quickly found themselves in a much tougher battle with the Manitoba Bisons than they may have expected this past weekend. Unable to find offence or defence on Friday, and then unable to close the game on Saturday had Head Coach Scott Atkinson affirming, “We just took them too lightly.”
This weekend against Lethbridge, Calgary without a doubt is looking for a better effort from everybody on their squad as they search for more consistency on the ice.
Dustin Butler will try to keep rolling after a very good individual effort on Friday. Butler, the lone bright spot for Calgary in the 3-0 loss, personally prevented the game from becoming a complete blowout with 33 saves as the rest of the Dinos team struggled to find their form.
Assistant captain Travis Friedley had a solid weekend, as did veteran forward Paul Gentile, who each had a goal and an assist. Reid Jorgensen, Brock Nixon and Torrie Wheat collectively had off weekends, and despite being visibly frustrated during play will need to find their form and return to being amongst the leagues top scoring forwards.
The Pronghorns, who are recovering from an Alberta Golden Bears' offensive explosion this past weekend, are in a similar collective funk. Being outscored 13-2 in two losses, the 'Horns will be desperate to find their offensive touch.
Sure to help will be the fourth leading scorer in Canada West, Dustin Moore. Moore, a second year forward for the Pronghorns, has seven goals and seven assists to his credit, and leads the team in scoring by a wide margin.
Scoring might be the key for Lethbridge, as their goalkeepers have struggled thus far this season. Both Brandon Highton and Scott Bowles saw time in the 9-1 loss to the Golden Bears, with neither finding any success. Bowles, who has seen the majority of time between the pipes this year, has a league low 4.23 goals-against average , and a 0.875 save percentage. The young netminder would certainly take an offensive cushion with open arms as he looks to improve.
In Calgary on Friday at the Father David Bauer, and then in Lethbridge on Saturday, home-ice advantage in the series will not exist. With the result of this weekend important for both teams, there will be equal opportunity for both squads to make in-roads in a conference filled with parity.
A weekend sweep from the Dinos will distance themselves significantly from the Pronghorns, pushing the Lethbridge club to the bottom of the conference. If the 'Horns can find their form and upset the Dinos in two games, it would vault them into very good position in Canada West moving forward.
The Dinos and Pronghorns lace up for the Calgary home game at 7 o'clock on Friday at the Father David Bauer Arena.
The Dinos will have just one more home game before the Christmas break, taking on the same Pronghorns on Saturday, Nov. 29.
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