CALGARY - With their struggles of late 2008 now behind them, the University of Calgary Dinos will be looking to start 2009 off right. Such a task will prove a challenge against the number one-ranked team in the country and their in-province rivals, the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
At 6-9-1, the Dinos currently sit in sixth place and are putting a late semester losing string at the back of their minds as they move forward in their playoff push. With many games yet to play in conference action, there is still plenty of time to regroup. However beating their provincial rivals to start the winter semester would go a long way for confidence moving forward.
The Dinos can take credit for one of Alberta's two losses on the year, courtesy of a 7-1 drubbing at the Father David Bauer Arena earlier in the season.
Jeff Weber and Dustin Butler continue to share the duties in net for Calgary, and have done respectably thus far amidst the team offensive struggles. With four of their last six losses coming by one goal deficits, the goaltenders have at the very least kept Calgary in games until the final horn. With similar GAAs of 2.78 and 3.03, the netminders will continue to split the load through the second half of the season.
Their team slump notwithstanding, the Dinos sport some of the best offensive weapons in Canada West in Torrie Wheat, Brett O'Malley and defenseman Travis Friedley, who all sit in the top 10 in scoring. Team sniper Reid Jorgensen, who was mired in a personal slump to finish the fall semester, still remains an undeniable force on the Dinos frontline as well.
The Alberta Golden Bears at 11-2-1 are quite simply the class of Canadian university hockey at the moment. With an all-star goalkeeper in fourth year Aaron Sorochan, and a deep, balanced lineup taking care of the offense, the Bears are absolutely the team to beat in Canada West.
Sorochan, who started slowly due to injury, has quickly returned to form. The 2007/2008 Second Team Canada West All-Star has let in only nine goals in his eight games, good for a Canada West leading 1.21 GAA, which is one full point better than the next in line. Sorochan is 7-0-1 since his return to the Alberta lineup.
Alberta is represented by four scoring forwards in the top 15 in points, with Chad Klassen, Brian Woolger, Ian McDonald and Ben Kilgour all with at least 13 points on the year. Alberta is solid on the blue line as well, with Jason Fransoo leading the defensive charge for the Golden Bears.
While the two teams on the ice would like nothing better than to sweep the other this weekend, many of them will don a Team Canada jersey as teammates in February at the upcoming FISU games in China. 11 of the 22 members of the Universiade team are Dinos and Bears, with Alberta coach Eric Thurston also on the team's coaching staff.
The home and home series starts in Edmonton at the Clare Drake Arena on Saturday Jan. 10. Following the game, both teams will travel south to finish the weekend set in Calgary with a rare Sunday night affair at the Father David Bauer Arena, starting at 7 p.m.
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