LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns opened up their home schedule with a dramatic shootout 4-3 victory over their arch rival University of Calgary Dinos. 

The Horns, dressed in throwbacks that harkened back to their 93-94 University Cup victory, made the most of their time on the powerplay by scoring three goals on six opportunities during the game.  The game marked the opener of a weekend home and home affair that now moves north to Calgary on Saturday.

The Horns opened the scoring on the powerplay when former Lethbridge Hurricane Adam Chorneyko (St. Albert, AB, 1st) scored his first CIS goal by snapping a shot from the sideboards that Dinos goalie Jeff Weber (Ottawa, ON, 5th) was unable to track down through traffic.

Calgary answered back with a powerplay marker of their own at the 11:44 mark of the opening frame. Brett O'Malley (Calgary, AB, 5th) buried a rebound past Scott Bowles (Penticton, BC, 3rd) to tie the game at a goal apiece.  The teams looked to be headed to the first intermission locked up but Horns grinder Andrew Courtney (Belleville, ON, 4th) batted a puck out of midair with less than a second remaining to put the Horns up by one.  The Horns held a slim 14-11 advantage in shots on goal for the first period.

The Dinos tied the game back up at the 8:36 mark of the second period on Eric Frere point shot through traffic.  Riding a wave of momentum, the Dinos scored less than a minute later thanks to Reid Jorgensen (Vancouver, BC, 3rd).  The second period ended with the Dinos holding a 3-2 lead over the Horns and outshot the Horns 14-10 for the second frame. 

Lethbridge knotted the game at three when Courtney tallied his second powerplay marker of game, burying a puck past a down and out Weber during a mad goal mouth scramble.  The Horns defense also tightened up considerably as they held the Dinos to only four shots on goal while putting 12 on Weber.

With overtime unable to solve anything, the teams headed to a shootout.  Lethbridge struck first in the shootout when Jason Roberts (Spiritwood, SK, 5th) deked out Weber on the forehand before going upstairs on the Dinos keeper.

Kyle Annesley (Moose Jaw, SK, 4th) thought he had answered right back for the Dinos when he beat Bowles but he was unable to  beat the post.  Mark Shefchyk (Winnipeg, MB, 4th) put the Horns up by two in the shootout by firing a puck through the five hole of Weber.

The Dinos were kept alive by Brock Nixon (Russell, MB, 2nd) when he snuck the puck through the legs of Bowles.  Following a miss by Chorneyko, O'Malley had the opportunity to extend the game but he was denied by the blocker of Bowles.

The final shots on goal tally had the Horns outshooting the Dinos by a total of 40-31.

The Horns first victory of the season moves their record to 1-2-0 while the Dinos slip to 1-1-1.  Both teams have Friday off before renewing acquaintances in Calgary on Saturday night at Father David Bauer Arena.

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