CALGARY - The University of Calgary Dinos nearly went unrewarded for a solid offensive effort on Saturday afternoon, until Englishman Joe Long made good on a chip shot in the 89th minute to seal the victory over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

BOX SCORE

The Dinos, who have had no troubles putting shots on net in their first five games, clearly out shot the Huskies on Saturday with a 15-2 advantage. However despite the discrepancy in shots, it was only in the last minutes on an error by Saskatchewan goalkeeper Mark Diakiw that the Dinos were able to put it away.

The Dinos and Huskies combined for 30 fouls on the day, in a game that was heated from the opening kick. While neither team picked up any cards, there were plenty of bodies flying and words exchanged throughout the match, which provided for a playoff-type intensity regardless of the time of year.

While concerned with the lack of energy to start the game, Dinos head coach Ken Price is happy to get away with the big win.

“I do think we came out a little flat at the start, and we definitely didn't play as well today as we did out on the coast last week. But we held tough and kept at it, which allowed us to persevere in the end,” said the first year coach.

“We have a solid defence and a great goaltender which gives us opportunities, but I definitely thought that it was going to be one of those days where we wouldn't get rewarded despite all the shots. Our captain Joe Long though had the composure to finish it off at the end for us.”

Long was the clearly the best Dino on the pitch on Saturday, as he put six shots on goal to go along with his signature poise on the defensive end. Matt Reid had a solid game for the Dinos on defence, while David Bird continued his pesky ways in front of the net with three shots on goal.

Not far behind Long in the top-performer category was Diakiw for the Huskies, who nearly escaped with the tie after a fantastic effort in net. Diakiw made 14 saves on the afternoon, and will grudgingly take the loss. Jerson Barandica-Hamilton was reasonably effective for the Huskies on Saturday as well, creating different opportunities around the net throughout the match, and consistently pestering the Dinos defence.

The Huskies (2-3-0) will travel south on Sunday to face the Pronghorns, who are without a point in the standings on the season at 0-5-0.

For the Dinos (2-2-1), the win is a big one, as they welcome the Alberta Golden Bears to the pitch tomorrow, who are now 3-0-2 after a Saturday win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns. How the Dinos stack up against the Bears could be a good indication of whether the young Calgary team has what it takes to compete for a Canada West playoff spot.

-UC-