CALGARY – #Torrie Wheat's second period marker stood up as the game's lone goal while Dustin Butler# stopped all 22 shots sent his way as the University of Calgary Dinos shut out the No. 3 Alberta Golden Bears 1-0 Saturday night at Father David Bauer Arena.

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Following Friday night's 3-2 win at Clare Drake in Edmonton, the Dinos picked up a rare sweep of the Bears – their first since January 2008 – while shutting them out for the first time since October 2005. That 2-0 victory, also in Calgary, also marks the last time the Bears were shut out in Canada West competition.

The Dinos were full marks for their efforts, playing tough defensively, dangerous on offence, and solid between the pipes. Butler picked up his second shutout of the season and improved his conference-leading goals-against and save percentage numbers.

“In my year-and-a-half here, that was without question the best game we have played,” said Calgary head coach Mark Howell. “We went on the road yesterday and found a way to get a big win, and we've worked a lot on protecting the puck and keeping it down low. The guys did a great job – we probably should have had two or three more, but there were open looks that we just missed.

“This is the first full weekend that we've bought in. I've seen it for periods of time, but it really looked like they got it this weekend. To sweep any team is real hard, and to sweep U of A is even more so. Kudos to our guys, they found a way.”

Calgary's pattern to this point in the year has been to deflate Saturday following a big Friday night win. While that didn't happen Saturday, the Bears carried most of the play through the opening 10 minutes, asserting themselves and firing six shots on Butler before the Dinos managed their first midway through the frame. From that point on, however, the Dinos held their rivals to just 16 shots in the final 50 minutes of the contest.

Wheat lit the lamp for the game's only goal at the 8:21 mark of the second period, tapping in a beauty cross-crease feed from Walker Wintoneak for the eventual game-winner. Aaron Richards picked up the other assist as the Dinos' second line continued its hotstreak.

The Bears had their chances, but Butler was equal to the task. His best stop came early in the third when he slid across the crease to stone Alex Rodgers on a nifty two-on-one passing play. Derek Ryan also had a glorious chance on the power play for Alberta, but his redirection attempt went just wide on Butler's blocker side.

At the other end, the Dinos kept Real Cyr busy, especially in the third as they outshot the visitors 12-8. The Dinos had several more chances go just wide, and Wheat narrowly missed his second goal when we wired a shot from the slot that beat Cyr but clanged off the left post.

Cyr was solid for the Bears, stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced, but got no offensive help as the Bears dropped their third in a row. Neither team saw any success on the power play, with Alberta going 0-for-5 and the Dinos 0-for-3.

Calgary improves to 11-6-2 on the season with the win and pulls just four points behind Alberta (13-5-2) for top spot in Canada West with 24 points.

The teams will try to break the logjam at the top of the conference standings next weekend as the Bears host last-place Regina for a two-game set while the Dinos head east to face the Saskatchewan Huskies (11-7-0), who lead UBC by just two points for the fourth and final playoff spot in the conference.

-UC-