EDMONTON - Making his season debut after sitting out the first month with an injury, defenceman Cory Pritz scored the game-winner on the power play as the Dinos grabbed a 4-3 double-overtime decision over the Alberta Golden Bears Friday night at Clare Drake Arena.

BOX SCORE

For the second time in three games, the No. 8 Alberta Golden Bears fought back from being three goals down, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Red Deer native Pritz scored the winner in the latest chapter of the Battle of Alberta while former Calgary Hitman Brock Nixon notched a goal and an assist. Another former WHLer for the Hitmen, freshman Tyler Fiddler, as well as sophomore Dino Walker Wintoneak, had singles for the visitors.

Rookies Thomas Carr and James Dobrowolski as well as sophomore Johnny Lazo tallied for the home team.

Calgary didn't take long to strike, scoring only 1:24 into the game on their first shot when Fiddler tipped a Brett Bartman shot from the blueline.

Alberta, though they outshot the Dinos 8-4 in the opening frame, finished the period down 2-0 when Nixon completed a short-handed two-on-one by driving across the net, faked Bears' netminder Réal Cyr into going down, and pulled the puck across the crease before tapping it in with 4:24 left to go.

Calgary struck quickly in the third period as well, as freshman David Robinson chased down the puck behind the Alberta goal, then shuffled a quick back-pass out front where Wintoneak flipped the puck top shelf 1:40 into the final frame.

Alberta, as they did seven days ago against Manitoba in a 4-3 regulation loss, started a comeback at the hands of a defenseman, with Carr driving home a howitzer to the top of Dustin Butler's glove side, 8:09 into the third.

Strangely imitating the Bison-Bear game again, Dobrowolski scored the next goal, his second on the season, this time redirecting a Kruise Reddick shot while on the power-play.

Lazo knotted things at three with his fourth when he pounced on a loose puck in the Dinos' slot 91 seconds later before the Bears headed to overtime for their second-straight game.

Alberta had the best chances in the first overtime, despite having no shots on goal, as Levko Koper and Greg Gardner had a two-on-one from centre ice, with Gardner shooting a one-timer high, and rearguard Jesse Craige rang a slapshot off the post with 15 seconds left.

Reddick had a breakaway from the Alberta blueline early in the second overtime but Pritz caught up to him just in time to prevent an intended deke.

An Ian Barteaux penalty then left Calgary on the offensive and a scramble in the Alberta slot led to Pritz finding a loose puck before sniping a screenshot top shelf to end the game.

The Golden Bears' power-play woes continued, going 1-7 on the man-advantage while the Dinos went 1-2.

The Golden Bears will face off against the Calgary Dinos in game two of their home-and-home series tomorrow night at Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary. Puck drop is 7 p.m..

-UC-