BOX SCORE BOX SCORE

EDMONTON - Canada West leading scorer Johnny Lazo had a goal and an assist to help lift the No. 2 ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears hockey team over the No. 9 ranked University of Calgary Dinos Friday night at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

Alberta, which currently sits in second place in Canada West with a record of seven wins and three losses, got goals from five different goal scorers, and now has outscored their opponents 35-8 over a five game winning streak. The loss drops Calgary to sixth place in Canada West with five wins and three losses.

Third-year Bears net minder Kurtis Mucha picked up 24 saves in the victory, while veteran Dinos' goalie Dustin Butler made 32 saves in the loss.

It was the first regular season meeting between the two provincial rivals in 2012, and it wasn't until the first period was nearly over that the scoring finally broke open. With 3:07 remaining and the Bears on the power-play, Lazo put Alberta up 1-0 when the slick winger corralled a rebound off a hard point shot by third-year defender Jesse Craige before rifling the puck past Butler's glove side.

Second-year forward Jordan Hickmott doubled the Alberta lead just two and a half minutes into the second when sophomore-winger Levko Koper's hard-angle shot ricocheted off Butler's pad onto the former Edmonton Oil King's stick. Hickmott wasted no time sifting the puck into the yawning cage to register his Canada West-leading 10th goal of the season.

Alberta would add to their lead when Jordan Rowley's seeing-eye shot found the back of the net, allowing the Bears to take a 3-0 lead and 26-15 edge on the shot clock into the third period.

Early in the third, with Alberta on the run and serving a minor penalty, second-year Calgary forward Kevin King drew the Dinos within two when his centering pass deflected off an Alberta defender past an unsuspecting Mucha.

Alberta restored their three-goal advantage 10 minutes later, on the power-play, with a highlight-reel tally that drew the loudest cheers of the night. After fighting off a check in the corner, Lazo picked up his 11th assist of the season when slid the puck to Torrie Dyck who threaded a pass between two Dino defenders to fourth-year forward Sean Ringrose, who squirted a quick wrist shot through the pads of Butler. Lazo now has 17 points to lead Canada West in scoring, while Dyck now has nine points in his last seven games.

Calgary made things interesting late in the third when Brock Hixon went forehand-backhand on Mucha after taking a beautiful cross-ice pass from Cory Pritz. Moments later, however, veteran Bears' centre Greg Gardner salted the Alberta victory away with an empty netter, his third goal of the campaign.

Tomorrow night, the Alberta Golden Bears head south for the second game of their home-at-home series with the Calgary Dinos. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. at Father David Bauer Arena.

-30-