EDMONTON – Forwards Johnny Lazo and Torrie Dyck both had three-point nights in a 4-0 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three conference semi-final series between the No.2 University of Alberta Golden Bears and the No.10 University of Calgary Dinos, Friday night at Clare Drake Arena.

Former Tri-City American Lazo potted a pair of goals and an assist while Dyck, a former ACAC athlete with Augustana, netted a goal and two assists in his first playoff game as a Golden Bear. Sophomore forward Brett Ferguson added a couple of helpers while Travis Toomey, also a second-year forward, rounded out the scoring. Netminder Kurtis Mucha continued his shutout streak from the regular season, extending to a total time of 204:20 in a 26-save performance for his third-straight shutout.

Senior goaltender Dustin Butler made 26 saves in the loss for the Dinos.

The Golden Bears opened the scoring early, Lazo redirecting a Greg Gardner shot headed wide, putting it along the ice for the 1-0 lead only 1:28 into the game. 

The conference-best offence, and second best in the country, continued to pour on the pressure in the opening frame, outshooting Calgary 12-5 and doubling the lead with 1:46 to go in the first period when Lazo evaded a Dino defender along the boards to create a three-on-two rush down low. 

The Winnipeg native fed a pass to Dyck in the slot, the fourth-year ringing his shot off the post and in for his first of the playoffs and 13^th goal as a Golden Bear.

Hungry to even the score, Calgary opened up the play in the middle frame, resulting in the two teams trading chances at the start of the second but the score remaining 2-0 because of Butler and Mucha's strong play between the pipes.

On a late Alberta power-play, however, the Bears increased the lead to three goals when Ferguson, a former Red Deer Rebel, found Lazo alone in the slot and the third-year one-timed the pass to the top shelf with 1:43 left to go in the second.

Despite the Dinos having better luck on the shot clock in the final 40 minutes, the visitors couldn't put one past the season's best goaltender, coming into the playoffs with a conference-best .936 save percentage and 1.30 goals against average.

The former Kamloops Blazer didn't make a highlight-reel save all game, but played a steady game with near-perfect positioning to keep the provincial rivals off the scoreboard.

Toomey finished the scoring with 4:22 left in the third when he took a loose puck in the Calgary defensive zone, circled towards the slot and roofed a backhand for a short-handed marker.

Alberta finished the game at 1-8 on the power-play while the Dinos went 0-5.

The Battle of Alberta resumes on Saturday with Game 2 of the semi-final at 6 p.m. MT at Clare Drake Arena. If necessary, Game 3 will also at 6 p.m. on Sunday.