CALGARY – Three goals in two and a half minutes was the deciding factor that gave the University of Alberta Golden Bears a 4-3 win over the University of Calgary Dinos on Friday night.
Calgary and Alberta came into Friday's game battling for first place in Canada West, The Bears holding a one-point advantage that extended to a three-point advantage after Friday's win.
Both teams did not give up many chances in the first half of the opening period, the Dinos first chance came on a powerplay opportunity three minutes into the frame. After a defensive shot was blocked in front of the net,
Logan Fisher gathered up the puck and fired a quick shot at the Alberta goaltender. The physical play ramped up in the final five minutes of the period, as Calgary started to have a slight edge in a tight battle between the two teams.
Ryan Graham opened the scoring for the Dinos at 4:05 into the second period, after blocking a shot by the Bears defense, Graham broke away all alone and fired a wrist shot that squeezed between Burkes arm and pad. The Bears struck back eight minutes later, following a chance on one end of the ice, Alberta came back the other way three on two, Chad Butcher accepted a cross ice pass and fired it past a sliding Greenfield tying the game back up at 1-1.
The Dinos took a 2-1 lead five minutes into the final frame, Graham putting away his second of the night off the pass from
Mitch Cook. Calgary took a boarding call two minutes after their go-ahead goal; the Bears capitalized on the powerplay and tied the game up at two. Two more quick goals by the Bears put the game away in a span of two and a half minutes.
Kaden Elder pulled the Dinos within one late, but they could not complete the comeback.
"They are a good team, they are going to get their chances, we gave them a few in the first two periods, and even at the start of the third we were okay, then we just got completely away from our game," said Dinos Head Coach
Mark Howell. "We turned over pucks in really bad areas that led to their transition and they put them in the back of the net.
"We have to execute for 60, we have to be mentally checked in all the time. We have to be urgent, desperate tomorrow night, but follow our game plan."
Matthew Greenfield made 19 saves on 23 shots for the Dinos, while the Bears' Brendan Burke made 16 saves on 19 shots for the win.
The teams will now head north to Edmonton for the second game of this home and home series. Puck drop is set for 7 pm, Saturday night at the Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.
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