EDMONTON – Fourth-year forward Habib Assem scored and added an assist as the Golden Bears dispatched their provincial rivals with a 3-0 victory over the Calgary Dinos Saturday afternoon at Foote Field.

It was an impressive win for the home side, as they recorded their seventh-straight result against the Dinos (six wins, one draw) to move to 5-3-2 on the season and sit very comfortably in the third spot in the Prairie Division. Calgary takes their third loss, second to Alberta, but still remain top dog in the Prairie as the 9th-ranked team in the country has seven wins to their credit.

It was an offensive showcase from the Bears, who recorded 10 shots (five on target) and controlled the majority of attacking chances past the opening twenty minutes. Assem was joined on the scoresheet by Prince Amanda, and Justin George who scored the first of his career. Bears keeper Trystan Read was stellar, parrying all four shots on target he faced which included some dangerous chances from the CW-leading Dinos attack.

After some early work from cornerback Jackson Belbin to stifle the league-leading offence in the Dinos, including a shin save on a sure Calgary goal in the tenth-minute, the Bears were able to get to work in the visitor end. In the 20th-minute, Caden Ruby won a ball just outside of the box that found the legs of Frankroy Cain, who switched sides and threaded a beautiful pass to an open Habib Assem in the box, who finished short-side on Hany Shafie for his third goal of the season, and the Bears took a 1-0 early lead. They were not done there, as in the 37th-minute Patrick Kondrachuk would lob a ball into a streaking Prince Amanda, who settled it and hit a composed chip past the keeper for his second goal of the year, giving Alberta a 2-0 lead that they would carry into the half.

Alberta would continue their attack to start the second half, as just four minutes in Assem would rip a shot on net that deflected back to George, who belted it in the bottom right corner for his first career CW goal, which gave the hosts a 3-0 lead. They would then sit on the ball and control possession for the vast majority of the second half, but the Dinos were not without chances. The best one came in the 80th minute, where Owen Antoniuk bicycle-kicked one just wide by inches in what would have been a sure goal of the year candidate. 

Both teams are in action tomorrow, with the Bears playing host to another dangerous Calgary team in the MRU Cougars, while the Dinos head across the Walterdale Bridge for a date with the MacEwan Griffins.

-UC-