In a head-to-head confrontation between two of the nations top ranked teams, the Alberta Golden Bears took both games from the visiting Saskatchewan Huskies at Clare Drake Arena on Friday-Saturday, January 19th-20th. Despite being outshot both nights, the number two ranked Golden Bears earned 3-2 and 7-5 victories over the third ranked Huskies. With the two wins, Alberta moves eight points in front of Saskatchewan in the Canada West Hockey standings.
The Alberta Saskatchewan series was one of three played in the conference on the weekend. In other Canada West Hockey action, the Lethbridge Pronghorns earned their first series sweep in four seasons with 4-1 and 5-2 wins over Manitoba at Nicholas Sheran Arena in Lethbridge and the Regina Cougars split their series with the 10th ranked Calgary Dinos. Regina earned a 4-2 win in the series opener on Friday before the Dinos took the finale by a 6-3 score on Saturday.
Sophomore Aaron Sorochan was key to Albertas success in the Golden Bears sweep of Saskatchewan as the second-year goaltender earned Canada West Hockey Player-of-the-Week honors with 69 saves. Sorochan made 37 of his saves in Fridays 3-2 win. With Alberta leading 3-2 heading into the third period, Sorochan made 14 saves in holding the fort as Saskatchewan outshot the Golden Bears 14-1 in the final 20 minutes of play.
Once again on Saturday, the Huskies held the advantage in shots on goal with a 37-24 margin over Alberta, but Sorochan once again rose to the occasion for the victory making 32 saves. Saskatchewan oushot Alberta in all but one period in the series.
Kyle Fecho, Ben Kilgour and Scott Metcalfe, with the game winning goal, scored for the Golden Bears in Fridays win, while Curtis Austring and Jeff Schmidt tallied for Saskatchewan.
In Saturdays finale, the teams were tied 1-1 and 4-4 at the intermissions before the Golden Bears scored three times in the third period for a 7-5 victory. Tim Krymusa, Richard Hamula and Dale Mahovsky scored for Alberta in the third period with Hamula netting the game winner. Metcalfe earned an assist on the games deciding goal, giving him a point on both game-winning goals in the series.
Ian McDonald scored twice, including a shorthanded goal, and Lee Zalasky and Chad Klassen added single goals for Alberta. Myles Zimmers first two goals of the season led the Saskatchewan offence, while Trent Adamus, Curtis Austring and Stephen Mann added powerplay goals for the Huskies, who were three for eight on the powerplay. Mason Wallin earned assists on all three Huskies powerplay goals.
In Lethbridge, the Pronghorns earned their first series sweep since the 2002-03 season with 4-1 and 5-2 wins over the visiting Manitoba Bisons. Lethbridges last series sweep came on February 7th-8th, 2003 with 7-5 and 6-3 wins over the Bisons.
Jason Roberts scored twice and added an assist to lead the Pronghorns to the 4-1 win on Friday. Shaun Norrie and Ryan Costanzo, with his first career CIS goal, added singles and Justin Cruse and Mark Shefchyk both had two assists. Chris Falloon netted Manitobas goal with Dustin Hughes earning the lone assist on the powerplay goal. All five goals in the game were scored on the powerplay as Lethbridge was four for eight with the man advantage and Manitoba was one for five.
Saturdays victory saw the Pronghorns offence led by a pair of players who had a single point between them on the season. Dustin Gilbert and Billy Katelnikoff had combined to score a single assist in 40 games entering the series with Manitoba. Gilbet was scorless in 20 games and Katelnikoff had a lone assist in his 20 games.
The duo broke their slumps in grand fashion, combining to score seven points in the win. Gilbert netted the game winning goal with nine seconds remaining in the second period and assisted on each of the Pronghorns other four goals for a career-high five point game. Katelnikoff, who scored 14 goals for the Pronghor