The University of Saskatchewan Huskies and University of Alberta Golden Bears solidified their holds on the division leads in Canada West Hockey with two-game road sweeps on Friday-Saturday, November 25th-26th. Saskatchewan took both games of its road series at Winnipeg, defeating the University of Manitoba Bisons 4-0 and 5-2 to move 10 points in front of the second place Bisons in the conferences Great Plains Division. In the Mountain Division, the Golden Bears moved three points ahead of the University of Calgary Dinos with 6-4 and 6-5 road victories over the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver.
The third series of the weekend saw Calgary split its home-and-home series with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, with both teams winning on the road. The Dinos took the series opener in Lethbridge with a 6-2 victory on Friday and the Pronghorns returned the favor with a 4-2 win in Calgary on Saturday.
With the two wins over Manitoba, Saskatchewan is now 4-0-0 against the Bisons in Canada West Hockey play this season and the Huskies are atop the conferences overall standings with an 11-2-3 record. Undefeated in their last 13 games (11-0-2; Oct. 21-Nov. 26), the Huskies are 10 points in front of Manitoba in the Great Plains Division and eight points ahead of Alberta in the overall standings.
With a week remaining in the schedule prior to the Christmas break, Alberta has improved its season mark to 8-3-1 and the Golden Bears are three points ahead of Calgary in the Mountain Division standings with two games in hand. The Golden Bears have played the fewest games among the conferences seven teams.
In Winnipeg, freshman goaltender Jeff Harvey made 22 saves to register his third shutout of the season as Saskatchewan opened its series at Manitoba with a 4-0 victory on Friday. With the shutout, Harvey lowered his goals-against average to a conference leading 1.56 in seven conference games and improved his record to 5-1-1 with a .944 save percentage. He leads Canada West Hockey in each of the three categories in both conference and overall play.
On Saturday, the line of Dean Beuker (1-2-3), Brent Twordik (0-3-3) and Jeff Schmidt (2-0-2) combined to score eight points and three of the Huskies five goals in a 5-2 win. Schmidt opened the scoring just 25 seconds after the opening face-off and rounded out the Huskies scoring in the third period. Beuker, who also scored once in Fridays victory, netted the game winning goal with a second period shorthanded goal. Paul Deniset tallied both Manitoba goals in the loss, including a second period powerplay goal.
Nine of Albertas 12 goals versus UBC came in the second period as the Golden Bears scored five times in Fridays middle frame and added four more on Saturday. Alberta erased a 1-0 deficit on Friday with its five goal outburst and Saturdays four goals broke open a 2-2 tie. Tim Krymusa, returning to the lineup after missing nine games with a wrist injury, scored twice during Albertas second period on Friday and also had an assist in Saturdays victory.
Krymusas two-goal game was the only multiple goal game of the series for Alberta as nine other Golden Bears scored one goal. Justin Wallin netted single goals in each game for the Golden Bears and defenceman Perry Johnson scored 1-1-2 in the series finale.
Darrell May was UBCs offensive leader with five assists in the series. May, who leads the Thunderbirds in scoring with 5-9-14 in 14 games, scored three assists on Friday and added two more on Saturday. Steve Bunney contributed four points for UBC with a goal and an assist in each game. Three of Bunneys four points, including both goals, came on the powerplay as UBC went four for 12 with the man advantage, including three powerplay goals in the series opener.
Ryan Annesleys five point game was the difference for Calgary in the Dinos 6-2 win at Lethbridge on Friday. Annesley assisted on three of the Dinos four first period goals, in