Horns hand No. 2 Bears third conference loss

Team captain and former Red Deer Rebel Dustin Moore recorded a two-goal night, including the game winner, as the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns defeated the No.2 ranked Alberta Golden Bears 5-4, Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

Moore, originally from Red Deer, finishes the weekend with four points after also registering a goal during an 8-6 loss Friday night and adding an assist to his Saturday performance. Winston Day Chief, Brian Matte, and Mark Shefchyk rounded out the scoring for the visitors. The line of Day Chief, Matte, and Jason Roberts had a hugely successful weekend in Edmonton, combining for 16 points, including six goals. Day Chief led the way with six points, five of which were assists.

The Golden Bears, now 2-2 in their last four games but 20-3-1 on the season and atop the Canada West standings for good, received goals from Eric Hunter, Tyler Metcalfe, Lee Zalasky, and Chad Klassen.

Metcalfe, Alberta's captain, had a strong weekend as he recorded four points (two goals, two assists), while Klassen had a three-goal weekend, giving him six goals in his last three games.

Alberta opened the scoring at 9:55 of the first when Hunter, a 2006 NHL draft choice of the New York Rangers, deposited a power-play rebound past Scott Bowles in the Pronghorn goal. Jason Fransoo and Jesse Gimblett drew the assists.

Standoff, Alberta resident Winston Day Chief tied the score before the first period ended, and then Lethbridge took the lead early in the second when Moore inched the puck just over the line, right before a scrambling Travis Yonkman could put his glove on it and pull it out of the net.

Former Seattle Thunderbird Tyler Metcalfe scored a short-handed tally 6:15 into the second to tie it up, and then Zalasky, with his second of the weekend, put Alberta in front 3-2 at 12:38 of the middle frame.

Yet with 1:48 remaining, Shefchyk beat Yonkman from the right-side boards, sending the teams into the third period all knotted up.

That late-goal momentum carried over for the Pronghorns, who are fighting for their playoff lives, and they used it to beat Yonkman twice more in the third, eventually getting the win when Moore scored at 10:16.

Klassen drew the Golden Bears to within one goal with less than three minutes to go, but even with an extra attacker, Alberta couldn't find the shot to send it to overtime.

The win improves the Pronghorn record to 10-11-3, and they are now just two points behind the Calgary Dinos for the final playoff spot in Canada West. Should the Pronghorns claim the final spot, they would end up back in Edmonton for the opening round of the Canada West playoffs. Lethbridge now has a 2-2 record during their last four conference games at Clare Drake Arena, going back to the 2008-09 season, but over that same span, Alberta holds a combined 10-2 conference record against Lethbridge from both home barns.

The Golden Bears, after five straight games on the road, stay in Edmonton next weekend to host the 7-16-1 UBC Thunderbirds. Lethbridge returns home next weekend and will host Regina, who is only four points back of the Pronghorns, in a key match-up.

Game Notes:
Alberta was without defensemen Kyle Fecho, Reade Wolansky and forward Greg Gardner