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CIS men's hockey Saturday roundup
Photo credit Uwe Welz
| StFX | 3 | Dalhousie | 2 | Final | Boxscore |
| AUS quarterfinal 1 - Game 2 | |||||
| UQTR | 3 | Concordia | 5 | Final | Boxscore |
| OUA East quarterfinal 2 - Game 2 | |||||
| Acadia | 1 | UPEI | 0 | Final | Boxscore |
| AUS quarterfinal 2 - Game 2 | |||||
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Saturady night in Charlottetown produced the same result for the Axemen, and an almost identical scoresheet as Friday night’s game. Scott Tregunna at the end of 5 on 3 man-advantage for the Axemen just 5:05 into the opening frame, and Kristofer Westblom recorded his second-straight shutout as the Axemen went on to sweep the UPEI Panthers in the best of three AUS quarter finals. Westblom was the story of the night as the Axemen took to the ice in the third period playing very defensive-minded hockey. Westblom’s shutout streak now extends to 120-plus minutes without surrendering a goal. Acadia now moves on to play the UNB Varisty Reds in a best of five series slated to begin sometime late this week in Fredericton. UNB finished first in the AUS and has been enjoying a week off due to the first round bye they clinched at seasons-end. Acadia went 1-3 against the Reds this season. Source: Acadia Sports Info
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| Toronto | 0 | Carleton | 4 | Final | Boxscore |
| OUA East quarterfinal 3 | |||||
| The Carleton University Ravens men’s hockey
team has advanced to the OUA East semifinals after defeating the
University of Toronto Varsity Blues 4-0 Saturday night at the Ice
House. The Ravens won the best-of-three series 2-1 and will wait until Sunday to find out who their next opponent will be – the UQTR Patriotes or the Nipissing Lakers. After failing to capitalize on a 5-on-3 midway through the first, the Ravens found success on the man-advantage late in the frame when Andrew Self (Peterborough, Ont.) gave Carleton a 1-0 lead. The Ravens gained some momentum in the second thanks to some solid penalty killing. Their pressure paid off as Self notched his second of the game, putting Carleton up 2-0. With the clock winding down, Shane Bakker (Navan, Ont.) and Linden Bahm (Kinburn, Ont.) came in on a 2-on-1. Bakker faked the shot and fed Bahm, who made no mistake, giving Carleton a three-goal lead. Six minutes into the third, Brandon MacLean beat a Varsity Blues defenceman and netminder Garrett Sheehan (Cremona, Alta.) with a highlight-reel goal to round out the scoring. The Burlington, Ont. native has recorded two goals and four assists in three playoff games so far. Teammates Joey Manley (Ottawa) and Jeff Hayes (Ottawa) have also put up solid offensive numbers, finishing the series with five points each.
Ravens goalie Matthew Dopud (Pointe-Claire, Que.) made 22 saves for the shutout. |
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| Saskatchewan | 2 | Lethbridge | 4 | Final | Boxscore |
| LETHBRIDGE, AB – For the second consecutive
night the Lethbridge Pronghorns received a two goal performance
from a forward and stellar goaltending from Scott Bowles enroute to
a weekend sweep of the Saskatchewan Huskies, 4-2.
Captain Dustin Moore scored twice for the winners, with teammates Andrew Courtney and Tyler Melancon adding a goal each. Replying for the Huskies were Brennan Bosch and Derek Hulak. With the win the Horns improve to 12-9-5, one point out of fourth place. With the loss the Huskies fall to 16-10-0, now in third after Calgary swept Regina over the weekend. Bowles finished the night with 32 saves and Ryan Holfeld turned aside 35 Horns shots. The Horns travel to Calgary to face the Dinos in a pair of games as the Bisons host the Huskies next weekend for two. Source: Lethbridge Sports Info
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| Regina | 1 | Calgary | 3 | Final | Boxscore |
| CALGARY – It wasn't necessarily pretty, and
it wasn't a true home weekend, but the Calgary Dinos took care of
the Regina Cougars on Saturday, winning by a 3-1 score and
clinching a playoff spot in the process, five points ahead of the
fifth place team.
"To clinch a spot with games to go yet, it's great for the program," said Mark Howell, whose troops will make their second appearance in the Canada West postseason in as many years. "Our guys have worked hard, and have bought into the pride and the tradition that we're trying to build. "We now have a legitimate chance at hosting in the first round," continued Howell. "We want to be an elite program, and these are the steps you have to take to get there." Calgary now sits all alone in second place and controls their own destiny in terms of hosting a first round playoff series, with the result of Lethbridge and Saskatchewan once again proving fruitful for Calgary. Lethbridge broke a late third period tie against the Huskies to eventually win 4-2, holding the once-second place Saskatchewan to no points in the standings, thus allowing the Dinos room to leap-frog past them. The respective Calgary and Lethbridge sweeps set-up a dramatic head-to-head season finale weekend in a week's time, as Calgary will be looking to hold on to second place, where they are two points up on third place Saskatchewan. Conversely, Lethbridge will be battling for their playoff lives as they sit barely behind fourth place Manitoba. Teegan Moore notched his fourth goal of the season late in the first period to open the game's scoring, banging home a pass from Colton Grant from behind the net of Regina goalkeeper Adam Ward. The goal came on the heels of eight shots in the first period for Calgary. Regina played much better in the first period than their four shots would attest, missing wide and high on numerous quality opportunities. Tyler Penny would get the best chance on a power-play breakaway, but skirted it just wide of Dustin Butler. The Cougars continued their strong pressure and got nine shots on Butler, but still could not find reward in the second period for their bounce-back effort after Friday night. Calgary on the other hand, would get two more goals, with one coming right away to open the period. For this third marker of the season, forward Matt Isbister quickly turned around right in front of Ward only to put a wild slap on the puck, which seemingly fooled everybody as it hit the back of the net. Tyler Swystun would get the third goal of the game courtesy of hard work along the side boards only to break free for a quick wrist shot at 14:20. Regina would not back down in the third period, keeping the Dinos on their heels seemingly the entire time, no doubt helped by six Dinos penalties in the frame, compared to zero for Regina. Ironically, the one goal that Regina could muster in the third period was on a miscue from Butler, as he let a shot off the back boards rebound in off of his leg. Butler had 21 saves in the victory, improving to 11-7 on the year, while Ward let in three on 21 total shots. With the loss, the Regina Cougars complete their 2010-11 season at 8-18-2 with a bye weekend next week. Calgary (16-8-2) on the other end will engage with the Lethbridge Pronghorns in the key battle for playoff positioning. Source: Calgary Sports Info
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| Manitoba | 3 | Alberta | 4 | Final - OT | Boxscore |
Thanks to some timely secondary scoring during a 4-3 OT win over the Manitoba Bisons Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena, the No.3 ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears hockey team secured first place overall in Canada West, and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Golden Bears scored two short-handed tallies against Manitoba; freshman winger Zack Dailey, originally from Edmonton, picked up two assists and Alberta got three goals from defencemen, Ben Lindemulder, Ian Barteaux and Colin Joe, as well as single from sophomore center Sean Ringrose.
Tyler Dittmer, Greg Beller and Jordan Cyr replied for the Bisons, as they once again overcame a third period deficit against Alberta, only to fall short in extra time.
On Friday night, Manitoba scored twice in the third period to tie the score at three, only to lose in a shootout.
Saturday night, the Bisons trailed the Bears 4-3 heading into the third, but scored with under three minutes to play to force overtime.
Once in the extra session, it appeared as though the teams would have to settle their differences in a skills competition again, but Joe ultimately decided the matter, as he raced in from the blue-line, collected a backhand pass from rookie Johnny Lazo, and beat Bison goalie Steve Christie five-hole for the game winner with just 39 seconds left in overtime.
The win, Alberta's fifth in their last six games, locks-up first place in Canada West for the Bears, and home ice advantage throughout the conference post-season. It is the 11th consecutive time they have earned that distinction, and the 12th time in the last 13 seasons.
It didn't start out well for Eric Thurston's Evergreen and Gold squad however, as just like Friday night, Manitoba struck first. Dittmer, a third-year forward from Brandon, opened the scoring at 5:10 of the first period, sneaking a power-play goal past Golden Bears' goalie Kurtis Mucha.
Four minutes later, and after Christie had denied Canada West co-scoring leader Derek Ryan on a breakaway, the Bears tied the score with their first short-handed goal of the game. Dailey, formerly of the Everett Silver Tips, stripped a Bison of the puck at the Alberta blue line, and raced into the Bisons' zone. Once there, he was joined by a streaking Lindemulder, who deftly re-directed Dailey's saucer pass past Christie at 9:01.
Fifth-year veteran Greg Beller restored Manitoba's lead, taking advantage of a Golden Bear turnover, and snapping a wrist shot past Mucha at 13:56.
But, just under two minutes later, the Bears leveled the score again, in a near perfect replica of the Lindemulder goal, as Dailey set-up another defenceman, this time the sophomore Barteaux, for another 2-on-1 goal, this one coming at 15:33 of the first.
Alberta picked-up their first lead of the game late in the second period, and their second short-handed goal of the game, as Sean Ringrose, a 2010 CIS all-rookie team member, beat Christie at 13:24 to send the Bears into the third with a one-goal advantage.
Jordan Cyr sent the teams into overtime, as Manitoba took advantage of a dead-tired Bears unit that failed to clear the puck, and gifted it to Cyr in the slot, allowing the fourth-year forward from Winnipeg to beat Mucha at 17:37.
The end-to-end play continued in overtime, although no team had a clear cut scoring opportunity, with each side registering just two shots in the extra period. After some good work in the Bisons' zone, and in the corners, Alberta was able to grab the win when Lazo heard Joe strafing into the zone, and set him up for the game winner.
As a result of the win, the Bears clinch first, while the out of town scoreboard saw the Calgary Dinos lock down a playoff spot, and slide into second place in the standings. The Saskatchewan Huskies were swept this weekend by Lethbridge, while Calgary swept Regina, moving the Southern Alberta team into second, and Saskatchewan into third. Manitoba continues to occupy the fourth and final spot, but the Pronghorns are just a point behind them.
Next weekend, the Bears close out their regular season in Vancouver against UBC, who is officially out of the playoffs, while Saskatchewan plays Manitoba, and Calgary plays Lethbridge. The Huskies trail Calgary by two points for second place, and home ice in the first round of the playoffs, while the Bisons are two back of Saskatchewan, and four back of Calgary.
Source: Alberta Sports Info
