FEATURED POLL
See Results Bison men's hockey lose game two of Canada West Semi Final by 4-3 (2OT) score
Written by: Bob Stauffer - U of Alberta Sports Information
March 2nd, 2008 1:25am
Brian Woolger (Edmonton, 2nd) scored at 7:55 of the second overtime period to complete the comeback as the #2 ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears (21-5-2 Canada West, 29-8-2 overall) rallied from a 3-0 deficit, to post a 4-3 victory over the visiting Manitoba Bisons (13-13-2 Canada West, 20-24 overall) in Game 2 of the Canada West semifinal Saturday night in Edmonton.
With the Bears win, Alberta sweeps the best-of-three series in two straight games, and advances to the Canada West Final next weekend as they host Saskatchewan. The Golden Bears also claim one of two Conference berths for the University Cup which will be held by in March 20th to 23rd in Moncton. Alberta has now qualified for the Men’s National Championship 11 of the last 12 seasons. “We showed tremendous character tonight and our powerplay helped bail us out,” said Golden Bears Head Eric Thurston noting his team’s 3-for8- performance with the extra man. “Manitoba played a heck off the series. They were disciplined and they stuck to their systems. Don MacGillivary (Canada West Coach of the Year) has done a great job, and that team gave us everything we could handle this weekend,” added Thurston. The Bisons who have not won at Clare Drake Arena since October 14th, 1995, a span of 31 games (0-30-1), jumped the Bears early and stunned the crowd of 1651 building up a 3-0 first period lead. Calin Wild (Winnipeg, MB, 2nd) banged home a loose puck past Bears netminder Aaron Sorochan (Edmonton, 3rd) to give the Bisons a 1-0 lead at 10:13. After an extended Manitoba cycle, Richard Wood (Rivers, MB, 3rd) deflected a Kyle Howarth (St. Andrews, MB, 1st) shot by Sorochan to give the ‘Herd a 2-0 lead at 14:25. Eleven seconds later, Clare Drake Arena went silent as the Bisons built up a 3-0 lead.
After the puck had ricocheted off of Golden Bears’ defenceman Mark Ashton’s (Fort Saskatchewan, AB, 2nd) skate back from behind the net towards the goal, Travis Kornelsen (Riverton, MB, 2nd) tapped the puck out of mid-air and into a yawning cage and the Bears were on the ropes. “I have to give him (Kornelsen) credit, I don’t know if he could do that 19 times out of 20, but he made a great play to tip it past me,” said Sorochan after the game. Thurston then called a time out, as the Bears attempted to compose themselves. With just 20 seconds left in the first period and with the Bears on the powerplay, Derek Ryan (Spokane, WA, 1st) banked a short side shot off of Manitoba netminder Krister Toews (Kleefield, MB, 4th) into the net and Alberta had closed the Bisons lead to 3-1. Manitoba’s tenacious forecheck and excellent cycling stymied the Bears vaunted offence, throughout the second period, but Alberta finally broke through again on the powerplay. With a minute left in the second, Conference First-Team All-Star Harlan Anderson blasted a screened shot that beat Toews and the Bears and the crowd were back in it with Alberta trailing 3-2 heading into the third. Alberta then tied it at 3-3 at the seven-minute mark of the third. After a flurry of Golden Bears chances with the extra man, Anderson fired a shot from the point that Toews stopped, but Jesse Gimblett (Newtonville, ON, 2nd) lifted the puck over a fallen Toews to tie the game. Neither team could score in the final 13 minutes of regulation or the first 10 minute overtime prior to Woolger’s heroics. In the second overtime period, Chad Klassen (Saskatoon, SK, 2nd) led a rush up the ice, and fed Woolger just inside the blue line. The former Portland Winterhawk, made an outside-inside move, and then snapped a 35-foot shot past his former WHL teammate, Toews, low to the glove side to give the Bears the victory. Alberta outshot Manitoba 35-33 on the night, including 10-4 in the two overtime periods.
The Bears went 3-for-8 on the powerplay on the night, and finished the weekend 5-for14, after the Golden Bears 2-for-6 in their 4-2 Game 1 victory. Manitoba was 0-for-4 on the powerplay, and went 0-for-9 on the weekend.
With the Bears win, Alberta sweeps the best-of-three series in two straight games, and advances to the Canada West Final next weekend as they host Saskatchewan. The Golden Bears also claim one of two Conference berths for the University Cup which will be held by in March 20th to 23rd in Moncton. Alberta has now qualified for the Men’s National Championship 11 of the last 12 seasons. “We showed tremendous character tonight and our powerplay helped bail us out,” said Golden Bears Head Eric Thurston noting his team’s 3-for8- performance with the extra man. “Manitoba played a heck off the series. They were disciplined and they stuck to their systems. Don MacGillivary (Canada West Coach of the Year) has done a great job, and that team gave us everything we could handle this weekend,” added Thurston. The Bisons who have not won at Clare Drake Arena since October 14th, 1995, a span of 31 games (0-30-1), jumped the Bears early and stunned the crowd of 1651 building up a 3-0 first period lead. Calin Wild (Winnipeg, MB, 2nd) banged home a loose puck past Bears netminder Aaron Sorochan (Edmonton, 3rd) to give the Bisons a 1-0 lead at 10:13. After an extended Manitoba cycle, Richard Wood (Rivers, MB, 3rd) deflected a Kyle Howarth (St. Andrews, MB, 1st) shot by Sorochan to give the ‘Herd a 2-0 lead at 14:25. Eleven seconds later, Clare Drake Arena went silent as the Bisons built up a 3-0 lead.
After the puck had ricocheted off of Golden Bears’ defenceman Mark Ashton’s (Fort Saskatchewan, AB, 2nd) skate back from behind the net towards the goal, Travis Kornelsen (Riverton, MB, 2nd) tapped the puck out of mid-air and into a yawning cage and the Bears were on the ropes. “I have to give him (Kornelsen) credit, I don’t know if he could do that 19 times out of 20, but he made a great play to tip it past me,” said Sorochan after the game. Thurston then called a time out, as the Bears attempted to compose themselves. With just 20 seconds left in the first period and with the Bears on the powerplay, Derek Ryan (Spokane, WA, 1st) banked a short side shot off of Manitoba netminder Krister Toews (Kleefield, MB, 4th) into the net and Alberta had closed the Bisons lead to 3-1. Manitoba’s tenacious forecheck and excellent cycling stymied the Bears vaunted offence, throughout the second period, but Alberta finally broke through again on the powerplay. With a minute left in the second, Conference First-Team All-Star Harlan Anderson blasted a screened shot that beat Toews and the Bears and the crowd were back in it with Alberta trailing 3-2 heading into the third. Alberta then tied it at 3-3 at the seven-minute mark of the third. After a flurry of Golden Bears chances with the extra man, Anderson fired a shot from the point that Toews stopped, but Jesse Gimblett (Newtonville, ON, 2nd) lifted the puck over a fallen Toews to tie the game. Neither team could score in the final 13 minutes of regulation or the first 10 minute overtime prior to Woolger’s heroics. In the second overtime period, Chad Klassen (Saskatoon, SK, 2nd) led a rush up the ice, and fed Woolger just inside the blue line. The former Portland Winterhawk, made an outside-inside move, and then snapped a 35-foot shot past his former WHL teammate, Toews, low to the glove side to give the Bears the victory. Alberta outshot Manitoba 35-33 on the night, including 10-4 in the two overtime periods.
The Bears went 3-for-8 on the powerplay on the night, and finished the weekend 5-for14, after the Golden Bears 2-for-6 in their 4-2 Game 1 victory. Manitoba was 0-for-4 on the powerplay, and went 0-for-9 on the weekend.
