EDMONTON - Jake Bosch and Garry Onyejelem each had a goal and an assist to lift the Alberta Golden Bears over their crosstown rivals the MacEwan Griffins 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Foote Field.

With the result, the Golden Bears have virtually clinched second place in the Prairie Division and with that comes a quarterfinal game at Foote Field against the third seed in the Pacific. The Calgary Dinos (3-5-3) would have to win out with their last three games, and Alberta lose their final two to have a shot at the second place spot. As it stands, the quarterfinal could be played against Thompson Rivers (7-3-3) or the UNBC Timberwolves (6-4-3). The Griffins are fighting off the Saskatchewan Huskies for the fourth and final berth in the playoffs, with only two points separating the teams with two games to play each.

The start of the game was fairly slow-paced, with each team creating a few chances and the defenses standing strong for the most part. Alberta largely controlled possession, and in the 29th minute the attack was fruitful with third-year midfielder Jake Bosch scoring his first of the year on a rocket from just inside the box. First-year Habib Assem, the Bears leading scorer, played a beautiful ball that found the right foot of Bosch. That would be the only score of the first half, sending the Bears into the locker room up 1-0 at the half.

It was a physical half in the rivalry game; the squads both employed some aggressive tackles leading to 13 combined fouls in the first. Alberta outshot the Griffins 5-4 in the first, however the Griffins had two shots on target to the Bears one.

The second half started with a bang, with a miscommunication between Alberta second-year Luke Withers and fourth-year keeper Chris Ezoua led to a Griffins goal off the boot of second-year Chance Carter. Carter was a halftime sub and made an instant impact on his first touch. The score remained 1-1 in the 60th minute after a phenomenal save from Griffins keeper Joshua Stayko on Bears defender Morgan Graham from in close. Another Bears chance came knocking in the 69th minute when Ibrahim Jetishi missed a sitter from in the box after pressure from Stayko.

The Bears broke through a minute later however, when Onyejelem finished from in close on a phenomenal pass from Bosch to put the Bears up 2-1. The offence did not stop there for Alberta, as third-year midfielder Rilind Idrizi potted home a phenomenal pass from Onyejelem to set the score at 3-1 which would be the final.

It was Senior Celebration Day for the Bears program, celebrating the five graduating players from the program. Fifth-year captain Janko Vong; fourth-years Onyejelem, Morgan Graham, and Everett Orgnero along with third-year Harry Malhi are all leaving the program to end the year after successful Golden Bears careers.

Both the Bears and the Griffins take the trip down the QEII to face the Calgary Dinos (3-5-3) and Mount Royal Cougars (8-0-3) on alternating days.