EDMONTON - First-year Sean Tschigerl scored a hat-trick and set up another goal to lead the Alberta Golden Bears to an 4-0 victory Saturday afternoon at Clare Drake Arena.
He was joined in the win by impressive performances by fellow rookies forward Brett Hyland and goalie Tyler Palmer. The former had a goal and set up two Tschigerl goals, while the latter recorded his first Canada West shutout, setting aside all 26 Bisons shots he faced. Josh Prokop and Aidan de la Gorgendiere added helpers as well on a day Alberta's offence was firing on all cylinders, outshooting Manitoba 54-26. The Bisons did see a good performance from goalie Braden Holt who, while giving up four goals, did stop 50 Bears shots and was a large reason Manitoba stayed in the game for the majority of it. His save total is the highest recorded in a Canada West game this season.
The Bears remain undefeated in early Canada West play and with this win are now 4-0-0 and sit atop the East Division. The Bisons opened their season this weekend, so they slide to 0-2-0 and look to improve with a return home next weekend.
The opening frame started off quiet, with the squads managing just three shots on nut cumulatively through 10 minutes as they got settled on the ice. They traded fruitless power play opportunities in the first, but a Bears kill late in the first seemed to energize the home bench. Soon after with a minute to go in the period Tschigerl popped his second goal of the season off a nice pass from Brett Hyland that beat Braden Holt glove-side to break the deadlock. It would head to the break as a 1-0 Bears lead, with the hosts outshooting the Bisons 15-10.
Alberta dominated play in the second period, spending large swathes of time in the Bisons end looking for the second goal of the game. Holt was stellar in the frame saving 18 shots, but it was Tschigerl again with two minutes to go that beat the Bisons netminder to put the Bears up 2-0. It was the Whitecourt natives second of the game, assisted by Hyland and Connor McClennon. Manitoba was dangerous on a few chances, but on the whole were only able to muster seven shots in the frame which were easily parried by Alberta's goaltender Tyler Palmer.
The Golden Bears finally broke it open in the third period, starting with a Hyland goal off a beautiful Tschigerl cross-crease pass just 50 seconds in to put Alberta up 3-0. The final blow came off the stick of Tschegirl again, a powerplay marker with 15 minutes remaining that all but sealed the game for the home side. The Bisons would receive a powerplay near the end of the frame but the Bears penalty kill, an exceptional three-for-three on the day, snuffed it out and held on for the 4-0 win.
The Bears return to Clare Drake next weekend for an exciting set against the Saskatchewan Huskies (3-0-0), while the Bisons look to get their campaign rolling with a home-opening series against the Regina Cougars (0-3-0).
