EDMONTON - After a 4-3 OT loss on Friday night, the Bears responded in fine form with a 7-1 rout of the Cougars on Saturday night.
12 different Bears recorded a point in the win. Noah Boyko led the way for Alberta with two goals, scoring once in each of the final two periods to help break the game open. Adam Hall also finished with two goals, including a third-period power-play marker, while Ryan Duguay delivered a standout night with one goal and three assists, factoring in four of Alberta's seven tallies.
Jayden Joly opened the scoring and added an assist, Rhett Melnyk posted a goal and an assist, and Justin Hall chipped in with two helpers. In goal, Ethan Kruger was sharp, turning aside 22 of 23 shots to earn the win.
Regina's lone bright spot was Ayden Third, who scored the Cougars' only goal midway through the second period.
First Period
A tightly played opening frame featured few clean looks as both teams traded physical shifts and worked the perimeter. Alberta earned the lone power play at 15:37 after Rylan Silzer was called for cross-checking, but Regina's penalty kill held firm. The period ended scoreless, with Kruger and Regina netminder Justen Maric keeping the game even.
Second Period
Alberta broke through early in the middle frame. At 6:36, Jayden Joly opened the scoring, finishing a setup from Ryan Duguay and Rhett Melnyk to make it 1-0. Just over a minute later, Noah Boyko doubled the lead at 7:47, converting a feed from Owen Pederson with Konrad Belcourt also earning an assist.
Regina responded at 11:14, when Ayden Third capitalized on a broken play, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Alberta restored its two-goal cushion late in the period, as Adam Hall scored at 17:49, finishing a pass from Tyson Laventure and Justin Hall to send the Bears into intermission up 3-1.
Third Period
The Golden Bears took full control in the final frame. Boyko struck again at 8:14, finishing another sequence involving Duguay and Joly. At 13:17, Rhett Melnyk extended the lead to four with help from Duguay.
On a Regina slashing penalty, Adam Hall converted on the power play at 16:06, assisted by Justin Hall and Blake Gustafson. Just 23 seconds later, Ryan Duguay capped the scoring at 16:29, finishing a feed from Bruce MacGregor and Alex Thacker to make it 7–1.
