EDMONTON – Three goals in just over three minutes late in the second period was enough to send the No. 2 ranked Alberta Golden Bears to a 5-3 win over the UBC Thunderbirds Friday night at Clare Drake Arena.

The Bears' three late goals in the second gave them a 4-1 lead after 40, which they were able to hold onto for an eighth win in their last nine games while handing the T-Birds a third straight loss.

Grayson Pawlenchuk, Steven Owre, Cole Sanford, Trevor Cox and Josh Patterson all scored for Alberta. Brendan Burke stopped 13 of the 16 shots he faced, improving his record to a perfect 8-0-0.



"We had a bit of a short lineup with only 11 forwards and they have four lines which they really use a lot and roll," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon. "We got a bit tired there towards the end of the second period and we turned some pucks over in the neutral zone and they capitalized."

Rylan Toth was the goalie of record for UBC allowing four goals on 31 shots. Patrick Dea allowed the lone third period goal, stopping eight of the nine shots he faced in relief. Jerret Smith, Austin Vetterl and Jonathan Smart each scored in a losing effort for the 'Birds. 

Despite outshooting UBC 15-3 in the opening frame, Alberta mustered just one goal as Pawlenchuk beat Toth through a screen for his 11th of the season. UBC was also gifted an own-goal, as Bears captain Ryan Rehill accidentally beat Burke to tie the game, with Smith getting credit for his first of the season.



The Bears pulled away late in the second with Owre, Sanford and Cox all scoring in the final five minutes of the frame.

Trailing by three entering the third, UBC chipped into the Alberta lead midway through the period. Vetterl beat Burke off a great feed from Matt Revel for his fourth of the season, 10 minutes in.

The Bears, however, answered right back as Patterson finished off a two-on-one with Noah Philp for his fifth. 

Smart scored UBC's third goal with four minutes left, but it wasn't enough as Alberta hung on to the 5-3 win.

"The third period was a great response, we scored a couple goals and had a couple more chances, glorious opportunities," explained Butenschon. "We scored three goals on 16 shots, we have to continue to try to get some of those pucks to the net and get to rebounds and second pucks."

The two teams will each conclude their first half of the 2019 Canada West season Saturday night with the rematch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT in Edmonton.