EDMONTON – The Alberta Golden Bears answered back with a 6-1 win over the UBC Thunderbirds in game two of the Canada West semifinal Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena to force a third and deciding game.
 
After the T-Birds opened the series with a 3-2 overtime win Friday night to put the Bears on the brink of elimination, Alberta's offence exploded in game two while goaltender Matt Berlin made 19 saves for the win.
 
Cole Linaker and Curtis Miske each scored twice for the Golden Bears while Tyler Soy and Noah Philp chipped in a goal each for the home side. Carter Popoff scored UBC's lone goal, his first of the playoffs, while Rylan Toth and Patrick Dea combined for 28 saves on the night.


 
"The level of desperation they had, they wanted it more than we did tonight and it showed on 50-50 battles and the energy," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon. "We just have to be more desperate starting in the D zone. Those 50-50 pucks in the first period, there were just too many losses."
 
Things got physical in the game, as the officials would hand out a total of 15 penalties. Alberta took advantage of their nine power play opportunities, scoring on three of them, while UBC went 0-for-6.
 
Alberta dominated the puck from the opening faceoff as Miske opened scoring midway through the first with his first goal of the playoffs, streaking hard to the net and beating Toth with a wrister past the far post. Alberta would go on to outshoot the thunderbirds 12-4 in the period.


 
The Bears lit the lamp three more times in the second, including two from Linaker, to take a 4-0 lead into the final period.
 
Dea started the third in net for the T-Birds allowing Toth some rest ahead of the inevitable game three Sunday.
 
The Thunderbirds' lone goal came early in the third with Popoff jamming the puck home on Berlin's doorstep. However, any momentum the 'Birds were able to gain was quickly sapped with Alberta scoring two more on the power play less than two minutes apart in the middle stage of the frame.


 
Both teams now face elimination heading into game three with a berth in the Canada West championship and the U SPORTS national championship on the line.
 
"It's another game for guys to step up and rise to the occasion," added Butenschon heading into the latest biggest game of the year for the 'Birds. "Certain guys really haven't done much in the playoffs so it's another opportunity. "We'll take that opportunity any time, any day of the week, we're three periods away. Any time the odds were against us this year we've proven the odds makers wrong and we have to do it one more time."
 
Puck drop for game three is set for Sunday at 6:00 p.m. PT at Clare Drake Arena.