VANCOUVER – The Alberta Golden Bears scored three times in the first and never looked back as they cruised to a 7-0 game two win over the UBC Thunderbirds, claiming the 2021-22 Canada West title with the series sweep Saturday night at Edmonton's Clare Drake Arena.
After a gritty, closely battled series opening game the night prior, the Bears looked as though the end result was never in doubt on Saturday, quickly staking out a 2-0 lead before the opening period was half over.
The 'Birds came out strong to start the second period but another three Alberta tallies in the second half of the frame sealed it, as the Bears claimed their 29th Canada West championship.
For the second straight game the Bears opened scoring less than five minutes into the opening period, this time courtesy of Gary Haden with his first of the playoffs. An errant pass put the puck right onto Haden's tape and he was able to pot home his own rebound past Rylan Toth, making the T-Birds pay for the unforced error.
The Bears doubled their lead at the 8:50 mark off a fortuitous bounce off the end boards. A Noah Philp shot grazed off Toth's shoulder and off the end glass before bouncing back down in the crease where Matt Fonteyne tapped it in for his third of the post-season.
The home team just kept on rolling in the first as Tyler Preziuso scored his first of the playoffs, finishing on a late breakaway off a feed from Nolan Volcan. Preziuso drove in towards Toth and flipped the puck over his glove with just under four minutes to play as the Bears took a 3-0 lead into the break.
UBC came out of the intermission with purpose, holding the edge in play and generating a number of quality chances, but just couldn't get anything past Taz Burman.
The tide then turned back in Alberta's favour for good when Volcan made it a four goal Bears lead at the 13:34 mark of the middle frame. The second-year forward took advantage of another T-Birds defensive zone turnover, wristing the puck five-hole past Toth for his first of the playoffs.
Alberta got two more within the next 4:23, both from Josh Prokop, to make it a 6-0 Bears advantage through 40 minutes with the game all but done, still with 20 minutes left to play.
Despite the lopsided score, the T-Birds poured it on in the third, outshooting the Bears by an 18-8 margin, but Burman was solid between the pipes, stopping all 29 shots he faced on the night to record his first career playoff shutout.
Ethan Sakowich rounded out the scoring with his first of the playoffs, 6:20 into the third.
While Alberta celebrates their 29th Canada West title, the T-Birds are forced to settle for silver for the second consecutive season.
Both teams have already clinched their berths to the upcoming University Cup set to begin March 31 in Wolfville, Nova Scotia with the potential for these two conference rivals to meet one more time.
The loss may sting for UBC for now, but the desire to step up and take a run at the national banner will be bigger than ever.
