Box Score
CALGARY – The No. 4-ranked University of Calgary Dinos registered their third sweep in a row as they beat the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 5-2 at the Father David Bauer Arena on Saturday night.
On the back of another impressive night by rookie Chris Collins, the Dinos extended their win streak to six games to open the season. Calgary dominated the game from start to finish, outshooting Lethbridge 48-19 as the Pronghorns fall to 0-4.
"It was nice to get the win," said a rather humble Collins post-game. "The bounces just seem to be going my way early."
Calgary remains atop the Canada West standings with the win as the Alberta Golden Bears try to keep pace as the only remaining undefeated teams in the conference.
"Overall our effort was good tonight," explained fifth-year Calgary head coach Mark Howell. "We maintained our purpose and pace in the third period and had a lot of shots."
The Dinos struck early on Saturday as they put the game's first goal past Dylan Tait less than a minute in. Getting a piece of Cory Pritz's shot from the blue line, Giffen Nyren recorded his fourth goal of the season to make it a 1-0 Calgary game.
Tying the score at 5:42 of the first period, Brock Hirsche scored a very important goal for the Pronghorns. Eluding Jacob DeSerres with a shot to the low glove side, Hirsche netted the first Lethbridge goal by a forward this season as well as the first goal in the opening 40 minutes of a game. Brent Henke and Guillaume Naud picked up assists on the play.
After knotting the game at 1-1, the Pronghorns began to press the Dinos in their own end, firing six shots on the Calgary net in a short time span. The visitors shot themselves in the foot though as momentum shifted back to the Dinos with a couple of late period power plays.
Scoring even strength, Collins recorded his eighth goal of the season, flipping a backhand shot over Tait from the left side of the crease at 15:55 of the first to retake the lead for Calgary.
Doing what he has done all season long, Collins doubled the Dinos' advantage at the 19:10 mark on a man advantage. Notching his seventh goal in three games and second of the night, Collins blasted a shot from the right face-off circle past a sprawling Tait. The Calgary native leads Canada Wes with nine goals.
Another first-minute goal in the second period extended the Calgary lead to 4-1. Whistling one through a maze of players, Spencer Edwards lit the lamp for his third of the season on a five-on-three advantage just 47 seconds in.
Failing to muster much of anything, the Pronghorns were held to just two shots in the middle frame while the Dinos directed 15 pucks towards Tait.
In the third period, Calgary and Lethbridge traded shorthanded goals to round out the scoring. Adam Kambeitz made it a 5-1 game with a highlight-reel goal, coast-to-coast for his third goal of the campaign at 13:23.
Guillaume Naud responded for the 'Horns at 16:08 of the third as he stripped the puck from a Calgary rearguard and beat DeSerres on a breakaway. The tally was Naud's first in the CIS.
The Dinos were 2-8 on the power play, while the Pronghorns went 0-6.
Next weekend, Calgary will travel east and play two games at the newly re-named Wayne Fleming Arena versus the Manitoba Bisons on Oct. 25-26.
The Pronghorns will be in Saskatoon on Oct. 25-26 as they take on the Saskatchewan Huskies in a two-game set.
