Box Score Lethbridge – The University of Regina Cougars completed the sweep of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, Saturday afternoon, posting a commanding 8-4 win.
Dylan Tait started in net for the Pronghorns and faced 34 shots before being relieved in the second period by Warren Shymko, who went on to stop a total of 7 shots. Mitch Kilgore got the start for Regina and managed to stop all but four of the 35 shots he faced.
Spenser Jensen, Kyle Moore, Tim Campbell, and Brock Hirsche were the goal scorers for Lethbridge.
JJ Coleshaw and Miguel Pereira led the offensive charge for Regina, combining for a total of six points on the night. Coleshaw scored three goals and registered an assist, while Pereira added two of his own. Trent Lofthouse, Mark Schneider, and Cody Fowlie each contributed individual markers.
Regina's Ian McNulty drew a four minute high-sticking penalty in the opening minute of play which gave Lethbridge an early chance with the man advantage. A quick shot from the point by Tim Campbell wasn't able to get through but Jensen followed up with a great one-timer effort from the top of the circle that soared over Kilgore's glove-side shoulder and into the net for an early lead.
Cody Fowlie cut off a pass deep in 'Horns territory and quickly got a shot on Tait but the Lethbridge keeper managed to stop it. Dillan McCombie put a shot on target moments later but Tait squared off against the first-year forward and confidently made the stop.
Tyler Hansen was called for tripping, at 12:55, which meant Regina would have another chance on the power-play. Landon Peel put a few well-placed shots on target but couldn't crack the 'Horns keeper. The offensive pressure paid off when Coleshaw, in position beside the net, secured his third of the season with a well-placed shot, at 14:30, knotting things up toward the end of the opening frame. Pereira added another goal for the Cougars a few minutes later, quickly doubling-up his team's score with an unassisted effort that beat Tait low blocker-side, at 16:31.
Lethbridge's Tim Campbell was assessed a two-minute penalty for cross-checking five minutes into the second period and it took less than a minute for Coleshaw to add his second of the night, from Cody Fowlie and Troy Hunter. Making the most of the extra attacker, he fired a hard blast top shelf past an unsuspecting Tait to widen the gap to two.
Pereira added his second of the night at 14:10 and less than a minute later Lofthouse took a feed from Landon Peel and net a fifth unanswered goal for the Cougars.
Zane Jones, Tim Campbell, and Bryson Gore each had good scoring chances for the 'Horns late in the period but none would manage to crack Kilgore, who stopped all thirteen shots he faced in the frame.
Less than a minute into the third period, Coleshaw completed the hat-trick, netting his third of the night, courtesy of Cody Fowlie and Mark Schneider.
Moore scored for Lethbridge, at 2:38, but Fowlie answered right back for Regina, with the assistance of Coleshaw, whose assist earned him a fourth point on the night.
As the third frame approached the halfway mark, Lethbridge's Brandon Clowes went hard into the zone with speed and hit Campbell with a perfect tape-to-tape pass that he quickly buried into a wide open net. Less than a minute later, Hirsche followed-up Campbell's effort with a hard blast of his own that beat Kilgore blocker-side and cut the lead to three.
Schneider added an empty netter for the Cougars, at 13:28.
With this win, the Cougars improve to 4-10-0 on the season, while the 'Horns sit at 6-7-1. Next weekend the Cougars return to Regina where they will face off against the University of Manitoba Bisons. The Pronghorns will travel to Edmonton where they will close out the first half of the season with a two-game matchup against the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
