Box Score EDMONTON – Jamie Crooks scored twice to lift the University of Alberta Golden Bears to a 4-1 win over the visiting Lethbridge Pronghorns, Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena.
Kruise Reddick and Levko Koper also notched goals, while Luke Siemens stopped 21 of 22 shots for his 11th win of the season. Kyle Moore scored the lone Pronghorn goal, his third of the season in the first period.
After winning the previous night's game 10-1, the Alberta offense picked up right where they left off, scoring twice in the opening frame. Levko Koper scored his sixth goal in the past four games off a beautiful feed from Reddick into the crease on the powerplay, to open the scoring. Moore would breathe some life into the Pronghorns in the final five minutes of the first period, as his attempted pass on a two-on-one break deflected off a stick, and over a confused Siemens and into his net to even the game at one.
Just like last night, however, the 1-1 score would last for less than a minute, as Reddick would receive a gift of a turnover in the 'Horn zone, and blow a shot over Dylan Tait's glove.
Despite being heavily outshot through the first period and a half, Lethbridge would manage to keep it a one goal game through most of the second period. The Bears pressure would finally pay off, however, as another horrible turnover in the 'Horn zone led to Crooks' sixth of the season, opening it to a 3-1 game.
Lethbridge would start to play with some urgency in the third period, but another wacky Clare Drake bounce sealed the deal for Alberta. James Dobrowolski fired an innocent shot over the Lethbridge net, only for it to bounce off the glass, off Tait's back, and onto the goal-line for Crooks to tap in his second goal of the night.
The win is the sixth in a row to end 2015 for Alberta (11-3-1), and keeps them only one point back of the 13-3 Saskatchewan Huskies for top spot in the conference.
After winning five straight to start November, the Pronghorns (6-9-1) have now dropped their last four, allowing 29 goals over that span, and slotting them into sixth in Canada West.
The weekend series was the final conference games for both teams in 2015, and will return to Canada West action in the second weekend in January.
Alberta will head to Arizona for a non-conference series with the Arizona State Sun Devils next weekend in their final games before the winter break.
