Brandin Cote and the Huskies suffered their first loss of the season, dropping a 5-2 decision to the Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton. Photo: Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards

By Ryan Flaherty

rude welcome

Golden Bears hand visiting Huskies first loss of season

Oct 18, 2024 | 11:33 PM

A third-period hat trick by Brett Hyland provided the margin of victory as the Alberta Golden Bears knocked off the Huskies men’s hockey team 5-2 in Edmonton on Friday.

The first-year forward, a 2023 draft pick of the Washington Capitals, scored the eventual game-winner 4:34 into the final frame, added another goal eight minutes later and completed the trick into an empty net with just under three minutes left as the #7 ranked Golden Bears dealt the #4 Dogs their first loss and took sole possession of first place in the Canada West East Division with a 5-0 record.

In the first of six scheduled meetings between the archrivals, the Bears wasted no time jumping out front as Alex Thacker put a rebound past Huskies goaltender Roddy Ross just 2:03 into the contest. It was the first time Saskatchewan had conceded the opening goal this season.

The Dogs responded later in the period thanks to a player returning to the lineup from injury. After Carter Stebbings just missed converting a two-on-one pass from Dawson Holt, he retrieved the puck along the end boards and found Liam Keeler trailing the play. The third-year forward, back after a three-game absence, beat Bears netminder Ethan Kruger to level the score.

A breakneck pace continued in the second period but Alberta scored the only goal of the frame. After a failed clearing attempt by Saskatchewan, Sean Tschigerl fed Mason Ward at the top of the right circle and he rifled home his first goal of the season to put the green and gold back on top.

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The third period belonged to Hyland. First he jammed a loose puck between Ross’s left skate and the post to make it 3-1. His second goal also came from in tight, batting a rebound out of mid-air into the back of the net.

Jarrett Penner pulled that one back almost immediately, scoring 23 seconds later after coughed up the puck inside their own blue line and Keaton Sorensen, also returning from injury, spotted a wide open Penner who buried the backdoor feed for his second of the year.

But that’s as close as the Dogs would get. After pulling Ross for an extra skater with over three minutes to play, the Huskies couldn’t establish possession in the offensive zone and following an Alberta dump-in, a turnover gifted Hyland with the puck in the slot and he calmly fired it into the open cage for his third goal of the night.

The game was played almost exclusively at even strength, with each team failing to convert on a single power play chance. Kruger stopped 30 shots for his third win of the season while Ross made 33 saves in defeat as Alberta outshot Saskatchewan 38-32.

The Huskies will look to rebound and earn a split of the weekend series on Saturday with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. at Clare Drake Arena. Listen on huskiefan.ca or the free HuskieFAN app.

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