SASKATOON – In front of a Merlis Belsher Place record crowd of 2,583 fans, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team defeated the Alberta Golden Bears by a score of 4-2 in the first game of the Canada West Final on Friday, March 1.
 
"We scored the first goal, and that might have been the difference," said Huskies head coach Dave Adolph. "I thought we were opportunistic. We got a five-on-three and we scored, you have to do that in a clutch game."
 
The Huskies, who last won the Canada West Championship in 2016 over the Golden Bears at Rutherford Arena, will have the chance to win their first banner in their new barn Saturday evening in Saskatoon.
 
The loss for the Golden Bears was their first since Friday, Nov. 31, which was a 4-3 overtime loss at the hands of the Huskies.
 
"I thought we were spectators tonight. We weren't dictating play, and playing the way we need to. We have had some lapses like this earlier in the season, and then we've responded very well the next night," said Golden Bears head coach Ian Herbers. "I'm expecting big things tomorrow night, I know our leadership group knows that performance wasn't good enough. They can't just put their sticks down on the ice and win. That's a good team, and we have to go out and earn it."
 
Jaimen Yakubowski and Parker Thomas each found the back of the net for the Huskies, while Wyatt Johnson's powerplay marker in the second period stood up as the game-winning goal. Carter Folk's third-period breakaway goal all but sealed the win for Saskatchewan. Fifth-year defenceman Jesse Forsberg recorded two assists, while fellow blueliners Sam Ruopp and Gordie Ballhorn also tallied helpers.
 
"As you get into the playoffs, everybody starts bearing down on pucks more and the intensity rises. We have to up our intensity level tomorrow night and I'm sure Alberta will too," said Huskies forward Wyatt Johnson. "The excitement is huge, we're trying to stay even-keeled, but everybody knows what's on the line tomorrow. We've got to come and do a job."
 
Jayden Hart scored and registered an assist, while Brandon Magee was the other goal-scorer on the night for Alberta. Canada West Rookie of the Year and former Red Deer Rebels forward Grayson Pawlenchuk tacked on a helper for the visitors.
 
Canada West Goalie of the Year Taran Kozun turned aside 24 of 26 shots in the win for the Huskies, as the second-year netminder moves to 3-0-0 this postseason.
 
Zach Sawchenko, a Canada West second-team all-star, allowed four goals on 21 shots for the Golden Bears in his first loss of the playoffs.
 
Just 2:32 into the first period, the Huskies broke the ice. Yakubowski walked in down the left wing and went short-side over the shoulder of Sawchenko to score the first-ever Canada West Final goal inside Merlis Belsher Place.
 
Moments later Luke Philp, the Canada West Player of the Year, had a glorious opportunity to tie the game up, as the Alberta forward was sprung on a breakaway, but his wrister connected with iron.
 
However, the Golden Bears cracked Kozun midway through the first period, when Magee stepped into a slapshot from the circle and rocketed it home to tie the game up at one goal apiece.
 
After scoring just minutes into the first period, Yakubowski had a glorious opportunity to strike early in the second, as he snuck behind the Alberta defense and walked in on the breakaway, but Sawchenko was able to close the five-hole on the backhander.
 
Just minutes later the Huskies found the goal they were looking for. Thomas, a fifth-year forward, scooped up a loose puck in transition and fired a shot over the shoulder of Sawchenko to give Saskatchewan the lead.
 
The Golden Bears suffered a lapse in discipline in the second period, and the Huskies took advantage. After a pair of penalties, Saskatchewan went to work on the five-on-three. Jesse Forsberg spotted Stadnyk, who threaded a beautiful cross-seam pass across to Wyatt Johnson, who made no mistake and tapped the puck into the cage to give the home side a two-goal lead.
 
However, with a minute under remaining in the second period, Alberta struck back. The visitors took advantage of a Huskies too-many-men penalty, as Hart re-deflected the point shot past Kozun to trim the visitor's deficit to just one after two periods of play.
 
Just moments into the third period, a crazy bounce off the end boards presented Yakubowski with a gaping cage, but Sawchenko was able to sprawl across and made the stop to keep the Golden Bears within one.
 
Saskatchewan was able to get the insurance marker they were looking for at 15:58 of the third period. Ballhorn's stretch pass sent Folk in alone on Sawchenko, and the second-year forward snapped a wrister past Sawchenko, which sent Merlis Belsher Place into pure pandemonium.
 
Saskatchewan will look to close out the series Saturday evening, as they will search for their 11th Canada West Championship in program history. Meanwhile, Alberta will fight to stay alive, as the defending conference and University Cup champions will need to reel off two consecutive victories to claw back in the best-of-three series.