NO. 1 BEARS KNOCK OUT REDMEN

By Dan Carle

EDMONTON (CIS) - Alberta was patient for two periods before a surgeon-like strike for three goals in the third gave the team another home berth in the University Cup final.

\"This isn't the end of our season,\" said Alberta first-year coach Eric Thurston as Scott Henkelman finished with two goals Saturday for the defending CIS men's hockey champions in a 5-1 win over the McGill Redmen.

TELUS University Cup web site: http://www.cisport.ca/e/championships/m_hockey/2006

Dylan Stanley, Tim Krymusa and Richard Hamula also scored for Alberta, the No. 1 seed at the six-team tournament. Hamula and Henkelman both finished with three points.

\"We were ready to go and it really showed tonight,\" said Thurston.

Alberta, seeking its 12th University Cup title, are looking to become the first team in CIS history to win back-to-back titles at home.

The 2-0 Golden Bears advance to Sunday's Rexall Place final (9 p.m. ET, TSN tape delayed one hour) against Lakehead, which earlier beat Saskatchewan 4-2 to earn its first appearance in the national championship game.

\"It's one game for the national championship,\" said Stanley. \"I don't think you could ask for anything more.\"

Henkelman gave Alberta a 1-0 lead five minutes into the game after twice circling the net before scoring on Mathieu Poitras. Calgary native Ken Davis replied for the Redmen with a power-play goal at 13:14 as the first period ended 1-1.

\"They have got a lot of skill, a lot of depth, a lot of size,\" said Davis, who played with or against most of Alberta's lineup. \"I knew it would be a tough go.\"

The Redmen took three straight penalties in the second period and Stanley scored a power play goal after Poitras had made two stellar stops.

Alberta struck for a pair of goals in a 36-second span of the third period after Krymusa scored on a power play and player-of-the-game Hamula beat Poitras with a wrist shot from the faceoff circle.

Henkelman scored Alberta's fifth goal on a breakaway with 1:19 left in regulation.

\"We were lucky to get some bounces in the third period,\" said Henkelman.

McGill forward Benoit Martin was cut by a high stick without a penalty early in the second period as stickwork was a problem throughout the game. The 130-year-old Redmen (1-1) made their first appearance at the University Cup.

\"Special teams hurt us,\" said Redmen coach Martin Raymond. \"We usually come back.\"

The Golden Bears were without captain Gavin McLeod, who suffered a lower body injury, believed to be a charleyhorse, during Friday's 8-2 win over Wilfird Laurier.

Alberta outshot McGill 41-22.

NOTES: McGill centre Mathieu Leclerc crawled off the ice after dislocating his left shoulder in the first period but returned for the second ... The Redmen had about 60 flag-waving fans fans behind their bench ... Edmonton Oilers goalie coach Pete Peeters was at the game.

SCORING SUMMARY

Alberta 5, McGill 1

FIRST PERIOD

SCORING:

1. ALB Scott Henkelman (1) (R. Hamula, D. Stanley), 5:33
2. McG Ken Davis (1) (E. L'Italien, K. Morin), 14:14 PP

PENALTIES:

D. Orr (McG) hooking, 3:11; C. Rich (ALB) hooking, 7:25; D. Urquhart (McG) tripping, 9:52; C. Ovington (ALB) roughing, 12:30.

SECOND PERIOD

SCORING:

3. ALB Dylan Stanley (2) (B. Thomson, J. Kehler), 6:27 PP

PENALTIES:

B. Kilgour (ALB) kneeing, 0:44; P. Johnson (ALB) holding the stick, 3:07; K. Davis (McG) roughing, 4:21; D. Urquhart (McG) cross-checking, 5:24; K. Morin (McG) roughing, 7:25; J. Kehler (ALB) hooking, 8:14; J. Kehler (ALB) hooking, 15:56; D. Urquhart (McG) interference, 18:08.

THIRD PERIOD

SCORING:

4. ALB Tim Krymusa (1) (B. Kilgour, B. Tutschek), 4:45 PP
5. ALB Richard Hamula (1) (S. Henkelman, H. Anderson), 5:21
6. ALB Scott Henkelman (2) (R. Hamula, J. Wallin), 18:41

PENALTIES:

C. Churchill-Smith (McG) holding, 2:46; R. Stempfle (ALB) holding, 5:58.

POWER PLAY:
ALB: 2/7
McG: 1/7

SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
ALB: 18-12-11:41
McG: 7-7-8:22

GOALTENDERS
ALB - Aaron Sorochan (W, 22 shots, 21 saves, 60:00)
McG - Mathieu Poitras (L, 41 shots, 36 saves, 60:00)

ELITE SPORTSWEAR PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
ALB: Richard Hamula
McG: Ken Davis

REFEREE: Ghislain Hébert

LINESMEN: Graham Heather, Cam McMillan

ATTENDANCE: 3,009

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All times LOCAL / Mountain Time)

Pre-tournament seeding

1. Alberta Golden Bears
2. Acadia Axemen
3. Lakehead Thunderwolves
4. McGill Redmen
5. Saskatchewan Huskies
6. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Thursday, March 23
Game 1 (Clare Drake Arena): Saskatchewan 5, Acadia 1
Game 2 (Clare Drake Arena): McGill 4, Wilfrid Laurier 3 (2OT)

Friday, March 24
Game 3 (Clare Drake Arena): Lakehead 4, Acadia 3
Game 4 (Clare Drake Arena): Alberta 8, Wilfrid Laurier 2

Saturday March 25
Game 5 (Clare Drake Arena): Lakehead 4, Saskatchewan 2
16:00 Game 6 (Clare Drake Arena): McGill (4) vs. Alberta (1) (live on TSN)

Sunday March 26
19:00 Championship final (Rexall Place): Lakehead (3) vs. TBD (TSN / following NHL broadcast)

- CIS -