U of R Sports Information

REGINA - The University of Regina men's hockey team fell 7-1 to Alberta on Saturday afternoon, as the No. 2-ranked Golden Bears completed the season sweep of the Cougars at The Co-operators Centre.

Grayson Pawlenchuk, Jayden Hart and Tyler Soy had two goals apiece for the visitors, and Trevor Cox also notched a marker. Ben Duperreault scored his fourth goal of the season as the Cougars drop to 4-19-1.

Alberta improves to 20-3-1 and has won 16 of its last 17 conference games. Zach Sawchenko made 12 saves for his 14th win of the Canada West campaign. Dawson MacAuley returned to the Cougar net, stopping 53 of the 60 shots Alberta put on goal.

The Alberta attack was consistent, scoring twice in the first and second periods before adding three more tallies in the final frame. Cooper opened the scoring midway through the first with a rebound goal before Hart beat MacAuley with a wrist shot with just a second left in the opening 20 minutes.

The Cougars cut the lead in half just 12 seconds into the second period, breaking in alone on Sawchenko and deking to his backhand to finish off the play. The one-goal game lasted for less than 90 seconds, as Pawlenchuk buried a rebound past the glove of MacAuley. Pawlenchuk added his second of the night shortly after, capitalizing on a turnover by the Cougars. The rookie forward took a feed from Steven Owre and swooped down the wing before flipping home a backhand.

The onslaught continued in the third period, as Cox and Soy were each able to put home rebounds after initial saves from MacAuley. Soy would get another one late in the period, as Alberta scored another shorthanded goal. Soy took a pass up the boards from Cole Sanford and raced up the ice before tucking a backhand between the pads of MacAuley.

The Cougars will be on the road next weekend for a matchup with the seventh-ranked Calgary Dinos. Alberta will return to the Clare Drake Arena to host the Lethbridge Pronghorns.