Bears down Bisons to capture Canada West hockey crown

Danielle Jenson

Still golden after all these years. The Hockey Bears ran into a hot goalie in the form of Manitoba's Steve Christie this weekend in the Canada West conference final at Clare Drake Arena, but came out of the three-game series as conference champions for a record 48th time.

After making an astounding 46 saves Friday night to backstop his team to a Game 1 victory Christie came back to Earth Saturday and Sunday, as the number-one ranked Bears extinguished the red-hot goalie with a 2–1 win Saturday night, and a 4-2 win in the third and decisive game on Sunday.

"I thought on Saturday he seemed to be shaking his legs a little bit," said Bears head coach Eric Thurston of Christie. "There were shots low and he didn't look as strong on those. It's tough — you face 47 shots the first game, and we didn't get as many [Saturday and Sunday], but we kept that tempo and it's hard to play that way. You really have to give him credit, he's a great goalie that played well and is going to give them a chance to win."

Christie, who was named a Canada West First Team All-Star earlier last week, was truly the difference maker Friday night, but didn't get the offensive support the rest of the way from his teammates, who struggled to generate quality scoring chances in either Game 2 or 3. The Herd's offensive struggles were no more evident than on the power play, as they went a combined 1-for-11 in the last two games.

In goal for the Bears, Travis Yonkman was outshined Friday night by Christie's amazing performance, but bounced back Saturday and Sunday to give Alberta what they needed in goal to take home the series.

"I went back to him on Saturday knowing he was going to be our guy, and I think that his level of play and his concentration looks very in control, and that's what we're going to need to be successful," Thurston said.

For the Bears, conference leading scorer and regular season MVP Chad Klassen was knocked out of the series in Game 2 after Manitoba's Travis Mealy levelled the Bears' forward with a hit to the head — there was no penalty on the play, however, as the Bears suddenly had to look elsewhere for offence. That offence came from the line of Jesse Gimblett, Sean Ringrose, and Eric Hunter, who were tremendous all series long, especially in the absence of their injured teammate.

Eric Hunter provided the spark needed Sunday with the game still up for grabs when he rocked Manitoba's Greg Beller.

"In the second period, they really stepped up their tempo and had us hemmed in, and then Hunter comes out and hammers Beller, and then all of sudden it was a big switch there. It was a key play for a big guy for us," Thurston said.

For both teams their respective season's converge again in just over a week's time in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where both schools will represent Canada West at the national tournament, and while the weekend series was an important conference banner, it wasn't the be all and end all — something the Bears know from the past.

"Obviously, both teams are going to nationals. This is just a small step — a little step. In my eyes, these guys worked hard and it's not easy to win Canada West, but know we've got bigger fish to fry," Thurston explained.

"We've been there in 1999 and 2000 where we didn't win Canada West, and you come in, it's a brand new tournament."

Both those years, the Bears lost in the conference championship series to Saskatchewan, before going onto the national tournament to win back-to-back titles.

In all likelihood, both squads will be in separate pools at the national tournament, with the Bears all but assured the number-one seed after finishing the season atop the rankings, and by holding serve in the postseason, the possibility remains the two teams could hook up at nationals with more than just a conference crown on the line.

"They've got a good enough goalie, and they've got a good team, that we know we could well see them again."