Teddy Bears fly during much-needed wins at Clare Drake Arena

Clare Drake Arena had a unique buzz this weekend. Fans packed the rink on both Friday and Saturday, flooding the ice with Teddy Bears. The fuzzy bears occupied an entire box truck in transport to Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre, where they will be donated. These kinds of events make these games feel bigger than sport.

Golden Bears split the weekend

The University of Alberta Golden Bears opened the weekend at MacEwan University and took a 4-3 loss in overtime. It was their sixth straight loss, and it tightened the division race even more. Tyson Laventure scored twice on the power play late in the first period, just 20 seconds apart. Adam Hall added another on the man advantage in the second. Both Sam Popowich and Dawson Davidson had two assists each, but MacEwan forced overtime and sealed the win when Dwayne Jean Jr. broke free on a breakaway.

Amidst a long losing streak, the Bears switched into a new gear. Saturday felt different right away. A crowd of 1,657 showed up for the toss, and Justin Hall didn’t make them wait. He scored at 1:02 of the first period, immediately triggering a downpour of teddy bears onto the ice surface.

Hall scored again later in the second period. Laventure added another power-play goal in the third. Gleb Tkach tied it late off a pass from Owen Pederson, and the Bears completed the comeback with a 5-4 win. Davidson added three more assists, and leads the conference in assists.

Pandas keep rolling

The Pandas opened their weekend with a 3-1 win on their teddy bear toss night. Captain Natalie Kieser scored the toss goal late in the first period. Riley Smith had a goal and two assists. Hailey Carothers scored on the power play. Goaltender Mackenzie Dojahn stopped 17 of 18 and handled the pressure when MacEwan pushed late.

Saturday’s game at MacEwan ended in a 2-1 shootout loss. The Pandas still picked up a point, and the game stayed tight the whole way. Kate Williams scored in the third to tie it, and Dojahn kept things steady long enough to get them to the shootout. Even with the loss, the momentum from the last few weeks is still there. This group has been trending up.

A good weekend to show up

Each game this weekend was either an Alberta win or a non-regulation finish, gifting a thrilling weekend to Edmonton U Sports Hockey fans.

The teddy bear toss delivered what people were hoping for, and the hockey wasn’t far behind. The Bears snapped a losing streak, while the Pandas kept climbing. Both teams are in the mix in their divisions, and the crowds showed up for them.

Both teams will return in January after winter break. Expect them to keep this momentum going in the new year.