Horns bow out in double OT

The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team nearly pushed the Calgary Dinos to the limit.

Looking to stay alive in Game 2 of their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series against the Dinos, the Horns pushed their higherranked opponent to a second overtime before the Dinos prevailed with a 4-3 win to take the series 2-0.

Making their first return to the post-season since the 2011-12 season, Pronghorns first-year head coach Murray Nystrom felt his team was a bounce or a skip away from forcing a Game 3 Sunday before Calgary’s Chris Rauckman scored 3:44 into the second overtime for the game and series-winner.

“We left with our heads held high, we performed extremely well at the most important times,” said Nystrom. “When you get into those extra periods I’m sure it could’ve easily have gone in at the other end and we could’ve been playing Sunday night, but it didn’t happen. We did have some opportunities, as did they, and in the end Calgary prevailed. They’re a good team, a fast team, but I thought our guys really played well, played hard and played on the right side of the puck.”

The Pronghorns lost Game 1 5-1 Friday night.

“We made a few adjustments going into the second game and I thought we did everything we could to push it to a third game and stretch the series,” said Nystrom.

The teams exchanged a goal in each period.

Lethbridge got it going 2:57 into the first on a goal from Artsiom Kalashnikov before Dino and former Lethbridge Hurricane Matt Alfaro knotted the game at 1-1 before the first intermission.

The Pronghorns moved back ahead a little over six minutes into the second as Michael Grant made it 2-1, but Calgary pulled even on the man advantage with 2:36 left in the second on a goal from Mitch Cook.

The Lethbridge College Kodiaks women’s basketball team’s winning streak came to an end Saturday afternoon, but the team took care of some key business the night before.

The Kodiaks were defeated 68-65 by the Briercrest Clippers in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium for a 1-1 weekend against their Saskatchewan opponents.

The loss snapped a sevengame winning streak and puts the Kodiaks at 13-6 on the season, but a wild win Friday night put the team back in the ACAC post-season after missing out last year.

“To get a split against Briercrest, they’ve gone out and done the work,” said Kodiaks head coach Deanna Dotts. “They’ve split against the top four teams in the conference this semester. So we knew we had to go get the one (Friday) night and it would be harder to come and get a second one because they’re going to come out and fight either way. So obviously, it’s a good weekend. This group has worked hard to get to playoffs and we have largely the same group from last year that went 6-15. So to be able to make the flip and go to provincials and have a winning squad says a lot of what they decided to put in.”

The Dinos took their first lead 1:14 into the third as another former Cane, Riley Sheen, made it 3-2.

But midway through the third period Russell Maxwell set the table for the double overtime dramatics.

“I think the first game Friday was everybody's introduction to playoff time,” said Nystrom. “But I think we got through that and on Saturday we felt confident going into the game. I think we felt confident going into overtime. The guys were loose and comfortable. The pace of the game certainly didn't slow down. We had some opportunities in their end that just didn’t go in for us. It would’ve been nice to get that win for the guys and move into Sunday.”

Brooks Maxwell had two assists for the Horns and goaltender Garret Hughson made 28 saves Saturday night.

As this year’s hosts of the USPORTS Men’s Hockey National Championship March 14-17, the Pronghorns aren’t done yet.

Still, a quick breather is warranted.

“We’re going to take this upcoming week off,” said Nystrom. “We have some off-ice things the guys will take part in. But it’s reading week, so they'll take advantage of that. We’ll reconvene Sunday and map out the two-and-a-half weeks leading into the U Cup and we’ll be ready and prepared. I know given the experience the guys have collected here we’ll be leaving it all out on the ice every game we play.”

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