Box Score Box Score

With files from University of Alberta Sports Information

The University of Regina's men's hockey team lost 6-0 to the No. 2-ranked Alberta Golden Bears on Friday night at the Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

Jordan Hickmott and Levko Koper both had three-point nights for Alberta, while Kurtis Mucha made 24 saves in the victory for the Golden Bears. Regina's Andrew Hayes stopped 37 of 43 shots in the loss, facing 34 of those shots in the final 40 minutes.

Already guaranteed a playoff berth, the Cougars came out with plenty of jump in the opening frame as they took the game to Alberta and outshot them 11-9 through 20 minutes. However, they still wound up facing a 2-0 deficit as Koper and Kruise Reddick scored four minutes apart to give Alberta all the offence they would need.

The Bears outshot Regina 18-5 in the second period and lit another lamp when Koper beat Hayes on the power play. Gardner opened the third period with a penalty shot attempt as he busted in on a partial breakaway 56 seconds in, but was interfered with from behind and couldn't get a shot off. The Coaldale, Alta. product tried to go glove side on Hayes, but the Cougars' goalie was equal to the task.

Moments later however, Hayes was beat again when burly defenceman-turned-winger Drew Nichol barreled down the left wing and roofed a shot over the goalie's near-side shoulder for a 4-0 lead at 1:23 of the third. Johnny Lazo and Greg Gardner on the power play added to the final tally as the Bears rolled to the 6-0 finish.

Alberta's win, coupled with regulation losses by both Mantioba and Saskatchewan, sewed up top spot for the Golden Bears in the conference standings. The Cougars (12-10-3) will hit the road for the Canada West quarterfinals unless they win all three of their remaining games on the conference schedule and get serious help on the out-of-town scoreboard from teams playing UBC and Calgary.

The Cougars and the Golden Bears will clash again on Saturday night in Edmonton (6:00 p.m. MST).