The University of Regina men's hockey team suffered a 5-2 defeat against the Alberta Golden Bears in Canada West action at The Co-operators Centre on Friday night.

Riley Kieser, Jayden Hart, Tyson Baillie, Luke Philp and Jamie Crooks scored for the visiting Golden Bears. Tyson Predinchuk and Zach McPhee replied for the Cougars.

The Cougars held their own against the fifth-ranked Golden Bears in the first period, pressuring Alberta with a strong forecheck and physical play. Regina had killed off two first-period penalties but Cody Fowlie took a charging call just seconds after coming out of the box. The Alberta powerplay went back to work and was finally able to solve Andy Desautels with just 20 seconds to play in the period. Baillie fed a pass from the point to Philp at the side of the net. Philp's shot was stopped but Kieser was there in front to poke the rebound under Desautels' pad and put Alberta on top after the opening frame.

Alberta added to their lead in the second, as Ryan Rehill scooped up a loose puck in the Cougar end and fed it across to a streaking Hart. Hart unleashed a low shot that rang off the post and in, beating Desautels for his sixth of the season at the 3:37 mark of the second period. Baillie notched his second point of the night six minutes later, gathering a rebound in the slot and sliding it under the pad of Desautels after the second-year goalie made a nice save in traffic on a shot from Graeme Craig.

The Golden Bears started the third period on the penalty kill but their attack wasn't stalled, as Philp blasted a slapshot over the glove of Desautels for a short-handed marker. Alberta did not let up, as Canada West's leading scorer coming into the weekend would add another goal to his tally. Crooks took a long pass from Mitch Topping and went in on the left side, netting a quick wrist shot and ending Desautels' night as Alberta went up 5-0.

The Cougars were finally able to solve Siemens late in the third as Predinchuk and McPhee (pictured) notched goals just 12 seconds apart. Predinchuk's goal was a rebound in the slot that he batted through the legs of the Alberta goalie and McPhee's goal came on a backhand after a faceoff win in the Alberta zone. Brody Luhning and Ian McNulty assisted on Predinchuk's marker while Colton Sparrow registered his first point as a Cougar on the McPhee goal.

Desautels made 25 saves in net before Dawson MacAuley came on in relief for the final 16:37. MacAuley stopped all 13 shots he faced in his first appearance of the season. Siemens made 29 saves on 31 Cougar shots at the other end of the ice, including a save on a Christian Magnus penalty shot in the third period
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The Cougars drop to 1-6-0 with Friday's result, while Alberta improves to 5-2-0. The two teams will square off again on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at The Co-operators Centre.