SASKATOON – Johnny Lazo scored 16 minutes into the second overtime period to lift the top-seeded University of Alberta Golden Bears over the No. 4 McGill Redmen 3-2 at the Canadian university men’s hockey championship Saturday.
Alberta will play Saskatchewan in Sunday’s gold medal final after the Huskies beat the University of Windsor Lancers 9-0 in the evening game Saturday. The Bears hold the all-time mark with 13 CIS titles and will play in their 19th championship game.
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Brett Ferguson and Reddick Kruise had a goal and an assist apiece for the Golden Bears, who outshot the Redmen 55-20.
Jean-Philippe Mathie and Guillaume Langelier-Parent each scored for McGill.
Alberta’s Luke Siemens, who was making his first start of the tournament after backing up veteran Kurtis Mucha Thursday against Carleton, made 18 saves for the win. Redmen goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouin stopped 52 shots in defeat, including 21 in the third period alone.
Lazo broke a 2-2 tie when he was able to get free in front of the net and tip a Reddick centring pass past Gervais-Chouinard.
“I was just in the right spot and the right time,” said Lazo of his game-winning goal. “It’s such an amazing feeling. We played so well the entire game, it would have been a shame to drop that one.”
Alberta took a 1-0 lead 7:52 into the second period on a goal from Reddick. The third-year forward skated to the high slot and beat Gervais-Chouinard with a wrist shot glove side.
McGill tied the affair at 1-1 eight minutes later on an unassisted tally from Langelier-Parent, who came out of the corner with the puck to beat Alberta’s freshman goalie with a low backhand shot.
The Redmen took the lead early in the third with a power-play goal from Mathieu, who scored on a long wrister at the one-minute mark.
Alberta got the equalizer at 7:13 of the third when a shot from Jamie Crooks found its way through traffic in front of the net before hitting the post. The puck fell straight down and Ferguson tapped the loose puck into the open net.
“We stuck to our game plan and peppered them with shots,” said Lazo. “Their goalie, he played a great game.”
In the late game, Derek Hulak scored twice and added an assist to lead Saskatchewan over Windsor.
Craig McCallum had a goal and two assists, Josh Roach and Cody Smuk had a goal and an assist apiece, and Kendall McFaull, Ryan McDonald, and John Lawrence also scored for the Huskies.
Saskatchewan’s Ryan Holfeld made 19 saves for the shutout victory. Windsor’s Parker Van Buskirk stopped 25 shots in the losing effort.
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