SASKATOON – Johnny Lazo scored 16 minutes and 22 seconds into the second overtime period to propel the top-seeded University of Alberta Golden Bears to the gold-medal final of the CIS men’s hockey championship thanks to a 3-2 win over the No. 4 McGill Redmen Saturday afternoon in front of 3,041 fans at Credit Union Centre.
With the win, Canada West champion Alberta finishes atop Pool A with a 2-0 record and will face either No. 3 Windsor or No. 5 Saskatchewan for the University Cup Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Saskatchewan Time.
The Bears hold the all-time mark with 13 CIS titles and will skate in their 19th championship match on Sunday, another record. They last triumphed in 2008, losing the 2010 final to Saint Mary’s since then.
McGill returns home with a 1-1 record, while Carleton placed third in the pool at 0-2.
Lazo broke a 2-2 tie when he was able to get free in front of the net and tip a Kruise Reddick centering pass past McGill netminder Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, who was sensational throughout the duel as his team was outshot 55-20, including 22-3 in the third period.
“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.”
After a scoreless opening period, Alberta took a 1-0 lead 7:52 into the middle frame 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 Guillaume Langelier-Parent, who came out of the corner with the puck to beat freshman Lucas Siemens with a low backhand shot.
The Redmen took the lead early in the third with a power play goal from defenceman Jean-Philippe Mathieu, who scored on a long wrister at the one-minute mark on the power play.
Alberta got the equalizer at 7:13 of the third period 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 Brett Ferguson was first to the loose puck tapping it into the open cage.
Gervais-Chouinard was fantastic in net for McGill making 52 saves and taking home player of the game honours for the Redmen.
“Chouinard, he was the player of the game, it was an unbelievable performance by him,” said McGill head coach Kelly Nobes.
Despite the loss, the future is promising for the Redmen, who were making their sixth University Cup appearance in the past seven years and claimed the first title in program history in 2012.
“As a coach you couldn’t be more proud of the group of guys with the level they went to too in terms of character and heart,” added Nobes. “We had 23 guys who had never been here before, 23 guys who are in the first or second year with us, and I think we showed pretty well, we gave ourselves a chance. We certainly grew as a team and as a program this weekend.”
Gervais-Chouinard drew praise from the Golden Bears following the game.
“We stuck to our game plan and peppered them with shots. Their goalie, he played a great game,” said Lazo.
Ian Herbers, head coach of the Golden Bears immediately turned his attention to tomorrow’s championship final during the post-game press conference.
“We got to get recharged here, the coaches will be here watching the game. Our plan is to come out at 1:30 tomorrow, play our game and give everything we have, just like we did today,” said Herbers.
Siemens, who was making his first start of the tournament after backing up veteran Kurtis Mucha Thursday against Carleton, made 18 saves for Alberta in the winning effort, while Ferguson was named player of the game for the Bears.