Bob Stauffer
Registered User
The two-time defending CIS Champion Alberta Golden Bears wrapped up their pre-season schedule with a close 3-2 victory over Minnesota State-Mankato in Minnesota tonight.
For the second consecutive night Alberta outshot an NCAA opponent (31-25) after out-shooting St. Cloud 34-25 last night in a disappointing 6-2 loss that saw the Golden Bears third string goalie yield five goals on 12 shots.
Alberta finishes the pre-season 5-2, with the Bears loss against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers Rookies, not counting.
The Bears beat ACAC school Augustana, swept UBC, handled Saskatchewan in a convincing 5-0 win last Saturday at Clare Drake Arena and got the win tonight vs Mankato.
First-year Head Coach Serge Lajoie who came back to the program after spending the last five seasons as Head Coach at NAIT; saw the Bears blow a 3-0 lead at home vs NAIT and ultimately lose 4-3 in OT, to go along with the loss vs. St. Cloud.
Alberta suffered five significant off-season losses.
Canada West scoring leader TJ Foster signed an AHL deal with Toronto, his high-end offence has not been replaced as of yet.
The Golden Bears #1 goalie Kurtis Mucha, top-4 puck-moving defenceman Jesse Craige and second-line winger Johnny Lazo all graduated as two-time National Champs.
The Bears have yet to find a suitable replacement for the former CIS First-Team All-Canadian Mucha in between the pipes.
Freshman defenceman Sawyer Lange can capably fill the void for Craige, as he was PP QB in the WHL.
Power-forward Jayden Hart could be a big-time player in the Canada West, he scored four goals in 11 games in the AHL at the end of last season and had a very impressive camp with the New York Rangers this fall-but chose to play at the U of A instead of sign an AHL-ECHL deal with the Rangers. Hart ultimately should be an upgrade on Lazo, but my guess is he will get a pro opportunity in a couple of seasons.
The biggest off-season departure though for the Bears was losing Head Coach Ian Herbers to the Edmonton Oilers.
Herbers, in concert with GM Stan Marple restored Alberta to a lofty truly elite status amongst CIS teams going 119-19 over the last three seasons.
In the prior seven seasons Alberta was just another pretty good team; instead of the best team.
From 2000-05 the Bears under Rob Daum had roughly a .900 winning percentage, winning National Tittle in '99, '00 and '05. Daum left in '05 to go to the AHL.
And though the Bears won National titles in 2006 and 2008, in my opinion they were no longer dominant.
Herbers and Marple got them back there in a hurry.
Alberta could've easily won the 2012-13 CIS Title in Herber's first year with a little bit of luck-they won the last two, with last March's victory out in the Atlantic coming in a convincing fashion.
Herbers got his talented team to play a hard, committed game with exceptional work ethic. The results came quickly, as illustrated by a dominating performance on the road over Yale and Dartnouth last fall.
So far based on what I have seen from the Bears this season I would assert a degree of sloppiness has crept into Alberta's game. Maybe it's just a University Cup hang-over?
Whatever the case I think the Bears will be fine out West but they are going to need to significantly improve as the season goes on to beat some improved Atlantic teams down the road!
Alberta starts their Canada West regular season, this week-end in Lethbridge
For the second consecutive night Alberta outshot an NCAA opponent (31-25) after out-shooting St. Cloud 34-25 last night in a disappointing 6-2 loss that saw the Golden Bears third string goalie yield five goals on 12 shots.
Alberta finishes the pre-season 5-2, with the Bears loss against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Darnell Nurse and the Edmonton Oilers Rookies, not counting.
The Bears beat ACAC school Augustana, swept UBC, handled Saskatchewan in a convincing 5-0 win last Saturday at Clare Drake Arena and got the win tonight vs Mankato.
First-year Head Coach Serge Lajoie who came back to the program after spending the last five seasons as Head Coach at NAIT; saw the Bears blow a 3-0 lead at home vs NAIT and ultimately lose 4-3 in OT, to go along with the loss vs. St. Cloud.
Alberta suffered five significant off-season losses.
Canada West scoring leader TJ Foster signed an AHL deal with Toronto, his high-end offence has not been replaced as of yet.
The Golden Bears #1 goalie Kurtis Mucha, top-4 puck-moving defenceman Jesse Craige and second-line winger Johnny Lazo all graduated as two-time National Champs.
The Bears have yet to find a suitable replacement for the former CIS First-Team All-Canadian Mucha in between the pipes.
Freshman defenceman Sawyer Lange can capably fill the void for Craige, as he was PP QB in the WHL.
Power-forward Jayden Hart could be a big-time player in the Canada West, he scored four goals in 11 games in the AHL at the end of last season and had a very impressive camp with the New York Rangers this fall-but chose to play at the U of A instead of sign an AHL-ECHL deal with the Rangers. Hart ultimately should be an upgrade on Lazo, but my guess is he will get a pro opportunity in a couple of seasons.
The biggest off-season departure though for the Bears was losing Head Coach Ian Herbers to the Edmonton Oilers.
Herbers, in concert with GM Stan Marple restored Alberta to a lofty truly elite status amongst CIS teams going 119-19 over the last three seasons.
In the prior seven seasons Alberta was just another pretty good team; instead of the best team.
From 2000-05 the Bears under Rob Daum had roughly a .900 winning percentage, winning National Tittle in '99, '00 and '05. Daum left in '05 to go to the AHL.
And though the Bears won National titles in 2006 and 2008, in my opinion they were no longer dominant.
Herbers and Marple got them back there in a hurry.
Alberta could've easily won the 2012-13 CIS Title in Herber's first year with a little bit of luck-they won the last two, with last March's victory out in the Atlantic coming in a convincing fashion.
Herbers got his talented team to play a hard, committed game with exceptional work ethic. The results came quickly, as illustrated by a dominating performance on the road over Yale and Dartnouth last fall.
So far based on what I have seen from the Bears this season I would assert a degree of sloppiness has crept into Alberta's game. Maybe it's just a University Cup hang-over?
Whatever the case I think the Bears will be fine out West but they are going to need to significantly improve as the season goes on to beat some improved Atlantic teams down the road!
Alberta starts their Canada West regular season, this week-end in Lethbridge
Last edited: