The Golden Bears have arrived.
And on Friday morning, they absolutely rolled the University of Windsor Lancers winning their quarter-final matchup 7-0.
It was a game that was over before it even started. Alberta’s Nolan Volcan broke open the scoring just 38 seconds into the game batting in a bobbling puck in front of the Lancers’ net. The Windsor side, however, found themselves in hot water not long after.
Forward Robbie Burt tried to get his team back in the game lining up Bears forward Ryan Hughes, but ended up delivering a hit to his head sending Alberta to a five-minute powerplay and ending Burts day.
Ian Herbers’ Bears obliged racking up three goals with the man advantage as Eric Florchuk found twine once, and Tyler Preziuso scored two in a 12-second span. Just 4:18 into the game, this one felt like it was over before it even started.
“I think we had a good first shift. We said we wanted to have a good start and that’s what our line did on our first shift,” said Preziuso, who ended the night with a three-goal, five-point performance. “Then one of my linemates goes down on kind of a dirty hit, so we definitely wanted to respond to that. Our powerplay was definitely clicking there.
“We have a deep team. Four lines that can play. A bunch of (defence), a good goalie. We’re a deep team and we played like it.”
Windsor, who fell in the Ontario University Athletics’ finals to the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes, simply couldn’t get themselves back in the game. The Bears, meanwhile, would go on to add more goals from Jakin Smallwood, Curtis Trolley and another from Prezuiso, as he capped off his hat trick in the third period.
Alberta never let off the gas. They played their game all the way through Friday morning and barely gave the Lancers a sniff of any action and when he needed to be, Ethan Kruger shut the door for the Golden Bears. He turned aside all 27 shots that he faced.
On Friday night, the host University of PEI Panthers will square off against the University of Calgary Dinos, who defeated the Bears in the Canwest finals. Alberta will square off against the winner of that game Saturday afternoon with a 4 p.m. puck drop.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.