A five-goal first period lifted Alberta’s male hockey team to its first win at the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
Alberta’s Colton Dach picked up two points and Lochlan Gordon stopped 22 of 27 shots as Team Alberta defeated Manitoba 6-5 in a preliminary game Sunday at the Centrium.
Alberta started with two power play goals, from Dach and Corson Ceulemans, in the first five minutes of the game. Tyson Laventure, Brett Hyland and Kai Uchacz added goals for Alberta later in the period. Trentyn Crane scored Manitoba’s only goal in the first frame.
Craig Armstrong put Alberta up 6-1 shortly into the second period, but that was the last time his team could put the puck past Manitoba goaltender Jayden Catellier.
Conor Geekie and Conner Roulette scored before the end of the second to bring Manitoba within three. Roulette scored again two minutes into the third period and Hudon Thornton made it a one-goal game with about three minutes left on the clock.
But Gordon shut the door through the rest of the game, helping the Alberta earn the 6-5 victory.
Alberta plays British Columbia Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Centrium.