LANGLEY, B.C. – A 53-save performance for Trinity Western goaltender Berk Berkeliev (Calgary) wasn't enough to overtake No. 7 Alberta on Saturday as the Spartans fell 5-2 at the Langley Events Centre.
 
TWU's (2-19-1) two goals were scored by Jeremy Klessens (Red Deer, Alta.) at the 13:46 mark of the first period, and Joshua Bruce (Surrey, B.C.) at the 19:00 mark of the third. Alberta's (15-5-2) goals were scored by Curtis Trolley (12:37 1^st), who potted his first of the season on a short-handed attempt, Daniel Lategan (1:14 2^nd), Adam Hall (8:32 2^nd, 10:12 3^rd), and Justin Hall (8:56 3^rd).
 
In net for the Golden Bears, it was Ethan Kruger, who earned his seventh victory of the season. Kruger made 10 for the victory.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Golden Bears struck first on a short-handed opportunity before Klessens found the back of the net on a short-side snipe.
 
Alberta turned on the heat in the second period, outshooting the Spartans 22-5, and beating Berkeliev twice to end the period at a 3-1 Golden Bears lead.

Alberta's lead increased to 5-1 before Bruce potted a goal in the final minute of the match, ending it at 5-2.
 
QUOTABLE
Ben Walter – TWU Head Coach
"Our goaltender played very well tonight. All three of our goaltenders have been battling for the spot all year – so having Berk [Berkeliev] give us a chance to win tonight is huge. The [Jeremy] Klessens line provided a lot for us early in the game, they've been giving us a lot of offence.
 
"If we look at [Alberta], that's the level we want to get to. They have four strong lines, they always come at you – and it's not fancy – they're strong on the puck from start to finish. They didn't give us any time with the puck, and we got caught with the way they back-checked us tonight. Normally, we have a little more time to make plays, so we weren't able to adjust to that quickness we needed tonight.
 
"Nothing changes in what we expect from our team at this point of the season. Any team can beat another in this league, so we need to put in our work in practice, and be ready for two hard games in Edmonton. We can't take any teams lightly, we just need to be fully committed to what we're doing. We need that from every player if we want to be successful."

 

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NOTABLE

• TWU is 0-6 all-time against Alberta.
• DuBois is riding a four-game point-streak, tallying seven points through the stretch.

UP NEXT
The Spartans are at MacEwan (6-14-0) on Jan. 20-21. Catch all of the action live on Canada West TV.

About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby, as well as women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 13 U SPORTS team championships and 32 Canada West team championships.

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