EDMONTON - Three powerplay goals, another shorthanded, and 32 saves from rookie Tyler Palmer was enough to lead the Alberta Golden Bears to a 5-2 win over Mount Royal on Saturday night. 

The ice was heavily tilted in Mount Royal's favour for 40 of the 60 minutes, but Alberta was able to capitalize on their chances in a win that sees the Bears salvage a series split with the Cougars. 

Tyler Preziuso scored twice in the first period, to go along with goals from captain Josh Prokop, Alex Thacker, and Tyson Laventure. Jakin Smallwood and Marc Lajoie added a pair of assists each, as the win sees Alberta end the first half with a 13-3-0 record. 

Mount Royal received goals from Josh Tarzwell and Jayden Wiens, with the loss dropping the Cougars to 12-4-0. After 24 saves on 25 shots in the Cougars 4-1 home win on Friday night, Shane Farkas gave up five goals on 26 Alberta shots in the rematch. Despite the series split, MRU maintains their three-point lead atop the West Division. 

The first period was one dominated by MRU, and yet Alberta skated away up 3-0. Palmer stopped all 14 shots he faced, with Alberta only firing six shots on target. Three of those six shots were scoring chances, with all three beating Farkas. Preziuso scored the first two, the first coming on the powerplay, and the second shorthanded off a perfect pass from Smallwood. Prokop added the third goal with four seconds left in the frame to stun MRU.

The Cougars started to chip away, getting on the board in the first minute of the second, with Tarzwell's eighth of the season making it 3-1. MRU fired 12 shots on Palmer in the second, who proceeded to stop the next 11. 

Wiens cut the lead down to one early in the third, beating Palmer with a short-side snap shot. With the game-tying goal feeling inevitable, the Cougars took their second too many men penalty of the game, which was immediately followed by a PP goal from Thacker, the result of a fantastic individual play in front of the Cougars net. Laventure iced the win with a breakaway goal halfway through the third, with Palmer adding eight third period saves. 

The second half of the Canada West season will resume on January 3rd.