Bentley and Clarenville Battle for Allan Cup (again)

Here's a look at Hockey Canada's media release for today's Allan Cup final between the Bentley Generals and Clarenville Caribous...

(visit my soundcloud page for some audio from Generals coach Brandin Cote and captain Sean Robertson)

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RED DEER, Alta. – After semifinal victories on Friday, the Bentley Generals and Clarenville Caribous will meet for the 105th Allan Cup, Canada’s National Senior Championship, on Saturday at the Red Deer Arena. The championship game can be seen on TSN beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.

Bentley defeated the Kenora Thistles 3-2 in Friday’s late semifinal, while Clarenville topped the Rosetown Redwings 6-2 in the early game.

Saturday’s game will mark the fifth championship game appearance in six years for the host Generals, who won the 2009 national title, while the Caribous are in the final for the second time in three years, having beaten Bentley 5-3 in the 2011 championship game.

Both teams enter the game with identical 3-0 records. Bentley finished first in Division Two thanks to wins over Rosetown and Kenora, while Clarenville was tops in Division One with wins over the Fort St. John Flyers and Stony Plain Eagles.

In Friday’s late semifinal, Sean Robertson and Matt Stefanishion gave the Generals a 2-0 midway through the second period and Dustin Sproat added the game-winner on a penalty shot in the third to lead the Generals over the Thistles. Dan Bakala, who scored a goal earlier in the tournament, made 19 saves for Bentley, which is looking to become the fifth host in the last decade to win the Allan Cup.

In the early game, the Caribous got goals from six different players and 33 saves from Jason Churchill to advance to the final. Matt Quinn, Brett Morrison, Ryan Desrosiers, Chris Hulit, Andrew Sweetland and Dale Sullivan had the goals for Clarenville, which scored three times in 4:45 in the second period to break open a 1-1 game.

The Allan Cup is one of the oldest club-team hockey competitions in North America, having been first competed for in 1908. Only once in the past 106 years, in 1945, has an Allan Cup champion not been crowned.

For more information on the 2013 Allan Cup, please visit www.allancup.ca.