Dinos advance to second straight Hardy Cup with tin over Golden Bears

CALGARY - Anthony Parker returned kickoffs for touchdowns in the first and last minutes of the game while as the second-ranked Calgary Dinos defeated the Alberta Golden Bears 45-13 in Canadian Interuniversity Sport playoff action Saturday.

Steve Truzak hauled in three interceptions as the Dinos advanced to the Hardy Cup. They will face the Saskatchewan Huskies, who beat the Regina Rams 53-23.

The Dinos will attempt to defend their 2008 Canada West title and win back-to-back conference championships for the first time since 1992 and 1993.

Early big plays on special teams and defence compensated for a lacklustre performance by the high-flying Calgary offence in the first half, where neither team moved the ball particularly effectively through the first 30 minutes.

Parker set a school record with his 108-yard kickoff return just 16 seconds into the game, and a 70-yard Aaron Ifield kickoff single on the next play had Calgary up 8-0 with 14:44 still on the clock.

Truzak picked off Quade Armstrong on Alberta's second offensive play, and two plays after that Nathan Coehoorn took a 34-yard carry into the end zone, putting the Dinos up 15-0 just 2:05 into the game.

Ifield and Hugh O'Neill traded field goals to round out the first half scoring, and Calgary took an 18-3 lead into the half despite just 50 passing yards in the first two quarters.

"It certainly wasn't an exciting game and not our best offensive performance of the year, but we came out in the second half, persevered, and ran the ball well," said Calgary head coach Blake Nill. "Our defence is also starting to play better. We did a better job against the run, and despite their last drive I thought we did a good job stifling them. Now we have to get ready for Saskatchewan."

The Dinos didn't record a first down in the second half until nearly nine minutes in. Backed up on their own 12 yard line, Calgary ate up 86 yards in just three plays to set up a 15-yard Ifield field goal.

On the next play, Truzak grabbed his third pick of the afternoon, giving the Calgary offence the ball right back. Three plays and 62 yards later, the Dinos were again unable to punch it into the end zone and settled for another short field goal - but the offence had emerged from its funk.

The floodgates opened in the fourth quarter as Calgary scored two touchdowns in the first eight minutes on a 21-yard run by Matt Walter and a 37-yard scamper by Steven Lumbala.

The Golden Bears were able to muster only a late safety and a 24-yard touchdown pass from Armstrong to Make Wasylyniuk, followed by a two-point convert by the same pair with just 65 seconds left on the clock.