Cougars gut out road win over energized Huskies

Bailey Braden (#8) celebrates her winning goal with Jane Kish (#31).

    In sports, you can play well and lose, and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team got a lesson in that fact during their regular season opener.

    The Huskies came out with a very strong effort on Friday night against their provincial rivals the University of Regina Cougars and outshot the visitors 44-18 at the ancient Rutherford Rink. Powered by a 42-save effort from third-year goaltender Jane Kish, the Cougars skated away with a 3-2 victory in the opening game of the Canada West regular season for both sides.

    The Cougars played the perfect gritty defensive road hockey game, took advantage of their scoring opportunities when they came and skated away with victory.

    U of S fired a steady barrage of shots on Kish and tried to go high on the netminder that stands 5-foot-4. Kish stood tall in a stellar effort.

Chloe Smith (#13) celebrates her first career U Sports goal.

    The Huskies were unable to score on four power play chances despite have good puck moment. One positive bounce for the Cougars resulted in a short-handed goal from fifth-year winger Bailey Braden, who scored the winning goal to break a 2-2 tie at the 16:14 mark of the second period. The Cougars also managed to cash in on their lone power-play chance.

    U of S jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 79 seconds into Friday’s game, when rookie centre Chloe Smith banged home her first career regular season U Sports goal during a net scramble situation. Moments later, the Huskies thought they had a goal from winger Courtney Cormack, but it was waved off after the officials determined the puck didn’t cross the goal-line.

    Around the midway point of the opening frame, the Cougars surged ahead 2-1 scoring two goals 1:56 apart from each other. First, Cougars fourth-year forward Emma Waldenberger scored in close on the U of R’s lone power-play chance to tie things up at 1-1.

Chloe Smith (#13) breaks into the offensive zone for the Huskies.

    After that tally, Shaelyn Vallotton had the Cougars second goal of the surge taking a perfect pass from linemate Jordan Kulbida across the face of the U of S goal, and tucked the puck into an open caged to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

    The Huskies gained momentum scoring early in the second, when sophomore winger Bailee Bourassa wired home a wrist shot to the top left corner of the Cougars goal to force a 2-2 tie. A short time after getting the equalizer, U of S had a big chance to go ahead but star captain Kaitlin Willoughby was denied in close twice by Kish.

    With 3:46 to play in the second, the Huskies were working on a power play, but they were caught on a line change, when the puck took a bounce off the boards resulting in an odd person situation favouring the Cougars in the Huskies zone.

Goalie Jane Kish made 42 saves to back the Cougars to a gutty road win.

    Cougars rookie Czech winger Martina Maskova won a race to a loose puck and slid a pass while on her butt to an open Braden in front of the Huskies net. Braden snapped a shot past Book to put the Cougars up 3-2.

    In the third, the Huskies held a 14-2 edge in the shots on goal department, but the Cougars kept a lot of those chances to the outside. The visitors keyed on protecting their lead defensively by dumping the puck into the Huskies zone and trapping the host side as they came up the ice.

    The Huskies thought they scored with 7:19 to play in the frame during a net scramble, but the officials quickly waved off that tally saying the puck didn’t go into the net.

    The Huskies had two solid chances inside of the final minute of the third to try and get the equalizer. A screen shot by Willoughby was turned aside by Kish.

Kayla Kirwan (#11) misses a last attempt to get the equalizer for the Huskies.

    With about 15 seconds to play, Huskies sophomore defender Kayla Kirwan pinched in deep to the left side of the Cougars goal and had Kish falling down leaving the top of the goal exposed.

    Kirwan lifted a backhander over top of the Cougars goal ending the Huskies last real chance to force overtime.

    Book turned away 15 shots to take the loss in the Huskies net.

    The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

McVeigh’s three helpers power Huskies to win

    Logan McVeigh was the main setup man and eight different players found the back of the net to power the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s team to a season opening win on Friday night in Regina.

    McVeigh, who topped the Huskies in scoring last season, had three assists to back the Huskies to an impressive 8-2 victory over the U of Regina Cougars at the Co-operators Centre in Regina in the Canada West regular season opener for both sides.

    Just past the midway point of the first period, the Huskies scored three goals 59 seconds apart from each other coming from the sticks of Andrew Johnson, Alex Forsberg and Levi Cable. Wyatt Johnson and fifth-year captain Kendall McFaull potted singles in the second to give the visitors a 5-0 lead.

Carson Stadnyk, Parker Thomas and Josh Roach rounded out the scoring for the Huskies in the third. Zachary Zborosky and Tyler King responded with singles on the power play for the Cougars in the third.

    Jordon Cooke made 20 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Michael Herringer turned away 37 shots to take loss in goal for the Cougars.

    The team teams go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

Steenbergen on fire early for Broncos

Tyler Steenbergen (#17) has 10 goals in four games.

  It seems like no one can stop Swift Current Broncos star winger Tyler Steenbergen in the early part of the WHL season.

    On Friday night at the SaskTel Centre, Steenbergen had an impressive night firing home four goals and collecting an assist powering the Broncos past the host Blades 6-2 before 3,536 spectators. In helping the Broncos vault out to a 4-0 start, the 19-year-old Sylvan Lake, Alta., product has 10 goals, six assists and is a plus-12 in the plus-minus department. He also took home Canadian Hockey League player of the week honours for the week ending Oct. 1.

    Against the Blades on Friday night, the Broncos jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to singles coming from captain Glenn Gawdin and centre Kaden Elder. Steenbergen proceeded to score three straight in the second to give the Broncos a 5-0 lead and added his fourth goal of the night in the third.

    Braylon Shmyr and Bradly Goethals netted singles for the Blades in the third.

    Logan Flodell turned away 19 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Broncos. Joel Grzybowski stopped 18 shots to take the loss in goal for the Blades (1-3).

    The Broncos return to Swift Current on Saturday to host the Kootenay Ice (2-3-1) at 7 p.m. at the Credit Union i-plex. The Blades travel to Regina to face the Pats (2-3-1) at 7 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.