Blades rise past Raiders

Late season clash lives up to rivalry’s reputation

Brad Goethals, right, celebrates his winning goal with Nolan Maier.

    It was a game that had a little bit of everything.

    On Saturday night at the SaskTel Centre, the Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders renewed their traditional rivalry in one of the most important late WHL regular season clashes held between the two clubs in years.
    The encounter drew one of the biggest crowds of the season to see a Blades game at the SaskTel Centre as 4,444 spectators turned out including a healthy contingent of Raiders followers from Prince Albert.

    For the first 40 minutes, the Raiders lived up to their traditional rough and tumble image that included a mixture of some skill. The visitors seemed intent on hitting everything in sight, and they built a 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission.

    The Raiders broke a 2-2 draw late in the second period on a picturesque power-play goal as forwards Cole Fonstad and Kody McDonald combined to set up Jordy Stallard on a tick-tack-toe backdoor scoring play to go ahead 3-2.

The Blades and Raiders engaged in some rough stuff on Saturday night.

    The tally was Stallard’s second goal of the contest as he scored his first goal earlier on in the second frame.

    In the third, the Blades hit another gear and rolled off four straight goals to post a 6-3 victory. The Raiders stopped hitting and were on their heels for the entire frame.

    At the 9:15 mark of the third, the Blades tied things up at 3-3, when centre Logan Christensen scored on what seemed like a harmless shot from a bad angle. Just 73 seconds later, 19-year-old centre Brad Goethals potted his first of two goals on the night to put the hosts up 4-3.

    Momentum continued to be entrenched on the Blades side from that point. With 4:23 to play in the third, right-winger Max Gerlach centred a pass from behind the Prince Albert net to overage left-winger Braylon Shmyr, who was position in front of the Raiders goal. Shmyr wired home a shot to the top right corner of the Prince Albert net to put the Blades up 5-3.

Logan Christensen started the Blades surge in the third.

    Goethals finished the surge scoring into an empty net with 2.7 seconds to play to post a two-goal night.

    With the win, the Blades moved into sole possession of the second wildcard spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with a 27-26-2-1 record to sit two points up on the 22-22-9-2 Raiders. The Raiders have a game in hand on the Blades.

    The sixth clash of the 2017-18 campaign between the Blades and Raiders had many different talking points. The biggest was the finish in the third period, which saw the Blades prevail for the fourth time in the six head-to-head meetings.

    After the Raiders had been in control over the first 40 minutes, it had to be surprising for those in attendance to see the Blades storm to victory like they did in the third period. The finish was the lasting impression most would have taken away from the contest.

    The action in the third contrasted with what took place in the first 40 minutes. In the first two periods, the Raiders did a good job of getting the puck deep in the Blades zone.

Jordy Stallard celebrates scoring for the Raiders.

    The visitors established a physical forecheck and often had the hosts pinned in their own zone.

    The Blades threw some hits too, but the Raiders were the more aggressive team physically.

    Saskatoon still managed to take a 2-1 into the first intermission on singles from Michael Farren and Josh Paterson. Star right-winger Parker Kelly had the reply for Prince Albert.

    With 1:33 to play in the first, Kelly played a role in one of the moments from the contest that would be remembered for all the wrong reasons. He drove Blades rookie centre Kirby Dach from behind into the boards in the right corner of the Prince Albert zone.

    Kelly was given a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct. The infraction will be automatically reviewed by the WHL league office for a possible suspension.

Braylon Shmyr scored for the Blades on Saturday.

    Dach left the game and didn’t return for either the second or third periods.

    Kelly’s hit started a scrum that featured a one-on-one fight between McDonald and Blades import defenceman Mark Rubinchik. That fight ended with McDonald tossing Rubinchik to the ground.

    The game featured some strong goaltending as well. Nolan Maier turned away 29 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Blades. Ian Scott turned away 24 of 29 shots to take the setback in goal for the Raiders.

    The Raiders now return home to face the Swift Current Broncos (39-13-3-1) on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

    The Blades take on the Memorial Cup hosting Regina Pats (29-23-5) on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.

    With how intriguing the Blades clash with the Raiders was on Saturday, fans on both sides have to be hoping that a lot will still be on the line when the two teams close their respective regular season schedules playing each other on back-to-back nights on March 16 in Prince Albert and March 17 in Saskatoon.

Stadnyk, Lawrence spark Huskies’ romp

John Lawrence, left, scored twice for the Huskies.

    Carson Stadnyk and John Lawrence ensured the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team had little drama in closing their U Sports regular season schedule with a win.

    On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, Stadnyk and Lawrence each scored twice to power the Huskies to a 7-2 victory over the Mount Royal University Cougars. Stadnyk scored the game’s first two goals in the first period and Lawrence tallied late in the first frame and early in the second period to stake the Huskies out to a 4-0 lead.

    The host’s edge grew to 6-0 in the second on singles coming from Collin Shirley and Kohl Bauml.

Before the second ended, Austin Adamson and David Stephens netted singles for the Cougars to cut the Huskies lead to 6-2.

    Alex Forsberg rounded out the game’s scoring with a single for the Huskies in the third.

Carson Stadnyk, right, had a two-goal night for the Huskies.

    Taran Kozun turned away 26 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Wyatt Hoflin turned away 26 shots to take the setback in the Cougars net.

    The Huskies, who are rated fifth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, improved to 20-7-1 to sit second in the Canada West Conference. The Dogs have won 20-or-more regular season games for the third straight year.

    The Cougars fell to 12-14-2 with the loss to finish sixth in Canada West. The Cougars will travel to Winnipeg, Man., to face the University of Manitoba Bisons in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final playoff series, which starts with Game 1 this coming Friday.

    The Huskies have a bye to host a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series, which will be held Feb. 22 to 24 at Rutherford at times to be announced.

Huskies gets second on Vance’s ninth shutout

Jessica Vance picked up her ninth shutout.

    Playing in their biggest regular season game since 2014, the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team seized the moment.

    On Saturday night at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary, the Huskies went into their final game of their U Sports regular season schedule knowing they would lock up second place in the Canada West Conference with a win and earn a bye to host a best-of-three conference semifinal series. They proceeded the blank the host Mount Royal University Cougars 3-0.

    The win allowed the Huskies to improve to 19-7-2 to lock up second place in Canada West. Their win total was also regular season team record.

    U of S last finished second in Canada West in the 2013-14 campaign posting an 18-4-6 mark. They went on to win the Canada West title and a bronze medal at the U Sports national championship tournament.

    This season, they earned their second place finish compiling 58 points in the Canada West standings. In the Canada West women’s hockey standings, teams earn three points for regulation wins, two points for extra time wins and one point for extra time losses. The Huskies earned their 58 points on 18 regulation wins, one extra time win and two extra time losses.

    The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (19-5-4), who are rated fifth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, finished third in Canada West with 56 points in the standings built off 14 regulation wins, five extra time wins and four extra time setbacks.

    The defending U Sports national champion U of Alberta Pandas (19-5-4), who are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, finished fourth in Canada West with 55 points in the standings coming off 13 regulation wins, six extra time wins and four extra time setbacks.

    In Saturday’s clash with the Cougars, fifth-year winger Kori Herner set up fifth-year centre Kennedy Harris for a goal in the first period to give the Huskies a 1-0 edge.

Kori Herner had a goal and an assist for the Huskies on Saturday.

    Herner potted an unassisted tally at the 13:25 mark of the third to give the Huskies a 2-0 edge. Feisty centre Brooklyn Haubrich scored an empty-net goal for the Huskies inside of the final minute of the third with star captain Kaitlin Willoughby picking up an assist.

    Sophomore netminder Jessica Vance turned away 20 shots to pick up the shutout win in goal for the Huskies. Vance had nine shutouts during the regular season which ties former Pandas netminder Stacey McCullough for the second most shutouts ever recorded in one Canada West regular season. McCullough posted nine shutouts in the 2000-01 campaign.

    Lindsey Post, who is another former Pandas netminder, holds the Canada West record for most shutouts in one regular season at 10 recorded in the 2014-15 campaign.

    In 2017-18, 54 of the 112 regular season games played in the Canada West Conference for women’s hockey ended in shutouts, and the Huskies posted 12 total shutouts as a team in the campaign.
    The Huskies equaled the Canada West team record for most shutouts in one regular season at 12 matching the mark set by the Pandas in 2008-09.

    The Cougars fell to 10-17-1 with the loss to finish sixth in Canada West. They will travel to Vancouver, B.C., to face the Thunderbirds in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series with Game 1 beginning this coming Friday.

    The Huskies will host a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series from Feb. 23 to 25 at the Rutherford Rink at times to be announced.

Stars’ Shirley vaults to 10^th in SFMAAAHL career scoring

Grace Shirley scored four goals for the Stars on Saturday.

    Grace Shirley delivered a performance for the ages for the Saskatoon Stars and vaulted into 10^th place on the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League’s career regular season scoring list as a result.

    On Saturday at the Agriplace Arena, the 16-year-old centre posted four goals and an assist to lead the Stars to an 11-2 victory over the Regina Rebels. The four goals were the most tallies Shirley has scored in any game this season.

    Thanks to that effort, Shirley now has 68 goals and 46 assists for 114 points in 79 career SFMAAAHL regular season games. She passed Delaney Frey, who played for the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings and the Rebels from 2010 to 2015, for 10^th on the SFMAAAHL’s career regular season scoring list. Frey now sits 11^th in SFMAAAHL career regular season scoring with 59 goals and 54 assists for 113 points coming in 119 career regular season games.

    In the 2017-18 campaign, Shirley has 28 goals and 16 assists in 20 regular season games. Her 28 goals equals the Stars team record for most goals in a season set by Sara Greschner in the 2010-11 campaign. Greschner, who later played for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, had 28 goals and 12 assists in 28 regular season games in the 2010-11 season for the Stars.

    The Stars received a hat trick from Joelle Fiala on Saturday in their win over the Rebels, while Jordyn Gerlitz, Anna Leschyshyn, Mackenna Parker and Kaitlin Jockims all had singles.

    Leschyshyn had three assists to go along with her goal. She sits 13^th on the career SFMAAAHL regular season scoring list with 52 goals and 56 assists for 108 points in 84 career regular season games.

Joelle Fiala had a hat trick for the Stars on Saturday.

    Parker had two assists to go along with her goal. The Stars captain became the second player in the history of the SFMAAAHL to surpass 150 points in career regular season scoring. She has 76 goals and 76 assists in 101 career regular season games.

    In the current campaign, Parker leads the SFMAAAHL in scoring with 27 goals and 27 assists appearing in 20 regular season games.

    Shirley and Parker helped Canada win a bronze medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 Women’s World Championship that wrapped up Jan. 13 in Dmitrov, Russia.

Jenna Merk and Ally Kostenuik netted singles for the Rebels.

    Jordan Ivanco stopped 14 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Chantel Weller turned away 14-of-20 shots playing the first two periods taking the setback in goal for the Rebels. Sadie Hastings turned away 3-of-8 shots playing the third period in relief for Regina.

    With the win, the Stars improve to 21-3-1 to remain first overall in the SFMAAAHL with a one-point standings edge over the defending league champion Prince Albert Northern Bears (20-4-1). In the SFMAAAHL, three points are awarded in the standings for regulation wins, two points for extra time wins and one point for extra time setbacks.

    The Stars have 61 points in the standings coming off 18 regulation wins, three extra time wins and one extra time setback. The Bears have 60 points in the standings coming off 19 regulation wins, one extra time win and one extra time setback. Both teams have three games remaining on their respective regular season schedules.

    The Rebels sit third in the SFMAAAHL at 16-7-3, but they won’t be able to catch either the Stars or the Bears in the standings.

    The Stars, who are riding a seven-game winning streak, and Rebels will go at it again on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at the Agriplace Arena.

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

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