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| Kennedy Ganser (#77) shoots in the third period equalizer for the Pandas. |
For one night, Kennedy Ganser played spoiler to the hopes of
the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team.
Looking to capture a bye through the first round of the
Canada West Conference playoffs for the first time since 2014, the Huskies battled
the storied University of Alberta Pandas in their biggest late season game over
the past four years. The clash could potentially prove to be key in helping
sort out the top four positions in Canada West.
The Huskies appeared to be poised for the longest time to
pull out a victory on Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink. At the 5:27
mark of the second period, star captain Kaitlin Willoughby wired home her ninth
goal of the season to the top left corner of the Pandas goal to give the
Huskies a 1-0 lead.
 |
| Kirsten Chamberlin had a big night for the Pandas. |
With 8:49 to play in the third, the Pandas were working on
the power play, and the sophomore centre popped home a loose puck at the left
side of the Huskies goal to tie things up at 1-1.
The two teams battled through two scoreless five-minute overtime
periods before heading to a tiebreaking shootout. Thanks to the work of Huskies
netminder Jessica Vance and Pandas goalie Kirsten Chamberlin, the shootout went
into the ninth round.
Ganser was the final shooter in the ninth round, and she
fired home the winner to the top left corner of the Huskies net stick side on
Vance. With that goal, the Pandas, who are the defending U Sports national
champions, took the tiebreaking session 1-0 and the tight checking U Sports
regular season clash 2-1 before 232 spectators.
At first Ganser appeared uncertain that she scored until she
got to her bench and was mobbed by her teammates. The Huskies coaches had a
short discussion with the officials on whether Ganser’s shot went in or hit a
goalpost before both sides went into their respective dressing rooms.
 |
| Jessica Vance had another stellar game for the Huskies. |
With Friday’s win, the Pandas, who are rated first in the U
Sports Top 10 rankings, improved their winning streak to eight games and their
record to 18-4-3. They sit second in Canada West with 52 points in the
standings coming from 13 regulation wins, five extra time wins and three extra
time losses.
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 saw their four game winning streak come to an
end and their record move to 16-7-2. They sit fourth in Canada West with 49
points in the standings coming from 15 regulation wins, one extra time win and
two extra time losses.
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| Captain Kaitlin Willoughby scored the Huskies lone goal. |
The University of Manitoba Bisons, who are rated second in
the U Sports Top 10 rankings, top the Canada West Standings with a 19-5-1
record. The Bisons have 56 points in the standings coming off 17 regulation
wins, two extra time wins and one extra time setback.
The top two teams in the Canada West standings will earn
byes and host respective best-of-three semifinal series in the conference playoffs.
Each team in Canada West has three regular season games remaining on their
respective schedules.
 |
| The Pandas celebrate their victory on Friday night. |
When the two teams meet again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at
Rutherford, the Huskies would be in the thick of the race for a bye in the
playoffs going into the final weekend of the regular season, if they can pull
out a win preferably in regulation.
If someone told the Huskies their third last game of the
regular season would be this big at the start of the campaign, everyone with
the green and white would be good with that scenario.
U of A golden in 500th encounter
with Huskies
 |
| Tyson Baillie (#18) had a goal in the Golden Bears win on Friday night. |
On Friday night before 2,854 spectators at the Clare Drake
Arena in Edmonton, the Golden Bears downed the U of Saskatchewan Huskies 4-1 in
a U Sports regular season clash. The first contest between the two sides was
held way back on February 27, 1911 in Saskatoon, and it was claimed by the U of
A side 16-0.
The Golden Bears lead the overall series with the Huskies
posting 327 victories, 149 losses and 24 ties.
In the latest installment of the rivalry, the Golden Bears
jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Friday scoring twice late in the first period with singles
coming from the sticks of Tyson Baillie and Luke Philp.
The Huskies cut the gap to 2-1, when winger Alex Forsberg
scored 57 seconds into the second period.
Before the second period ended, Trevor Cox scored for the Golden
Bears to extend their lead to 3-1. Captain Riley Kieser scored short-handed 92
seconds into the third period to round out the host side’s 4-1 victory.
Jordon Cooke turned away 34 shots to take the setback in
goal for the Huskies. Brendan Burke turned away 24 shots to pick up the win in
goal for the Golden Bears.
In the first period of Friday’s clash, Golden Bears forward
Brandon Magee received a major penalty for checking to the head, and that will
likely be reviewed for a possible suspension.
The Golden Bears, who are rated third in the U Sports Top 10
rankings, have now won five straight games to improve to 21-3-1 to sit first in
the Canada West Conference. They can lock up first by earning one more point in
the standings over their final three regular season games.
The Huskies, who are rated fifth in the U Sports Top 10
rankings, have lost three straight to fall to 18-6-1. The Dogs sit second in
Canada West and can lock up second and a bye to host a best-of-three conference
semifinal playoff series by earning two more points in the standings over their
final three regular season games.
The Golden Bears and Huskies will face each other for the
501st time in their history on Saturday in Edmonton.
Raiders rock Blades 5-2
 |
| Parker Kelly scored twice for the Raiders on Friday night. |
In what was a dream type game for anyone from “Hockey Town
North,” the host Raiders downed the Saskatoon Blades 5-2 in a WHL regular season
contest on Friday night and outshot their archrivals 39-21 in the process. You
can be sure the Guess Who’s “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” was playing loud and
clear much to the delight of almost all the 2,357 spectators at the Art Hauser
Centre.
Parker Kelly, who is a prospect of the NHL’s Ottawa
Senators, scored twice in the opening frame to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead.
Kelly sits with a career high 23 goals on the campaign.
Before the opening frame ended, Blades centre Logan
Christensen potted his first goal of the season to cut the Raiders edge to 2-1.
In the second, the Raiders went ahead 4-1 on goals from
Brett Leason and Curtis Miske. Blades winger Eric Florchuk tallied at the 14:06
mark of the second to cut the Raiders lead to 4-2. Before the second ended,
17-year-old left-winger Cole Fonstad potted his 16th goal of the
campaign to round out the Raiders 5-2 victory.
Friday’s game included a third period fight between
defencemen Jake Kustra of the Blades and Zack Hayes of the Raiders.
Nolan Maier turned away 34 shots to take the setback in goal
for the Blades. Ian Scott stopped 19 shots to pick up the win in net for the
Raiders.
The Blades fell to 25-25-2-1 with the loss, but they still
sit in the second wildcard spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The Raiders
improved to 21-20-8-2 to sit one point behind the Blades in the standings for
that wildcard spot. Prince Albert has two game in hand on Saskatoon.
The Regina Pats, who host this year’s Memorial Cup, hold the
first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with a 26-22-5 mark to sit four
points ahead of the Blades and five points ahead of the Raiders. Prince Albert
has two games in hand on Regina.
The Raiders return to action on Saturday, when they travel
to Regina to face the Pats.
The Blades resume their schedule on Tuesday, when they host the
Kootenay Ice at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
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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