Second place and bye in Canada West playoffs
eludes U of S
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| It is on to UBC for captain Brooklyn Haubrich and the Huskies. |
On Saturday
before 735 spectators at Merlis Belsher Place, the University of Saskatchewan
Huskies women’s hockey team closed out the U Sports regular season falling to
their provincials rivals the University of Regina Cougars 3-2 after a
tiebreaking shootout.
The Cougars
took the shootout 1-0 after star captain Jaycee Magwood scored in the fourth
round.
The clash
between the two sides had the intensity of a playoff tilt. As both clubs look
towards their respective upcoming post-season runs, Huskies fifth-year captain
Brooklyn Haubrich said it was good for her team to get the feel of a
high-intensity game before the post-season comes around, even though the
setback stung.
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| The Cougars third period equalizer gets past Huskies goalie Jessica Vance. |
“We didn’t
want to end our regular season on a losing note. I think there are a lot of
positives that we can take into playoffs. There are good battles out there.
“Any time
you play Regina, everyone is hyped up and ready to go. I’m hoping we can bring
that energy into playoffs and put this one behind us. It is a new season next
weekend, so move forward.”
The Huskies
were hoping to move into second place in the Canada West Conference at the start
of Saturday’s game. They finished third with a 17-7-2-2 record.
Had the
Huskies won on Saturday, they still wouldn’t have been able to move into second
place due to the fact the U of Calgary Dinos got past the U of Lethbridge
Pronghorns 3-1 on Saturday in Calgary, Alta.
The Dinos finished second with an
18-7-1-2 mark, while the Pronghorns placed last in the eight team conference and
missed the post-season with a 9-16-1-2 record.
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| The Cougars celebrate a third period equalizer from Paige Hubbard. |
The U of
Alberta Pandas, who are rated fifth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, finished
first in Canada West with a 20-8 record after blanking the U of Manitoba Bisons
4-0 in Winnipeg, Man.
The Bisons
finished seventh in Canada West with a 10-17-1 record and will miss the
post-season.
The Pandas
and Dinos both have byes past the first round of the Canada West playoffs.
The Huskies
will host their archrivals the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a
best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal series, and Game 1 is set for Friday at
7 p.m. at Merlis.
The Thunderbirds finished sixth in Canada West with a
10-13-4-1 record.
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| Sophie Lalor scored for the Huskies in the third period. |
The Huskies
and Thunderbirds have been frequent playoff foes and last met in the
post-season in 2018, when the Huskies swept a best-of-three Canada West
semifinal series 2-0 at the ancient Rutherford Rink. The end of the Huskies 2-1
series clinching victory in Game 2 included a huge scrum in front of the U of S
net that nearly turned into a brawl.
Haubrich
admitted the ill will from past games with the Thunderbirds hasn’t been forgotten
by her side.
“I think we
are just going to have to be mentally tough,” said Haubrich. “I think we are
going to have to keep our head on our shoulders.
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| Morgan Willoughby scored for the Huskies in the third period. |
“There are
going to be lots of penalties. We’re just going to have to keep our head on
straight so that we can push through that adversity.”
As for
Saturday’s game against the Cougars, the star goaltenders took centre stage
over the opening 20 minutes making a number of tough stops. Jessica Vance stopped
11 shots for the Huskies, while Jane Kish turned away nine shots for the
Cougars.
The Cougars
jumped ahead 1-0, when left-winger Merissa Zerr netted a gritty in close
power-play goal at the right side of the Huskies net at the 3:59 mark of the
second.
The host side protested that the whistle had blown on the scramble
play, but the protests fell on deaf ears.
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| Jaycee Magwood recorded her 100th career U Sports regular season point. |
In the
third, the Huskies evened the score 1-1 at the 11:47 mark, when left-winger
Sophie Lalor wired home a power-play goal with her team working on a two-person
advantage. Lalor potted her goal from the right boards after receiving a great
backdoor pass from Huskies star right-winger Bailee Bourassa.
With 5:41
remaining in the third, Huskies fifth-year defender Morgan Willoughby fired
home a post shot through a screen for her first goal of the campaign to put the
host side up 2-1.
Just when
the Huskies appeared they would skate away with a victory, the Cougars tied the
contest up at 2-2, when rookie right-winger Paige Hubbard netted her fifth goal
of the season during a net scramble with 40.6 seconds remaining in the third.
That tally forced the contest to go to overtime.
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| Jane Kish was stellar in goal for the Cougars. |
Magwood, who is in her fifth and final year of eligibility, picked up assists on both U of R goals in regulation. That allowed her to surpass 100 points for her U Sports regular season career.
In 130
career regular season games with the Cougars, Magwood has 48 goals and 53 assists for 101 points.
The two
sides weren’t able to break the deadlock after a five minute overtime period of
four-on-four play and a five minute extra session of three-on-three play.
During the extra sessions, the goalies on either side were knocked down once by opposing players.
During the extra sessions, the goalies on either side were knocked down once by opposing players.
All that dramatics set
the stage for Magwood to score the only goal in the tiebreaking shootout.
“It felt
like we were in the playoffs already,” said Haubrich. “You get that desperate
feeling when you are in playoffs, and that is kind of how we felt tonight.
“We were
playing desperate hockey, and we were hungry. It is just tough it didn’t turn
out for us.”
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| Huskies RW Abby Shirley, right, tries to escape tight checking. |
The Cougars
were a perfect 4-0 this season in games that went to a tiebreaking shootout.
With the
win, the Cougars finish fifth in Canada West with a 14-13-1 record with 38
points in the standings. They will travel to Calgary, Alta., to face the Mount
Royal University Cougars in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series
with Game 1 of the series slated for Friday.
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| The Cougars celebrate their win on Saturday. |
In Canada West women’s hockey, teams receive three points for regulation wins, two points for extra time wins and one point for extra time setbacks. Mount Royal earned 40 points on 12 regulation wins and two extra time victories.
U of R
earned 38 points on nine regulation wins, five extra time wins and one extra
time setback.
Haubrich
said Saturday’s loss left her side with a hollow feeling, but she expects her
squad will refocus quickly.
“Talking to
lots of friends and family here, they are like, ‘You know what, it is over with,
and you have a brand new season,’” said Haubrich. “It is fun and exciting.
“In
playoffs, you always feel like it is a brand new fresh start. I’m excited for
us to get rolling. I think we have a lot to prove come playoffs, so I’m excited.”
Huskies thump Cougars, finish second in
Canada West
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| Taran Kozun picked up his 41st career regular season win on Saturday. |
On Saturday
playing before 543 spectators at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, the Huskies,
who are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, won their 11th straight
game romping over the host U of Regina Cougars 6-2 in a U Sports regular season
clash. That win allowed the Huskies to finish the regular season with a 22-4-2
record to place second in the Canada West standings.
In
Edmonton, Alta., on Saturday, the host U of Alberta Golden Bears, who are rated
fourth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, dumped the U of Manitoba Bisons 5-2.
The Golden Bears improved their winning streak to four straight games finishing
the regular season with a 23-5 record, while the Bisons finished sixth in
Canada West with a 9-15-2-2 record.
Both the
Huskies and Golden Bears had 46 points in the standings, but the Golden Bears
took first place having won three out of four head-to-head encounters with the
Huskies.
Against the
Cougars on Saturday, the host side took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a
goal from fourth-year centre Tristan Frei.
The Huskies
jumped ahead 3-1 in the second period with goals coming off the sticks of Layne
Young, Kohl Bauml and Gordie Ballhorn.
At the 4:05
mark of the third period, right-winger Connor Odelein scored for the Cougars to
cut the Huskies lead to 3-2.
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| Levi Cable has played 174 consecutive games for the Huskies. |
Young, who
is a sophomore left-winger, had two assists to go with his goal. McVeigh had a
helper to go with his tally.
Fifth-year
right winger Levi Cable had three assists to help pace the Huskies offence.
Cable played in all 140 regular season games he could possibly appear in during
his U Sports career.
Currently,
Cable is the Huskies current ironman appearing in 174 consecutive games between the
regular season and post-season.
Taran Kozun
stopped 11 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Kozun picked his
41st career regular season victory which moved him to sixth on the
Huskies career regular season wins list.
The
Nipawin, Sask., product passed Ross McKay, who won 40 regular season games for
the Huskies from 1984 to 1987.
Dawson
MacAuley turned away 30 shots to take the setback in goal for the Cougars. The
Cougars finished seventh in the Canada West standings missing the playoffs with
an 8-17-2-1 record.
The Huskies
and Golden Bears have byes past the first round of the Canada West playoffs.
Both teams
are slated to host best-of-three Canada West semifinal series expected to be
slated for Feb. 21 to 23.
Huskies’ great George saluted at Merlis
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| Breanne George, centre, drops the ceremonial faceoff on Saturday. |
Former
Huskies star forward Breanne George received her Canada West Hall of Fame
plaque before Saturday’s U Sports regular season game between her former squad
and the U of Regina Cougars. George received a rousing ovation from the 735
onlookers in attendance.
The
30-year-old dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff between the two sides.
The Cougars
would claim the contest 3-2 after a tiebreaking shootout.
In a crazy
twist, George never actually played a regular season game for the Huskies at
Merlis. She played her whole U Sports career during a time when the Huskies
still called the ancient Rutherford Rink home.
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| Breanne George, centre, receives her Hall of Fame plaque. |
George was
inducted as part of the inaugural class to the Canada West Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
She played
for the Huskies women’s team from 2007 to 2012 and is still the squad’s most
prolific scorer. George holds the Huskies career records for most regular
season goals (86) and points (149).
Her 63
career regular season assists ranks third in Huskies team history.
George
holds the Huskies record for most goals in one regular season at 28 and points
at 46. Those marks were achieved in the 2009-10 campaign.
She topped
the Canada West Conference in goals and points in the 2009-10 season and was
named the Canada West MVP.
The Saskatoon product was a first team Canada West all-star in 2010 and 2011 and a second team Canada West all-star in 2012. She was a first team U Sports all-Canadian in 2010 and 2011.
George was the first member of the Huskies women’s hockey team to be named the MVP of the Canada West Conference and a U Sports all-Canadian.
The Saskatoon product was a first team Canada West all-star in 2010 and 2011 and a second team Canada West all-star in 2012. She was a first team U Sports all-Canadian in 2010 and 2011.
George was the first member of the Huskies women’s hockey team to be named the MVP of the Canada West Conference and a U Sports all-Canadian.
In 2011,
George played for Canada’s women’s team at the FISU Winter Universiade in
Erzurum, Turkey. She had seven goals and 12 points in seven games helping
Canada win gold.
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| Breanne George, left, visits some of her old teammates. |
Along with
saluting George, the Huskies saluted their eight players who are in their
fifth-years of eligibility and are set to graduate after this season in Leah
Bohlken, Courtney Cormack, Shyan Elias, Brooklyn Haubrich, Rachel Lundberg,
Emma Nutter, Elizabeth Salyn and Morgan Willoughby.
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comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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