Dogs play in U Sports title game on Saturday
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| David Solie was named a first team all-Canadian all-star. |
Ultimately, it is the players and individual stories in the game that help followers draw a closer connection to the sport.
On Thursday night at the annual U Sports football awards show held in Quebec City, Quebec, five members of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies were named all-Canadian all-stars.
At the ballroom in the Hotel le Concorde Quebec, running back Adam Machart, left tackle Noah Zerr, defensive end Nathan Cherry and kicker David Solie were named first team all-Canadian all-stars, while Connor Berglof, who plays both centre and right guard, was named a second team all-Canadian all-star.
Solie earned his first team all-Canadian all-star nod at punter. Berglof claimed his second team all-Canadian all-star position at centre.
The awards were handed out as the Huskies close in on playing in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup – for the first time since 2006.
The Huskies (8-1 overall) face the University of Western Ontario Mustangs (9-1 overall) in the Vanier Cup on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec (12 p.m. Saskatchewan time, CBC). The Mustangs head into that clash as favourites, but the weather might favour the Huskies as it is expected to be -10 C with a 60 per cent chance of snow according to Environment Canada.
The Dogs are looking for their first Vanier Cup win since 1998, while the Mustangs last won the U Sports title in 2017. The Huskies have won the Vanier Cup three times, and Mustangs claimed the top prize in U Sports football seven times.
On the individual front, Machart picked up a first team all-Canadian nod after a solid campaign. He led the Huskies in rushing yards during the regular season piling up 415 yards on 60 carries and scoring two touchdowns appearing in five of U of S’s six regular season games.
During those five regular season contests, Machart hauled in 14 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown. This was the second consecutive season Machart was named a first team all-Canadian all-star.
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| Noah Zerr, right, makes a blog in a double team. |
Zerr was named an all-Canadian for the first time with his first team all-Canadian all-star nod. On September 1, Zerr was rated 20th among the top 20 prospects for the 2022 CFL Draft as ranked by the Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau.
Cherry also picked up his first all-Canadian honour with his first team all-Canadian all-star selection. He had a monster year at defensive end recording 5.5 sacks and 13.5 total tackles playing all six of the Huskies regular season games.
Solie took all-Canadian status for the first time with his first team all-Canadian all-star award thanks to his outstanding year punting the ball. Appearing in all six of the Huskies regular season games, Solie punted the ball 36 times for 1,563 yards for an average of 43.4 yards per kick.
Berglof claimed all-Canadian status for a second straight season. In 2019, he was named a first team all-Canadian all-star at centre.
This season, Berglof was named a second team all-Canadian all-star at centre. The CFL Draft selection of the Toronto Argonauts played most of the regular season at centre for the Huskies.
He was moved to right guard near the end of the regular season and remained at that spot through the post-season.
The work Zerr, Berglof and the rest of the Huskies offensive line put in saw quarterback Mason Nyhus only get sacked four times and the Huskies lead U Sports in rushing yards per carry.
As for the major award winners in U Sports football, University of Waterloo Warriors quarterback Tre Ford won the Hec Crighton Award as the most outstanding player of the year.
Mustangs defensive end Deionte Knight claimed J.P. Metras Award as the most outstanding lineman.
University of Alberta Golden Bears linebacker Josiah Schakel took the Presidents’ Trophy as the most outstanding defensive player.
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| Connor Berglof (#68) throws a block for the Huskies. |
Late University of Ottawa Gee-Gees defensive lineman Francis Perron was posthumously awarded the Russ Jackson Award for outstanding community service. Perron passed away after the Gee-Gees first regular season game, when they fell 11-10 to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in Toronto on September 18.
Queen’s University Golden Gaels head coach Steve Snyder captured the Frank Tindall Trophy as the coach of the year.
University of Guelph Gryphons offensive line coach Michael MacDonald took the Gino Fracas Award as the Volunteer coach of the year for U Sports.
Alums send pump up messages to current Huskies team
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| Tyler Siwak (#19) in action for the Huskies in 2002. |
The Huskies play the University of Western Ontario Mustangs in the U Sports football championship game on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec.
The video was shared over the social media channels for the Huskie Football Alumni and the University of Saskatchewan. The messages were great and a number of them were colourful.
The video showed how many beauties played on the team and were characters that have character like Murray Sadownick, Cal Hobbs, Brent Schneider, Kelly Bates, Tyler Siwak, Lyndon Rush, Ben Coakwell, Ivan Brown, Laurence Nixon, Parker Siemens, Rylund Hunter, Ben Heenan and Tanner Secord.
Secord, who played his fifth and final year in 2019 on the offensive line, told former teammate and current fourth-year centre and right guard on the offensive line Conner Berglof that he was allowed to smile after the current team wins on Saturday.
Feel free to check out the video below.
Hockey men’s Huskies romp past MRU 7-2
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| Jaxan Kaluski had two goals and an assist for the Huskies. |
In a U Sports men’s hockey regular season contest, the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies thumped the Mount Royal University Cougars 7-2 holding a 37-17 advantage in shots on goal before 1,673 spectators. The Huskies, who are rated fourth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, led 2-0 after the first period and 4-0 after the second frame.
Jaxan Kaluski had two goals and an assist for the Huskies. Jared Dmytriw and Vince Loschiavo each picked up a goal and two assists in the win.
Captain Gord Ballhorn, Donovan Neuls and Owen Hardy had singles for the Huskies.
Riley Sawchuk and Tyson Helgesen replied with singles for the Cougars.
Roddy Ross made 15 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies (8-3). Riley Morris turned away 30 shots going the distance in goal for the Cougars (6-5-1).
Those two squads go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.
MRU blanks Huskies women’s team 1-0
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| Bailee Bourassa had eight shots on goal for the Huskies. |
The netminder for the Mount Royal University Cougars women’s hockey team made 28 saves to backstop her squad to a 1-0 U Sports regular season win over the Huskies at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary on Friday. The shutout was the third of the season for De Beauville.
Cougars captain Amy Tatum scored on the power play at the 11:12 mark of the first period to account for the game’s only goal. Emma Bergesen and Breanne Trotter picked up assists.
The Cougars, who are rated fifth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, improved to 8-1-2 with the win.
Camryn Drever made 24 stops to take the setback in goal for the Huskies 6-3-2. Huskies captain Bailee Bourassa had eight shots on goal.
The Cougars were 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Huskies were unable to score on five power-play chances.
The two sides go at it again on Saturday in Calgary.
Expect Bombers to pull out win on Irving’s
last call, other notes
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| Andrew Harris and the Bombers to give their all for Bob Irving. |
On sports talk shows based out of Saskatchewan, locals have been phoning in their support for the Roughriders saying they will win as the Bombers battle rust. The Bombers topped the entire CFL standings with an 11-3 record and closed the regular season losing two straight games that wouldn’t effect where they were in the standings.
The Roughriders, who were second in the West Division with a 9-5 mark, have won five of their last six games including a thrilling 33-30 overtime victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the West semifinal at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
The Bombers head into the West Final at IG Field in Winnipeg with extra motivation.
The West Final will be the last game Bob “Knuckles” Irving calls as the iconic play-by-play voice of the Bombers. The 71-year-old has filled that roll with CJOB in Winnipeg since 1974.
Irving is a total professional when it comes to calling the game. He has piled up many accolades including induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and having the press box at IG Field named in his honour as the Bob Irving Media Centre.
He has called Bombers games through many ups and downs and seen the team win Grey Cup championships in 1984, 1988, 1990 and 2019.
Irving means a lot to the team. While the Bombers were favourites in this game anyways, you have to believe they will dig down to find another gear to get this one for Irving.
You can expect veterans like star running back and hometown hero Andrew Harris, who is returning from injury, will try his best to allow Irving to depart on a high.
Irving will be inducted to the Bombers ring of honour before Sunday’s game.
He is a true media professional, and he gets uncomfortable when the story becomes about him or a fuss is made over him.
Hopefully, he lets himself enjoy the ride this time.
If the Bombers do win as expected, it would be cool if the management and broadcasters at TSN work things out to allow Irving to call the Grey Cup game in Hamilton on Dec. 12 as an extra treat for a national audience. That won’t likely happen, but it would be the right thing to do, if the Bombers are in that game.
- On Monday, the Winter Universiade, which was set to run Dec. 11 to 21 in Lucerne, Switzerland, was cancelled due to concern over the omicron variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the world since March of 2020. Switzerland had imposed border restrictions on travelers from several countries where the new omicron variant has been discovered causing the cancellation of the games. Several countries including Canada have introduced new travel restrictions due to the omicron variant. The Winter Universiade was originally supposed to be held back in January but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccines were just starting to be distributed at that time.
- As the Universite Laval Rouge et Or won’t be playing in the Vanier Cup, it is unknown who the neutral crowd at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, will cheer for in the U Sports football championship game on Saturday. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies take on the University of Western Ontario Mustangs for the title. Since London, Ont., is way closer to Quebec City than Saskatoon, Mustangs fans might travel to give their side more of a home field advantage. Fans in Quebec City may cheer on the Huskies due to the fact they had to travel further to get to the game and the Mustangs developed a slight rivalry with the Rouge et Or after meeting the Vanier Cup in 2017 and 2018. The Mustangs took the 2017 Vanier Cup and the Rouge et Or claimed the 2018 title game.
- The Bodog sports betting site has the University of Western Ontario Mustangs favoured in an opening spread by 9.5 points over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in Saturday’s U Sports football championship game – the Vanier Cup. The game will be played at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec. You can check those odds out by clicking right here.
- On Friday, Nov. 26, former WHLer and University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team alum Matt Swaby passed away in a farming accident. His celebration of life was held today in Prince Albert. Swaby played defence for the Prince Albert Mintos under-18 AAA team from 2002 to 2004, the WHL’s Tri-City Americans from 2004 to 2007, the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2007 to 2008 and the U Sports’ Huskies from 2008 to 2011. He leaves behind his wife Carla and their three boys Thomas, 6, Blake, 4 and Cody, 2. Swaby was a friend to all and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $221,000 for the family. Anyone looking to donate to the GoFundMe campaign for the family can do so by clicking right here.
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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