Forsberg blasts Huskies to OT victory

Rearguard scores twice in comeback over Pronghorns

Jesse Forsberg celebrates his OT winner.

    A pair of Jesse Forsberg point blasts broke the hearts of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Pronghorns led the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies 2-1 going into the third period before Forsberg stepped up to the forefront. At the 11:55 mark of the third, the third-year defenceman wired a point blast past Pronghorns goaltender Garret Hughson to tie the contest up at 2-2.

    The contest proceeded to go to overtime, and at the 3:31 mark of the extra session while working on a four-on-three power play, Forsberg drove home the winner from the point to give the Huskies to a 3-2 victory.

    During the Huskies first five games, Forsberg has jumped out to a fast start netting three goals and three assists. The Waldheim, Sask., product is looking to surpass his Canada West career high totals of three goals and seven assists recorded in 16 regular season games last season.

    Forsberg’s heroics allowed the Huskies, who are rated third in the U Sports top 10 rankings, to find a way to improve to 4-1 against a foe that came out playing at a high level.

    In the opening frame, the Pronghorns had the Huskies pinned for lengthy stretches in their own zone holding a 17-6 edge in shots on goal. Thanks to stellar play of netminder Jordan Cooke, the hosts exited the first 20 minute locking in a 1-1 draw.

    Third-year centre Justin Valentino beat Cooke on the power play during a net scramble to put the Pronghorns up 1-0. The Huskies gained some traction when Logan McVeigh and Carson Stadnyk combined to set up Michael Sofillas for his third of the season to force a 1-1 tie with 2:50 remaining in the first.

Josh Roach charges into the offensive zone for the Huskies.

    The teams played an even second, but Cooke had to make a few bailout saves, when the Huskies made a number of turnovers in the centre ice zone.

    One of those turnovers did result in Valentino’s second of the night to give the Pronghorns a 2-1 edge with 6:07 to play in the second. After U of L received a giveaway in the centre ice zone, Valentino score after his side applied a stretch of sustained pressure in the offensive zone.

    The Huskies came out flying in the third playing their best hockey of the contest. After Forsberg picked up the equalizer, he almost didn’t have a chance to be the overtime hero.

    In the dying seconds of the third period, Huskies captain Kendall McFaull was set up alone at the side of the Pronghorns goal, but Hughson stretched over to deny the scoring chance.

    Cooke made 33 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Hughson turned away 30 shots to take the extra time setback in goal for the Pronghorns, whose record moved to 1-1-1.

    The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

Huskies women’s team wins fourth straight

Kaitlin Willoughby zips up ice for the Huskies.

    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team won their fourth straight game overcoming a hot opposing goaltender.

    On Friday night in Lethbridge, U of Lethbridge Pronghorns netminder Alicia Anderson had a sensational outing making 43 saves, but the Huskies, who are rated 10^th in the U Sports top 10 rankings, weren’t kept at bay forever. They skated away with a 4-2 victory.

    Aislinn Kooistra gave the Pronghorns a 1-0 lead at the 5:40 mark of the first.

    The Huskies found the equalizer with 3:11 to play in the first, when sophomore winger Courtney Cormack netted her first of the season.

    U of S surged ahead 3-1 in the second, when fourth year veterans Kaitlin Willoughby and Kori Herner both netted singles. Jodi Gentile scored for the Pronghorns to cut the Huskies edge to 3-2 heading into the second intermission.

    Sophomore forward Shyan Elias scored for the Huskies on the power play in the third to help the visitors seal victory. Former Swift Current Wildcats star netminder Jasey Book turned away 14 shots to pick up her first career regular season victory for the Huskies in her first start. The Huskies improved to 4-1 with the win.

    The Pronghorns fell to 1-3-1 with the loss.

    Anderson, who is in her second season with the Pronghorns, has stopped 160-of-169 shots in three starts in the current campaign to post a .947 save percentage and a 2.98 goals against average. She has faced an average of 56 shots a game.

    The two teams go at it again on Saturday in Lethbridge.

CIS re-branded as U Sports

The U Sports logo.

    On Thursday, the governing body for university sports in Canada launched a re-brand of its name and logo.

    From now on, the governing body that was known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) will now be known as U Sports. The U Sports name will be used in both English and French. It oversees the competition involving teams at 56 universities, a total of around 12,000 student athletes, about 500 coaches and 21 national championships in 12 different sports.

    The logo is a simple standing “U” with a maple leaf in the middle. The maple leaf in the new logo evolved from a unique leaf found on an old CIAU (Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union) letterhead from the 1980s. The governing body for university sports in Canada ran under the CIAU name until switching to the CIS name in 2001.

    The change comes under the watch of current U Sports CEO Graham Brown, who was hired in the fall of 2015.

    In recent years, there has been some talk about changing the name for the governing body for university sports in Canada to a moniker that was viewed as less clunky. The U Sports name definitely achieves that objective.

    While it is not normal for a league to change its name in the middle of a season, the change still came during the early stages of the university sports season in Canada. The streamlined name comes just in time before most of the fall semester only sports begin their respective playoff cycles.

    The early reviews for the new name have been good, so here is hoping the re-branded U Sports will be able to attract more national attention and sponsorships it deserves.

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

Huskies find ways to win early

U of S women’s hockey team overcomes tough opening games

Pandas F Autumn MacDougall is stopped by Huskies G Cassidy Hendricks.

    Coming out of the gate, it appeared the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team was facing a murderous schedule.

    In their first four games, the Huskies had to hit the road to take on the defending Canada West champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds twice, and then they returned home to host the University of Alberta Pandas, who are always a conference powerhouse, twice. On paper, a split in each series would be considered a great success for the Huskies.

    There was also a realistic chance the Huskies could play well and still come out of that stretch without a win.

Kaitlin Willoughby netted the shootout winner for the Huskies.

    Under first year head coach Robin Ulrich, the Huskies weren’t phased by the early challenge. After dropping their regular season opener 4-0 in Vancouver to the Thunderbirds on Oct. 7, the Huskies have rolled off three straight wins.

    After falling to the Thunderbirds, the Dogs rebounded the next night downing UBC 5-3, which ended a streak where the Thunderbirds had won eight straight meetings between the two squads.

    On Friday, the Huskies opened their home schedule at the ancient Rutherford Rink with a 2-1 double overtime victory over the Pandas. Offensive defender Leah Bohlken blew home the winner on the power play on a perfect backdoor feed from star winger Kaitlin Willoughby.

    On Saturday at Rutherford, the Huskies completed the sweep of the Pandas pulling out a 2-1 victory after a tiebreaking shootout. Willoughby was the first shooter up in the shootout and netted a beauty goal on a deke that totally fooled Pandas goaltender Dayna Owen.

    That turned out to be the only tally in the tiebreaking session. Veteran Huskies goalie Cassidy Hendricks slammed the door on the three Pandas shooters she faced to deliver her side to victory.

Rachel Lundberg (#15) celebrates her short-handed goal.

    When you play tough opponents like the Thunderbirds and Pandas, who were rated eighth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top 10 rankings, the key is to just to find a way to win. That is what the Huskies have done, and Saturday’s game provided the perfect example of just finding a way to get to right side of the scoreboard.

    The Huskies weren’t always at their best. Had it not been for the stellar play of Hendricks, who made 29 stops through regulation and 10 minutes of overtime play, the Huskies wouldn’t have pulled out a sweep.

    The Pandas had the Huskies pinned in their own zone for much of the first period, and at one point, the visitors had a 9-1 edge in shots on goal. U of A was winning every race for loose pucks and taking what seemed like every physical battle for the puck.

    Hendricks was under siege, but the fifth-year standout from North Vancouver played with a trademark calm that has defined her whole university career. She was going to hold her team in the game until her teammates could find some traction.

    When the first 20 minutes ended, the Pandas had outshot the Huskies 16-7. The visitors could have had at least a three-goal edge on the scoreboard, but the two sides were locked in a 0-0 draw.

Rookie Kayla Kirwan has been solid for the Huskies. 

    The hosts found the traction they were looking for early in the second. While on the penalty kill, fifth year defender Alyssa Dobler sprung hard-working second-year forward Rachel Lundberg on a breakaway.

    Lundberg broke into the Pandas zone, wired her first shot off the post, collected the rebound and beat Owen to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. The Dogs found their skating legs, and they played fairly even for the rest of the contest with the Pandas.

    In the third, the Huskies ran into some penalty trouble, which allowed the Pandas to pull even. Playing with a two-person advantage, Pandas sophomore forward Autumn MacDougall buried her second of the season to tie things up at 1-1 shortly before the seven minute mark.

    Before going to overtime, the Pandas had a glorious chance to pull ahead. Third-year forward Amy Boucher found herself on a breakaway late in the third, but she fired a shot wide of the goal.

    During the second five-minute overtime period, Owen had to make a big save on Willoughby, when the Huskies were pressing with all sorts of pressure around the U of A net.

    That set the stage for the shootout, where Willoughby made no mistake in potting the only goal in the tiebreaking session to give her team the win. The Huskies improved to 3-1 as a result.

The Huskies celebrate their shootout victory against the Pandas.

    Owen turned away 22 shots over 70 minutes and two of the three shooters she faced in the shootout as the Pandas record moved to 2-0-2.
    Besides getting clutch contributions from their veterans, the Huskies have also received strong performances from rookie defender Kayla Kirwan and rookie forward Emily Upgang.

    After three big wins in a row, the Huskies now encounter their next challenge, when they hit the road to Lethbridge for two trap style games this coming Friday and Saturday against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. The Pronghorns are 1-3, but they have always found a way to give the Huskies difficulties.

    For the moment, the Huskies can take pride in their surprising good start. In the back of their minds, they have to ensure they don’t get too high, so they can focus on their next challenge and keep finding ways to win.

Bauml bashes Bears with hat trick

Kohl Bauml had a hat trick to lead the Huskies to a big road win.

    Kohl Bauml put the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team on his back to power them to a huge road victory in Edmonton.

    On Saturday, Bauml fired home a hat trick to lead the defending Canada West champs past the U of Alberta Golden Bears with a 4-2 victory at the Clare Drake Arena. Bauml’s third goal broke a 2-2 tie just 55 seconds into the third period.

    Huskies captain Kendall McFaull added a big insurance marker just past the midway point of the third to cement a two-goal victory. Goaltender Jordon Cooke made 32 saves to give the Dogs a split in their weekend series with their forever rivals. The Bears picked up a 3-2 double overtime victory on Friday.

    In Saturday’s encounter, Jayden Hart and Cole Linaker had singles for the Bears, while netminder Kenny Cameron turned away 24 shots taking the loss in goal.

    With Saturday’s win, the Huskies, who are rated third in the CIS top 10 rankings, improved to 3-0-1. The Bears, who are rated fourth in the CIS top 10 rankings, fell to 1-1.

    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday and Saturday when they host the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns (1-1) at 7 p.m. on both nights at the Rutherford Rink.

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

Huskies’ Bohlken buries Pandas in double overtime

The Huskies celebrate Leah Bohlken's double OT winning goal.

    Leah Bohlken appears to be a perfect fit as the new main power-play quarterback for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the 19-year-old Moose Jaw product set up one goal on the power play and blasted home the double overtime winner on another power play. Bohlken’s efforts allowed the Huskies to pull out a 2-1 victory in their regular season home opener over the University of Alberta Pandas.

    While working with a four-on-three advantage in a second five-minute frame, Bohlken pinched down from the point into the left slot and converted a perfect backdoor pass from Huskies star winger Kaitlin Willoughby for the winning tally.

    “That was unreal,” said Bohlken. “That was a beautiful pass from Willow (Willoughby). (Lauren) Zary is working hard in the zone.

    “Everybody worked hard to keep it from going into our net. When you can put one away like that, I think it is pretty insane. It makes you pretty happy.”

    Bohlken assumed the role as the main power-play quarterback on the point in her sophomore season due to the graduation of first-team all-Canadian all-star Julia Flinton. Last season, Bohlken was paired up on the back end with Flinton on the Huskies top power-play unit.

Leah Bohlken controls the puck at the point for the Huskies.

    “I think last year she (Julia Flinton) helped me out a lot,” said Bohlken, who recorded two goals and six assists in 28 regular season games in 2015-16. “She walked me through and kind of showed me the ropes.

    “I got multiple opportunities from the coaches. Playing with her definitely helped. I’ve had practise from last year, so coming into this year, Flinton is not there on the point with me, but there is another girl that is right there in Kayla Kirwan.

    “I played a little bit with Kira Bannatyne. They are both there. They are both really good hockey players.”

    The Huskies converted on 2-of-8 power-play chances on Friday and could have had more goals with a little better finish around the net. On the team’s fourth power-play chance early in the second, feisty forward Brooklyn Haubrich nailed the post and winger Rachel Johnson missed an open cage.

    After starting out 0-for-4 on the power play, the Huskies cashed in on their fifth power-play chance at the 13:45 mark of the second. Kennedy Harris and Bohlken combined to get the puck over to captain Lauren Zary, who popped home her first goal of the season.

Huskies goalie Cassidy Hendricks stops Pandas forward Alex Poznikoff.

    When quarterbacking the power play, Bohlken’s style is a little different from Flinton’s. Flinton would often rush coast-to-coast with the puck and try to create a scoring chance via that route. Bohlken prefers to control things from the blue-line and set in a play from that spot.

    “I think that is important for any defence is to control the puck and look for your forwards down low (and) look for your defence partner,” said Bohlken. “To not panic with the puck is a huge thing.

    “I still do panic with it, but it is something that I am working on. I think like tonight is an example of how practice pays off. You have to be calm with it.

    “I am not perfect yet. I don’t think I will ever be perfect, but I am trying.”

Kaitlin Willoughby had a key assist for the Huskies.

    The Huskies did have one hiccup on the power-play that allowed the Pandas to even things up at 1-1 just before the seven-minute mark of the third, when Bohlken wasn’t on the ice.

    During a rush attempt into the offensive zone, the Huskies turned the puck over at the U of A blue-line. The Pandas quickly transitioned up ice the other way getting a short-handed goal from captain Sasha Lutz.

    After the Huskies controlled play for the first 40 minutes, the Pandas had a big territorial advantage in the third period and in the two overtime frames. Momentum swung back to the home side, when the Huskies went on their eighth and final power-play chance.

    The Pandas also failed to score on seven power-play opportunities, which also contributed to the final outcome of the contest.

    Cassidy Hendricks made 26 saves to earn the win in goal for the Huskies (2-1). Lindsey Post turned away 24 shots to take the extra time setback in goal for the Pandas (2-0-1), who entered Friday’s encounter rated eighth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top 10 rankings.

    The Huskies and Pandas will go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

    “Every game is a battle,” said Bohlken. “You have to come out in (every) period ready to play or else any team can take advantage and any team can get a goal like we did.

    “It wasn’t our best third period start, and it wasn’t our best third period. It wasn’t our best game. We still have a lot more in us.

    “Hopefully, we can get to playing our best and win some more games.”

Golden Bears prevail in OT over Huskies men’s squad

Michael Sofillas had a goal in a double OT setback for the Huskies.

    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team wasn’t able to find a magical finish in overtime in Edmonton.

    Taking on their forever rivals the U of Alberta Golden Bears, the Huskies saw a 2-1 lead disappear late in the third period before falling 3-2 in double overtime. Bears forward Jamie Crooks potted the equalizer with 8.9 second to play in the third.

    He proceeded to bag the winner at the 1:40 mark of a second five-minute overtime period firing home the winner high glove side on Huskies star netminder Jordon Cooke.

    Rookie Trevor Cox put U of A up 1-0 with a short-handed goal in the first period. Third-year forward Michael Sofillas potted the equalizer in the second for the Huskies to knot the score up at 1-1. Rookie Wyatt Johnson put the Dogs ahead 2-1 with an early third period goal.

    Cooke made 29 saves to take the extra time setback in goal for the Huskies (2-0-1). Kenny Cameron turned away 31 shots to backstop the Bears to victory in their regular season opener.

    The Huskies entered the game rated third in the CIS top 10 rankings, while the Bears were fourth. Both teams face each other again Saturday in Edmonton.

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

Willo sparks Huskies, makes Universiade team

Kaitlin Willoughby zips up ice for the Huskies.

    Kaitlin Willoughby showed it was a wise decision to name her to the Canadian women’s hockey team for the FISU Winter Universiade.

    On Saturday in Vancouver, the 21-year-old forward sparked her University of Saskatchewan Huskies to 5-3 upset win over the host and defending Canada West champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Dating back to October of 2014, the Huskies had lost their previous eight straight head-to-head encounters with the Thunderbirds.

    In the first period of Saturday’s game, Willoughby scored two power-play goals to give her side a 2-0 edge. The tallies also sparked the Huskies offensively as they never trailed and never allowed UBC to get back on even terms the rest of the way.

    Brooke Patron, Rachel Johnson and Elizabeth Salyn all netted singles. Johnson’s tally came on a penalty shot. Cassidy Hendricks made 24 stops to earn the win in goal.

    Cassandra Vilgrain scored twice for the Thunderbirds, while Kenzie Robinson added a single. Amelia Boughn turned away 18 shots to take the loss in the UBC goal.

    Willoughby was named to the FISU Winter Universiade team on Friday. She attended Hockey Canada’s Women’s Development Camp in August to compete for a spot on the FISU team. The Winter Universiade will run Jan. 29 to Feb. 8, 2017 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Kaitlin Willoughby is one of the Huskies biggest offensive threats.

    Since entering the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks at the start of the 2013-14 campaign, Willoughby has been a high impact offensive player netting 32 goals and 41 assists in 84 career regular season games. She is also one of those few players that can change a game individually, which means her line has always received extra attention from opposition teams for pretty much her whole career with the Huskies.

    During her first season, the Prince Albert, Sask., product was named the CIS rookie of the year, and she helped the Huskies win their first Canada West title and a bronze medal at the CIS championship tournament.

    She permanently carved her place in the history of the Huskies women’s hockey team in the 2014 best-of-three Canada West championship series with the University of Regina Cougars. In a series deciding Game 3, Willoughby potted the double overtime winner to give the Huskies a 2-1 victory at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

    If the Canadian FISU team needs a big play in the clutch, it would always be a prudent decision to have Willoughby and her blazing speed on the ice.

    For now, Willoughby, who is in her fourth year of CIS eligibility, will keep trying to help the Huskies find success on the ice. U of S’s next test is a big one as they host the always powerful University of Alberta Pandas (2-0) this coming Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. on both nights at Rutherford.

Swift Current’s Smith could be valuable addition to Huskies

Swift Current product Chloe Smith could be a big addition to the Huskies.

    Earlier this month, the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey announced the signing of Chloe Smith, who could prove to be a big addition to the team.

    The 17-year-old Smith is completing her final season of midget AAA eligibility as the captain of her hometown Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats. She joined the Wildcats as an underage 14-year-old way back at the start of the 2013-14 campaign.

    Smith, who stands 5-foot-7, is one of those rare power forward types that can mix it up physically in all the areas of the ice, which is something you do need in the women’s game. Her toughness is combined with a set of soft hands around the net and a sound offensive skill set that makes her an extremely attractive player at the university level.

    My first impression of Smith came during her 15-year-old season, when her Wildcats were taking on the host Saskatoon Stars in Game 1 of a Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League best-of-five semifinal series at the Agriplace Arena on March 10, 2015.

    Just 39 seconds into the third period, Smith nailed Stars superstar forward Nara Elia, who is a Hockey Canada national women’s team program prospect, with huge head hit that knocked Elia out of the game. Smith was given a major penalty for a head hit, a game misconduct and also had to sit out a one-game suspension for the incident. It was the type of hit in the men’s game that would have been deemed clear about seven years ago.

    I remember her emerging later on that day from the Wildcats dressing room wearing her track suit as her Wildcats fell 4-2. Looking at Smith’s face, you could see a wide range of emotions as she was trying to process what had happened.

Chloe Smith gets set to take a draw for the Wildcats.

    You could see there was disappointment, because she wasn’t on the ice to help her team and her competitiveness was also present too. Before being ejected, she had played with a lot of fire.

    As a 15-year-old sophomore, she piled up 10 goals and nine assists on 28 regular season games. Knowing all that and seeing her at the moment she came out of the Wildcats dressing room, my thought was some university team should sign her to a scholarship right there if they could. My gut feeling was this was a player you want on your team, because her teammates will see someone that will go to war with them and bring her best at all times.

    Last season, Smith had an impressive 16-year-old campaign collecting 13 goals and 19 assists in 26 games to lead the Wildcats in scoring. She added another four goals and nine assists in 12 playoff games as the Wildcats advanced to the best-of-five SFMAAAHL championship series, where they fell in four games to the Stars.

    Anytime you went to a Wildcats game, you knew you were going to see a pretty good performance from Smith.

    Despite what happened on the play where she drilled Elia, Smith has played tough and avoided sitting lengthy stretches in the penalty box. In 84 career regular season games with the Wildcats, she only has 38 minutes in penalties.

    Smith will play for Saskatchewan’s provincial team at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship that runs Nov. 9 to 13 in Regina. It wouldn’t be surprising to see her make an impact in that best-versus-best event.

    When she joins the Huskies in the fall of 2017, Smith will see a few familiar faces. The U of S roster contains a trio of her former Wildcats teammates in Brooklyn Haubrich, Kayla Kirwan and Jasey Book. That group will help Smith make the transition to the next level.

    If she continues to play to her present power forward form, she has the potential to be a popular player in the green and white.

Huskies men’s team closes sweep with blowout win

Parker Thomas was one of seven goal scorers for the Huskies on Saturday.

    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team showed the all out power they could potentially have this season in an impressive win over the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

    The Huskies thrashed the Thunderbirds 7-0, and the goals came off the sticks of seven different players. Parker Thomas, Jesse Forsberg, Kendall McFaull, Jordan Fransoo, Josh Roach, John Lawrence and Levi Cable all netted singles.

    Jordon Cooke made 28 saves to earn the shutout in the U of S goal.

    Matt Hewitt turned away 23-of-29 shots before being pulled at the 10:28 mark of the third period. Derek Dun stopped four-of-five shots in relief.

    The Huskies were an impressive 5-for-8 on the power play, and they killed off all six power-plays the Thunderbirds were given.

    U of S swept a two-game series with UBC having already earned a 4-1 victory on Friday night at Rutherford.

    The Huskies were ranked first in the Canada West pre-season coaches’ poll. Thanks to a strong recruiting class and a solid group of returning players, the Huskies have a good chance to repeat as conference champions.

    With that in mind, they are only two games into their regular season, and there is still a long way to go.

    The Huskies return to action this Friday and Saturday when they travel to Edmonton to face their forever rivals the University of Alberta Golden Bears, who are opening their regular season slate. U of S swept away U of A in last season’s best-of-three Canada West championship series.

These upcoming encounters will provide a big test.

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

Huskies good out of the gate

Dogs dump Thunderbirds 4-1 in regular season opener

Jordan Fransoo starts a rush up ice for the Huskies.

    Matt Hewitt couldn’t hold off the University of Saskatchewan Huskies forever.

    The fourth-year goaltender from the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds men’s hockey team looked poised to steal the regular season opening game between the two squads on Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink. Hewitt was standing on his head turning away the various waves of pressure applied by the Huskies, but his armour finally cracked.

    With 4:01 to play in the second period, third-year defenceman Jordan Fransoo snuck home a point shot to put the Huskies up 1-0. The tally came on the Huskies sixth power-play opportunity and proved to be a just reward for all the chances the hosts were creating.

    At the 2:15 mark of the third period, the Huskies offence continued to roll when centre Logan McVeigh slipped home his first of the season. Just over four minutes later while working on another power play, McVeigh picked up his second goal of the game tapping home a loose puck in the crease of the UBC net to put the Dogs up 3-0.

The Huskies crash in on Thunderbirds goaltender Matt Hewitt.

    Thunderbirds forward Luke Lockhart replied with a single with 4:57 to play to cut the Huskies lead to 3-1, but that was as close as the visitors would get.

    The Huskies locked things down defensively, and Michael Sofillas potted an empty net goal to cement a 4-1 victory.

    U of S enters the current campaign as defending Canada West champions, and for the first time out, the Huskies had to be satisfied with their effort. Hewitt turned away 33 of 36 shots to allow the Thunderbirds to stay in a contest, where they spent numerous stretches getting pinned in their own zone.

    Jordon Cooke, who was named the most outstanding goaltender for Canadian Interuniversity Sport last season, turned away 18 shots to steady the Huskies in their own end.

    U of S also has a lineup that features nine first-year players, which included a good looking forward line made up of Carson Stadnyk, Wyatt Johnson and Connor Gay. The recruiting class was filled with individuals who had outstanding careers in the Western Hockey League, which was one of the reasons the Dogs topped the Canada West pre-season coaches’ poll.

    With a huge influx of new players, one had to wonder how quickly it would take this new group to jell.

    Early on, it’s apparent the chemistry is coming. The Huskies rolled four forward lines that came at the Thunderbirds with speed. In all reality, the home side likely deserved to be rewarded with a few more goals.

Veternan D Connor Cox had two assists for the Huskies.

    The power play looked sound and going 2-for-7 with the man advantage puts a big check mark in that area. The Huskies also killed off all five power play chances the Thunderbirds had, which included a five-minute kill, when Huskies left-winger Jaimen Yakubowski was given a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct.

    That power-play chance came just over four minutes in the second period, when the contest was still tied 0-0. On that kill, the Huskies never let UBC really get set offensively, and the visitors were constantly sent back into their own zone after the Dogs cleared the puck down the ice.

    While the Huskies turned heads with the newcomers they brought in, the returnees accounted for all the offence, which included two assist nights coming from fourth-year defenceman Connor Cox and fourth-year winger Josh Roach.

    The Huskies and Thunderbirds will go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink. With the way the Huskies looked and considering the potential they could reach, a ticket buyer will never go wrong in making a trip to the U of S campus to see this group in action.

Vilgrain too much for Huskies women’s team to handle

Cassidy Hendricks made 19 stops in the Huskies setback to the Thunderbirds.

    The newest addition to the roster of the UBC Thunderbirds women’s hockey team had an impressive coming out party at the expense of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday night in Vancouver.

    Calgary product Cassandra Vilgrain transferred to the Thunderbirds from the University of New Hampshire Wildcats of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and potted a goal and two assists to lead her new team to a 4-0 regular season opening victory over the U of S. Vilgrain is in her fourth year of eligibility, and she gives the Thunderbirds, who enter the season as defending Canada West champs, an added dimension offensively.

    Nicole Saxvik, Alexa Ranahan and Madison Patrick, who is the older sister of Brandon Wheat Kings star and high first round NHL draft prospect Nolan Patrick, all picked up singles for the Thunderbirds. Amelia Boughn made 17 stops to earn the shutout in the UBC goal.

    Fifth-year veteran Cassidy Hendricks turned away 19 shots taking the loss in goal for the Huskies.

U of S held a 9-4 edge in shots on goal after the first period before momentum swung in the Thunderbirds favour, when Saxvik opened the game’s scoring 3:51 into the second period.

    The two teams go at it again on Saturday in Vancouver.

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

Can hockey Huskies roll again?

Captain Kendall McFaull celebrates netting a Huskies goal.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time.

    Entering the 2015-16 campaign, the Huskies had expectations to do well, but those expectations were tempered after posting a 10-15-3 mark in 2014-15, which ended a run of 18 straight seasons where the Dogs posted a winning record. Doubts were put to rest quickly.

    The Huskies seemed to be on a magical ride in 2015-16 cruising to the top of the Canada West standings with a 22-6 mark. Their 22 wins matched a club record, which occurred in the 1999-2000 campaign with a 22-3-3 mark and in 1987-88 with a 22-5-1 record.

    They played an exciting and wide open style offensively, while remaining sound in the defensive zone. Goaltending was rock solid thanks to Jordon Cooke, who won the award as the top netminder in Canadian Interuniversity Sport after posting a 19-5 record, a .921 save percentage, a 2.52 goals against average and two shutouts.

    The Huskies were also pushed by an emotional spark playing to honour the memory of alumni Cody Smuk, who passed away of cancer in late June of 2015. Smuk’s number was retired before a home game on Oct. 24, 2015, and the Huskies warmed up at home all season all wearing Smuk’s #24 jersey.

    In the playoffs, the Huskies swept away the U of Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series and pulled out the broom again to take down their forever rivals the U of Alberta Golden Bears in the Canada West championship series. Both rounds were playing in front of raucous crowds at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

    After taking the Canada West title, the Huskies brought out Smuk’s parents, father Marty and mother Darla, and his fiancée Stephanie Vause to be part of the on ice team picture.

    It seemed like everything was lining up to create a feeling that the Huskies would win their first CIS title since 1983 no matter what the odds were.

    At the University Cup in Halifax, N.S., the Huskies dropped a 2-1 triple overtime heartbreaker to the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in a semifinal match. U of S closed the tournament falling 5-2 in the bronze medal contest to the St. Mary’s University Huskies 5-2.

    Entering the 2016-17 campaign, the Huskies top the pre-season Canada West coaches’ poll. They open the regular season on Friday hosting the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

    Emotion will not likely play as big of a role this time around. Captain Kendall McFaull, Connor Cox, John Lawrence and Josh Roach are the only remaining Huskies players who were teammates with Smuk in his final season in 2013-14.

    They also have to make up for the loss of last season’s fifth year graduates in Zak Stebner and Matthew Spafford. Stebner was a sound defensive defenceman and a calming presence in the dressing room. Spafford brought heart and character to the squad, which made him arguably the team’s most popular play amongst the student body at the U of S campus.

    The Huskies return a strong core including last year’s team scoring leader in Kohl Bauml and goals leader Levi Cable. That group will have to jell with an outstanding group of nine first-year players that made the final cuts topped by standout forwards Alex Forsberg, Connor Gay and Carson Stadnyk. If the returnees and newcomers establish chemistry early, the Huskies have the potential to be more formidable than last season.

    The 2016-17 campaign will eventually write its own unique tale. The Huskies might just add another impressive chapter to their already storied history.

Familiar new face behind bench for Huskies women’s team

Kaitlin Willoughby was at Hockey Canada's Women's Development camp.

    The U of S Huskies women’s team enter the 2016-17 campaign with new but familiar face taking over as head coach on a one-year interim basis.

    Former captain Robin Ulrich will be the Huskies new top bench boss as Steve Kook takes a professional leave of absence. Ulrich played defence for the Huskies from 2004-09 and was named a Canada West first team all-star and won the conference’s student-athlete community award.

    Ulrich was an assistant coach with the team the past five seasons. The last two were a little less involved than the first three due to becoming a high school physical education teacher at Lampman School.

    She is extremely popular with the alumnae of the Huskies women’s team, who will no doubt be pulling for her, and she is surrounded by a strong support staff of assistant coaches.

    Ulrich also comes in knowing most of the players. The Huskies still have eight holdovers from their 2013-14 Canada West championship winning team, when Ulrich was a full-time assistant coach. The vets will no doubt ease the transition for the new bench boss.

    Fourth-year forward Kaitlin Willoughby tops the list of key returnees. The Prince Albert, Sask., product had an exciting summer attending Hockey Canada’s Women’s Development camp in August.

Cassidy Hendricks returns for her fifth and final season looking to add to her Huskies record for most career regular season wins, which currently sits at 46.

    Veteran forwards Lauren Zary and Rachel Johnson will likely give a strong punch to the offence, while Alyssa Dobler and Kira Bannatyne will be key in anchoring the back end in the defensive zone.

    Second-year defender Leah Bohlken will see an increased role as a quarterback on the power play, and former Weyburn Gold Wings captain Bailee Bourassa has the potential to chip in a few goals in her rookie campaign.

    Intensity won’t likely be a problem for the Huskies on their opening weekend. They travel to Vancouver to take on the defending Canada West champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Friday and Saturday. Over the past couple of seasons, the battles between the Huskies and Thunderbirds have usually gotten a bit chippy.

    During the past two campaigns, offensive has come at a premium in Canada West women’s play. If the Huskies can find a groove early offensively, it might give them a bigger boost in the long run.

Back in the Express with Lukowich looking up to Howe

Former NHLer Morris Lukowich is a great story teller.

    I was back in the Saskatoon Express this week with a story that was pretty fun to write.

    I caught up with Morris Lukowich, who scored his fair share of goals playing in the NHL from 1979 to 1987. Lukowich, who grew up playing minor hockey in Saskatoon in the 1960s and early 1970s, looked up to the late Gordie Howe.

    Always the great story teller, Lukowich talked about his first meeting with the hockey icon and later becoming his teammate with the Houston Aeros of the now defunct World Hockey Association.
    Drafted by both the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL and the Aeros after starring for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, Lukowich had the chance to hang out with Howe on a recruiting trip to Houston.
    That story can be found right here.

Leafs/Sens game was great for those who got there

    The biggest challenge of watch Tuesday night’s NHL pre-season game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators might have been just getting there.

    When I went to the game, I arrived at the junction of 51^st Street and Idylwyld Drive at about 6:30 p.m., and it took me 50 minutes to get from there to the SaskTel Centre. I didn’t even get to the arena’s parking lot. I parked at a used car dealership on Marquis Drive and booted it to the rink to make it inside by puck drop due to fact I was covering the game for The Canadian Press.

    Upon arriving at the SaskTel Centre’s main entrance, it looked like there was only one open route into the parking lot and no cars were coming in off Bill Hunter Avenue.

    The SaskTel Centre staff played damage control posting on Twitter, “Folks in traffic… our ingress plan is the same as Rush games and Garth Brooks. No specific reason for the congestion.”

    After seeing that Tweet, I started to question if I saw what I really saw. I attended the last two National Lacrosse League playoff games for the Saskatchewan Rush, which were sold out, and I remember cars streaming in off Bill Hunter Avenue.

    The locals that called into talk radio in Saskatoon on Wednesday morning seemed to see the same thing I did when it came to getting to the SaskTel Centre on Tuesday night.

    The frustration of getting in turned out to be a minor headache due to the fact the game itself was great and way better than the NHL pre-season games that were held at the SaskTel Centre the past two years.

    The Leafs and Senators iced lineups that will be close to the ones they use in the regular season. Ottawa pulled out a 3-2 victory after Bobby Ryan scored 21 seconds into overtime. Ryan scored on a nice backdoor play, while his side was working the power play. As for other thoughts on the night:

•         The first period fight between Senators right-winger Chris Neal and Leafs agitator Brandon Prust was a dandy. Both guys were throwing bombs, which really engaged the crowd.
•          Most of the 13,094 in attendance were cheering for the Leafs. At times, you almost through you were in the Air Canada Centre due to the number of “Go Leafs Go” chants that filled the air. The fans also booed Senators defenceman and former Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf almost every time he touched the puck.
•          Young forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both showed really good jump for the Leafs. Here is hoping the two 19-year-olds can keep up their respective efforts in the regular season.
•          The player who had the toughest luck was Leafs 22-year-old prospect goaltender Antoine Bibeau. He entered the contest at the start of the third period, and besides coming in cold, he barely faced any shots. Bibeau gave up two goals on the four shots and ended up being the netminder that took the loss on the night. He came into the game with the Leafs trailing 1-0, saw his side take a 2-1 advantage before he let two tallies in to take the loss.
•          The story I wrote for The Canadian Press on this contest can be found 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.

New Mosaic gets “A” grade

Rams down Huskies 37-29 in first game at new stadium

Rams LB Michael Stefanovic cuts off Huskies RB Tyler Chow.

    REGINA - It is safe to say the 16,500 patrons that took in the first event at new Mosaic Stadium were satisfied to say the least about Saskatchewan’s new state of the art sports facility.

    The host University of Regina Rams and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies engaged in the first contest and overall event held at new Mosaic on Saturday afternoon before a record crowd to witness a Canada West conference football match. The attendance mark broke the previous football record of 10,199 for a match between the U of Manitoba Bisons and the U of Alberta Golden Bears at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg on Aug. 30, 2013.

    The clash between the Rams and the Huskies also surpassed the overall attendance record for a Canada West contest, when 12,859 spectators took in a men’s hockey match between the U of Calgary Dinos and the Mount Royal University Cougars on Jan. 21 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.

Part of the crowd of 16,500 that attended the Rams vs. Huskies clash.

    Until Saturday’s contest, the largest attendance for a university level football game in Saskatchewan since the Rams joined the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks in 1999 came back on Nov. 25, 2006.      
    On that day 12,567 spectators crammed into Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon to see the host Huskies fall to the Universite Laval Rouge et Or 13-8 in that year’s Vanier Cup.

    New Mosaic Stadium gets an “A” grade for its first event. As far as the fan experience goes, there were small quicks like the fact it was hard to hear the public address system in the end zone seats and the massive new big video screen wasn’t working yet to provide replays.

    With that said, there isn’t a bad seat in the house that cost $278-million to build. The site lines from any spot in the facility are great. It is also nice to sit in a sizable theatre seat as opposed to being crammed on to the bench seats of old Mosaic Stadium.

Rams QB Noah Picton throws the first TD at new Mosaic.

    The spot that received the most compliments was the standing room area in the south end zone. If you are on the lowest level of that space, it feels like you can reach out and touch the play. It is also in perfect position for players to attempt a “Lambeau Leap” after scoring a touchdown.

    It was easy to move along the spacious concourse area with the exception of the one corner where a big beer selling and barbeque food area was set up. There was more than ample washroom space as well, which was something that obviously lacked at old Mosaic.

    With that said, there were the odd fans in one men’s washroom that joked they would miss the troughs that existed in the old stadium.

    Saturday’s game also provided a little glimpse as far as atmosphere goes at least on a possible CFL level. It was easy to see that the majority of the fans that came to the Rams/Huskies game were mainly fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and maybe only casual fans of the university game. Their obvious first purpose was to see what Roughriders new home would look like.

    That curiousity was share by a number of Roughriders players who were also present for the CIS clash.

    Most spectators that attend Rams or Huskies football contests lean more to being university football fans first and CFL fans second.

Rams receiver Ryan Schienbein scores the first touchdown at new Mosaic.

    The influx of new spectators provided a rare opportunity for the Rams and Huskies to showcase the university game to a new audience. The two teams did not disappoint.

    The game’s first half contained a myriad of spectacular offensive football plays, which saw the Rams take a 24-18 lead into the halftime break. The first touchdown at the new stadium came courtesy of an 11-yard catch by Rams receiver Ryan Schienbein from quarterback Noah Picton near the midway point of the first quarter to give the hosts an early 7-0 edge.

    The newcomers apparently liked what they saw and most stuck around for the second half, where the Rams surged ahead 37-18 by the end of the third quarter and held off a Huskies fourth quarter rally to pull out the 37-29 win. The victory allowed the Rams to remain first in Canada West at 4-1, while the Huskies remained in fifth place at 2-3.

The standing area was a hit at new Mosaic.

    The teams made errors inside of the contest’s final two minutes, but ardent university fans were the ones that mainly moaned about those mishaps.

    Picton’s reputation has grown as the CIS season has progressed as possibly being a CIS most valuable player candidate, and he gave the new spectators a show completing 29-of-42 passes for 370 yards, four touchdown passes and two interceptions. Schienbein was the favourite target hauling in 13 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

    The fans seemed to be draw into the game, and you could feel the crowd noise. The wave also started up in the fourth quarter to provide another nice touch.

    There is a realistic relation that this might be the only university football match many of the newcomers - who mainly watch CFL clashes - will take in for some time.

The Rams celebrate their victory at new Mosaic.

    If even a small percentage decide to attend future Rams and Huskies home games, that development would be a good bonus.

    Now the wait is on for new Mosaic’s big test, which will be the first time it hosts a Roughriders game. Thanks to Saturday’s university contest, the first CFL game has a huge head start on being a big hit.

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

Rams/Huskies take centre stage at new Mosaic

Noah Picton gets set to fire a pass downfield for the Rams.

    The action on the turf at new Mosaic Stadium might match the majestic look of the new state of the art facility itself.

    On Saturday at 2 p.m. in Regina, the host University of Regina Rams will face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the first game at what will be best known as the new home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. The clash is expected to be seen by over 16,500 spectators, and it will be a test event for the facility that cost $278-million to build.

    That contests also opens the festivities for “Football Day in Saskatchewan.” Following the match between the Rams and Huskies, the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops will face the Regina Thunder for the final time at old Mosaic Stadium in a clash of powerhouse Canadian Junior Football League teams at 7 p.m.

    While the majority of the people attending the university game will be out to see what it is like to attend an event at new Mosaic Stadium, they will also see a very meaningful tilt. The surprising Rams enter the contest as the fourth ranked squad in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top 10 ratings, and they top the very tight Canada West standings with a 3-1 mark. A year ago, U of R suffered through an 0-8 season.

    The U of Calgary Dinos also have a 3-1 mark, but the Rams hold first due to their 32-27 victory over the Dinos on Sept. 23 at old Mosaic Stadium.

    The Huskies sit in fifth place in Canada West with a 2-2 record, and they still have the potential to surge up the standings.

    The majority of the crowd will be made up of people from Regina, but a sizable contingent is heading down from Saskatoon. Since the Rams joined the CIS ranks in 1999, their rivalry with the Huskies has been more of an up and down one as far as intensity goes.

    U of S has dominated the regular season encounters with a 21-6 record, but the Rams have a 3-2 edge in five post-season meetings.  Only one of those playoff encounters came in the Canada West final back in 2002, when the Huskies came away with a 44-28 victory at old Mosaic Stadium.

    The rivalry hasn’t had the bite it should have due to fact there hasn’t been frequent meetings in the Canada West final. Also, the Dinos won every Canada West title from 2008 to 2013, and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds went all the way and won the Vanier Cup last year.

Since 2007, games between the Rams and Huskies have been really for bragging rights against each other, while someone else gets all the championship trophies.

Tyler Chow has piled up big yards on the ground for the Huskies.

    On Saturday, the only thing fans at new Mosaic will care about is what happens on that day. A victory would be key for each team’s hopes of making the Canada West playoffs and possibly hosting a post-season game.

    The players will likely provide a lot of excitement as well. Rams quarterback Noah Picton has had insane numbers over his team’s first four games completing 117-of-170 passes for 1,714 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions. Picton gets to throw to a wide array of skilled pass catchers like Mitchell Picton, Khalid Kornegay and Riley Wilson, who are all averaging over 100 yards receiving a game. The U of R’s reputation of being “Receiver U” is definitely in good hands.

    Tyler Chow has emerged as the Huskies biggest offensive weapon over the first four weeks. The feature tailback has piled up 572 yards rushing on 84 carries and scored two touchdowns.

    The Huskies passing attack took a big hit in their last outing, when they dropped a 38-17 decision to the U of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg on Sept. 24 due to receivers dropping a number of passes. They still have a strong quarterback in Kyle Siemens, who has completed 81 of 134 passes for 934 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. U of S also has a talented group of receivers, who will likely have a bounce back game as a unit.

    The crowd noise should get up high too. If you had the chance to visit the open house showing of new Mosaic Stadium during the Labour Day weekend, you will have learned the stadium design traps noise like CenturyLink Field in Seattle, which is home to the NFL’s Seahawks. Cheers echo and circle through the facility.

    There will likely be some bumps on Saturday afternoon, but the chance to see what should be a great game at new Mosaic Stadium will likely be an early Christmas gift.

Lots on the line for Hilltops and Thunder

Hilltops QB Jared Andreychuk rolls away from pressure.

    After the university game wraps up at new Mosaic Stadium, the Hilltops and Thunder will do battle at old Mosaic Stadium in a CJFL clash that has a lot on the line as the post-season approaches.

    Both teams have combined to win the last six CJFL championships. The Hilltops won the Canadian Bowl in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, while the Thunder captured the CJFL’s top prize in 2013.

The Hilltops enter the contest sitting second in the Prairie Football Conference with a 5-1 mark. The Thunder are third with a 3-3 record, but their three losses have come again either the Hilltops or the PFC leading Calgary Colts, who are 6-0.

    If the Hilltops win, they will guarantee at least a second place finish in the PFC standings, which means they will host a PFC semifinal playoff tilt. If the Thunder win by three or more points, they will take the season series with the Hilltops and place some pressure on Saskatoon to win its final two regular season games to hold on to second place.

    The Hilltops slipped past the Thunder 20-18 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field back on Sept. 10, which was the only other clash between these two clubs this season.

    Saskatoon also wants to keep the heat on Calgary as far as the race for first goes. The Colts are in the driver’s seat in that dash due to the fact they downed the Hilltops 36-21 back on Aug. 28 at SMF Field , which was the only head-to-head regular season clash between the two sides in the current campaign. Thanks to holding that standings tiebreaker, the Colts can lock up first place winning two of their final three games.

Sawyer Buettner fires a pass downfield for the Thunder.

    Last year, the Hilltops and Thunder staged a classic at old Mosaic. The Thunder took a 25-10 lead into the fourth quarter, and the Hilltops rallied to pull out a 26-25 victory.

    Quarterback Jared Andreychuk led that Toppers comeback, and he is having a solid campaign completing 83 of 135 passes for 1,256 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Saskatoon has great balance as running backs Logan Fischer, Joshua Ewanchyna and Adam Machart are all having solid years.

    Fischer tops the team with 521 yards rushing on 90 carries, while scoring six touchdowns. Ewanchyna has piled up 329 yards rushing on 40 carries and scored three majors, while Machart has 265 yards rushing on 38 carries and has scored one touchdown.

    Second-year Thunder quarterback Sawyer Buettner has turned a lot of heads completing 141 of 209 passes for 1,784 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. Receiver Kristiane Desautels has been Buettner’s favourite target catching 24 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns.

    The first battle between these two squads this season had the intensity of a playoff clash, and Saturday’s encounter will likely have the same feel. Another classic might be on the way.

It always feels good to give

    As “Football Day in Saskatchewan” draws near, it has popped into my head that I have supported all four of the provinces post-secondary teams that will take the field on Regina on Saturday.

    I have donated to the scholarship funds of the Rams, Hilltops and Huskies and attended the Thunder’s Dinner of Champions fundraiser. Besides those four football teams, I have also donated to the scholarship funds of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U of R Cougars women’s hockey team.

    It makes me feel good when I can give money to any of these programs, and I would love to keep making similar donations in the future and add a few more teams to the list too. I want to thank you the readers for supporting me in my independent media endeavours to make this possible.

    I humbly hope I can keep earning and holding your respect as I continue onwards.

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