Underdog hockey Huskies far from finished

Goaltender Ryan Holfeld makes a paddle save for the Huskies.

    They might be on the road to open the post-season, but it wouldn't be a shocker if both University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey teams were back at the ancient Rutherford Rink next week hoping a rust break doesn't disrupt practice.
    Both Huskies teams are in Calgary to open the Canada West playoffs in respective best-of-three quarter-final series. The Huskies men's team, who were 10-15-3 in the regular season, battles the Mount Royal University Cougars (17-10-1). The Huskies women's team, who were 14-10-4 in the regular season, takes on the U of Calgary Dinos (14-9-5).
    Game 1 of each series is set Friday, Game 2 follows Saturday, and any Game 3s, if necessary, will be held Sunday.
    During the regular season, similar themes emerged from both Huskies squads. Both had struggles putting the puck into the net, but strong goaltending and defence always made victory possible each time they hit the ice.
    In the men's Canada West playoffs, the team that succeeds will be the one the shakes off the rust the quickest. At the Winter Universiade that recently wrapped up in Granada, Spain, Canada's men's team, which won a bronze medal, was made up entirely of players from Canada West. Due to that fact, the Canada West men's league has gone through three off weeks between games.
    As a result, any positive momentum up swings or slumps that were suffered as the regular season came to a close are now pretty much irrelevant. The biggest challenge the coaching staffs on each squad had was keeping the players engaged at practice as much as possible as the off time dragged on.
   A team can only practise for so long before you pretty much have to have a game. It is just human nature.
The Cougars claimed three of four regular season encounters against the Huskies. Two of those Cougars wins were by a one-goal margins, and both came at Mount Royal.
   The Huskies have platooned goaltenders Ryan Holfeld and Jordon Cooke throughout the regular season. Holfeld had a 2.42 goals against average and a .922 save percentage, while Cooke had a 3.13 goals against average and a .905 save percentage. Both also had one shutout each.
   The Dogs won't go wrong with whoever they put in goal. As far as intangibles go, it would be nice if they give Holfeld the nod to start and carry the load in the series. The fifth-year veteran is playing the final games of his Canadian Interuniversity Sport career, and the likelihood is high he will go out playing in spectacular fashion.
   In his final regular season start back Jan. 29, Holfeld, who is in law school, was absolutely magical making 48 saves in regulation and two overtime periods and turning away five of six shooters in a tiebreaking shootout in a 2-1 setback to the U of Alberta Golden Bears. It might have been the best individual performance seen this season at the Rutherford Rink.

Josh Roach speeds up ice for the Huskies.

   While they haven't scored a lot, the Huskies do have enough offence to get the job done in a short best-of-three series. Fifth-year forward Craig McCallum is their most dangerous offensive player having led the team in scoring with 12 goals and 14 assists. Second-year forward Josh Roach has become a key set-up man finishing second in team scoring with six goals and 16 assists.
    Cody Cartier led the Cougars in scoring with 14 goals and a Canada West best 25 assists. Dalyn Flette and Cam Lanigan split time in goal for Mount Royal. Flette had a 2.36 goals against average and a .924 save percentage, while Lanigan had a 2.54 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.
    On the women's side, the Huskies closed the regular season winning three of their last five games. That included wrapping up the regular campaign with a 2-1 victory over the U of Regina Cougars last Saturday at the Rutherford Rink.
    Over that stretch, the Huskies started to play a lot more sound in their overall team game. That was a key aspect that allowed them to win the Canada West title a year ago, and helped them sit first in Canada West conference going into the semester break. They dropped to fifth in Canada West after starting the second semester on a seven-game losing streak.
    Cassidy Hendricks had starred in goal all season starting 26 of 28 regular season games posting a 2.21 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and four shutouts. She has built a reputation as being a money netminder in key games in her three seasons with the team.
    The Huskies also return arguably their best player in offensive defender Julia Flinton, who helped Canada's women's team in a silver medal at the Winter Universiade. The smooth skating Flinton had five goals and nine assists in 23 regular season games with the Huskies.
    Standout sophomore Kaitlin Willoughby led the Huskies in scoring with 10 goals and 16 assists, while most team's best defensive forwards and defenders night in and night out. She finished sixth in scoring in the conference.
    Fifth-year forward Kandace Cook had her best season with the Huskies picking up career highs with 13 goals and 22 points. Her nine assists was the second highest total she posted in that statistical category in her career.
    The biggest story coming out of the Dinos camp was the fact they won't have Canadian hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser in their lineup after having season-ending foot surgery on Wednesday.

Kaitlin Willoughby zips up ice for the Huskies.

    The Dinos will still have Russian Olympic team members Iya Gavrilova and Alexandra Vafina in the fold. Gavrilova finished second in conference scoring with 21 goals and 16 assists in 23 games. Vafina played just seven games with the Dinos picking up one goal and one assist. Both helped Russia's women's team win gold at the Winter Universiade.
    Sophomore forward Janelle Parent was second in Dinos team scoring with 13 goals and 15 assists. Hayley Dowling had the majority of the starts in goal for the Dinos posting a 2.18 goals against average, a .912 save percentage and two shutouts.
    The two clubs slip their four regular season contests, with each side hold court on home ice. Wickenheiser played in all those matches.
    The Huskies seven-game skid to start the second semester began with two consecutive losses to the Dinos in Calgary by a combined score of 9-3. While those setback started a down stretch, the Dogs could possibly start a memorable playoff run with a series win in Calgary.
    Going into the series, it was visible the Huskies had their focus and confidence back, and those could be intangibles that help push them through the first round.
    One worry the Huskies have that they can't control is numbers. They have exactly 18 healthy skaters and two healthy goals, which will allow them to dress a full roster. If they encounter any more injuries, that will force them to skate with a short bench.
    Both Huskies hockey teams face big challenges, but they are ones that can be overcome.

Blades give Nogier spectacular homecoming

Nelson Nogier gets honoured by the Blades.

    It felt like Nelson Nogier jersey retirement night on Wednesday at the Sasktel Centre.
    The former Blades defenceman, who spent two-and-a-half seasons with the team, appeared in his first game at the Sasktel Centre since becoming a member of the Red Deer Rebels. Shortly before this season's Christmas break, the Blades dealt Nogier and 18-year-old right-winger Austin Adamson to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 17-year-old winger Mason McCarty, a first round selection in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft and a second round selection in the 2015 Bantam Draft.
    In his time with the Blades, Nogier was the poster boy team player, who was huge in representing the club in the community. He was also the WHL's scholastic player of the year last season.
    Before Wednesday's game, Nogier, who an NHL Entry Draft selection of the Winnipeg Jets, was honoured at centre ice. He was presented with his old game jersey in a glass case, an amazing looking framed action photo and he took the ceremonial faceoff against Blades captain and friend Brett Stovin. Nogier's father, Pat, dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff.
    The Blades also gave away 2,500 Nelson Nogier bobblehead dolls to the 4,479 spectators in attendance. Nogier's Rebels took the contest 4-3 on the strength of two late third-period goals.
    The Blades are rebuilding under a new owner Mike Priestner, and Wednesday's pre-game festivities were really first class. While hockey does have a business side to it, it is still nice a show a former player, who made all the right moves and carried himself well, that his time with the team was appreciated. That also sends a good message to any player looking to join the Blades that they will be appreciated and treated with respect, if they put in an honest effort with the team.
    Of course, Nogier is my young cousin and there was a large family presence at Wednesday's game. It is safe to say we were all pretty impressed with the pre-game festivities. My young cousin was pretty humbled by what took place.
    Overall, that was a pretty cool night, and it was too bad the game itself couldn't have ended in a tie.

   If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.

Outmatched: Dinos too much for Huskies

Parker Thomas (#24) tries to set up offence for the Huskies.

            Could the unthinkable happen? Could the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team actually finish a regular season with a losing record?

            Unless the Dogs can roll off a big win streak over their last six games, it appears likely a losing record will happen. On the weekend, it became really apparent the Huskies are a bit of a distance away from being one of the top teams in the Canada West conference.

            The Huskies battled the University of Calgary Dinos at the ancient Rutherford Rink and fell 6-3 on Friday night and 5-2 on Saturday night. With the wins, the Dinos improved to 15-7 to sit alone in second place in the conference.

U of S fell to 9-12-1 and dropped to sixth overall in the conference. The Huskies sit five points up on the seventh place U of Regina Cougars (6-14-2) for the final playoff berth in the conference.

The last time the Huskies finished with a losing record in regular season play was way back in the 1995-96 campaign, when they posted an 11-14-3 record. Over the past six seasons, the Huskies have been an impressive 105-52-11, which includes winning a Canada West title in 2012 and a second place finish at last year’s University Cup.

Roster turnover has definitely caught up with the Dogs. They have 12 players in their first year of eligibility, with the bulk of those newcomers coming on the forward lines. The Dinos in contrast have five first year players.

Calgary also has more higher end former Western Hockey League players on its roster than Saskatchewan does.

With all that said, the Dinos only pulled out respective 2-0 and 2-1 victories early on in the season in Calgary. The notion that the Huskies could pull out two win in their home rink wasn’t unthinkable.

Friday’s tilt was back-and-forth. Craig McCallum scored 55 second into the third period to cut the Dinos two-goal lead to 4-3.

Shortly after that tally, Calgary put the contest away going up by the final of 6-3 scoring goals 28 seconds apart from each other. David Vandane had the first marker, while Colton Grant had the second marker.

Philip Tot, Alex Dzielski, Chris Collins and Brooks Myers had the other singles for the Dinos, while Kris Lazaruk made 35 saves to earn the win in goal.

Zak Stebner and Jesse Ross also netted singles for the Huskies, while Ryan Holfeld made 23 stops taking the loss in goal.

Dinos goalie Jacob DeSerres holds down the fort.

On Saturday, the Huskies played the Dinos close and trailed 3-2 heading into the final two minutes of the third. Dinos forward Ryan Harrison then potted an empty netter and added another tally in the final seconds to seal a 5-2 victory.

During that contest, the Dinos had the Huskies pinned in their own zone for extended periods of time.

Danny Gayle, Elgin Pearce and Kevin King also had singles for the Dinos, while Jacob DeSerres made 14 stops to earn the win in goal.

Tayler Thompson and McCallum netted singles for the Huskies, while Jordon Cooke turned away 25-of-29 shots suffering the loss in goal.

Huskies head coach Dave Adolph is holding at 377 career conference wins, which ties him with University of Alberta Golden Bears head coach Clare Drake for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport record for conference victories. Adolph will have to hope the fourth attempt at getting the record will be a charm.

U of S heads on the road to Vancouver for two key games against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds hold down fourth overall in the conference with a 10-9-3 record, which means they would host a first round playoff series if the regular season ended right now.

If the Huskies still hope to host a home playoff series, they needed to win at least one of those games to keep those hopes alive. With that said, one win might not be enough. A sweep is likely needed.

With the Huskies in a rebuild, a home playoff series and a winning regular season record might not be in the cards for the current campaign.

Paparazzi picture a good sign

Huskies ace picture taker Kandace Cook.

            The volume of the laughs and the mischievous giggles gave away that something was up.

            During the Huskies men’s hockey game on Jan. 3 at the Rutherford Rink against the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns, I went over behind the Pronghorns net to shoot pictures in the second period. The Pronghorns were in the end that contained the box seats at the Rutherford and most of the members of the Huskies women’s hockey team were up there.

            As I was getting ready to shoot, I could hear the laughter, and I knew something was going on. When I returned home that night, I saw fifth-year forward Kandace Cook took a picture of me doing my thing and put it on Twitter.

            I am all cool with that. If that helps the Huskies have fun at the rink and win, it is all good. The Rutherford is their home rink, and it should always be a fun place for them to be at.

Actually, to me that is a good sign. If they have the comfort level to do something like that, it is just another signal that shows me how together the Huskies women’s team is and that they have another intangible to help them be successful.

            I don’t mind getting made fun of or being the victim of a prank. Pretty much all the women’s sports teams I have dealt with that have won have done something along those lines.

            It is just too bad the Cook’s Huskies took one on the chin in their first weekend back. They traveled to Calgary and were swept by the Dinos by respective scores of 4-1 and 5-2 on Friday and Saturday.

            The Dinos roster contains Canadian National team icon Hayley Wickenheiser and Russian national team standouts Iya Gavrilova and Alexandra Vafina. All three were not with the Dinos last season because it was Olympic year.

            Back in October, the Huskies swept the Dinos, who had all those stars on the ice, 4-3 in overtime and 3-1 at the Rutherford Rink. After those results, you can bet the Dinos, who are guided by head coach and former Canadian national team star Danielle Goyette, played the revenge card in an old school style way like how head coach Bill Belichick prefers to see his New England Patriots bury opponents in the NFL.

            In Friday’s encounter in Calgary, Heather Berzins, Wickenheiser, Janelle Parent and Kate Lumley netted singles for the Dinos, while Carissa Fischer made 23 stops to earn the win in goal.

            Cook had the Huskies lone goal, while Cassidy Hendricks made 44 stops taking the loss in the Huskies net.

            A day later, Erica Mitschke scored twice for the Dinos, while Megan Grenon, Gavrilova and Vafina netted singles. Fischer made 13 stops to earn the win in goal.

            Captain Paige Anakaer and Hailey Tyndall picked up singles for the Huskies. Hendricks turned away 15-of-20 shots starting in goal for the Huskies. Jerrica Waltz stopped all 14 shots she faced in a relief appearance.

            The Dinos vaulted into first in Canada West improving to 11-3-4. The Huskies dropped from first to fifth in the tight contested conference with an 11-5-2 mark.

            The Huskies return to action this coming Friday and Saturday when they host the Thunderbirds (10-4-4) at 7 p.m. on both nights at the Rutherford Rink.

            The losses to the Dinos were likely a big learning experience for the Huskies in dealing with a revenge minded team.

            Knowing the character of the players on the Dogs, expect them to bounce back and move on.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.

Sprint to the finish

Huskies will attempt to surge up Canada West standings

Jordon Cooke tends goal for the Huskies.

            It might be now or never time for clubs looking to make noise in the regular season of Canada West men’s hockey.

            Every one of the conferences eight teams will play their final 10 regular season games during what will be a busy month of January. The hectic schedule is due in part because players from the Canada West conference will make up the entire Canadian roster for the men’s team that will compete at the 2015 Winter Universiade, which will run Feb. 3-14 in Granada, Spain.

            As a result, there are no Canada West games scheduled, when the Universiade is on. The three conferences that make up the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s hockey league represent Canada at the Universiade on a rotating basis.

            The University of Saskatchewan Huskies enter the final stretch sitting fourth overall in the conference with an 8-9-1 record. They are nine points behind the second place Calgary Dinos, but only four points ahead of the Regina Cougars, who sit seventh overall.

            The top six teams in the conference make the post-season, while the first and second place clubs earn byes into the second round of the playoffs.

            The story for the Huskies this season is they have been able to keep the puck out of the net, but they haven’t been able to put the puck into the net.

            The Huskies roster contains 12 players in their first year of eligibility, with the bulk of those newcomers playing on the forward lines.

            After finishing second at last year’s University Cup, the Huskies graduated their top four scorers in Derek Hulak, Kenton Dulle, Andrew Bailey and Brennan Bosch. Hulak was the most valuable player of the Canada West conference last season and the MVP of the University Cup tournament. He has since moved on to play with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League.

            At the moment, the Huskies haven’t replaced the offence from those key departures.

            Hulak topped the Huskies in scoring with 13 goals and 35 assists in 28 games. Fifth-year forward Craig McCallum leads the team in scoring with season with five goals and 10 assists in 18 games. No player on the Huskies is averaging a point a game this season, while three players averaged over a point a game last season including Hulak, Dulle and McCallum.

Josh Roach (#7) speeds through a check for the Huskies.

            While the goals haven’t come in bunches, goaltending has allowed the Huskies to always challenge for victory.

            Fifth-year veteran Ryan Holfeld has posted a 3-5-1 record, a 2.18 goals against average, a .929 save percentage and one shutout. Rookie Jordon Cooke has been equally as strong recording a 5-4 record, a 2.20 goals against average, a .930 save percentage and one shutout.

            A veteran crew on defence has also helped the netminders. With that said, the Huskies can’t ask for anything more in the goals against department.

            The Huskies have forwards that have piled up the points at various other levels of the game. If two or three forwards can have a hot last stretch, that might be the difference in ensuring the Huskies will once again host a home playoff series.

             U of S starts its stretch run hosting the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. on both nights at the ancient Rutherford Rink. The Pronghorns sit last in the conference with a 3-15 record and have lost their last seven straight regular season games.

            If the Huskies can pull out a couple of wins, that might help spark a strong final stretch.

Adolph nears record

            Huskies head coach Dave Adolph is one win away from equaling the Canadian Interuniversity Sport for most conference wins.

            Adolph has 376 wins, which is one shy of the record of 377 held by legendary Alberta Golden Bears head coach Clare Drake.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.

Huskies seniors to get taste of international stage

Huskies captain Matt Delahey in action.

            It will definitely be a February to remember for the senior players with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team.

            Forward Craig McCallum, defenceman and captain Matt Delahey and goaltender Ryan Holfeld were all named to the men’s hockey roster for the Canadian team that will compete at the 2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain, which runs Feb. 3-14 in the new year. The trio of fifth-year players will also be joined by Huskies teammate and second-year blue-liner Kendall McFaull.

Huskies head coach Dave Adolph will be the head coach this year for Canada’s team.

            The men’s team is made up entirely of players from the Canada West Conference. As a result, there are no Canada West games scheduled, when the Universiade is on. The three conferences that make up the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s hockey league represent Canada at the Universiade on a rotating basis.

            For the three Huskies seniors, the Universiade will provide a final hurrah, before they bow out of playing at the post-secondary level.

            McCallum, Delahey and Holfeld all have had very successful careers with the Huskies and were all solid players in the Western Hockey League.

            After this season wraps up, the time in highly competitive hockey will likely be over for each player. In Holfeld’s case, he might not even get to play senior hockey due to the fact he is pursuing his degree in law.

            For anyone playing hockey in Canada, it is always a big dream to represent your country on the international stage. McCallum, Delahey and Holfeld will get to live out that dream. 

Hendricks tops career win’s list

Cassidy Hendricks covers up a shot in goal for the Huskies.

            A belated congratulations needs to be passed on to Cassidy Hendricks.

            The third-year netminder for the Huskies women’s hockey team captured a special milestone, when her club finished the first half of the season with an 11-3-2 record to sit first overall in Canada West.

            When Hendricks made 18 stops in a 2-0 shutout of the Mount Royal University Cougars on Nov. 29 at the ancient Rutherford Rink, she became the Huskies all-time career leader in goaltending victories.

            The shutout to close out action before the Christmas break was Hendricks’ 32 career victory. Vanessa Frederick held the old Huskies record for career wins piling up 31 victories from 2007 to 2010. Frederick is currently one of Hendricks’ goaltending coaches on the Huskies.

            Hendricks appears ready to smash Frederick’s record for most regular season wins. Frederick currently holds the Huskies team record for regular season victories posting 14 wins in the 2009-10 campaign.

            This season, Hendricks has started every game in goal for the Huskies posting an 11-3-2 record, a 1.64 goals against average, a .940 save percentage and four shutouts.

            The focused Vancouver product gives the Huskies big edge in being able to win night in and night out.

           

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.

“Willo” and “Mighty Mouse” power Huskies

Kaitlin Willoughby (#28) hits top gear for the Huskies.

            When Kaitlin Willoughby and Kandace Cook get rolling, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team keeps on winning.

            There is no doubt the Huskies have vaulted into first overall in the Canada West Conference with an 11-3-2 record and 32 points in the standings thanks to an outstanding team effort. Everyone on the roster of the defending Canada West champs can look at their individual play and realize how important they were doing their part to get the Huskies where they are.

            Willoughby and Cook add an X-factor dimension that gives the Huskies that much an extra edge in a conference where seven points in the standings is all that separates the teams that sit between first and sixth. Those two forwards are extremely hard for opponents to make game plans for.

            Coming into the season, Willoughby, who stands 5-foot-6, might be the most well-known player on the Huskies roster. Last season, the young Prince Albert product was the CIS rookie of the year for women’s hockey picking up 10 goals and 15 assists in 28 regular season games. Of course, she netted the double overtime winner to give the Huskies a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the best-of-three Canada West title series back in March over the Regina Cougars.

            In her sophomore campaign, she looks like a faster and more powerful skater than she did as a rookie. The former star of the Prince Albert Bears midget AAA team came into the season with a different challenge.

            Thanks to the accolades she captured last season, Willoughby automatically becomes the centre of attention of every opponent the Huskies face. She will see every team’s best defensive pairing and a host of good defensive forwards.

            Early on, she went through an unthinkable five straight games without recording a point. That changed on Oct. 24, when she netted a goal and two assists in a 4-3 home victory over the Calgary Dinos.

            Willoughby also has points in the Huskies last four games netting three goals and four assists over that stretch. On the season, she has eight goals and seven assists in 16 games.

            Blessed with an abundance of skills, Willoughby was a key figure for the Huskies this past weekend at the Rutherford Rink. On Friday, the Huskies trailed the visiting Mount Royal University Cougars 2-0, and Willoughby went to work.

            She scored twice to even things up at 2-2 and then picked up an assist on the game winner from Kennedy Harris. Hard working defenceman Brooke Mutch picked up the last tally in a 4-2 victory, while Cassidy Hendricks made 15 saves for the win in goal.

            On Saturday after Carlee Hrenkiw put the Huskies up 1-0, Willoughby collected an assist on a deflection goal by Cook to cement a 2-0 victory. Hendricks made 18 saves to earn the shutout in net.

            At the moment, it is possible Willoughby is only scratching the surface of how good she might be. If she keeps focused on working hard on her game, she might get the chance to achieve great things in the future.

Kandace Cook takes a draw for the Huskies.

            Cook is a fearless fifth-year veteran that stands only 5-foot-2, but plays like she is 6-feet tall. She provides both a calming influence to the team and sets the tone for games with her unmatched compete level.

            Pound for pound, she might arguably be the strongest player in the Canada West conference. She is the “Mighty Mouse” of her team. In her team’s sweep of the Dinos in late October, Cook turned heads with the way she was able to physically take Canadian hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser out of the faceoff circle.         

            Cook also stepped up to be a difference maker during an early season turning point. After a 2-3 start, the Huskies faced the always powerful Alberta Pandas to finish off a weekend series at the Rutherford Rink on Oct. 18. The Lloydminster Steelers graduate scored twice including the winner on the power play to give the Huskies a key 3-2 victory and start a five game winning streak.

            She has already tied her career high with six goals this season and also has four assists. An assistant captain, Cook provides leadership by setting an example with her strong play on the ice.

            In the Huskies final game before the Christmas break, head coach Steve Kook had Cook and Willoughby on a line together with Edmonton product Rachel Johnson. That line might have some interesting potential, if it stays together.

            Even if that unit it split up, Willoughby and Cook will definitely be two players to watch after the Christmas break. Their hard work might result in some more cool championship memories in March. 

Heartbreakers in Calgary

Craig McCallum looks for a chance to score for the Huskies.

            The Huskies men’s hockey team ended up stumbling into the Christmas break with a pair of heartbreaking losses to the Mount Royal University Cougars in Calgary.

            On Friday, it turned out the three goals wasn’t enough to power the Huskies to a win. They led 3-1, but the Cougars roared back to tie things up at 3-3 and eventually take the contest 4-3 after a tiebreaking shootout.

            Matthew Spafford, Craig McCallum and Sean Aschim all picked up singles for the Huskies, while goaltender Ryan Holfeld made 35 stops over 70 minutes and stopped two of three shooters in the shootout.

            David Stephens, Billy Marshall and Matthew Brown all picked up singles for the Cougars. Brown had the only goal in the tiebreaking shootout. Goaltender Cam Lanigan made 22 stops over 70 minutes and turned away all three shooters he faced in the shootout.

            On Saturday, the Huskies dropped a tough 2-1 decision to the Cougars. McCallum had the lone goal for the Dogs, while Jordon Cooke made 24 stops taking the loss in goal.

            Sebastien Pare and Tyler Fiddler had singles for the Cougars, while Lanigan turned away 25 shots to earn the win in goal.

            The Huskies still sit fourth overall in the Canada West Conference with an 8-9-1 record. 

Not easy being blue

Nelson Nogier in action for the Blades.

            Life in a rebuilding year is definitely not easy for the Saskatoon Blades.

            Even when it seems they are going to get a big victory, one bad shift washes those hopes away. That was the story Friday, when the Blades dropped a 4-3 decision in overtime to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who are a WHL powerhouse club this season, at the Sasktel Centre.

            Saskatoon led 3-2 with less than 30 seconds to play, and fresh players were on the ice to fend off a final Brandon rush to preserve victory. The Wheat Kings entered the Blades zone fairly easily and Brandon forward Tim McGauley had the puck below the icing line to left side of the Saskatoon goal.

            Blades defenceman Adam Henry had a chance to collapse down on McGauley, but the blue-liner froze. McGauley fed a pass to rearguard Ryan Pilon, who pinched down to the slot. Pilon wired home the equalizer with 5.6 seconds to play in the third.

            Brandon scored just 37 seconds into overtime as McGauley banged home the rebound from a Jayce Hawryluk shot.

            After dropping a 4-2 decision to the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Saturday, the Blades are 7-18-2 and are sitting 11 points out of a playoff position. The loss in Moose Jaw was made even more difficult, when the Blades had to stop using centre Alex Forsberg at about the 11-minute mark of the second period.

            Due to a clerical error by a Moose Jaw staffer, Forsberg was not on the gamesheet. He left the game, when the Blades and Warriors were tied 1-1.

            While the Blades are taking their lumps, the team’s fans have to be credited for being understanding. Friday’s loss was witnessed by 4,548 spectators on a night the weather wasn’t very good and the roads in the city were in rough shape.

            The Blades will be out-manned in a number of games, but all they can do is ensure their work ethic is good on a nightly basis. They play their next five games on the road against opponents from the B.C. Division. They open the swing Tuesday against the Blazers in Kamloops.

Grey Cup summed up CFL season

            The 102^nd Grey Cup didn’t turn out to save what was a forgettable CFL season.

            In 2014, CFL games were dominated by defensive battles, an excessive amount of penalty calls and very few exciting finishes. Traditionally, the league is well known for wide open exciting battles with lots of passing and kick return yards.

             Sunday’s championship game at B.C. Place in Vancouver saw the Calgary Stampeders prevail over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20-16 in a game that has to rate between average and good.

            The game did have a compelling ending, but not for the reasons the league would like.

            Up by what would be the final outcome of 20-16, the Stampeders punted the ball away to the Tiger-Cats dangerous returner Brandon Banks. Banks started left, reversed his field to run right and returned the kick about 90 yards for an apparent go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

            On the play, Tiger-Cats linebacker Taylor Reed was called for an illegal block on Stampeders linebacker Karl McCartney, which cancelled out the major score.

            Looking at the video, the call was close. There was an angle that made it look like the block was from the side and another angle where it looked like the block was a bit in the back area. The block also came in the fringe area, where it can be argued that McCartney might not have been able to make a tackle.

            It was one of those calls where objectively you can say there shouldn’t be a problem if it was made or wasn’t made. There was enough on video to show it was a penalty. If it wasn’t called, it could still stand up as well.

            It was at the official’s discretion.

            Unfortunately with the way this season has gone, the end result would likely be hard for most non-Stampeders fans to take, because of how penalties have been called for most of this season.

            You can be sure league officials will be looking at rules and how penalties have been called in hopes of opening up the game again. With that said, strong defensive play should have its place to be appreciated as well.

Attendance at the Grey Cup was also 52,056, which was 1,423 short of a sellout. That figure will be another thing that concerns league officials, because you shouldn’t have to bank on the Saskatchewan Roughriders making the Grey Cup to guarantee a sellout due to their fan base.

            The off-season in the CFL will be interesting. Time will tell if what happened in the 2014 campaign was a blip on the radar.

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