2000-01 Cougars get call to Sask. Sports Hall of Fame

Women’s basketball team still revered in Regina

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor leads a post-game cheer after a CIAU title win.

The 2000-01 University of Regina Cougars Women’s Basketball team holds mythic status in Saskatchewan’s capital city.

That season the Cougars posted a 30-5 overall record, captured a third straight Great Plains Athletic Conference title and won the first Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union national champion for women’s basketball in the history of the U of R athletics program. The CIAU is now known as U Sports these days.

The Cougars team picture after winning the 2001 CIAU title.

When the subject of basketball comes up among Regina residents, it is common for someone to say, “You should have seen the 2000-01 national champion Cougars Women’s Basketball team play. They were great.”

Sometimes the exploits of forward Corrin Wersta, who was the U Sports player of the year in 1998-99, or guard Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer, who was the U Sports player of the year in 2003-04, can reach tall tale status.

On Thursday, it was announced the 2000-01 Cougars will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. It is an honour the team very much deserves.

Corrin Wersta goes up for a score in 2001.

The Cougars will enter the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame with a pretty cool 2021 class. The 2013 Saskatchewan Roughriders, who won the Grey Cup that year at their iconic home park of Taylor Field, are being inducted in the team category as well.

Individual athletes who will be entering the Hall include Saskatoon soccer star Kaylyn Kyle, Moose Jaw’s Justin Abdou in wrestling, Fillmore’s Rod Boll in trapshooting, Porcupine Plain’s Colette Bourgonje in track and cross-country skiing and Humboldt’s Lyndon Rush in bobsleigh.

Former Canadian senior national women’s hockey team head coach Shannon Miller, who was born in Tisdale and raised in Melfort, enters the Hall in the builders’ category. Miller played hockey for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in the early 1980s.

This class was selected in 2020, but the class announcement and induction was postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world. While the 2021 class was named, there won’t be an official induction this year.

Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer sets for a free throw in 2001.

The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame will do the official enshrinement at an appropriate time that allows for safe communal gatherings while following all provincial health guidelines.

Going into the 2000-01 season, the Cougars were well established as having one of the top women’s basketball programs in Canada. They had a huge following in Regina, and fans were constantly crammed into the small main gym at the Physical Activity Centre on the U of R campus to watch their games.

Hoops went up on driveways outside of houses in Regina as little girls started to take up the sport to be like the Cougars. It was common after home games for the Cougars players to be swamped outside of their dressing room by little girls looking for autographs.

Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen sets on defence in 2001.

The Cougars obtained celebrity status in “The Queen City.”

The only thing that eluded the Cougars was a gold medal finish at the CIAU elite-eight women’s basketball championship tournament. The Cougars finished fourth in 1998, fifth in 1999 and third in 2000 at that event.

The key element that allowed the Cougars to ultimately win the CIAU title game in the main gym at the Van Vliet Complex at the University of Alberta in Edmonton on March 11, 2001 was the fact they enjoyed and focused on the daily journey it took to get there. No matter where the team was during the course of the season, the Cougars always stayed present in that moment.

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor drives the ball in 2001.

Still, there was a sign early on that the 2000-01 campaign could be special. The Cougars opened their regular season schedule hosting the defending CIAU champion University of Victoria Vikes on Oct. 27 and 28, 2000.

U of R swept the series with an 83-75 victory on night one and an 82-69 win on night two. Following the second win, I found myself visiting with legendary Vikes head coach Kathy Shields.

I remember Shields telling me she thought this was the campaign where the Cougars were going to win it all. I took the comment as a complement for the U of R side, because the regular season was only two games old at that point.

Heather (Dedman) McMurray had epic moments in 2000-01.

It also stuck with me that someone like Shields that early in a season would say an opposing team was going to win the CIAU national title at campaign’s end.

With that noted, the Cougars played with great consistency and the wins piled up. In games that were tight, playmakers always seemed to step up on the Cougars side to make the difference in the final two minutes.

The biggest adversity for the team might have occurred away from the court.

While driving to a team practice in December of 2000, Wersta hit a patch of black ice on Ring Road causing her car to slide off the street and roll over. The fifth-year veteran captain had never missed a practice during her time with the team, so the fact Wersta missed her first practice due to a car accident kind of shook up the squad for a short time.

Bree Burgess could drop the threes for the Cougars.

Wersta came away from that accident having suffered a concussion, and it didn’t keep her out of the line up for long.

The injury did prevent her from playing in a tournament in Calgary that was held after Christmas Day and wrapped up before New Year’s Day. The Cougars weren’t at their best in the Calgary tournament winning one of their three games.

At that point in time, head coach Christine Stapleton and assistant coaches Dave Taylor and Diane Hilko did a terrific job of guiding the team through that rough patch. They allowed the players to work through the fact they got spooked emotionally.

Becky (Poley) Schutz was key player for the Cougars inside game.

The Cougars players ended up bonding more closely together, and from the start of January of 2001, they took off posting a 20-1 overall record including a 14-game winning streak to finish off the campaign.

Three of the team’s most memorable wins came in the post-season. In Game 2 of the best-of-three GPAC Championship series, fifth-year guard Heather (Dedman) McMurray hit a body twisting transition layup at the buzzer to give the Cougars a 61-60 victory over the University of Manitoba Bisons and a 2-0 sweep of the series.

Dedman’s score provided one of the most memorable moments ever for the Cougars at the Physical Activity Centre.

The Cougars celebrate Heather (Dedman) McMurray’s buzzer beater.

In a CIAU semifinal contest against the University of Calgary Dinos, the Cougars were holding on to a slim 69-67 lead in the game’s dying seconds. Dinos star forward Leighann Doan was driving to the hoop for a potential game-tying score only for Bernauer to come up with a clutch steal for the Cougars.

A pair of free-throws iced a 71-67 victory.

In the CIAU title game on March 11, 2001, the Cougars faced the host University of Alberta Pandas. The Pandas took a 4-0 edge moments into the contest.

The Cougars GPAC title winning team picture from 2001.

The Cougars responded with an 11-0 run to go ahead 11-4 and never looked back from that point. U of R’s advantage grew to 50-39 at halftime before settling out to a 94-85 final.

The 94 points the Cougars scored to capture the Bronze Baby trophy is still a record for most points scored in a CIAU/U Sports women’s basketball final.

In the 2001 national championship game win, seven members of the Cougars hit double digits in scoring.

Fifth-year guard McMurray led the way with 24 points being named the game’s MVP and earning a tournament all-star nod. 

Cougars HC Christine Stapleton calls out directions from the bench.

She kept making free throws inside the final two minutes of the game, when the Pandas were forced to foul to stop the clock.

Fifth-year forward Becky (Poley) Schutz finished her final game with the Cougars with 14 points. Forwards Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen and Wersta had 13 and 12 points respectively.

Shooting guard Bree Burgess had 11 points. Bernauer and guard Crystal (Heisler) McGregor each netted 10 points.

Bernauer was named the most valuable player of the tournament and a tournament all-star.

Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer drives the ball up court for the Cougars.

McGregor, who was one of the Cougars most popular players, would later pass away on May 15, 2014 after an inspiring battle against cervical cancer lasting over two years in length.

She was only 35-years-old – a proud wife (of Paul McGregor) and mother (of Aija and Zayden).

During the campaign, the Cougars received key contributions at different times from Rumali Werapitiya, Jana (Schweitzer) Linner, Leah (Anderson) Levy, Tara-Lee Crosson, Kaela McKaig and Sheena Aitken.

The celebration is on as the Cougars win the 2001 CIAU title.

Trainers Erin Walton and Kate Stefan ensure any time missed due to minor injuries was minimal.

Now 20 years after that campaign was completed, the players from that Cougars team have become successful mothers, lawyers, businesswomen, coaches, trainers and community leaders.

Stapleton coached the Cougars for one more season and is now the director of sports and recreation at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. Taylor became the head coach of the Cougars women’s team in 2006.

After Crystal (Heisler) McGregor passed in May of 2014, that generation of the Cougars had a reunion for her celebration of life. They have had a few other reunions since that time.

The Cougars raise the CIAU championship banner in 2001.

When the 2000-01 Cougars come together again for their Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, they will again remember McGregor and celebrate all that happened in 2000-01.

They provide the ultimate example of what it is like when a sports team truly does become a family. Their family bonds are ones that last forever.

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

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CIAU title cemented Cougars as legends in Regina

The Cougars raise the CIAU championship banner in 2001.

For the University of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team, the 2001 Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union championship game was going to be fun.

After getting past the University of Calgary Dinos 71-67 in an all-time classic in one tournament semifinal clash, the Cougars settled in to watch the host University of Alberta Pandas take on the Queen’s University Golden Gaels. The Pandas posted a solid 70-62 victory in the main gym at the Van Vliet Complex on the U of A campus in front of a raucous crowd.

As the final seconds of the Pandas semifinal win ticked away, the Cougars players looked at each other taking note of the atmosphere in the building. Then, a light went on.

Heather (Dedman) McMurray drives the lane for the Cougars.

The Cougars realized the national final was going to be your classic road game against a hostile crowd. When they stepped into the U of A main gym for the national final, the Cougars knew they were going to be the outlaws.

Nobody in the building was going to want them to win. After that tidbit was brought up, everyone smiled.

To be fair, the Cougars were going to be backed by a sizable contingent of supporters. When the 2001 CIAU championship game was played, at least 300 out of the standing room crowd of 2,750 spectators were backing the Regina side.

Corrin Wersta, right, was one of the Cougars top players.

In the Saskatchewan capital, the Cougars women’s basketball team had risen to the status of being one of Regina’s most popular teams.

In 2001, you could argue the Cougars status was at the same level of the University of Regina Rams football team, who fell 42-39 to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the Vanier Cup in December of 2000, and the WHL’s Regina Pats, who were going to host the Memorial Cup in May of 2001.

In 1993, Christine Stapleton, who helped the Laurentian University Lady Vees win back-to-back CIAU titles in 1990 and 1991 as a player, became the Cougars head coach and took on the massive task on rebuilding a proud program that has fallen on hard times.

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor drive up court in the 2001 CIAU final.

Stapleton and her Lady Vees met the Cougars in the 1991 CIAU final and posted a 79-72 victory in overtime. After that game, the Cougars slipped to the status of struggling program.

Arriving in Regina, Stapleton realized the talent existed in Saskatchewan to rebuild the Cougars. She was tenacious recruiter who was able to befriend players and show a genuine interest in their lives.

Stapleton was able to find talented players who were good character persons as well. When Stapleton had to deliver a message that something wasn’t good enough, the players understood where it came from and were motivated to get better.

Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen had 13 points in the 2001 CIAU final.

The odd time, Stapleton had to give the suck it up and get tough speech. When time came she had to deliver those words, you knew she was right and where she was coming from.

Overall, Stapleton genuinely cared for her players, and the players knew their coach was always in their corner.

On the court, the Cougars played an exciting brand of basketball, where they tried to run their foes out of the gym and burn out the lights on the scoreboard.

Defensively, the Cougars played man defence most of the time mixing in a bit of a 1-3-1 press. The players were so good at one-on-one defence that it became very frustrating to the opposition.

Cougars HC Christine Stapleton call out directions from the bench.

In the 1996-97 campaign, the Cougars made it to first in the CIAU Top 10 rankings for the first time under Stapleton’s watch. They became a powerhouse from that point onwards.

In most games from that point in time, Stapleton just had to turn her team loose and offered encouragement and made adjustments with a smile. She also surrounded herself with great assistant coaches in Diane Hilko and Dave Taylor, which help keep everything moving forward.

All over Regina, hoops started to go up on driveways outside of houses as little girls started to take up the sport to be like the Cougars. 

Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer, right, drives up court for the Cougars.

It was common after home games playing in the cramped Physical Activity Centre for the Cougars players to be swamped outside of their dressing room by little girls looking for autographs.

The Cougars obtained celebrity status in “The Queen City.”

While the Cougars reached big heights, they still had to work their way through baby steps when they started appearing at the CIAU elite-eight national championship tournament. The Cougars got to nationals under Stapleton’s watch for the first time in 1998 and finished fourth.

The Cougars bench looks on intently during the 2001 CIAU final.

A fifth place finish followed in 1999 before the Cougars captured a bronze medal at the 2000 tournament, which was also hosted at U of A. In the 2000 bronze medal game, the Cougars downed the host Pandas 66-53, so they knew what to expect in the 2001 CIAU final against that same foe.

In finally getting to the CIAU title game, the Cougars weren’t going to be denied. They had too much experience, athleticism and heart.

The Cougars had stars like fifth-year forward Corrin Wersta was the CIAU player of the year for women’s basketball in 1998-99 and sophomore forward Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer would capture that same honour in 2003-04.

Bree Burgess (#8) had 11 points in the 2001 CIAU final.

Overall, the Cougars had the best depth they ever had in team history in the 2000-01 campaign.

On Sunday, March 11, 2001, the Cougars stepped into the main gym at the U of A and downed the host Pandas 94-85.

The Pandas started the contest jumping out to a 4-0.

The Cougars proceeded to go on an 11-0 run to take an 11-4 advantage and never looked back from that point. U of R’s advantage grew to 50-39 at halftime before settling out at the 94-85 final.

Becky (Poley) Schutz pulls down a rebound in the 2001 CIAU final.

For a lot of the clash, the Cougars held a lead of nine or 10 points.

The 94 points the Cougars scored is still a record for most points scored in a CIAU women’s basketball final. In the present day, the CIAU is now known as U Sports.

In the 2001 national championship game win, seven members of the Cougars hit double digits in scoring.

Fifth-year guard Heather (Dedman) McMurray led the way with 24 points being named the game’s MVP and earning a tournament all-star nod. She kept making free throws inside the final two minutes of the game, when the Pandas were forced to foul to stop the clock.

Heather (Dedman) McMurray (#4) led the Cougars with 24 points.

Fifth-year forward Becky (Poley) Schutz finished her final game with the Cougars with 14 points. Forwards Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen and Wersta had 13 and 12 points respectively.

Shooting guard Bree Burgess had 11 points. Bernauer and guard Crystal (Heisler) McGregor each netted 10 points.

Bernauer was named the most valuable player of the tournament and a tournament all-star.

McGregor, who was one of the Cougars most popular players, would later pass away on May 15, 2014 after an inspiring battle against cervical cancer lasting over two years in length.

The celebration is on as the Cougars win the 2001 CIAU title.

She was only 35-years-old – a proud wife (of Paul McGregor) and mother (of Aija and Zayden).

Fifth-year guard Cathy Butlin topped the Pandas with 30 points.

With a comfortable lead, the Cougars ensured their most veteran players were all on the court when the final buzzer sounded. When the final buzzer sounded, they stormed the court in celebration along with their family, friends and fans.

The on court celebrations lasted about two hours after the game ended before players drifted to the dressing room to shower and change for the return trip to Regina.

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor leads the post-game cheer.

The Cougars finished the 2000-01 campaign with a 30-5 overall record. They had a 7-0 post-season mark that included a third straight Great Plains Athletic Conference title.

During the campaign, they received key contributions at different times from Rumali Werapitiya, Jana (Schweitzer) Linner, Leah (Anderson) Levy, Tara-Lee Crosson, Kaela McKaig and Sheena Aitken.

Now 20 years to the day of that game, the players from that Cougars team have become successful mothers, lawyers, businesswomen, coaches, trainers and community leaders.

Rumali Werapitiya, left, and Phoebe (De Ciman) Haugen enjoy victory.

Stapleton coached the Cougars for one more season and is now the director of sports and recreation at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. 

Taylor became the head coach of the Cougars women’s team in 2006.

The Cougars returned to the national final in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2013, but were unable to recapture the Bronze Baby trophy as national champions.

Still, the Cougars women’s basketball program continues to be one of Regina’s most storied teams.

The 2000-01 Cougars are CIAU champions. 

To this day, the members of the CIAU champion 2000-01 Cougars are remember in Regina as legends.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. The video tribute below for the 2000-01 Cougars comes courtesy Becky (Poley) Schutz.

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Canada’s university sports scene still matters

Katie Polischuk posts up down low for the Cougars.

    REGINA - It is crazy to think that university level women’s hoops games played in a small gym in the capital of Saskatchewan about 16 to 20 years ago can still matter.

    If you were in Regina last weekend, you saw one big example that Canada’s university sports teams that play under the league umbrella called U Sports and that entire scene still matters. Last Saturday, the alums from the University of Regina Cougars basketball teams gathered for an alumni and family night to remember Crystal (Heisler) McGregor, who passed away from cancer in May of 2014. 

    The function was held as part of the Cougars hoops games that were played that night against the University of Calgary Dinos.

    McGregor last played for the Cougars in March of 2002, but during her playing days, she cemented herself as arguably the team’s most likable star. She was one of many key players that helped the Cougars rise to national prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which included winning a national championship in 2001 with a 94-85 victory over the University of Alberta Pandas in Edmonton.
    Most of the Cougars home games were played in front crowds that were shoehorned packed into the stands at the small Physical Activity Centre.

Michaela Kleisinger, right, drives down court for the Cougars.

    On the court, McGregor, who developed her love for the game rising in Regina’s minor basketball scene, was known for her deadly outside shot and her tendency to pass the ball.

    Off the court, she was just as well known for her infectious smile, ability to fill any room she stepped in with positive energy and greet anybody with her perky catch phrase, “Hi buddy.”

    After graduating from the U of R, McGregor remained involved in the Regina basketball community coaching school and club teams until her cancer diagnosis in January of 2012. Like many of the players from the Cougars women’s teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s, McGregor achieved celebrity status in Regina.

    Her status never diminished after her playing days concluded, because of how beautifully she carried herself in her career and with the family she started to raise of daughter, Aija, and son, Zayden, with her husband, Paul.

Christina McCusker, right, hands the ball off to Avery Pearce.

    Countless former players, coaches and staffers made it back to Regina for that alumni and family night from all eras, but especially McGregor’s era. 

    Cymone (Bouchard) Bernauer, who was the greatest star of the Cougars women’s basketball team, refers to McGregor as the best teammate and mentor.

    I was also one of the returnees having covered the Cougars hoops teams and helped them with media items during McGregor’s era.

    Even in the present day, the current Cougars women’s basketball team still holds a special place in the heart of the Regina community.
    It seems fitting all of the Cougars players from the Regina area, which comprises the majority of the team, were coached at some point in their lives by an alum of the Cougars women’s program.

Seeing info for fundraisers like this get shredded hurt.

    There is an excitement in the community about the fact the U of R will host the U Sports women’s basketball national championship tournament in 2018.

    That whole weekend reminded me how powerful an impact the university sports teams in Canada can have on their respective communities. The local heroes and role models those teams create are important. Those players also do their part to give back to ensure their local communities remain healthy when they are playing and when they move on to their post-playing days.

    For me in what seems like a more general negative era for the world where the mainstream media in Canada has been slashed to less than skeleton crew size, I feel like I run into way too many people who couldn’t care less about the Canadian university sports scene.

    They think it is inferior because it is not the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States and put me down for wanting to be involved in it at all. They have no idea how much commitment and training the athletes put into being good at their sports and excelling in the classroom.

    As I currently live in Saskatoon, I remember going to a company I was doing contract work for and watched a manager give no second thought to shredding pamphlets and information for the Off the Leash Luncheon, which is a major fundraiser for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team.

My column on Kaitlin Willoughby received praise.

    I know the University of Saskatchewan Huskies athletic program carries a huge importance to the community of Saskatoon, and I have spent a lot of time covering the Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams and hold them close to my heart.  
    When I saw those Off the Leash Luncheon items get shredded, my heart broke at that moment.

    I have run into people who just couldn’t believe I would spend a Friday or Saturday night at a Huskies event or even drive two-and-a-half hours on the highway to go to a University of Regina athletics event.

    I find the slashed mainstream media treats U Sports as little kids’ sports these days almost to a point they don’t matter.
    Actually, the Western Hockey League beat writer is an endangered species in Western Canada, so you can already see the trouble the university sports scene or any local sports scene faces in battling for exposure.

    Still, I find reminders that even though the negative voices are loud they are also in the minority. The overwhelming positive response to a column I wrote on Kaitlin Willoughby, who is a star forward of the Huskies women’s hockey team, shows there is still a current demand to have local heroes.

    In women’s athletics, Canadian university teams are one of the rare places you can find these local heroes.
    Of course in Saskatoon, you have to give high praise to the Saskatoon Valkyries women’s football team and the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA hockey team for doing their part to produce high quality role models in women’s sports.

The Cougars men’s basketball team begins to celebrate an upset win.

    Also, one just has to look at the uproar over how the departure of legendary Huskies football head coach Brian Towriss was handled late last December to show how much passion can still engulf the Canadian university sports scene.

    As for last Saturday in Regina, the current Cougars basketball teams added the capper for the packed gym at the U of R’s Centre for Kinesiology Health and Sport. The women’s team romped over the Dinos 83-46, while the men’s team pulled out a thrilling last-second 82-81 victory over the U of C.

    That further sparked a celebration from alums to current players that went well into the night.

    U Sports still matters, and that should never be forgotten.

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

Post-season picture breaks for possible long Huskies run

Marley Ervine, right, celebrates a goal with a pair of teammates.

    The last time the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team hosted a post-season game at home they won the Canada West title in 2014.

    The way this season’s playoff picture has shaped up it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Huskies venture back to the conference final and land a spot in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament, which runs March 17 to 20 in Calgary.

    With that said, no guarantees can be made in the Canada West women’s hockey ranks in 2015-16 judging by the regular season standings. The Huskies finished a solid in the eight-team circuit with a 14-9-5 record, and were six points shy of first place and nine points from missing the post-season all together. They locked up a playoff berth in their third last contest of the regular season.

    Any of the six teams that are alive in the post-season can envision themselves in post-season glory.

    The Huskies open a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series on Friday against the University of Manitoba Bisons, who finished fifth in Canada West with a 13-13-2 mark, on Friday at 7 p.m. at the ancient Rutherford Rink. Game 2 follows on Saturday and Game 3, if necessary, will be Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford on both nights.

    The Bisons played the Huskies extremely tough in four head-to-head contests, where each side won twice. The fact that Huskies have home ice advantage will likely give them that extra kick to get out of the first round.

Julia Flinton topped the Huskies in scoring.

    With a series victory, the Huskies would likely travel to Vancouver to face the second place University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (16-9-3) in the semifinal round. The fate of a possible series there likely revolves around the health of Thunderbirds veteran star goalie Danielle Dube, who was injured last Saturday in goal mouth collision in a 4-3 road loss in Winnipeg to the Bisons. 

    Dube was carted off the ice, and if she is unable to play or is less than 100 per cent, the chances of beating the Thunderbirds in Vancouver get easier.

    If the Huskies get past that round with that scenario, they would actually end up hosting the Canada West final at home, because the conference’s other first and third place clubs would be taken down by a red hot U of Calgary Dinos team.

    The Dinos are assured of a spot at the eight-team CIS championship tournament due to the fact they host the event. They struggled during the first half of the campaign before closing the regular season winning nine of their last 11 games to qualify for the Canada West playoffs with a 12-12-4 record.

    Their Russian imports Iya Gavrilova and Sasha Vafina have played some of their best hockey finishing first and second respectively in conference scoring. Gavrilova had 20 goals and 23 assists, while Vafina had 14 goals and 21 assists. 

    Third-year netminder Hayley Dowling has had a breakout campaign posting a 10-5-1 record, a 2.30 goals against average, a .915 save percentage and two shutouts. She started every contest in U of C’s season ending hot stretch.

    The Dinos have the game breakers offensively and are solid in goal. As a sixth seed, they have a good chance of running the table on the road and have to be looked at as the favourites to win the Canada West title.

Marley Ervine has played 152 straight games for the Huskies.

    U of C heads to Regina this weekend to face the University of Regina Cougars in a best-of-three quarter-final series. The Cougars led the conference in wins at 17 posting a 17-10-1 record, but fell to third place due to the fact five of their victories came in overtime. In Canada West women’s hockey, three points are awarded in the standings for regulation wins and two points are given for extra time victories, and the Cougars lost a chance to finish first due to that statistical factor.

    The Cougars have won seven of their last 10, so the series with U of C will be a battle, but the Dinos might be too hot to stop at this point. If the Dinos win their quarter-final series, they would advance to play the first place University of Alberta Pandas (16-9-3) in the semifinal round. 

    The Pandas won both meetings between these two clubs in Edmonton, but the Dinos have looked more like a first place team down the stretch. The Dinos will have a strong shot to knock off their provincial rivals.

    In the crazy Canada West season, it is realistic to see the Huskies host the Dinos in a best-of-three conference final, which would ensure the Huskies a berth at nationals. With that said, both the Huskies and Dinos could as easily be done in round one.

    An intangible that might help the Huskies is the fact they still have 12 holdovers from their Canada West winning championship squad in 2014. Out of those dozen holdovers, five are set to exhaust their fifth and final years of eligibility in Brooke Mutch, Hanna McGillivray, Marley Ervine, captain Paige Anakaer and star offensive defender Julia Flinton. 

Captain Paige Anakaer might return from a knee injury.

    Anakaer has been out with a knee injury suffered in a 2-1 home loss on Jan. 22 to the Thunderbirds, but the Moose Jaw product has been skating.

    All five have been heart-and-soul members of the team, and you can likely expect one last flash from this group. Flinton had her best season leading the Huskies in scoring with a career best 26 points coming on four goals and career high 22 assists. She was also a career-best plus-15 in the plus-minus department.

    Ervine, the feisty forward from Kindersley, had career bests in goals (nine), assists (15), points (24) and plus-minus (plus-8). Besides holding the Canada West record for career regular season games at 136, Ervine has never missed a game in her five seasons with the Huskies appearing in 152 straight contests including action in the regular season, post-season and CIS championship tournament. She would love to continue to grow that mark.

    The post-season is stage ready. The Huskies have great chance to step up into a leading role.

Blades finally find that little extra

The Blades celebrate a victory over the Broncos on Wednesday.

    The Saskatoon Blades finally found that little extra push to get back in the win column.

    On Wednesday, the Blades downed the visiting Swift Current Broncos 4-3 before 3,768 spectators at the Sasktel Centre thanks to doing a lot of little things right. The hosts blocked numerous shots, won a number of key puck battles, went 2-for-6 on the power play and killed off the five power-play opportunities the Broncos had.

    Starting goaltender Brock Hamm, who has been plagued by inconsistency, made 39 saves to earn the win in goal, which included a number of game-saving stops. Saskatoon also received goals from four different sources as Dustin Perillat, Josh Paterson, Cameron Hebig and Braylon Shmyr all potted singles.

    Saskatoon also overcame some rough spots. The Broncos scored in the closing seconds of the second period to cut a two-goal Blades lead to 2-1. With the Blades holding a 4-2 edge, the Broncos scored with 1:58 to play in the third to create a frantic finish, but the hosts successfully closed out the game.

    The Blades improved to 20-33-4 and sit 11 points behind the final playoff berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference held by the Edmonton Oil Kings (24-26-6-1). Saskatoon only has 15 games remaining in its regular season schedule and would need to post a huge winning streak to have a chance of earning a post-season berth for the first time since 2013.

    A more realistic expectation for the Blades might be to focus on repeating their effort from Wednesday night each time they hit the ice through to their last 15 contests. With 20 wins and 44 points, the Blades have bested those totals from a season ago. They are still taking little steps forward, even if the big post-season step likely doesn’t come just yet.

Stars close regular season with first locked up

Grace Shirley swoops into the offensive zone for the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars will finish their Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season looking to tune up for the post-season.

    The defending SFMAAAHL champions last hit the ice on Jan. 31, when they thumped the Melville Prairie Fire 8-0 at the Agriplace Arena. They proceeded to play the waiting game to see if they would need to win one of their final two regular season outings to lock up first place in the eight-team league for a second straight year.

    The Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats were the only club that could catch the Stars in the standings, if they won their final six regular season games in regulation. When the Wildcats fell 5-4 after a tiebreaking shootout to the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox on Feb. 3, the Stars (22-4) captured first overall.

    Saskatoon heads to Battleford for clashes with the last place Sharks (3-21-2) on Saturday and Sunday.

    Stars forwards Mackenna Parker and Grace Shirley are likely long shots at this point to win the league’s scoring title. Both trail Regina Rebels forward Kennedy Bobyck who tops all scorers with 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points. Bobyck recently turned 15 years of age.

    Parker is second in the league scoring race with 32 points coming on 14 goals and 18 assists. Shirley is third in SFMAAAHL scoring with 30 points coming on 18 goals and 12 assists.

    All eight clubs in the SFMAAAHL advance to the post-season.

Late (Heisler) McGregor forever a legend in Regina

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor circa 2001.

    It has been almost two years since Crystal (Heisler) McGregor passed away of cancer, but she is still a key figure in the sports scene in Regina.

    In the late 1990s and early 2000s, McGregor was the point guard on the University of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team, when the Cougars were the most exciting women’s hoops squad in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. They ran teams out of the gym with their high tempo transition attack and never seemed to fatigue in the process.

    McGregor was the quarterback at the point guard position who dished off assists at will and had deadly accuracy from three-point range sporting her trademark #11 jersey. She was a key member of the Cougars CIS championship team in 2001.

    The graduate of Regina's Sheldon-Williams Collegiate is more remembered for her always upbeat personality away from the court and infectious smile. She was very caring and had a natural ability to make everyone around her feel comfortable and welcome.

    During McGregor’s years with the Cougars, little girls around the Queen City grew up with dreams of playing for the Cougars women’s hoops team. McGregor attained legendary status in the Regina sporting scene, as she moved on to coach basketball at the school and club levels following her playing days.

    On May 15, 2014, she passed away at age 35 after a battle with cancer that lasted over two years. Her motto during that battle was to “Dance In the Rain.” Her husband, Paul, became a single father with two young children in daughter, Aija, and son, Zayden. Aija was only eight-years-old at the time of Crystal’s death, and Zayden was age two.

    On Friday night, the Cougars basketball teams are inviting back all their alumnae and alumni and their families for their games that night with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport on the U of R campus. Free tickets will be distributed to the alumnae and alumni and their families.  

    The women’s game is set for 6 p.m. and the men’s game is slated for 8 p.m. Aija’s club team also plays a mini game during halftime of the Cougars women’s contest.

    Special tributes will be held for Crystal McGregor and funds will be raised for the Shine On Foundation, which helps give financial support to moms who are fighting an advanced cancer diagnosis and help them and their families create lifelong positive memories.

    You can bet there will be a special vibe in the Cougars home gym on Friday night. It will be another example of how McGregor’s memory continues to inspire and bring people together.

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

Cool things I saw in 2014

The Medicine Hat Tigers celebrate a goal in the 2014 WHL playoffs

            It still amazes me what all can happen in a year.

            As 2015 closes, a number of people are listing highlights from the year that was in 2014. For me, I wrapped up my time at the Medicine Hat News and made the move to Saskatoon for family reasons.

            Over the past year, I was able to witness a number of highlights. Actually, I can't believe how many different things I attended in so many different centres.

            It seemed like I was at everything from watching Olympic hockey with a big group, going to numerous WHL and CIS hockey games, hitting a number of CFL and CIS games, enjoying the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede and watching a talented music artist perform at home.

            Here is of a few of the highlights going from the start of the year to the end.

 

Watching gold medal win at the Buckle

You know you live in Canada, when you wake up at 5 a.m. on Sunday to watch Canada’s men’s hockey team win gold at the Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

After getting home from my Saturday work shift, I believe I slept two hours before waking up to watch the big hockey game. Turning on Facebook, I couldn’t believe how many other people were also up.

In the second intermission, I decided to motor down to the Buckle in the Hat to see the final period. The place was packed. Canada beat Sweden 3-0 in the final, and the place was rocking.

It was about 10 a.m., when I headed home for some real sleep. That was definitely a night I will never forget. Canada also swept the hockey gold at the Olympics with the women’s team also winning it all.

Huskies women’s hockey team win Canada West title

The Huskies celebrate celebrate a Canada West title

This was one of those unexpected highlights.

Thanks to having Sundays and Mondays off at the Medicine Hat News, I was able to make it to Game 3 of the Canada West Women’s Hockey Championship Series on March 2 at the Rutherford Rink in Saskatoon. I went because it was my only shot to see Huskies captain Cami Wooster play live with how busy my life was.

Following her and her team that season was great, because it was one of the few sports things I followed I didn’t cover. It got me back to just enjoying sports. Life was so busy in Medicine Hat, that there were actually times I didn’t enjoy sports anymore, so following Wooster and the Huskies was a nice change.

They beat the University of Regina Cougars 2-1 in double overtime in that deciding game to claim the Canada West title. Wooster had the Huskies first goal and the assist on Kaitlin Willoughby’s overtime winner. Captain Cami was so good, she was good.

They were all so happy that night. I had lots of energy for the game and seeing the celebrations. Looking back, it was a real good thing for me to make that game.

One final Tigers playoff run

Captain Curtis Valk in action for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Going into the 2014 WHL playoffs, I knew in my heart this would be the last time I would be covering a Medicine Hat Tigers playoff run for the Medicine Hat News.

I tried to soak in every moment as much as I could. I was hoping the moment would last as long as it could. Time was really busy.

The run closed with the Tigers playing 13 games over 24 days with a lot of travel. I definitely enjoyed the playoffs. Tigers took out the Swift Current Broncos in six games in the first round of the playoffs.

In the second round, the Tigers trailed a best-of-seven series 3-1 to the Kootenay Ice before rallying for a 4-3 series victory. The run ended in the WHL Eastern Conference Championships with a 4-1 series loss to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Edmonton Oil Kings.

Watching the Tigers forward line of Trevor Cox, Curtis Valk and Cole Sanford was something else. That was the most exciting forward line I saw the Tigers put on the ice in the 10 seasons I covered them. Marek Langhamer was spectacular in goal.

It was still a strange feeling after I finished my stories after Game 5 of the series loss to the Oil Kings at Rexall Place in Edmonton. A tired Tigers team tried to pull out a win, but fell 4-3. After I finished writing, I went around shaking hands with the Edmonton sportwriters who were there and Oil Kings communications manager Paul Owen, who once worked as a sports reporter.

Walking out of there, I knew I had covered my last Medicine Hat Tigers hockey game. It was weird to comprehend then, and it still is now. It did feel in a way that I was able to go out on top, so that was a good thing.

The celebration of life for Crystal (Heisler) McGregor

Crystal (Heisler) McGregor circa 2001.

            A list from 2014 wouldn’t be complete without me remembering the passing of Crystal (Heisler) McGregor, who was a good friend to everyone.

            A point guard on the University of Regina Cougars Women’s Basketball team that won the 2001 CIAU title, McGregor passed after a lengthy battle with cancer in May. A big celebration of life was held for her at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina.

            In the day before and the day of the celebration of life, I was able to reunite with the all the members of the Cougars team that McGregor played with. I went to school with all of them at the University of Regina.

            It was a great time to hang around with old friends. It is too bad it had to occur under such circumstances. It was also great to share memories of McGregor and of days that shouldn't feel so long ago.

            I think a few us are still waiting for her to approach us a say her typical, “Hey buddy.”

            RIP Crystal. You will be remembered forever.

Seeing MacKenzie Porter perform live

MacKenzie Porter at Kin Coulee Park.

I finally got to see MacKenzie Porter perform live on Canada Day at Kin Coulee Park in Medicine Hat, and she was so good.

It is very impressive to see how talented she is at making music. What is even better is the former Medicine Hat College Rattlers Women’s team soccer player is still the girl next door. 

She is still super sweet, and seems to remember everyone that passes through her life and treats them like gold.

My favourite part about seeing her perform in her hometown was saying in a break between songs, “There are like 50 people in this front row section I know personally. This is so great.”

There was a huge line of people to great her that night after she finished performing.
I still have her debut CD which is personalized autographed and also an autographed poster from that night. I enjoyed getting to see her again.

It is still very cool to hear her songs on the radio and see her music videos on television.

One last kick at the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede

Saddle bronc riding at the rodeo in Medicine Hat.

Before pulling the last of my things out of Medicine Hat, I got out to enjoy the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede one last time.

Usually, the 2007 WHL Champion Medicine Hat Tigers team makes it back that week for a reunion, but that reunion happened earlier in the summer to fit everyone’s schedules. With that said, I still ran into a few old Tigers that week.

It was also a fun time as friends that don’t normally go out anymore went out that week. 

It made for a great last run to see everybody before I left the Gas City for Saskatoon. I saw so many good friends. Party wise, it was a great Stampede week.

Calder Cup celebrations with Derek Hulak

Derek Hulak and the Huskies with the Calder Cup.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey team was one of the first key things that got me back to enjoying sports again, when I was in a funk of not enjoy sports due to life in Medicine Hat being so busy.

A big thing that helped was I knew pretty much all the players through covering the WHL. After the University Cup ended, I was pumped to see Derek Hulak join the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars.

The Stars were under the guidance of head coach Willie Desjardins, who was the former head coach and general manager of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Texas Stars won the Calder Cup, and Hulak got to have the trophy for a day in August in Saskatoon.

He brought the trophy to the University of Saskatchewan, to the Saskatoon Blades offices and to his mom’s gravesite. Alina died in 2007 of Cancer.

There was a big gathering with the Huskies men’s hockey team and a whole bunch of other friends during the night at Boston Pizza on 8^th Street. That was a great night out.

While deep in summer, I believe all the Huskies men’s players made it out that night. That was a great thing to see and shows how strong the friendships are on that team. They are one of the best groups to hang around and spend social time with.

Labour Day Classic weekend in Regina

The Roughriders celebrate an Anthony Allen touchdown.

This will make the list every year as long as I can keep making it to the Labour Day Classic weekend in Regina.

I was at my 14^th Labour Day Classic game, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 35-30 thanks to a last-second touchdown by Anthony Allen. The Roughriders are 13-1 in the Labour Day Classic games I have attended.

The game was also Weston Dressler’s first game back with the Roughriders after being cut by the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL. He was signing autographs at the end of the game and just looked so tired after a whirlwind week.

Victory party in Regina was also so enjoyable, especially when it is the after party for the Roughriders cheerleaders. It was a fun overall party night.

Frank McCrystal’s last home game as Rams head coach

Frank McCrystal, right, answers questions in a post-game scrum.

      A Saturday in Regina that was a turn back the clock type day and night for me.

     The University of Regina Rams were closing out the regular season against the University of Alberta Golden Bears in what would be Frank McCrystal’s final home game as Rams head coach. The Rams pulled out a 35-31 victory to make the Canada West playoffs.

     The stands were filled with a whole pile of old friends from my old Rams days at the University of Regina. A number of people traveled in for the game from all different points on the map.

     There was an alumni gathering after the game, and it was so fun to see a whole bunch of old faces. Lots of old stories were told and a lot of catching up was done.

     It also felt like an end of an era. I am sure the Rams will have a bright future, but things won’t be like what they once were.

Reconnecting with the Saskatoon Hilltops

The Hilltops celebrate their PFC Championship victory.

One of the unexpected good things that happened in my move to Saskatoon was reconnected with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

Those involved with coaching and running the Canadian Junior Football League team are as classy as you will find anywhere. Until the 2014 CJFL season, it has been 12 years since I last talked to Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant.

It has been about four to six years since I last saw my old bud Sheldon Ball, who is the team’s offensive coordinator. It was cool to see how good of a coach Ball has become. We became friends when he was first the quarterback of the Hilltops and later the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

The Hilltops started 1-2, but closed the campaign with eight straight wins. They improved a lot as the season went on. It was great to be at the Prairie Football Conference final, where they dumped the Calgary Colts 27-7.

Saskatoon then moved on to down the Rams in Langley, B.C., in the CJFL final 39-14. I really enjoyed visiting the team’s directors. If life allows it, I will try and make it more of a priority to be around their events next season.

Other good memories

Nelson Nogier gives his stick to a little Blades fan.

            Other highlights of the year include getting to watch my cousin, Nelson Nogier, played a lot more with the Saskatoon Blades before he was traded to the Red Deer Rebels.

            It has been good to get to know some of the new management with the Blades and reconnect with some long time staffers.

            I also enjoyed getting to see a number of the former Medicine Hat College Rattlers players, who now life in Saskatoon, again.

            It has also been cool to see how much of a life superstar University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women`s Basketball team point guard Kabree Howard is. It is cool to see her involved in so many community events. She does so much to give the Huskies a good name, and they will miss her when she graduates from their program later this year.

            Now, it is time to see what 2015 has in store for all of us.

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