Olympic champion Clark soaks in hero’s homecoming

Emily Clark is pictured with a young Saskatoon Comets player.

Emily Clark is living a whirlwind reality that is turning out better than her gold medal winning Olympic dream.

In the early morning hours in Saskatchewan time on February 17, Clark helped Canada’s Senior National Women’s Hockey team down the United States 3-2 in the gold medal game held at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Growing up playing hockey in Saskatoon, Clark dreamed of winning a gold medal for Canada and realized her dream with that win over the U.S. at the Wukesong Arena.

Since the on ice celebrations of that victory, Clark keeps encountering happy surreal experiences.

Emily Clark arrives home at the airport in Saskatoon.

One of the biggest surprises came when the 26-year-old centre arrived home at the Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport during the 10 p.m. hour on Tuesday. She was greeted by a healthy gathering of supporters that included family and friends, players from local area hockey teams and fans.

“There are so many emotions going through my mind,” said Clark, who stands 5-foot-7. “It is hard to put words to.

“Honestly, I think this is the first time it has felt real getting to be back in Saskatoon and see some friends and family and share it with them. It feels real now, and it is just super special.”

The alum of the Flyers minor hockey zone in Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Stars Female Under-18 AAA team first hugged her father, Del, and mother, Tracy, upon her arrival.

Emily Clark, left, hugs her father, Del Clark.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, Emily Clark and her teammates playing in a bubble environment at the Winter Olympics and have basically been living in a bubble environment for about the last eight months.

The challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Clark’s family members from making it to the Winter Olympics.

She had family and friends in attendance at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. Canada took home the silver medal at those games falling 3-2 after a tiebreaking shootout to the United States in the gold medal final.

A couple of young Comets players display signs for Emily Clark.

After family and friends were there to pick her up emotionally after the disappointment of falling in the gold medal game in PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018, Clark couldn’t wait to share a golden moment with her family and friends returning home with a gold medal from the 2022 Winter Olympics starting with her parents.

“I remember in 2018 I didn’t get to see them (Del and Tracy) until a little bit after the game at the Canada House,” said Clark. “As soon as I saw them, just getting to share it with them right away it was water works.

“It is super emotional. Everyone that is here still, my siblings, my sister-in-law, even my training partner and one of my best friends for a long time (University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey team defenceman) Evan Fiala is here. They’ve all had such a huge impact on getting me here.

Emily Clark gets up in a group hug with the Saskatoon Stars.

“To get to share it with them, that is why I think I said that is when it feels real, because they are the people I love the most. It feels good to share it with the people that got me here that is for sure.”

Clark received another surprise at her homecoming arrival in the fact the current Stars squad made it to the airport. The Stars had beaten the Prince Albert Northern Bears 5-4 in overtime earlier that night at Merlis Belsher Place.

Stars head coach Robin Ulrich had a bus waiting in front of Merlis for the team to board right after their game to make it to the airport for Clark’s arrival.

Emily Clark is pictured with another young Comets player.

Clark and the Stars had a big group hug. Following the hug, Clark took part in a team picture with the Stars and selfie photos with the individual players, coaches and support staffers.

Clark said she knew a number of the players since the last Olympic cycle and knows the families of Stars forwards Avery Bairos and Sage Babey well.

“It is so cool to watch them grow up and follow in my footsteps,” said Clark, who won an NCAA championship with the University of Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Hockey team in 2018-19. “Now, they are on the Stars.

Emily Clark has some fun with the Stars players.

“Now, they are hoping to get university scholarships. I know they are fans of me, but it is pretty cool to watch them grow up. To see the (Saskatoon) Comets jerseys, to see some young youth hockey boys as well be just as excited as the young girl athletes, it is so special.

“It means the world. I love home. I love being from here. To share those moments with them it does mean a lot to me.”

The Stars contingent included assistant coach Kori Herner, who played with Clark on the Stars during the 2011-12 campaign. Herner held up a sign that said, “Miss Team Canada! Welcome home!”

Emily Clark, left, is pictured with former Stars teammate Kori Herner.

During the 2011-12 season, Clark set the Stars record for most points in one regular season at 60 coming on 26 goals and 34 assists in 26 regular season contests. That record was equaled by Mackenna Parker in the 2017-18 campaign.

Clark said she used to be called “Miss Team Canada” by her Stars teammates. She was happy to see how much of an impact Herner, who played five seasons with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey team from 2013 to 2018, is having on the provincial coaching ranks.

“She (Herner) was a great teammate,” said Clark. “She was one of my best friends when I played for the Stars.

Emily Clark hugs Stars head coach Robin Ulrich.

“To see her still be involved with female hockey, Team Sask and the Stars, I do enjoy when I get to come home and see her and we get to reminisce.”

In the grand scheme things, Clark has had a busy hockey season. She helped Canada win gold at the 2021 women’s worlds played this past August in a bubble environment in Calgary, Alta.

Canada won the gold medal game 3-2 in overtime over United States in that event on August 31, 2021 at WinSport Arena.

Tracy Clark, in white, and Del Clark, on right, are proud parents.

On the day of the gold medal game for the 2022 Winter Olympics, Clark said she had a surreal feeling that something special was going to happen.

“The whole day was a dream honestly,” said Clark, who had two goals, one assist and a plus-four rating in the plus-minus department in seven games with Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics. “Waking up, I had a really good feeling.

“Obviously, there was a lot of belief on the team, but I’ve never felt that way on a championship game day. The whole day just felt like a dream. I just had to keep reminding myself it is breakfast time, it is warm up time just taking things one step at a time and not thinking about the result and definitely be in the moment.

Emily Clark visits with members of the Fiala family.

“I was still in the moment that when the game ended I realized that we won, but I don’t really think it hit me that we won an Olympic gold medal.”

After arriving home in Saskatoon, Clark visited various family and friends celebrating the gold medal victory from the Winter Olympics. Having basically trained for the most part in bubble conditions since March of 2020, Clark and a number of her Team Canada teammates departed for a vacation to Mexico on Saturday.

It was the type of change up Clark was looking forward to and admitted she hasn’t done a whole lot of in the past.

Emily Clark poses for a team picture with the Stars.

“I honestly haven’t been on too many vacations,” said Clark. “I think if there is a time to go on one it might be it.”

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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Sister love drives Stars’ Kushniruk

Makena to join older sibling Jadyn on Cougars

Makena Kushniruk (#10) fights for position in the offensive zone.

Makena Kushniruk is looking forward to the day when hockey will have the added bonus of being more of a “sister act.”

Growing up playing hockey in Saskatoon, Makena has always looked up to her older sister, Jadyn. The two started out playing ringette until Jadyn switched over to hockey and Makena followed in her sister’s strides.

In the current day, Makena is skating through her final season in the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League as the captain and star centre of the Saskatoon Stars. Jadyn is a forward with the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks.

Makena, left, and Jadyn Kushniruk in 2018.

When the 2021-22 campaign comes around, Makena will join Jadyn on the Cougars.

“I wanted to kind of get away from home but still be close to home at the same time and have family come and watch me,” said Makena, who stands 5-foot-4. “I think the U of R is a great program, and I can see the team being very successful in the next couple of years.

“Of course, having my sister there by my side to support me will for sure make it more enjoyable and a good fit for me. I just think that was something that would benefit me.”

Due to the fact Jadyn, who is 19-years-old, is two years older than Makena, who is 17-years-old, the two sisters haven’t had much chance to play on the same team in organized hockey outside of a few games when Jadyn played at the peewee level. The sisters’s father, Russ, was one of the coaches of that team and Makena dressed for a handful of games as an associate player call up.

Still, the two sisters, who have had huge support from Russ and mother, Tracey, followed what each other were doing in the game. Makena said Jadyn has been her biggest influence in helping her out in the sport.

Makena Kushniruk drives a shot on goal last season.

“She has been my role model through most of my hockey career,” said Makena. “Ever since we were little, she would take me out to ODRs (outdoor rinks), and we’d go have some fun out there and race each other.

“I think that was a bit inspiration for me.”

The two sisters’ tight bond extends beyond the hockey rink too.

“We’re like best friends,” said Makena. “We’re so close.

“I don’t think we’ve ever like really fought. We’ve had disagreements. Just throughout our whole childhood and growing up, we’ve just always been each other’s best friend.”

Makena Kushniruk (#10) breaks up ice with the Stars on a rush.

When it came time to play in the female under-18 AAA ranks, Makena elected to stay close to home and play for the Stars as an underage 14-year-old rookie in the 2017-18 season. Jadyn was a veteran with the Prince Albert Northern Bears and helped the Bears win a provincial title and advance to the Esso Cup female under-18 AAA championship tournament held in Morden, Man., in the 2016-17 campaign.

Makena joined a veteran Stars side, who were loaded with stars like Mackenna Parker, Grace Shirley, Anna Leschyshyn, Joelle Fiala, Ashley Messier and Chase Sperling. Appearing all of the teams 28 regular season games as a rookie, Makena recorded three goals and eight assists and helped the Stars win a provincial title.

Stars captain Makena Kushniruk (#10) weaves past the Bears.

The Stars advanced all the way to the championship game of the Esso Cup tournament held that season in Bridgewater, N.S., falling 2-1 to the St. Albert Slash.

“I just remember the rink being packed,” said Makena about that playoff run. “There was so much energy and emotions.

“When we won and knew we were going to Esso, it was just an unbelievable experience, and we we’re all just so happy and so excited to go to nationals. It was disappointing that we lost (the Esso Cup title game). We got there as a team, and we were very successful that year.

Makena Kushniruk (#10) eyes up a shot in the 2018 playoffs.

“Just getting to the final was a huge accomplishment as a team. It was just a great experience.”

As a 15-year-old sophomore in 2018-19, Makena had a breakout season with the Stars again appearing in all of the team’s 28 regular season games piling up 15 goals and 16 assists. She helped the Stars win their fourth provincial title in five years.

The Stars advanced to the Esso Cup after each of those provincial title wins. The Stars weren’t able to win a medal at the 2019 Esso Cup held in Sudbury, Ont., but Makena discovered her groove.

“I think I just really found myself as a player and found my role on the team and with my peers and teammates and coaches which gave me a lot more confidence,” said Makena. “It was very enjoyable.

Makena Kushniruk (#10) enjoys the Stars provincial title win in 2018. 

“We had a great leadership team and great girls in the room and coaches and everything. I think that really helped to bond our team together.”

The off-season in 2019 brought big change to the Stars. Head coach Greg Slobodzian and his entire coaching staff stepped down from their duties with the team.

Robin Ulrich, who was the interim head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in 2016-17, took on the job as the Stars new head coach bringing with her a new coaching staff.

Makena Kushniruk cuts up ice in the 2019 playoffs.

Due to a massive amount of graduations from the team, Makena went from being one of the younger players on the Stars to being one of the veteran players. She was named team captain before the start of the 2019-20 campaign.

Makena appeared in 28 of the Stars 30 regular season games posting 10 goals and eight assists facing the best defensive players the opposition could throw against her line on a nightly basis. The Stars stumbled out of the gate at the beginning of the season before rallying to post a respectable 12-14-4 regular season record.

Saskatoon never got a chance to skate in the post-season as the entire 2020 female under-18 AAA hockey players were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Makena Kushniruk had 31 points in 2018-19.

“It was definitely different, and we were definitely a young team,” said Makena. “It is too bad that we didn’t get to finish the season and show people our full potential as a team.

“Being a role model to some of the younger people, I think it was just important to show a good example on the ice, finish on pucks and making sure you are doing the small things right.”

Ulrich said Makena’s presence was extremely valuable to the new coaching staff that was stepping in to guide the team.

“I think it was really nice to have someone like Makena for a few reasons,” said Ulrich. “One, she had a couple of years of experience with the team and had experienced the success and knew the level that was required to be successful at the AAA level.

“Having an older sister who had gone through it and was moving in to play at the university level as well, she got to see that piece of it in the work that Jadyn needed to put in to be successful there. I think for us, she (Makena) was a just a really nice piece to be able to rely on somebody that did the right things, (and) came to the rink every day looking to get better.

The Kushniruk and Sperling families after the Stars 2019 provincial win.

“She (Makena) was just kind of that nice reliable piece that you knew was going to be there and was going to help set the tone in the dressing room and on the ice for what it takes to be successful and kind of help us transition from one way to the other.”

This season, the Stars got in a couple of games before the season got paused due to the increase of new COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan. On Nov. 14, the Stars fell 3-1 to the Northern Bears in Prince Albert at the Art Hauser Centre.

Makena Kushniruk embraced being the Stars captain.

On Nov. 15, the Stars downed the Bears 7-2 at the SaskTel Centre.

In those two outings, Makena had a goal and three assists. During the pause, Makena said her teammates have enjoyed the one-on-one practice time they are getting with the coaches in sessions that are limited to eight players on the ice.

Still, Makena was hoping the pause could have been avoided.

“It is disappointing that we don’t get to play,” said Makena. “Obviously, we would prefer to have full practices and games.

“I guess we are all trying to make the most of it, and hopefully, we get back as soon as we can.”

While the current season is stalled, Makena will have the opportunity to play hockey in the future at the university level. Ulrich believes Makena can see a lot of great days with the Cougars.

Makena Kushniruk believes the current Stars can impress.

“I think she can be a very effective player at the U Sports level,” said Ulrich. “I think the thing that is going to set her up the best is that inner drive and that compete level.

“Having an older sister who is there, she has an inside look into what it takes to be successful at the U Sports level and to make that step. I think she definitely has a good chance to step in there and contribute throughout her years. I think eventually by the end she will be playing some really, really big minutes for them and be key piece to them being successful.

“I am excited to see and want to see her growth throughout the rest of this year, but then getting a chance to watch her in future years be successful as well.”

Makena Kushniruk, second from left, hopes these scenes return.

Makena would like to get things going again with the Stars this season. No matter what shape the 2020-21 campaign ultimately takes, Makena is thankful she will still continue to play the game next season.

“I’m just super grateful that I have the opportunity to be playing at the next level and I have somewhere to play after high school and after the pandemic even if this year doesn’t work out,” said Kushniruk. “I think it is just like super exciting.”

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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Stars’ Kliewer relishes Team Sask. silver at nationals

Netminder returns to Saskatoon with extra jump

Arden Kliewer turns away a shot in the Saskatoon Stars goal.

    The highlights seem to be coming fast to Saskatoon Stars netminder Arden Kliewer.
    Playing in her final season of eligibility in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League, Kliewer committed to join the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks near the middle of October.

    On Nov. 16, she became just the second netminder to record 40 or more career SFMAAAHL regular season wins. Kliewer made 20 stops to back the Stars to a 2-0 victory over the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The 17-year-old’s biggest high likely came before that milestone 40^th victory.

    Kliewer helped Team Saskatchewan win its first medal ever at the National Women’s under-18 Championship, which was held in Winkler and Morden, Man.

    In a semifinal contest that was held in Morden, on Nov. 8, Kliewer made 25 saves to back Saskatchewan to a 3-1 victory over Ontario Blue. That win allowed Saskatchewan to advance to the gold medal game for the first time in the history of that event.

Arden Kliewer has 41 career SFMAAAHL regular season wins.

    Playing in the gold medal final one day later in Winkler in front of a national television audience on TSN, Kliewer had a sensational game turning away 32-of-34 shots sent her way against Ontario Red. Ontario Red still managed to prevail with a 3-1 victory that included a goal into an empty net.

Saskatchewan’s silver medal finish was still a big memory for Kliewer as well as playing in that championship final.

    “It was pretty big,” said Kliewer. “It felt watermelon size.

    “I was kind of feeling it that whole week, and I just carried on and tried to do what I could to keep my team in it.”

    Kliewer admitted that championship final might have been one of the best games she’s ever played.

    “I probably say it was,” said Kliewer, who stands 5-foot-8. “I think I stayed pretty consistent throughout the whole week.”

Arden Kliewer has played in lots of big games with the Stars.

    Kliewer said there was a huge pride from the players on the Saskatchewan side about what they were able to accomplish. Due to the fact Saskatchewan had never won a medal at the National Women’s under-18 Championship, Kliewer said no one outside of her team expected her squad to be a factor at that event.

    “The expectations just were for us were to everyone to buy into what the coaches were telling us,” said Kliewer. “We might not have been the most skilled players out there, but we bought in to what the coaches told us.

    “Going in there, nobody had expectations for Team Sask. It was all just personal expectations for us. We just wanted to come back with a medal, and that is what we did.”

    When Saskatchewan won its semifinal game, Kliewer said it was hard to explain the emotional high she and her teammates had knowing they would play in the gold medal game.

    “Obviously, it was an unreal experience,” said Kliewer. “I don’t even have words to describe it.

Arden Kliewer is the leader on a younger Stars team this season.

    “It was just insane like after we won that semifinal game knowing that, hey, we were coming home with a medal no matter what. It was a really good feeling.”

    Kliewer is no stranger to big games. She helped the Stars win the SFMAAAHL title in each of the past two seasons and qualify for the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament.

    The Stars made the championship game of the 2018 Esso Cup falling 2-1 to the Alberta-based St. Albert Slash.

    This season, Kliewer is protecting the Stars as they go through a rebuild. The Stars returned only nine players from last year’s team and graduated the bulk of their best players. 

    They are being guided by a new coaching staff. Robin Ulrich took over as head coach from Greg Slobodzian, and Kori Herner and Jason Schneider are the new assistant coaches. Schneider is actually a returning assistant coach having been with the Stars for four seasons from 2014 to 2018.

Arden Kliewer stood out for Team Saskatchewan.

    “It has just been a little bit different for myself just the role that I am in,” said Kliewer, who is in her fourth full season in the SFMAAAHL. “I’m in a little bit more of a leadership role this year versus last year.

    “It has just been about kind of helping those new girls understand this league and know what it takes to play in this league.”

    Ulrich, who was the interim head coach for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in 2016-17, said Kliewer’s importance to the Stars couldn’t be understated.

    “She (Kliewer) is just a great leader for our team,” said Ulrich. “It is one of the cases where we kind of told her if we could do the Roberto Luongo thing and give her a letter we would for sure.

    “It is great having somebody with that kind strong back in goal that you know she is going to give you a good consistent effort every single night. I think ever since she came back from U18s it has just been at another level. That is huge for us as a program.”

Arden Kliewer (#30) has helped steady a younger Stars defence.

    Ulrich was pleased to see Kliewer have an outstanding showing at the National Women’s under-18 Championship with Team Saskatchewan.

    “You love to see when your kids get exposed on the national stage like that and to have Sask. have the tournament they had and part of that was due to her play that is just exciting,” said Ulrich. “It makes you super proud, and you’re just excited for her and the opportunity and showing her ability at the national level on the biggest stage is huge.”

    During her SFMAAAHL career, Kliewer has posted a 41-10 record, a 1.77 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and 11 shutouts in regular season play. Only current U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team netminder Jessica Vance has more career regular season wins than Kliewer.

    Vance picked up 48 career victories playing for her hometown Prince Albert Northern Bears from 2010 to 2015.

    So far this season with the Stars, Kliewer has posted a 3-6 record, a 2.78 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and one shutout. 

Arden Kliewer gives a rebuilding Stars team a chance to win every night.

    The Stars have built 5-7-2 regular season mark to sit fourth in the SFMAAAHL after going 4-2 in the month of November.

    They received a huge confidence boost win last Saturday, when Kliewer made 33 saves in a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats at Merlis Belsher Place. The Wildcats have jumped out to a 9-1 start and sit second in the SFMAAAHL.

    “I think it helps us a lot for sure,” said Kliewer. “(It) definitely does give us quite a bit more confidence.”

    The Stars resume regular season play on Dec. 14, when they host the Bears at 2:15 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

    When the 2019-20 campaign concludes, Kliewer is happy she will be able to keep playing in the U Sports ranks with the Cougars.

Netminder Arden Kliewer and the Stars celebrate their win last Saturday.

    “I’m super excited to have that opportunity,” said Kliewer. “I’m a little bit nervous but definitely excited to be able to go play there.”

    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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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Where there’s a “Willo,” there’s a way

Willoughby delivers first round series sweep to Huskies

Kaitlin Willoughby (#17) celebrates her series-winning goal for the Huskies.

    Just when everything seemed dark, Kaitlin Willoughby brought the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team into the light.

    On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies went into Game 2 of their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final playoff series looking for a sweep of the University of Regina Cougars. In the third period of Saturday’s clash, things were looking bleach for the home side.

    The Huskies went into the third period holding a 1-0 lead, but the never-say-die Cougars came out hard and were throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Huskies goalie Cassidy Hendricks recording the first 12 shots on goal in the frame.

    At the 9:33 mark of the third, the Cougars finally broke through as fourth-year defender Jolene Kirkpatrick found the equalizer on her side’s 13^th shot of the period to force a 1-1 tie. The Huskies for the most part were unable to get out of their zone, and it seemed like it would just be a matter of time before the Cougars went ahead on the scoreboard.

Kaitlin Willoughby starts her drive on her game-winning goal rush.

    When all hope seemed lost, Willoughby stepped up and stormed into the Cougars zone on a spectacular individual rush. The Prince Albert product wired home the winning goal top corner on Cougars netminder Jane Kish to put the Huskies up 2-1 with 3:35 to play.

    The Huskies came to life to close out the 2-1 victory in Game 2 and sweep the series 2-0.

    “I think when they scored, it was kind of just like you just feel like so upset,” said Willoughby, who had a hat trick in the Huskies series opening 4-3 win on Friday night at Rutherford. “You just have to make sure everyone on the bench is ready to go.

    “We’re not going to let that bother us. I kind of said to everyone like let’s make sure this doesn’t affect us. We got to go out and keep doing what we are doing, because it is going to come our way. It did.

    “I am so proud of how our team played this weekend. If we play like that from here on out, we will be doing good things.”

Defender Jolene Kirkpatrick had the equalizer for the Cougars.

    During the first two periods of Saturday’s game, it seemed like the Huskies would steadily push to a low-scoring win. With 2:09 to play in the first period, Bailee Bourassa accounted for the Huskies first goal thanks to a positive bounce. Huskies sophomore forward Courtney Cormack flipped a shot high on the U of R goal, and it deflected off Bourassa into the net to give the hosts a 1-0 edge.

    After 40 minutes, the Huskies seemed to have control of the game holding a 17-14 edge in shots on goal and having spent long stretches in the U of R zone. In the third, the visitors came in waves, but Hendricks, who is the Huskies fifth-year money netminder, was up to the challenge of holding her team in the game.

    “It was a really hard period,” said Hendricks. “Luckily, there were a lot of faraway shots, so I could control it pretty well.

    “I just had to focus on staying like calm. I just had to focus on making saves and controlling my rebounds. It worked out for the most part.”

Cassidy Hendricks makes one of her 31 saves for the Huskies.

    Hendricks ultimately made 31 stops to earn the win in goal for the Huskies. She admitted she got pretty pumped, when Willoughby put the hosts ahead.

    “I am just so glad to have Willo on the team,” said Hendricks. “She just always performs when she needs to, especially with last night’s three goals.

    “She is just a huge player. I love her on the team.”

    Kish turned away 21 shots to take the loss in goal for the Cougars.

    The series win was a first for Huskies interim first-year head coach Robin Ulrich, but the bench boss wasn’t overly concerned about that fact.

    “More important, the team got the win,” said Ulrich. “That is all I really care about. Overall, I think it was a real good series for us.

    “Those were a couple of excellent games for us as a team. Tonight, was a big test. Regina came with everything they had.

    “I really like the game that we brought tonight.”

    With the series win, the Huskies advance to play the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series. Game 1 is set for this coming Friday in Vancouver.

The Huskies salute the crowd at Rutherford after their series sweep.

    The two clubs split their four encounters in the regular season. The Thunderbirds finished first in Canada West with a 23-4-1 record and are rated first in the U Sports top 10 rankings. The Huskies were fourth in Canada West with a 15-10-3 mark.

    Willoughby can’t wait to take on the next challenge in the post-season.

    “I think it is going to be awesome going to UBC,” said Willoughby. “We’re not going to take them lightly, but at the same time, we know that we can beat them.

    “We just have to go do the things we’ve been doing all year that had success against them before. It will be an exciting series that’s for sure, but I think it will be good.”

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

“Willo’s” Huskies legend keeps growing

Star forward powers U of S with hat trick in 4-3 playoff win

Kaitlin Willoughby, right, celebrates one of her three goals.

    The presence of a couple of former teammates helped give Kaitlin Willoughby an extra kick to play at an all-world level.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the 21-year-old star forward with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team could peer into the alumni box to see her former linemates Cami Wooster and Marley Ervine were in attendance for Game 1 of a best-of-three playoff series against the rival University of Regina Cougars. 

    When Willoughby was a rookie in the 2013-14, the trio played an extremely important part in helping the Huskies win their first Canada West title.

    That season, Wooster was the super talented captain in her fifth and final year of eligibility, while Ervine was a third-year heart and soul feisty forward. Together, they had a huge influence in helping Willoughby become the U Sports rookie of the year, and their influence continues help Willoughby be the spectacular player and person she is to this very day.

Kaitlin Willoughby gets set for an offensive zone faceoff.

    “They always text me before games too saying they are going to be cheering me on,” said Willoughby, who helped Canada win silver at the FISU Winter Universiade earlier this month in Almaty, Kazakhstan. “That means a lot to like have those girls there just knowing what we’ve done together in the past.

    “It is just awesome to see them there.”

    The Prince Albert product proceeded to put on a show her former teammates could be proud of. She netted a hat trick to power the Huskies to a 4-3 victory before a three-quarters full house at Rutherford.

    Willoughby’s first goal came short-handed on a setup from defender Brooke Patron to put the Huskies up 1-0 early in the second period. After the Cougars went up 2-1, she rocketed home a power-play goal top corner to force 2-2 tie heading into the second intermission.

Kaitlin Willoughby wires home her hat trick goal.

    At the 4:52 mark of the third, Willoughby wired home her third goal of the night to put the Huskies up 3-2.

    “My first goal was pretty lucky there,” said Willoughby. “I just threw it on net.

    “That is what happens when you keep grinding it out. The second two shots I was actually aiming.”

    The contest was also a physical one, and Willoughby didn’t shy away from that aspect of the game either. Besides winning a number of individual battles, she turned heads in the second, when she knocked Cougars defender Krista Metz to the ice. Metz stands an imposing 5-foot-11, and she has a height advantage of five inches on Willoughby.

    Willoughby said her side got locked into the game when Cougars sophomore forward Jaycee Magwood went hard to the net on a rush and nailed Huskies goaltender Cassidy Hendricks early in the first.

Kaitlin Willoughby does a flyby celebration after one of her three goals.

    “I think right off the start we were just like OK we are not letting them have anything tonight,” said Willoughby. “We are not letting that happen again.

    “We beared down, and we battled through.”

    The Huskies lead increased to 4-2, when speedy fourth-year forward Kori Herner scored just two minutes after Willoughby netted her hat trick tally.

    Magwood capitalized on a Huskies giveaway to cut the host’s edge to 4-3 with 3:42 to play. That set the stage for Willoughby to add her final impact on the win.

    With under 35 seconds to play, she broke up ice with the puck and was tripped by Cougars rookie forward Merissa Zerr. That infraction helped put an end to the visitor’s comeback hopes.

    Huskies interim head coach Robin Ulrich said Willoughby definitely stepped up in the series opener.

    “That is an example of what an exceptional player she is and just a difference maker in the game,” said Ulrich. “She is a game breaker, and that is why she is one of the best players in the league.

    “She can make the difference.”

The Huskies celebrate their 4-3 Game 1 victory over the Cougars.

    Tamara McVannel and Magwood both replied with singles for the Cougars.

    Hendricks turned away 28 shots to earn the win in goal for the Huskies. Jane Kish turned away 25 shots to take the loss in goal for the Cougars. Kish hadn’t given up a goal to the Huskies in two regular season starts.

    The win puts the Huskies in position to sweep the series in Game 2 on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

    The overall intensity of Game 1 was fairly high, and Willoughby expected it to be that way that night and for the rest of the series.

    “We go into the game thinking that it is going to be like an intense game,” said Willoughby. “We don’t take anyone lightly.

    “We went out there, and we had some fun with it. I think things just bounced our way tonight.”

    If a series deciding Game 3 is needed, it will be held Sunday night at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

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

Huskies vs. Cougars - The rivalry will return and be real

Huskies captain Lauren Zary, right, slips a past past a Cougars forward.

    They will say the right things leading up to the first game day, but those words will fail to hide the intensity that is to come.

    On Friday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies will face the University of Regina Cougars in Game 1 of a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final women’s hockey playoff series at 7 p.m. at the Ancient Rutherford Rink. Game 2 is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rutherford, and if necessary, Game 3 will be held on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

    Don’t be deceived. There is no way anyone on either team wants to be on the losing side of this series.

    The women’s hockey rivalry between the Huskies and Cougars is a rivalry in its purest form. In Western Hockey League terms, this is old Regina Pats taking on the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Saskatoon Blades tangling with the Prince Albert Raiders in the 1980s and 1990s or the Medicine Hat Tigers battling the Red Deer Rebels in the 2000s.

Kaitlin Willoughby has to play at an all-world level to power the Huskies.

    To see proof of that, all one has to do is look back at the last post-season encounter between the Huskies and Cougars, when they engaged in an epic clash in the 2014 Canada West championship series.

    Every game in that series went to overtime, and the best-of-three series between the two sides featured 17 periods of hockey that totaled up to 296 minutes of ice time.

    The series deciding Game 3 was a war. While there were only four minor penalties called in the contest, there were numerous scrums after every whistle where punches were thrown. The game was physical, but it was also played with a lot of skill and heart before a packed crowd of 760 people.

    When the dust settled, the Huskies came away with a 2-1 victory in double overtime, where Kaitlin Willoughby, who was named that season’s U Sports rookie of the year, netted the winner with a shot from the left side wall.

    The Huskies return eight players from that series as do the Cougars, and the veterans do have long memories of what happened in the past. The majority of the players on both sides came up through the minor hockey system in Saskatchewan and know each other well. Those links give this series that much more of an edge.

Jaycee Magwood had a stellar campaign for the Cougars.

    Out of all the teams in Canada West the Huskies could face at home in the post-season, the Cougars are likely the opponent that will be the least affected by the deficiencies and the unique characteristics of the Rutherford Rink.

    They have probably already addressed in team meetings the atmosphere they are going to face. That will include anticipating the fact the majority of the members of the Huskies men’s hockey team, who are on a bye weekend before beginning their post-season run, will likely be in attendance to give the gears to the opposition wearing green and gold.

    Veteran Cougars head coach Sarah (Howald) Hodges, who has had lengthy involvement with Canada’s national women’s team program, always ensures her teams are well prepared. While she may appear to be quiet, she is no nonsense and holds her players to very high expectations. Her players always bring the effort to meet those expectations.

    Expect the Cougars to enter Rutherford as the outlaws looking to wreak the party.

    As far as the regular season went, not much separated these two clubs. The Huskies finished fourth in Canada West with a 15-10-3 record, while the Cougars were fifth with a 14-13-1 mark.

Kylie Gavelin is aiming for a memorable farewell run.

    The biggest difference came in the four regular season encounters, where the Cougars took three of those meetings and outscored the Huskies 7-3.

    Normally, you would assume the Huskies would have the advantage playing at home, but this series is a tossup.

    In order to win, the Huskies have to rely on Willoughby, who is now in her fourth year, captain Lauren Zary and fifth-year veteran goalie Cassidy Hendricks. Willoughby topped the Huskies in scoring with 11 goals and 10 assists in 24 regular season games. The Prince Albert product has been playing at an all-world level for over a month and just came off of helping Canada’s women’s team win a silver medal at the FISU Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

    Zary appeared in all 28 regular season games for the Huskies netting five goals and 15 assists. Hendricks, who backstopped the Huskies to the 2014 Canada West title, had another stellar year in the U of S net posting an 11-9-3 record, a 1.67 goals against average, a .928 save percentage and two shutouts.

Rachel Johnson dumps a puck into the offensive zone.

    After Zary, the Huskies individual scoring falls off. Fifth-year veteran forward Rachel Johnson finished third in team scoring with six goals and six assists in 28 games.

    Also on the down side, U of S struggled on the power play all season. The Dogs cashed in on only 14-of-132 power-play chances for a 10.6 per cent clip that ranked second last in Canada West and likely cost U of S some wins.

    The Cougars have more a little more scoring depth, and their forward unit includes two players that also played for Canada at the Winter Universiade in Jaycee Magwood and Kylie Gavelin. Magwood, who is a sophomore, topped the Cougars in scoring with 12 goals and 12 assists in 24 games. Gavelin, who is in her fifth and final season, had seven goals and nine assists in 24 games.

    U of R also received solid seasons from third-year forward Emma Waldenberger and four-year forward Kylee Kupper, who both appeared in all 28 regular season games. Waldenberger had nine goals and eight assists, while Kupper had eight goals and eight assists.

    Fifth-year captain Alexis Larson, who also suited up for Canada at the Winter Universiade, eats up a lot of minute on the Cougars blue-line picking up two goals, nine assists and a plus-two rating in 24 regular season games.

Jane Kish (#31) has had a strong season in goal for the Cougars.

    In goal, the Cougars will rely on sophomore Jane Kish to carry the load. During the regular season, the Weyburn, Sask., product posted a 10-9 record, a 2.28 goals against average, a .915 save percentage and three shutouts. Kish backed her hometown Weyburn Gold Wings to an Esso Cup title for female midget AAA hockey national supremacy in 2014.

    One of the big wildcards in the series might be the fact the Huskies are led by positive and upbeat first-year interim head coach Robin Ulrich, who was once a Huskies captain. Ulrich is strong at connecting with her players, and that seems to bring out the best in those wearing the green and white.

    At even strength, the Huskies play as a unit of five has been very strong this season. They need to continue that strong play to transition the puck up ice to create scoring chances.

    On both sides, the ultimate key to the series might be which team can stay the most composed, when the intensity cranks up. When the series wraps up, the winner might just be battle hardened enough to go on a long run that might result in a berth at nationals that run March 16-19 at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Back in the Express with Hendricks

Goaltender Cassidy Hendricks has had a stellar career with the Huskies.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with feature story on Hendricks.

    The story went to press right before the Huskies played their final two regular season games, so it doesn’t contain a final update of the impressive final career totals put up by the North Vancouver, B.C., product.

    During her five-year career in regular season play, Hendricks appeared in 117 games, recorded a 57-44-13 record, a 2.04 goals against average, a .922 save percentage and 12 shutouts.
    She ranks third on the all-time Canada West career wins list and first in all-time minutes played at 6,973.

    The story on Hendricks 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.