Heart of the Huskies delivers Uteck Bowl win

U of S off to U Sports title game – the Vanier Cup

The Huskies are going to the Vanier Cup.

For a lengthy stretch, it seemed these Dogs wouldn’t have their day.

Going into the fourth quarter of the Uteck Bowl on Saturday at The CEPSUM in Montreal, Quebec, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team trailed the Universite de Montreal Carabins 9-1. The Carabins held a 303-167 edge in total yards after three quarters and seemingly had the ball for most of the game up until that point in time.

The Huskies defence had bent but didn’t break. The Carabins were still in search of their first touchdown of the contest.

It was the type of day where points were at a premium as both squads played in conditions that included winds that would blow at 46 kilometres per hour.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Huskies offence, which had seemingly been stuck in quicksand for a lot of the first 45 minutes to that point, was set up with a second-and-goal situation from the Carabins nine yard line.

U of S had driven the ball 63 yards in five plays to get to that position on the field. The Huskies needed a play to change the complexion of the contest.

At that moment, Huskies star quarterback Mason Nyhus hit star running back Adam Machart with a swing pass that resulted in a nine-yard touchdown reception.

The Huskies attempted a two-point conversion, and a Nyhus pass to receiver Sam Baker, who is a CFL Draft pick of the Toronto Argonauts, fell incomplete.

Adam Machart scored the winning TD for the Huskies.

The Carabins still led 9-7, but Machart’s major score gave the Huskies a major traction point and extra life. Business was picking up the battle department as the Huskies were intent on making sure they would not be denied of victory on this day.

The host side proceeded to get a single on a missed 37-yard field goal from kicker Michael Arpin at the 5:24 mark of the frame. The Carabins lead increased, but it was still a slim one at 10-7.

U of S ultimately got the ball on its own 27 yard line with 1:55 remaining in the game.

Nyhus proceeded to drive the Huskies down the field hitting star utility player Colton Klassen, Baker and fifth-year tight end Kyle Newton with big pass completions.

From the Carabins 13 yard line, Machart broke off an electrifying touchdown run to put the Huskies in front 14-10 with five seconds to play.

The Carabins were unable to create a miracle on their last offensive play and the 14-10 score in favour of the Huskies stood up as the final outcome to disappoint most of the sellout crowd of 5,100 spectators.

For the first time since 2006, the Huskies were on their way to the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup.

The victory over the Carabins was the biggest win for the Huskies team since they knocked off the University of Ottawa Gee Gees 35-28 in Ottawa, Ont., in the 2006 Mitchell Bowl.

The Huskies also came into the clash with the Carabins as underdogs. In the final U Sports Top 10 rankings, the Carabins were rated first, and the Huskies were fourth.

The Carabins were also coming off a bye week having last played on November 14, when they knocked off the visiting Universite Laval Rouge et Or 28-19 to win the Dunsmore Cup to become the champions of the Reseau du Sport Etudiant du Quebec.

Adam Machart ran for 158 yards on Saturday.

The Huskies were in action just even days earlier downing the University of Manitoba Bisons 45-17 at Griffiths Stadium on the U of S campus to claim the Hardy Cup as Canada West Conference champions.

With the win in the Uteck Bowl, the Huskies, who were 5-1 in the regular season, were moving on to the U Sports title game improving their overall record to 8-1 and their overall winning streak to eight games.

The Carabins, who had a 7-1 regular season record, saw their eight game overall winning streak come to an end as their overall record would finish up at 9-2.

The Huskies will face the University of Western Ontario Mustangs in the Vanier Cup to be played this coming Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec.

The Mustangs romped to a 61-6 victory over the visiting St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in London, Ont., in the other U Sports semifinal – the Mitchell Bowl – on Saturday. The Mustangs, who are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, improved to 9-1 overall with the win, while the X-Men, who were rated seventh in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, saw their record conclude a 8-1 overall.

While the Huskies were underdogs against the Carabins, it appeared the weather conditions would favor the visitors at the start of the Uteck Bowl. Besides the winds gusting to 46 kilometres per hour, the temperature at kickoff was -3 C, and those elements on paper seemed to be of benefit to the visitors.

The wind would plague the kicking game for most of the day.

The Huskies had the game’s first possession and got in position for kicker David Solie to try a 25-yard field goal. Solie’s kick sailed wide and was good for a single to put the Huskies in front 1-0 at the 5:13 mark of the first quarter.

Arpin made a 23-yard field goal with 2:08 remaining in the first quarter to give the Carabins a 3-1 lead.

At the 9:21 mark of the second quarter, Arpin missed a 25-yard field goal attempt, but the kick was good enough for a rouge to put the Carabins up 4-1 going into the halftime break.

Mason Nyhus engineers a game-winning drive.

During the second quarter, Huskies defensive end Riley Pickett found himself playing the role of villain in the eyes of the Carabins faithful. Pickett sacked Carabins quarterback Jonathan Senecal twice in the second quarter.

On the second sack late in the frame, Pickett drove thru Senecal on a hard but clean hit. Senecal stayed down on the turf and had to be looked at by the Carabin trainers.

He walked off the field under his own power and returned to the contest at the start of the second half.

When Senecal was down, the Carabins fans showered boos and heckles at Pickett.

Pickett soaked in the taunts from the fans like he was WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

In the third quarter, Arpin hit a 15-yard field goal and the Huskies conceded a safety due to bad field position to allow the Carabins to take a 9-1 edge into the fourth quarter.

That set the stage for the Huskies dramatic rally in the final 15 minutes of the contest.

Machart was named the game’s offensive MVP. He carried the ball 20 times for 158 yards and caught six passes for 24 yards to go with his two major scores.

Pickett had six total tackles to go with his two sacks in being named the game’s defensive MVP.

Nyhus completed 17-of-26 passes for 138 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

Senecal had a monster game completing 31-of-41 passes for 398 yards. He didn’t throw any touchdown passes or interceptions.

Carabins star receiver Hassane Dosso caught 10 passes for 182 yards.

Colton Klassen had a key catch on the Huskies winning drive.

Linebacker Lane Novak led the Huskies with 7.5 total tackles, while defensive lineman Michael Brodrique topped the Carabins with seven total tackles.

The Carabins had the ball for 35 minutes and 34 seconds putting up 457 yards of total offence.

The Huskies put up 299 yards of total offence with 24 minutes and 26 seconds of time of possession.

Despite the statistical advantage by the Carabins, they couldn’t overcome the heart of the Huskies.

As a result, the Huskies prevailed on the scoreboard, and when two good teams play each other in the post-season, it is all about just finding a way to win.

Now, the Huskies will try to find a way to party like its 1998, when they last won the Vanier Cup 24-17 over the Concordia University Stingers in Toronto, Ont., at Rogers Centre, which was then known as the Skydome. That marked the third time the Huskies won the U Sports title, with the other two victories coming in 1990 and 1996.

The Huskies will face another monster test in the Mustangs in this year’s Vanier Cup.

With the heart the Huskies have shown to this point, they might just go all the way in winning that one last game.

Vanier Bound! #HuskiePride pic.twitter.com/JbwBjHVRDY

— Huskie Athletics (@HuskieAthletics) November 28, 2021

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

-------

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.

Still the heart of the Huskies

Klassen’s catches power U of S to 28-17 win over Rams

Colton Klassen (#7) celebrates his second TD on Saturday.

Colton Klassen proved he is still the heart of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

On Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, the star fifth year utility player was difference maker hauling in eight passes for 135 yards and scoring two key touchdowns. His efforts helped power the Huskies past their archrivals the University of Regina Rams 28-17 in a U Sports regular season contest played before 2,543 spectators in extremely windy conditions.

On the season, Klassen has caught 20 passes for 357 yards and scored six touchdowns in helping the Huskies win three straight to post a 3-1 record to sit in a tie with the University of Manitoba Bisons for first place in the Canada West Conference.

While the regular season is four games old, Klassen is still grateful to just be playing.

Colton Klassen, works toward his first touchdown on Saturday.

Back on October 26, 2019, Klassen went down with a gruesome dislocated right ankle near the end of the first quarter in a 22-9 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team hit the comeback trail, and he was ready to go to CFL scouting combines at the start of March 2020.

The world then came under the grip of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and shutdowns started happening in North American on March 11, 2020. Still on April 30, 2020, Klassen, who is also a graduate of the CJFL’s Regina Thunder, was selected in the eighth round and 69^th overall in the CFL Draft by the Montreal Alouettes.

Colton Klassen (#7) scores his first touchdown on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 football campaigns on both the U Sports and CFL fronts.

This year, Klassen attended training camp with the Alouettes before he returned to the Huskies to play his final season of U Sports eligibility.

“The injury was terrible, and then COVID obviously we’ve all been through it,” said Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds. “I didn’t have that routine.

“I find it is nice to have that back again. The idea of sitting around and doing nothing is really nice until you do it for two weeks. Then, you are like OK, this isn’t what I want to do with my life.

Colton Klassen muscles his way to his second major score.

“I am really happy to be out here to just play again.”

With the Huskies and Rams locked in a 3-3 tie, Klassen made a key play right before halftime. Taking a short pass from Huskies star quarterback Mason Nyhus, Klassen willed and romped his way to a touchdown on a 27-yard scoring with 32.3 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Klassen’s major sent the Huskies into the halftime break holding a 10-3 lead.

The Rams got the momentum back early in the third quarter, when linebacker Chopper Hippe blocked a punt from Huskies kicker David Solie. Rams defensive back Jackson Sombach picked up the ball at the Huskies 10 yard line and ran it into the end zone for a major to even the score at 10-10.

Colton Klassen caught eight passes for 135 yards on Saturday.

On the ensuing Huskies possession, the host side put together a massive 10-play drive that covered 95 yards culminating in a six-yard touchdown reception from Klassen to go back in front 17-10.

Klassen came up big on that series catching three passes for 53 yards including his touchdown catch, where he had his helmet ripped off on a tackle attempt by Rams defensive back Brandon Gandrie.

“It is just good to be involved again,” said Klassen, whose mom, Candice, held the team flag the Huskies players ran to at centrefield during pre-game introductions. “After the injury, a lot of people didn’t know if I would be the same or be able to contribute, especially in those big times.

Mason Nyhus passed for 301 yards in tough windy conditions.

“It means a lot. That was a big touchdown going into the half on a high note. I think it definitely helped leading into the second half.”

The veteran playmaker’s efforts don’t unnoticed by his teammates. Nyhus has enjoyed getting the ball to Klassen on the field again and the settling influence the sure handed pass catcher has off the field.

“I love CK just as a leader in the locker room alone,” said Nyhus. “Obviously on the football field when you get him the ball, he makes plays.

“He is a running back in space for us at receiver. It has been awesome to have both him and (Sam) Baker rocking at receiver right now.”

The Huskie celebrate a sack from Nathan Cherry.

Huskies head coach Scott Flory just grinned at the fact Klassen had a big game again.

“He (Klassen) is that steady tried and true man,” said Flory. “He is a pulse guy for sure.”

The Rams scored opened the scoring in Saturday’s encounter going up 3-0 when veteran kicker Aldo Galvan hit a 43-yard field goal with the wind in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Rams conceded a safety electing not to punt into the wind deep in their own end reducing their edge to 3-2.

With 4:29 remaining in the second quarter, the Huskies evened the score at 3-3 on a long punt single from Solie.

That set the stage for Klassen’s two scores and the Rams major off their punt block.

The Rams block a punt from Huskies kicker David Solie, right.

With the Huskies holding a 17-10 advantage, the Rams started the fourth quarter at the Huskies 10 yard line. On a third and goal gamble from the Huskies four yard line, Rams backup quarterback Bryden O’Flaherty hit rookie receiver D’Sean Mimbs with a touchdown toss to even the score at 17-17.

The Huskies had the wind for the fourth quarter and finished the frame scoring the final 11 points of the game to pull out the 28-17 victory.

The final scoring surge started with Nyhus hitting Baker with a 16-yard touchdown pass. Solie hit a field goal from 42 yards out and closed the surge with a single from a 44-yard missed field goal.

Rams DB Jackson Sombach scores a major off a punt block.

Due to the fact the regular season schedule for the Canada West Conference started on Sept. 25, Flory was anticipating his team would play in games with adverse conditions like the windy outing on Saturday. He addressed that with his players in off-season meetings leading to the current campaign noting his squad would have to adjust to weather conditions.

“There are a lot of ways to win a football game,” said Flory, whose Huskies were rated sixth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. “Just look at when we start and the possibility of when we finish.

“We know what the historical temperatures are in Saskatchewan from the middle of October on. We understand that. We just have to eliminate our own mistakes to be honest with you.

The Rams defence gangs up on Huskies RB Adam Machart.

“That is the part that frustrates me the most. If we eliminate those things, we have a chance. We have a chance to continue to win football games and put ourselves in better positions than we did today.”

Nyhus completed 22-of-32 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Huskies.

Huskies star running back Adam Machart ran the ball 19 times for 98 yards and caught three passes for 27 yards in the win.

Sawyer Buetter started the contest at quarterback for the Rams completing 8-of-18 passes for 54 yards. He was pulled early in the third quarter in favour of O’Flaherty.

Sam Baker secures a touchdown catch for the Huskies.

O’Flaherty completed 7-of-13 passes for 55 yards and the one touchdown toss in the relief effort.

Defensive back Charlie Ringland and defensive ends Riley Pickett and Nathan Cherry had single sacks for the Huskies.

The Huskies defence held the Rams to 109 yards passing and 58 yards rushing.

Defensive end Anthony Bennett and linebacker Josh White had single sacks for the Rams.

Flory was pleased with Nyhus’s play on Saturday.

“He (Nyhus) has been dialed in,” said Flory. “For sure these last couple of games, I think himself with everybody is just getting  better and better and just getting more command of the offence and what we are doing.

The Huskies defence gangs up on Rams FB Christian Katende.

“That is what you want to see out of a quarterback is him just seeing things and seeing the whole field and not just lock in on guys. That is really encouraging to see.”

With the loss, the Rams, who were rated 10^th in the U Sports Top 10 rankings fell to 1-3. They return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel to Edmonton, Alta., to face the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The Huskies return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel Winnipeg, Man., to face the Bisons. The winner of that match will sit alone in first place in the Canada West Conference and officially lock up a playoff berth in the shortened six-game regular season.

The Huskies do a cheer after their win on Saturday.

Klassen is expecting that contest to be an intense encounter.

“They are a talented team,” said Klassen. “They always are.

“They are going to play hard too. Every regular season game this year is a playoff game, because there are only six of them. We just have to be prepared and get our bodies right and get ready.”

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

-------

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.

Riley’s day – Huskies OL goes seventh overall to Roughriders

Mattland Riley will be looking to open up huge holes for the Roughriders.

    Mattland Riley will become the latest to live out the Saskatchewan football dream, and he totally deserves that opportunity.

    On Thursday, the Melfort, Sask., product and left guard with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team was selected in the first round and seventh overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL Draft. 
    Riley’s selection helps the Huskies uphold their reputation as “O-line U” as the storied U Sports program has a history of sending numerous offensive linemen to the Canadian professional ranks over the years.

    The 23-year-old becomes the latest player to go on the journey of growing up in a smaller Saskatchewan learning the game of football there, moving on to the university ranks and finding his way to the province’s CFL team.

    Riley, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 300 pounds, played high school football in the nine-man ranks with his hometown Melfort and Unit Comprehensive Collegiate Comets before joining the Huskies in the U Sports ranks.

    Over the past two seasons, Riley piled up the individual accolades with the Huskies.

Mattland Riley has been an elite pass protector.

    In 2018, Riley was a Canada West all-star and a second team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. He helped the Huskies win the Hardy Cup as Canada West Conference champions.

    In 2019, Riley was again named a Canada West all-star and a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star. The Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with a 5-3 record and advanced to the Hardy Cup title game falling 29-4 to the eventual U Sports champions and Vanier Cup winners in the University of Calgary Dinos.

    Riley, who has used four years of U Sports eligibility, has all the physical tools to succeed at the professional level. He is really skilled at using his hands to tie up the hands and arms of on-rushing defensive linemen.

    The engineering major has smarts too.

    On top of all that, Riley is pretty down to earth, easy going and enjoys each day as it comes. He is pretty humble and never likes to have himself put in front of his teammates as individual awards pile up.

    When he arrives with the Roughriders, he is going to find he has a lot in common personality wise with veteran star offensive left guard in Brendon LaBatte, who grew up in Weyburn, Sask. The main difference between the two is LaBatte likes to race fast stock cars and does that as a hobby.

    Riley is one who legitimately puts the team first. He knows that if the team succeeds he will ultimately find success.

Mattland Riley, right, was a first team U Sports all-Canadian all-star.

    He always notes he plays along with some really good guys on the Huskies offensive line.

Riley will also get to renew some old football ties and seen an old friend when he begins working out with the Roughriders.

    In late November, the Roughriders signed offensive lineman and fellow Melfort product Logan Ferland to their main roster. Ferland was on the Roughriders practice roster last season and played his fifth and final CJFL campaign at left tackle with the Regina Thunder.

    Riley and Ferland were former teammates on the Comets and will now get to reunite in the professional ranks.

    While the spectre of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hangs over the world having shutdown most walks of life in Canada, Riley has continued to work out at home turning the spare room at his place into a weight room.
    On Thursday, he got to enjoy a great day as all the hard work he has put in and continues to put in has resulted in the chance to live out the Saskatchewan boyhood dream, because he will have a chance to play for the Roughriders.

Mattland Riley, right, is at locking up a D-lineman’s hands.

    Overall, Riley was one of five Huskies player to be selected in the CFL Draft. Defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds, was selected in the fifth round and 46^th overall by the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

    Receiver Sam Baker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, was picked in the sixth round and 48^th overall by the Toronto Argonauts.

    Right tackle, Nick Summach, who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 330 pounds, was selected in the seventh round and 57^th overall by the Edmonton Eskimos. Summach’s selection helps further cement the Huskies reputation as “O-line U.”

    Utility player Colton Klassen, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 200 pounds, went in the eighth round and 69^th overall to the Montreal Alouettes. Klassen made an amazing recovery from a season ending broken right leg.

    Defensive end Tom Schnitzler, who played for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and is an alumnus of the 22-time CJFL champion Saskatoon Hilltops, was selected in the eighth round and 72^nd overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Schnitzler, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 245 pounds, is an accomplished long snapper too.

Mattland Riley (#55) has enjoyed being part of the Huskies O-line.

    The University of Regina Rams had two players picked in the CFL Draft.

    Offensive lineman Theren Churchill, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 280 pounds, went in the first round and ninth overall to the Toronto Argonauts.

    Offensive lineman Andrew Becker, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds, was selected in the sixth round and 49^th overall.

    The British Columbia Lions traded up to get the first overall selection from the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL Draft. In a trade that was announced at the draft, the Lions sent the third and 12^th overall selections to the Stampeders for the first overall pick and 15^th overall selection.

    With the first overall pick, the Lions selected linebacker Jordan Williams, who stands 6-feet and weighs 230 pounds, from the East Carolina University Pirates football team in the NCAA Division I ranks.

CFL seeks financial aid from federal government, other notes

Will the COVID-19 pandemic crush the CFL?

    On Tuesday evening, The Canadian Press broke a story the CFL was looking to the Canadian federal government for financial assistance due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    After The Canadian Press broke that story, it blew up on all of Canada’s mainstream media outlets. It was even covered by FOX News in the United States.

    The CFL is looking for $30-million in Canadian funds now to manage the impact COVID-19 has had on league business. The circuit is asking for additional assistance for an abbreviated regular season and up to another $120-million in Canadian funds for a completely lost season.

    In other words, the CFL is looking for $150-million in financial assistance if its nine teams are unable to play the 2020 regular season and playoffs.

    The CFL isn’t the only sports organization looking for financial assistance from a government in Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 22, the British Columbia Hockey League, which is a junior A circuit, asked the provincial government in B.C. for financial aid.

    On Tuesday, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, which is a junior B circuit that has 19 out of its 20 located in B.C., said in a release it will be seeking financial assistance from both the B.C. provincial government and the Canadian federal government.

Will fun times like this return to Mosaic Stadium in Regina?

    On Wednesday, it came out the Canadian Premier League, which is an eight-team professional soccer league, is asking the Canadian federal government for $15-million in financial aid.

    Also on Wednesday on the profession basketball front, Devin Heroux of CBC Sports reported the Canadian Elite Basketball League is looking for a $5-million loan from the Government of Canada to help with finances.

    I have no problem with the CFL going after financial assistance from the Government of Canada. I believe the CFL is a Canadian institution that needs to be preserved.

    I could see the CFL folding if it doesn’t have a season in 2020 and doesn’t receive financial assistance.

    Actually, I do not have a problem with any sports league, sports entity or non-sports business seeking out financial assistance from the Canadian federal government of any of Canada’s provincial governments.

    In order to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, all these governments have ordered shutdowns and prevented all of these entities from doing business. The ability of any of these outlets to bring in revenue has been extremely hampered due to no fault of their own.
    It is highly unlikely any of these sports leagues, sports entities or businesses would be asking for aid if a pandemic didn’t happen. 

Will Canadians like Evan Johnson (#64) be able to show off their skill.

    If the pandemic didn’t happen, all of these entities would go on with business as usual and be healthy.

    They weren’t mismanaged, and they didn’t ask to be forced to shut down by governments.

    If you shut down the entire whole non-essential work sector in society, there will be massive consequences, and these financial aid requests are part of the consequences.

    On Wednesday, Global News national telecast said Statistics Canada had complied data with the cooperation of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and the numbers aren’t good.

    In that story, Statistics Canada said 53 per cent businesses surveyed reported revenue decreases of 20 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three month of last year.

    Statistic Canada said one-third of businesses surveyed reported revenues dropped by 40 per cent or more during the first three months of this year compared to the first three months of last year.

    Out of the businesses surveyed, 41 per cent of businesses have been forced to lay off some employees. In the accommodation and food services sector, 24 per cent of those businesses surveyed said they have laid off all of their workers.

Will Zack Evans, right, be able to keep playing in his home city?

    I suspect if you take out what happened in January and February out of that Global News report the gloom of those numbers would be worse.

    I have no problems with sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses asking for financial assistance from governments in these COVID-19 times. I also realize that there is only so much money to go around.

    Unless the governments of Canada elects to throw open the economy for business as usual, it is hard to optimistic about what could happen to these sports leagues, sports entities or non-sports businesses on the business front.

    One thing is for certain, I can’t see life in Canada returning to what it was on March 10 of this year before all the shutdowns happened until after a lengthy stretch of time passes.

• On Wednesday, Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press wrote a story that quoted a trio of people involved with the now defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League being upset about men’s professional sports leagues asking for financial assistance. The CWHL folded on May 1, 2019 due to financial difficulties. The article quoted others who worried this will widen the gender gap in sports. Spencer’s piece can be found by clicking right here.
• On Tuesday, the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup hockey tournament, which is an under-18 national team best versus best event, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hlinka Gretzky Cup was set for Aug. 3 to 8 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.
• On Tuesday, the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede summer festival scheduled for July 22 to 25 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, the Clunie-Cooper Memorial Professional Bull Riding event slated for June 12 to 13 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On Tuesday, it was announced the Saskatchewan Summer Games set to run July 26 to Aug. 1 in Lloydminster have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are now slated to be held in Lloydminster July 18 to 24 2021.
• On Monday, the Saskatoon Blades signed offensive defenceman Tanner Molendyk to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Blades selected the McBride, B.C., product in the first round and fifth overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Wednesday, the Prince Albert Raiders signed defensive defenceman Terrell Goldsmith to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. The Raiders selected the Fort St. James, B.C., product in the first round and 15^th overall in the WHL Bantam Draft held on April 22.
• On Thursday, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team announced that 21-year-old forward and Saskatoon product Dawson Holt has committed to the team. Holt played for four and a bit seasons with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants from 2014 to 2019. Last season, he started the campaign in the WHL with the Regina Pats before joining Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League in the junior A ranks.

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

-------                                     

    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.

Down go the Golden Bears, Huskies advance to defend Hardy Cup

The Huskies celebrate a touchdown run from Adam Machart (#20).

    The University of Alberta Golden Bears landed the first big blows, but the University of Saskatchewan Huskies rallied back to win the fight.

    When the dust settled on Saturday at Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies came away with a 28-23 victory over the Golden Bears in a Canada West semifinal played before 1,191 spectators. It marked the first time the Huskies won a U Sports playoff game at home since downing the University of Regina Rams 53-23 on Nov. 7, 2009.

    The win over the Golden Bears, who finished at 4-5 overall, allows the Huskies, who improved to 6-3 overall, to advance to the Hardy Cup to defend their Canada West title. They will face the University of Calgary Dinos, who are 7-2 overall, in Calgary for a second straight conference title tilt with this year’s final slated in seven days time on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Mason Nyhus threw for 334 yards for the Huskies.

    “It was a great feeling,” said Huskies defensive end Nicholas Dheilly, who had three tackles in the win over the Golden Bears. “We kind of came off a little slow.

    “We let up a few points in the first (quarter). We kind of settled it down after halftime. We just told each other it is on us, and we have to go make some plays out there.

    “Our defence held it down.”

    In the clash between the Huskies and Golden Bears, the visitors jumped quickly out to a 14-0 lead.      On the first offensive series of the contest, the Golden Bears drove 86 yards on eight plays, and quarterback Brad Launhardt capped the series with a one-yard touchdown run.

    On the Golden Bears second possession, Launhardt hit fifth-year receiver Daniel Bubelenyi with an 80-yard touchdown bomb to give the visitors a two-major advantage.

The Golden Bears celebrate a TD catch from Daniel Bubelenyi (#13).

    “They punched us in the mouth pretty good,” said Huskies quarterback Mason Nyhus. “They pulled out all the stops.

    “We expected them to. They are a very good team. We just had to stay high, stay calm and stick to our game.”

    With 36 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Huskies kicker David Solie booted a 32-yard field goal to cut the Golden Bears lead to 14-3.

    On the first play of the second quarter, an errant long snap went over the head of Golden Bears punter Reece Oldenburg, who was forced to boot the ball through his own end zone giving up a safety cutting his squad’s edge to 14-5.

    The Huskies proceeded to trim the Golden Bears edge to 14-12, when quarterback Mason Nyhus hit veteran receiver Sam Baker for a nine-yard touchdown pass with 9:43 remaining in the second quarter.

Brad Launhardt threw for 285 yards for the Golden Bears.

    The Golden Bears responded pushing their lead out to 21-12, when Launhardt scored a major on a two-yard run with 5:35 remaining in the second quarter.

    Before the first half ended, Solie hit a 29-yard field goal to cut the Golden Bears advantage to 21-15.

    “Sometimes you need to take a deep breath and just play,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “That is what I encouraged them to do in the second half, and they did.”

    The game’s momentum changed at the start of the third quarter, when the Golden Bears saw their first three drives halt due to respective interceptions coming from Huskies defenders Nelson Lokombo, super rookie Ramsey Derbas and fifth-year veteran Ben Whiting.

Sam Baker (#85) caught seven passes for 107 and one TD for the Huskies.

    Following Lokombo’s interception, the Huskies drove 51 yards in seven plays culminating in a seven-yard touchdown run by star running back Adam Machart to take a 22-21 lead.

    After Derbas’s interception, the Huskies started a drive at the Golden Bears 15 yard line. U of S wasn’t able to get a first down, but Solie hit a 22-yard field goal to give the Huskies a 25-21 advantage.

    Lokombo was pumped to see the defence get interceptions on three straight series.

    “It was awesome,” said Lokombo. “It just goes to show that we’ve prepared the way we are supposed to, and it shows in the game.”

    Lokombo topped the Huskies with four interceptions during the regular season, but he didn’t have one over the course of the squad’s final four regular season contests. The Abbotsford, B.C., product was pumped to get another one on Saturday.

Ramsey Derbas celebrates making an interception for the Huskies.

    “It felt nice,” said Lokombo. “I was really shocked that it was coming.

    “I looked up, and the ball was there.”

    Solie proceeded to hit a 30-yard field goal with 9:03 remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Huskies up 28-21.

    Inside of the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, the Golden Bears drove down to the Huskies nine yard line for a first and goal. U of A would turn the ball over on downs.

    The Huskies ended up conceding a safety with 35.1 seconds to play in the fourth quarter to round out the game’s final outcome at 28-23. An errant long snap on a punt went over head of Solie, who doubles as the Huskies punter, and he kicked the ball through his own end zone to give up two points.

    Launhardt threw three straight incompletions on the ensuing and final U of A series.

Ben Whiting (#4) make an interception for the Huskies.

    Nyhus knelt down twice to run out the final seconds on the clock.

    The Regina, Sask., product completed 29-of-44 passes for 334 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for the Huskies. Baker caught seven of those throws for 107 yards to go with his major score.

    Flory thought Nyhus had one of his best games on Saturday.

    “I know he (Nyhus) was feeling it,” said Flory. “He and Sam (Baker) have a special connection.

    “It is what we anticipated coming out of him. He (Nyhus) had an awesome game. I am proud of him.”

    Machart ran the ball 23 times for 162 yards to go with his one major score.

    Launhardt completed 20-of-36 passes for 285 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Bubelenyi topped the Golden Bears with 122 receiving yards on three catches.

Adam Machart had another huge game for the Huskies.

    U of A was held to 36 yards rushing as a team.

    Connor Delahey posted six total tackles and one sack for the Huskies. He played most of the contest at middle linebacker after Tom Whiting left the contest early in the first quarter with an injury.

    Defensive back Clovis Lumeka and defensive tackle Evan Machibroda both had sacks for the Huskies.

    Linebacker Josiah Schakel led the Golden Bears with 10 total tackles. Defensive back Matthew Peterson had a sack for the Golden Bears.

    Flory was pleased with how his team’s defence rebounded in the second half after a bit of a rough first half.

    “They just made adjustments,” said Flory. “It all breaks down to one-on-one football.

    “It breaks down to you versus me or me versus you and who is going to win. Our guys, they manned up in the second half and they said, ‘We’re just going to be better.’ They were.

The Huskies faithful enjoys “Sweet Caroline.”

    “Guys make plays, and that is what we needed to do.”

    In Saturday’s other Canada West semifinal, the Dinos slipped past the University of Manitoba Bisons 47-46 in Calgary. The Bisons finished the campaign with a 4-5 overall record.

    The Huskies beat the Dinos 43-18 in last year’s Hardy Cup in Calgary. The two sides met just once this season back on Sept. 27, when the Huskies downed the Dinos 29-15 at Griffiths.

    Nyhus, who is in his third year of U Sports eligibility, was the Huskies backup quarterback last season, and he is looking forward to starting in this year’s Hardy Cup.

Jonathan Leggett (#95) and the Huskies are all smiles after Saturday’s win.

    “Obviously, it is pretty different,” said Nyhus. “The body is a bit more sore this year for sure.

    “It is still that same energy. This team is great. We have a great leadership group on this team.

    “I am just very excited to be going to Calgary.”

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

-------                                     

    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.

Huskies pumped for rare home playoff game

Golden Bears visit Griffiths Saturday in Canada West semi

The Huskies aim to take down the Golden Bears in the playoffs.

    Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the 2019 U Sports campaign.
    The Huskies won all four of their regular season games at home posting a 5-3 record to finish second in the Canada West Conference. Thanks to that placing, the Huskies host the University of Alberta Golden Bears (4-4) in a Canada West semifinal contest on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Griffiths Stadium.

    The other Canada West semifinal on Saturday features the University of Calgary Dinos (6-2) taking on the University of Manitoba Bisons (4-4) in Calgary.

    A year ago, the Huskies won the Canada West championship playing all of their post-season games on the road. That marked the first time U of S claimed the Canada West title since 2006.

    Saturday’s clash with the Golden Bears will mark the second time the Huskies have hosted a post-season game since the start of the 2011 season. 

Adam Machart (#20) will try to make more big game against U of A.

    The Dogs last home playoff game came back on Nov. 7, 2014, when they fell 47-39 to the University of Manitoba Bisons at Griffiths Stadium.

    With having almost five full years pass between home playoff dates, Huskies star running back Adam Machart said his side is looking forward to playing in their regular surroundings.

    “We play good at home, so to have that and not have to travel, I think that is huge for us as a team,” said Machart. “I think we are going to rally around that fact.”

    Huskies fifth-year star defensive tackle Evan Machibroda was on the U of S roster for the squad’s last home playoff game as an injury red shirt. He watched the Huskies fall that day from the sidelines.

    Still, that memory in no way dampens his enthusiasm for his team’s home playoff game on Saturday.

Mason Nyhus had a solid campaign as the Huskies starting QB.

    “It is going to be a lot of fun,” said Machibroda. “I can’t wait for it.”

    Machibroda believes his Huskies haven’t hit their peak and still have room to get better.

    “We definitely have to keep growing as a team,” said Machibroda. “Nothing is finished yet.”

    Machart enters the contest as the Huskies biggest offensive threat. He carried the ball 156 times for 1,334 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season. He also hauled in 20 passes for 204 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

    His total of 1,334 yards rushing and 1,538 all-purpose yards are new Huskies team records for one season.

    Mason Nyhus has a solid campaign in his first season as the team’s starting quarterback. He completed 138-of-228 passes for 1,739 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Evan Machibroda has made lots of big plays.

    At receiver, two of Nyhus’s big weapons are Jesse Kuntz and Sam Baker. Kuntz caught 29 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns in eight regular season games.

    Baker missed the Huskies first five regular season games due to injury. In the squad’s last three regular season games, Baker hauled in 15 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns.

    The Huskies will have play without star utility player Colton Klassen, who is out for the post-season with a severely injured right leg.

    Golden Bears quarterback Brad Launhardt, who is in his second season with the team, had a strong campaign completing 174-of-284 passes for 2,328 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also carried the ball 50 times for 298 yards and one touchdown.

    Running back Jonathan Rosery was the Golden Bears leading rushing carrying the ball 70 times for 328 yards and one touchdown.

    Fifth-year receiver Ben Kopczynski led the Golden Bears in receiving hauling in 53 passes for 799 yards.

    On defence, super rookie outside linebacker Ramsey Derbas led the Huskies with 43 total tackles, while middle linebacker Tom Whiting and outside linebacker Ben Whiting had 40.5 and 39.5 total tackles respectively.

The Golden Bears look to get a big game from LB Jassen Brown (#41)

    Machibroda and defensive end Nicholas Dheilly each had five sacks to top the Huskies in that department, while defensive back Nelson Lokombo led U of S with four interceptions.

    For the Golden Bears, outside linebacker Josiah Schakel topped the team with 51 total defensive tackles. Middle linebacker Jassen Brown had 49 total tackles and a team high four sacks.

Safety Jayden Dalke led U of S with three interceptions.

    The Huskies and Golden Bear met twice during the regular season. The Golden Bears took the first encounter 19-17 on Sept. 21 in Edmonton. The Huskies claimed the last head-to-head contest last Saturday 22-9 at Griffiths Stadium.

Brad Launhardt (#16) had a strong season at QB for the Golden Bears.

    Huskies head coach Scott Flory said you are at the point in the season where you likely won’t be able to fool your conference rivals with something new.

    “That is a good football team,” said Flory. “They are physical.

    “They play hard. They have some big dudes. At this point, you are not going to reinvent the wheel schematically offensively and defensively and on special teams.

    “It is about execution. It is about timing and what you do. There is going to be a wrinkle here and there, but yeah, they are a good football team.”

    The weather appears it will be really good for Saturday’s game, because Environment Canada at the moment is predicting sunny conditions with a 2 C temperature.

    With that said, Environment Canada predictions can go out the window in an instant, but Machart isn’t worried about adverse conditions.

    “When you are out there, the blood is flowing, and it is not too bad,” said Machart.

Golden Bears R Ben Kopczynski (#5) will look to escape Huskies defenders.

    Machart said footing was a non-issue at Griffiths during the Huskies win over the Golden Bears last Saturday in frigid conditions.

    “It (was) actually pretty good,” said Machart. “It wasn’t too slushy.

    “That ice is not fun to fall on, but grip wise it is actually pretty good.”

    Flory said his squad will always be prepared for the weather to be at its worse this time of year.

    “We’re in Saskatchewan,” said Flory. “If you plan on playing in October and November, you better be prepared to deal with this stuff. 

Ben Whiting (#4) and U of S aim to enjoy a big play day.

    “That is what we plan ahead for. That is why we run the offence the way we run the offence. That is why we recruit the guys we recruit.

    “We’ve got to be able to do that. It will be slugfest.”

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

-------

    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.