Intangibles gave Hilltops the edge

The Saskatoon Hilltop celebrate a Canadian Bowl win at home on Saturday.

    The seeds of the Saskatoon Hilltops 2015 national championship season were sown back in their spring camp that wrapped up in early May.

    When one looked at those sessions on Ron Atchinson Field, you realized most of the players had returned from the squad’s Canadian Bowl winning team in 2014. Only four players exhausted their Canadian Junior Football League eligibility after the Hilltops claimed their 17^th national title downing the host Rams in Langley, B.C., 39-14 on Nov. 8, 2014.

    The fact that most to almost all the players from that campaign returned in 2015 speaks highly of the Blue and Gold. When 2014 wrapped up, there were a number of Canadian university teams looking to make quick fixes to deficiencies on their squads, and the coaching staffs and recruiters in those programs eyed up the Hilltops roster.

    The returning Toppers, whose numbers included 16 players in their fifth and final years of eligibility, did not want give up what they already had. They saw the team’s clubhouse on Kilburn Avenue as a second home. The teammates in that building were viewed as brothers and the family atmosphere was real.

    That family feeling truly extends back to when the modern version of the team was formed in 1947. All the players that came before were also family, and everyone was part of a special ongoing storyline. Those shared experiences created a bond, and they are not something you want to give up.

Head coach Tom Sargeant gets the Gatorade bucket shower.

    Also, the coaches led by head coach Tom Sargeant are as good or if not better than most of the university programs in Canada. The 2015 campaign would mark the 12^th time Sargeant was part of a CJFL title winning team with the Hilltops including one win as a player, two victories as an assistant coach and nine triumphs as a head coach.

    For the players, going somewhere else meant venturing to the unknown. You almost know that in your soul you would kick yourself if you left. Besides, you could almost guarantee the four graduates from 2014 would have returned in 2015, if the rules permitted it.

    When main training camp started in early August, optimism was high that the veteran laden team would win an 18^th CJFL title, which would also be a fifth championship in the last six years. Eyes at that time weren’t locked on November, but were focused on enjoying and living every day of the journey. All the best memories are made in the clubhouse, on bus trips, in hotel rooms and in restaurants on that journey, which was a big reason everyone returned.

    Games, obviously, included a lot of memories. There was a 16-14 setback in an unofficial exhibition show to a still very much in shape alumni team.

    A regular season 31-10 opening victory in Calgary against the Colts was sparked by a punt block from second year linebacker Bobby Ehman, which was returned for a major by defensive lineman Dillon Buckle.

Evan Turkington speeds downfield after a catch for the Hilltops.

    The regular season home opener started with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown by Bryant Sackney that sparked a Hilltops 65-9 romp over the Winnipeg Rifles. Running back Logan Fischer rank for 293 yards in a 35-17 home victory over the Regina Thunder. 

    A week later in Regina, the Hilltops erased a 15-point deficit to pull out a 26-25 victory over the Thunder, which was capped by slotback Evan Turkington catching the winning major to complete a 75-yard two-minute drill drive.

    Down went the Rifles in the Prairie Football Conference semifinal and the Colts in the Prairie Football Conference final to set up a home Canadian Bowl.

    Arriving at Saskatoon Minor Football Field 75 minutes before kickoff of the CJFL final, you could see a festive atmosphere was in the air. Fans were out tailgating, which is something that doesn’t normally happen at Hilltops home games. A large number of the tailgaters were former players, and they were usually wearing their old classic blue jackets.

    The hosts got an early jump on the visiting Okanagan Sun going up 10-0 on a 45-yard Brett Thorarinsson field goal and 10-yard TD reception by Turkington.

    The Sun didn’t go away in a match that was a showcase for junior football in Canada. They stormed back, and after linebacker Layne Hull blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown with 4.5 seconds to go before halftime, the Sun led 20-17.

Hilltops defensive tackle Blake Adams gives the Canadian Bowl a kiss.

    The Hilltops never shy away from big moments in big games. After the Sun went up 21-17 on a punt single, the Hilltops made the biggest play of the contest. Quarterback Jared Andreychuk found receiver Tyson Sawatzky on a 73-yard touchdown bomb to put the hosts up 24-21 and a packed SMF field erupted with its loudest cheers of the season.

    The Sun would stay close, but the Hilltops earned a 38-24 victory after Turkington hauled a 33-yard insurance major late in the fourth quarter.

    The 2015 Saskatoon Hilltops, who were 10-1 overall in the regular season and playoffs, added to the lustre of the franchise’s spectacular overall story. The success at the end of the campaign was made up of all the little intangibles you won’t find on a statistics sheet. Those little things when put together help keep the Hilltops championship dynasty going.

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

18th CJFL title win sweet for Hilltops

Austin Thorarinson lifts the Canadian Bowl for the Hilltops.

    The championship script couldn’t have been any more perfect for the Saskatoon Hilltops.

    The venerable Canadian Junior Football League franchise added another chapter and a couple of more milestones to an extremely storied franchise history in front of a large supportive home crowd at Saskatoon Minor Football Field on Saturday. The Hilltops (10-1 overall) downed the visiting Okanagan Sun (12-1 overall) 38-24 in the Canadian Bowl for an 18^th CJFL title. Besides adding to their already record of league title wins, the Toppers also became the second club in CJFL history to claim five championships over a six year span matching the Regina Rams, who turned that trick from 1993 to 1998.

    “It means everything,” said Hilltops heart and soul defensive tackle Blake Adams. “It is the Hilltop way.

    “It is what we do. We play for these big games. To go out and win in your fifth year means a lot.”

    In a back and forth battle, the Sun held a 20-17 lead at halftime and expanded that edge to 21-17 with a third quarter rouge. With 3:46 to go in the third, Hilltops quarterback Jared Andreychuk found receiver Tyson Sawatzky on a long streak pattern that turned into a 73-yard touchdown pass to put the hosts up 24-21. The hook up came two plays after the Hilltops had a 75-yard passing major to Evan Kopchynski taken off the board due to an offside penalty.

    A short time later, Hilltops tailback Logan Fischer plunged in from five yards out for his second major of the game to put the home side up 31-21.

    Thomas Huber hit a 40-yard field goal for the Sun to cut the Hilltops edge to 31-24 early in the fourth quarter.

Blake Adams (#54) celebrates one of his two sacks for the Hilltops.

    With under two-and-a-half minutes to play, the Sun had the ball at their own one and had a 109-yard two-minute drill drive attempt to force a tie. The march moved to the Okanagan 33 before Saskatoon forced a turnover on downs.

    Andreychuk immediately found slotback Evan Turkington for a 33-yard touchdown strike that sealed the final outcome at 38-24. The score was Turkington’s second touchdown reception of the game.

    “Jared (Andreychuk) is a star,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant during his classic energetic post-game press scrum. “He is a star in this league and doesn’t get any recognition. We are good with that, because all he does is win.

    “He got the ball to the right guys. Logan Fischer was a man possessed. Thirty-eight points, I will take that any day of the week.”

    Andreychuk completed 18 of 23 passes for 369 yards and three touchdown passes, while only being intercepted once. Sawatzky caught four passes for 132 yards to go with his long TD catch.

    Fischer broke the 100-yard barrier in both rushing and receiving to be named the game’s most outstanding offensive player. He carried the ball 23 times for 102 yards and caught seven passes for 107 yards.

    Saskatoon’s star defensive line was on fire as Adams had two sacks, while Matt Kozun and Blake Hermann had one-and-a-half sacks each.

    Sun quarterback Cam Bedore completed 25 of 43 passes for 350 yards and one touchdown pass. Kyle Kawamoto caught eight passes for 159 yards for the Sun, while Kyle Patchell hauled in nine passes for 110 yards and one touchdown for the visitors as well.

Jared Andreychuk fired lasers everywhere for the Hilltops.

    Okanagan linebacker Layne Hull was the contest’s most outstanding defensive player making a pair of tackles, an interception and blocking a punt and returning it 30 yards for a major right before halftime.

    “It was an intense game man alive,” said Sargeant. “Competition brings the best out of you, and they brought out the best in us today.”

    Andreychuk has thrown for over 300 yards in back-to-back Canadian Bowl wins for the Hilltops.

    They downed the Langley Rams in Langley, B.C., in last year’s CJFL title game 39-14. The Toppers also won the Canadian Bowl in 2010, 2011 and 2012 to round out their stretch of winning five times in six years.

    For the team’s star signal caller, he was pumped to pull off a Canadian Bowl win at home.

    “This week was rough thinking about the game,” said Andreychuk. “Come game time you get on this field, and it is a beautiful atmosphere.

    “For my family and friends, they don’t know what it is like, the Canadian Bowl atmosphere. It is just great to bring that here and get a win out of it.”

    If you have any comments to pass along about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check out Twitter for more game photos @StanksSports.

A great time to reconnect with the Hilltops

The starting Saskatoon Hilltops offensive line shares a laugh on the bench.

     Sometimes you just have to go out and see that good old neighbour.

    Since 1947, the modern version of the Saskatoon Hilltops junior football club has been part of the fabric of Saskatoon. Soon, they will try to close their 69^th season by claiming an 18^th Canadian Junior Football League championship.

    The Toppers host the Kelowna, B.C., based Okanagan Sun on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which for most of its history was known as Gordie Howe Bowl. If you haven’t seen the Hilltops play in a while, there is no better time than Saturday to go out and be part of another memory associated with the Blue and Gold.

    If you are a fan, a former player, a former director, volunteer or even a former Bridge City media member, this will be a perfect time to relive some old memories, while supporting a first class franchise that ages extremely well.

    Many things in life like work or personal situations can pull one away from something they once had a deep rooted investment in. If it has been a long time since you last saw the Hilltops play, you will discover something familiar, if you venture to SMF Field on Saturday.

    The Hilltops are still that good old neighbour that brings a smile to your face. When they succeed, you feel extremely proud of them.

    Many in the Saskatoon community can recall teaching or coaching a Hilltops player, when they grew up. If your family had children, your children might have grown up being best friends with a Hilltops player. You likely take pride in seeing how outstanding that Hilltops player became as he grew into adulthood.

Hilltops HC Tom Sargeant gives encouragement to QB Jared Andreychuk.

    Those connections aren’t just limited to the Bridge City. People in Prince Albert share that same pride when it comes to following one of their products on the Toppers like receiver Evan Kopchynski. The same can be said for the citizens of Bonnyville, Alta., who followed the career of Hilltops defensive tackle Blake Adams.

    It is fitting that the Hilltops clubhouse and practice facility, Ron Atchinson Field, is located in a long existing residential neighbourhood. Even SMF Field borders with a residential area. The Hilltops are literally your neighbours.

    When you go and visit them, you can feel the family atmosphere, and it is very welcoming.

    Their coaching staff led by head coach Tom Sargeant doesn’t just help players succeed on the field but helps them become strong first rate people, who are very community minded.

    Because the Hilltops do strive to succeed in the right way, it adds to the pride you feel for them when they do succeed.

    This Hilltops team is also on the verge of accomplishing a special milestone. If they win the Canadian Bowl, it will mark the fifth time in the last six years they have claimed the CJFL title. The only other team to win five CJFL titles over a six-year span was the Regina Rams from 1993 to 1998 before they moved on to the Canadian university ranks.

    You have to like Saskatoon’s chances of matching that accomplishment. The Hilltops have a veteran team that includes 16 players in their fifth and final year of junior eligibility. Overall, this is a squad that has won numerous big games and keeps finding a way to raise its play to a higher and higher level when everything is on the line.

The Hilltops are aiming to pull off one final victory celebration to close 2015.

    Victory on Saturday is far from a sure thing. The Sun are 12-0 overall this season and enter the Canadian Bowl having crushed the Vancouver Island Raiders 54-0 in the British Columbia Football Conference final. The Sun’s last CJFL title win came back in 2000 thanks to a 36-28 victory in Kelowna over the visiting Hilltops.

    When the adversity comes, you almost know and expect the Hilltops, who are 9-1 overall, to find a way to persevere. If you can witness of those types of storylines play out again, it would only feel right and familiar. For a resident of Saskatoon, you know that will be a moment that makes you feel good.

    NOTE - The Hilltops pre-selling tickets for the Canadian Bowl on Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, $5 for elementary school students and free for pre-school age and under.

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

Sequel not in cards for Huskies

Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke makes one of his 51 stops in a loss to U of A.

    Jordon Cooke was a little bit too busy time around.

    On Friday night, the sophomore netminder made 44 saves to help his University of Saskatchewan Huskies steal a 3-2 victory over the visiting University of Alberta Golden Bears at the ancient Rutherford Rink. The Huskies netted their three goals off of 25 shots.

    On Saturday night at the Ruthy, the Huskies tried to lean on Cooke again to come up with a steal. The Leduc product did everything he could, but the Golden Bears managed to mount more pressure and chances at the U of Saskatchewan net than they did one night earlier.

    When the dust settled, Cooke made an incredible 51 stops, but the Golden Bears skated away with a 4-2 victory improving to 5-2-1. The Huskies, who lost their first regular season match to fall to 7-1, mustered 22 shots at the U of A net.

    Cooke had to stand on his head almost from the opening puck drop against the two time defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport champions. The visitors busted through on their 14^th shot, when defenceman Jordan Rowley popped a power-play goal at the 12:19 mark of the opening frame.

Golden Bears goalie Luke Siemens was pretty much a spectator over the first 20 minutes, as his side held a 20-4 edge in shots on goal.

Jordan Rowley scored twice in a winning effort for the Golden Bears.

    U of A went up 2-0, when sophomore forward Stephane Legault scored unassisted just 56 seconds into the second frame.

    The Huskies pulled to within 2-1, when Jesse Ross scored at the 6:27 mark of the second. Ross’s goal was just the ninth shot on net for the Huskies.

    The goal didn’t slow the Golden Bears momentum.

    Before the second ended, the visitors scored two goals just 86 second apart from each other to go up 4-1. Rookie forward Jayden Hart fired home his third of the season, and on the power play, Jordan Hickmott and Levko Koper combined to set up Rowley down low on a tick-tack-toe passing play for his second of the game.

    The Huskies tried to stage a rally in the third. Ross picked up his second of the contest at the 5:46 mark to cut the gap to 4-2, and rookie forward Kohl Bauml was unable to score on a couple of breakaway chances.

    While the Golden Bears were unable to score in the third, they controlled play outshooting the Huskies 20-4 in the frame. Siemens made 20 saves to earn the win in goal for the visitors.

Cooke turned back chance after chance to give his side life, but the Huskies skaters weren’t able to find an extra gear and were often trapped in their own zone.

    After three straight home games, the Huskies hit the road to Calgary to face the Mount Royal University Cougars (4-2-2) this coming Friday and Saturday.

Pandas overpowering in rematch

Leah Bohlken had the lone goal in a Huskies setback.

    The U of Saskatchewan women’s hockey team saw their four game winning streak come to an end at the hands of a determined host U of Alberta Pandas squad.

    On Saturday night in Edmonton, the visiting Huskies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period, when rookie defender Leah Bohlken netted her second tally of the season. From that point onward, it was all Pandas as far as the scoring was concerned.

    The Pandas responded with five unanswered goals to skate away with a 5-1 victory. They scored three times before the first frame ended, and they added two more tallies in the third.

    Alex Poznikoff scored twice for the Pandas, who received singles from Sasha Lutz, Amy Helfrich and Erinn Baddock. Dayna Owen made 14 stops to earn the win in goal for the Pandas (5-4-1).

    Cassidy Hendricks made 31 stops taking the loss in goal for the Huskies (7-2-1).

    One night earlier, Hendricks stole a victory for the Huskies making 28 saves in regulation and turning away all three shooter she faced in a tiebreaking shootout to power the Huskies to a 3-2 win over the Pandas. U of S had just 10 shots on goal in regulation and overtime in that contest.

    The Huskies women’s team now enjoys a bye week before returning to action on Nov. 13, when they travel to Vancouver to face the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (6-3-1).

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this blog post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. To see more game photos, check Twitter @StanksSports.

Cooke, McVeigh steal win for Huskies

Logan McVeigh fires home an equalizing goal for the Huskies.

  The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team might be able to go out for Halloween as the Calgary Flames of the “Iggy” and “Kipper” era.

    When Jerome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff played for the Flames, the joke was Iginla would pot a couple of goals and Kiprusoff would make like 47 save to lead the Flames to a 2-1 victory, which was often the story when those two played together in Calgary.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, Huskies faced their toughest foe of the season in the two-time defending Canadian Interuniversity Sport champion University of Alberta Golden Bears.

    Huskies netminder Jordon Cooke played the role of Kiprusoff making 44 saves, Logan McVeigh took on the part of Iginla scoring a couple of goals, and those performances equaled a 3-2 comeback victory for the Dogs.

    The 477^th all-time meeting between the two historic rivals definitely had drama. Just 58 seconds into the contest, the Huskies scored on their first shot of the game, when rookie forward Andrew Johnson slipped home an on-ice shot past Golden Bears goalie Luke Siemens to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

    The defending national champs responded by throwing everything including what seemed like the kitchen sink at Cooke. Even an extended rust break couldn’t halt the Golden Bears onslaught of shots. The lengthy break was caused, when a puck went into the Ruthy’s roof causing one steel beam to drop a straight line of rust across the ice, while two other beams added sprinkles of rust.

    With 58 seconds to go in the first, the Golden Bears were able to even things up at 1-1, when star forward Jordan Hickmott deflected home a point shot from defenceman Jordan Rowley.

Jordon Cooke made 44 saves to backstop the Huskies to victory.

    Cooke still made 22 saves through the first 20 minutes to keep the Huskies in the contest.

    The Golden Bears went ahead 2-1 at the 5:25 mark of the second, when rearguard Dylan Bredo found the back of the net for his first of the season. U of A kept coming at Cooke in waves, but the sophomore netminder slammed the door for the rest of the contest.

    As the second came to a close, the Huskies started to string a series of good shifts together, which started to turn the tide of the contest. The hosts played their best structural frame in the third, which cued the comeback.

    Just past the midway point of the third, John Lawrence and Jesse Ross combined to set up McVeigh with a scoring chance in front of the Golden Bears net. McVeigh made no mistake wiring home a shot to the top corner of the U of A goal to tie things up at 2-2.

    A little over three minutes later McVeigh tucked home the rebound from a point shot coming off the stick of Huskies captain Kendall McFaull to put the hosts up by the eventual final of 3-2.

    Down the stretch Cooke made a couple of nice glove saves to preserve the victory, which allowed the Huskies to remain undefeated at 7-0. Siemens made 22 stops as the Golden Bears dropped to 4-2-1.

    The two teams go at it again on Halloween night Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

Hendricks robs Pandas

Huskies goalie Cassidy Hendricks frustrated the Pandas.

    Speaking of robberies, the Edmonton City Police department might be looking to put University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team goalie Cassidy Hendricks behind bars for the number she did on the host University of Alberta Pandas on Friday night.

    Hendricks turned away 28 shots through regulation and overtime, which included making seven saves in a scoreless three-on-three five minute overtime period. The Vancouver product proceeded to stop all three shooters she faced in a tiebreaking shootout to lift Huskies to a 3-2 victory.

    In contrast, Pandas goalie Lindsey Post only face 10 shots through regulation and overtime and made eight saves over that stretch. Post stopped only one of two shooters in the tiebreaking shootout in her side’s setback.

    Despite the lopsided edge the Pandas had in the shots department, the Huskies held leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in regulation thanks to goals by star defender Julia Flinton and standout forward Kaitlin Willoughby, who returned after missing two games due to injury. Flinton netted the lone goal in the shootout.

    Cayle Dillon and Ashley Morin had the regulation replies for the Pandas.

    The win was the fourth in a row for the Huskies, and it moved them into first place in the Canada West standings with a 7-1-1 mark. They sit a point up on the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. The Pandas fell to 4-4-1.

    These two clubs go at it again on Halloween Saturday in Edmonton.

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

Huskies versus Golden Bears – A classic rivalry

Huskies forward Michael Sofillas battles two Golden Bears for the puck.

    You might not even know the whole background story, but games between the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and University of Alberta Golden Bears in men’s hockey can still get the blood running.

    Their first clash came back on February 27, 1911 and longevity alone is enough to make this rivalry interesting. No one really knows how many times these two teams have met at the ancient Rutherford Rink, which has been the Huskies home for the last 85 years.
    Going into this weekend, they have faced off 476 times including the non-conference, regular season and post-season encounters. The Golden Bears hold a 312-140-24 edge in those meetings.

    These “forever rivals” go at it again at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday night at the Ruthy. The Huskies are off to a 6-0 start, while the Golden Bears, who have won the last two Canadian Interuniversity Sport titles, are 4-1-1.

    Throughout the years, both these teams have usually hovered together around the top of the Canada West standings. That fact is one of the things that instantly draws people to their clashes.

Every year, it seems a new generation of fans heads out to the see the battles between the Huskies and Golden Bears expecting to see an epic encounter. They would expect the generation of fans that saw the two clubs play in previous years and decades saw the same thing.

    One of the more unfortunate truths in Canada is that Canadians are bad at tracking the history of sports in their country, with the NHL being the lone exception. For that reason, it is hard to remember the battles of the past. On the university campus, the continuity of the story gets lost as each generation changes.

    The two clubs had a couple of memorable encounters in the University Cup championship game over the past 11 years, and the Golden Bears claimed victory on both occasions. Those triumphs included a 4-3 overtime decision in 2005 at now Rexall Place in Edmonton, and a 3-1 win in 2014 at now the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

Huskies rearguard Zak Stebner battles a Golden Bear in front of the net.

    If you are lucky, you might hear an urban legend story of a past encounter. One of the more humourous ones involved Dave King and Clare Drake. King is recognized as the greatest head coach in the history of the Huskies program, and Drake holds the distinction of being the best head coach the Golden Bears have seen.

    Apparently after a period one night at the Ruthy, King wasn’t pleased with the decisions his players were making offensively, when it came to shooting puck. He walked out on to the ice and spray painted a circle in the slot of the offensive zone to show where he wanted his players to shoot from.

    Drake immediately protested saying King couldn’t do that and asked that the Zamboni be brought on the ice to scrape off the spray painted circle.

    Current Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins, who was the captain of King’s 1982-83 national championship Huskies team, confirmed that the spray paint story was true. All Desjardins could do was smile and chuckle when that story was brought up.

    The most heartwarming moment of the rivalry came back on Jan. 30 involving the late Cody Smuk, who was the Huskie heart and soul glue guy forward. Smuk was battling cancer, and that contest was a fundraising game for him as well as the night the 85^th birthday of the Rutherford Rink was celebrated.

    Smuk dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff after undergoing five straight days of chemotherapy treatment. Both teams lined up to shake hands with him.

    The fact the Golden Bears skated away with a 4-2 win was mostly forgotten.

Cody Smuk shakes hands with the Golden Bears on Jan. 30.

    Everyone remembers that Smuk was incredibly upbeat that night, and he was energized to be at the rink. No one suspected that would be the last Huskies hockey home game he would see as he passed away just under five months later in late June. Smuk’s number 24 was retired by the Huskies last Saturday in a 6-2 home ice win over the U of Regina Cougars and a huge banner of his adorns the wall of one of the rink’s buildings.

    When the Huskies, who are ranked second in the CIS top ten rankings, and Golden Bears, who are rated third in the CIS top ten, clash on Friday and Saturday, it will be interesting to see if the new recruits the Huskies have added who have increased their pace of play can knock off an older and established Golden Bears side. The Golden Bears will be hoping to show they are still the top university team in the country.

    For great early season hockey, the Ruthy will be the place to be this weekend.

Huskies vault to ninth

Julia Flinton, left, has played at an all-world level for the Huskies.

    The Huskies women’s hockey team vaulted to ninth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top ten ranks this week with their 6-1-1 start.

    They head to Edmonton for road clashes against the University of Alberta Pandas on Friday and Saturday night. The Pandas (4-4) are 10^th in the CIS top ten ratings. Last week, the Pandas were ranked ninth and the Huskies were rated 10th.

    Marley Ervine and Julia Flinton, who are both fifth year veterans, lead the Huskies in scoring with eight points. Ervine has three goals and five assists, while Flinton, who is one of the best offensive defender in the country, has a goal and seven assists.

    Alex Poznikoff and Janelle Froehler both lead the Pandas with six points. Poznikoff has five goals and one assist, while Froehler has three goals and three assists.

    Both clubs have won their last three straight.

    The Huskies are in the middle of a stretch, where they play five straight road games. Their next home date is Nov. 20, when they host the University of Manitoba Bisons at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

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

Hilltops run to PFC mountaintop

Logan Fischer rumbles into the end zone for a Hilltops touchdown.

    It seems you can always count on Logan Fischer.

    The venerable Saskatoon Hilltops believed their best option to win Sunday’s Prairie Football Conference final was to give the ball to their physical workhorse tailback, who led the team with 794 yards rushing in seven regular season appearances. Fischer was handed the rock 23 times, and he rumbled for 170 yards and scored four touchdowns to help the Hilltops dump the Calgary Colts 38-16 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

    The win allowed the Hilltops to repeat as conference champions and advance to the Canadian Junior Football League title game, the Canadian Bowl, for a second straight year. The Hilltops, who are the defending CJFL champions, will host the national junior final on Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field against the Okanagan Sun. The Sun, who are 12-0 overall, crushed the Vancouver Island Raiders 54-0 in the British Columbia Football Conference final on Sunday in Kelowna.

    Fischer was excited that the 2015 season will go to the last possible game his club could play.

    “Every single night it is a blast with the guys,” said Fischer. “This is the closest group probably that we have had.

    “It just feels great playing with the guys for an extra two weeks. Everyone couldn’t be any happier about it.”

    Looking at the final score, one would think victory came easy to the storied Hilltops, but that was far from the case. The first quarter was a defensive slugfest that saw the only points come from a 17 yard field goal from Hilltops kicker Brett Thorarinsson. The Hilltops defence benefitted from the fact star fifth-year defensive tackle Blake Adams returned after missing a game with a left knee injury.

    Early in the second quarter, the Colts had a chance to draw even with a 28-yard field goal, but kicker Kyle Bryne’s attempt was wide counting for a single that cut Saskatoon’s lead to 3-1.

    From that point, the Hilltops really started to churn out the yards along the ground. Fischer scored his first major of the day on a slashing run from 25 yards out and put in his second score on a plunge from a yard out to give the hosts 17-1 edge.

    The grad of Saskatoon’s Bethlehem Catholic High School was quick to credit his success to the Hilltops offensive line that included starters Terry Thesen, Nathan Heide, Jordan Hydomako, Drayke Unger and Tyler Hoath.

Hilltops DT Blake Adams takes down a Colts ball carrier.

    “When it comes down to it, it is all about the battle in the trenches,” said Fischer. “Our O-line just absolutely dominated.

    “Without them, we couldn’t run the ball. We couldn’t throw the ball. Really, it comes down to the O-line.”

    The Colts battled back putting together a two-minute drill drive right before halftime. The march was capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Dylan Minshull with 15.2 seconds to play in the second quarter that cut the Toppers lead to 17-8.

    Near the start of the third quarter, the Colts put together another long offensive drive, which looked like it would result in more points. The series ended when Calgary quarterback John Kiesman unloaded a dangerous throw across the middle of the field that was intercepted by Hilltops safety James Vause. Vause would add a second interception the fourth quarter, which was also his fourth pick in Saskatoon’s two post-season games.

    Things weren’t totally smooth on offence for the Hilltops. They didn’t have their greatest outing when it came to passing the ball, as starting quarterback Jared Andreychuk completed just 7-of-17 passes for 149 yards. The incompletions included drops from receivers and a couple of missed throws by Andreychuk.

    With the passing game sputtering, the Hilltops continued to feed Fischer the ball. Right before the third quarter ended, he ran in a score from 24 yards out for his third major of the game to give the Hilltops a 24-8 lead.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Fischer drove in from a yard out for his fourth score to put Saskatoon up 31-8.

    “We kind of had a game plan,” said Fischer. “Whoever ran the ball was going to win it. Today, we wanted to run the ball.”

DT Matt Kozun hauls in a TD catch for the Hilltops.

    The lead increased to 38-8, when Andreychuk hit defensive tackle Matt Kozun, who lined up as a tight end in a short yardage situation, for a two-yard scoring toss.

    The Colts accounted for the last major, when Kiesman hit Jesse Kuntz on a 20-yard post pattern with 8.7 seconds remaining on the clock. Kiesman hit Grayson Javorsky with a short pass for a two-point conversion.

    Calgary’s signal caller finished the contest completing 27-of-46 passes for 375 yards. Calgary piled up 486 yards of total offence, while the Hilltops had 350 total yards.

    The statistical difference in the game came from the fact the Colts turned the ball over three times and had 180 yards in penalties. The Hilltops didn’t have any turnovers and only had 30 yards in penalties.

    With the win, Saskatoon improved to 9-1 overall, while Calgary finished at 6-4.

    With the PFC final in the books, Fischer was excited about playing the CJFL title game on home turf, and he wants his squad to put out another strong effort at home in about two weeks.

    “That is a tremendous feeling,” said Fischer. “We came out here and this is our home. We take that very seriously.

    “We don’t really want anyone to come in here and manhandle us. We want to do all the manhandling.”

    The Hilltops claimed last year’s Canadian Bowl 39-14 over the Rams in Langley, B.C. Saskatoon has won 17 CJFL titles.

    The Sun have won two CJFL championships, but they haven’t appeared in the Canadian Bowl since 2004, when they fell 24-7 to the Huskies in Edmonton. Okanagan’s last CJFL title came in 2000 with a 36-28 victory in Kelowna against the visiting Hilltops.

Colts played to honour Ramias

Colts DB Conner Robinson wore #23 to honour late teammate Brock Ramias.

    The Colts played Sunday’s PFC final with heavy hearts.

    On Monday, former Colt player Brock Ramias, who was with the team last season, was found dead in Kinsmen Park in Lethbridge. Ramias was a high school football star with the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Rams.

    The Colts dedicated playing Sunday’s game to the memory of Ramias. Calgary defensive back Conner Robinson wore #23 instead of his normal #3 to honour his former teammate. Robinson, who is also from Lethbridge, and Ramais were close friends and played together in high school with the Rams. Ramias wore #23 during his high school years.

    He was only 20-years-old, and autopsy results indicate his death was non-criminal in nature.

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