Huskies would not be denied

Hoops team erases heartbreak with Canada West title win

Huskies graduate assistant coach Kabree Howard hugs Desarae Hogberg.

    The heartbreak of a year ago seems like a distant memory.

    Last season, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team suffered a tough 69-68 loss in the Canada West championship game in Vancouver, when the host University of British Columbia Thunderbirds prevailed thanks to a game-winning shot in the contest’s dying seconds. After that setback, the Huskies went on to finish fourth at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship tournament.

    On Saturday playing in front of a raucous home crowd of 2,313 spectators at the Physical Activity Complex, the Huskies weren’t going to be denied a chance to erase that painful memory. Playing their provincial rival University of Regina Cougars, the Huskies trailed 18-15 after the first quarter before hitting high gear.

    They vaulted out to a 37-31 lead at halftime and jetted out to an impressive 61-39 edge after the third quarter. They cruised to a 73-62 victory from that point to claim their third Canada West championship in the last six years.

Dalyce Emmerson knocks in two points for the Huskies.

    “You can’t describe it to win at home,” said fifth-year superstar post Dalyce Emmerson. “I think what lit the fire was losing last year.

    “We knew we wanted to come back and win it on our home court. We knew what we could do and what we could accomplish, and that is what we did tonight.

    “We are so happy. We are going to celebrate this and then we are going to go out to nationals and hopefully bring home another banner.”

    The Huskies, who are rated second in the CIS top ten rankings, advanced to Saturday’s title game after downing the University of Alberta Pandas 78-68 on Friday. The Cougars slipped past the MacEwan University Griffins 65-59 in Friday’s other semifinal.

    Saturday’s championship game started out as a back-and-forth affair that featured eight lead changes.     

    It appeared early on the Cougars, who are rated fifth in the CIS top ten rankings, were going to put up a fierce battle.

    Backed by one of the loudest crowds the Physical Activity Complex had ever seen, Huskies point guard Sabine Dukate started to drive the ball hard to the hold and nailed four shots from three-point range to lead all scorers with 18 points.

Huskies guard Kelsey Trulsrud dives to break up a Cougars pass.

    Fifth-year guard Laura Dally, who was named the most valuable player of the Canada West conference, had a couple of big blocks on the defensive end and poured in 17 points on the offensive end. 

    Scrappy and energetic fifth-year guard Kelsey Trulsrud, who stands 5-foot-9, was doing everything she could to make plays scoring 12 points, pulling down six rebounds and getting a pair of steals. The Holy Cross High School grad was a force pushing the ball down court in transition.

    Fourth-year guard Desarae Hogberg also chipped in 12 points to back the Huskies offence, which helped cause another problem for the Cougars.

    U of S was getting contributions from so many sources that Emmerson, who has willed the Huskies to victory on various occasions in her career, didn’t have to be the focal point for success. She still scored six points, pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots in the win.

    Coming out after halftime, the Huskies outscored the Cougars 24-8 in the third quarter to build a 22-point edge the Cougars couldn’t overcome. Trulsrud said her side did pretty much everything right on both sides of the court during that stretch.

Huskies guard Laura Dally blocks a shot.

    “We made some huge shots,” said Trulsrud. “We limited their touches on offence.

    “They got one shot, and if it didn’t go in, we came down with the rebound and that started our offence.”

    Charlotte Kot and Katie Polischuk led the Cougars in scoring with 14 points each.

    Following the third quarter, the Cougars looked visibly deflated. A mini 9-3 run by the U of R in the closing moments of the fourth quarter made the final score look closer than the contest actually was.

    Head coach Lisa Thomaidis, who is the Canada West coach of the year, has guided the Huskies program to all four of their Canada West title wins. To her, Saturday’s title win was as enjoyable as the rest.

    “This was right up there,” said Thomaidis. “We lost some very key cogs in Riley Humbert, Kabree Howard and Jordyn Halvorson.

    “To have these returning players and with the addition obviously of Sabine (Dukate) and with everyone else getting that much better, this is certainly the most talented team we’ve ever had. They showed it tonight.”

    The Huskies and Cougars both advance to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament, which runs March 17 to 20 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In the Canada West Bronze medal game, the Pandas downed the Griffins 66-55. U of A may still qualify for nationals as a wildcard entry.

    U of S has never won a CIS title in women’s basketball. This year’s Huskies squad would like nothing better than to win this year’s CIS title game.

The Huskies enjoy their Canada West championship victory.

    “We are definitely on a high right now,” said Emmerson. “We are playing the best that we’ve played all year. We want to continue that into next week too.”

    “We are coming out, and we are playing our best,” said Trulsrud. “This is where we peak, so we just have to carry it on for next weekend.”

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

Why not the Wheat Kings?

Brandon set to challenge for a WHL title

Kelly McCrimmon has built another championship contender in Brandon.

    They are arguably the favourite road team on the WHL circuit among hotel and restaurant staffs.

    When the Brandon Wheat Kings come to down, they dress to impress and carry themselves with a class that matches their look. Hotel and restaurant staffs for years often compliment the players for how well-mannered, nice and personable they are.

    Excitement usually follows when Wheat Kings head coach, general manager and owner Kelly McCrimmon phones to make a reservation. Road businesses want the Wheat Kings to come to town.

    Those intangibles have been some of the key reasons as to why the Manitoba’s only major junior franchise finds itself contenting for a WHL title on a regular basis going back to the start of the 1992-93 season. Since that campaign, the Wheat Kings have won more than 40 games 15 times. The good habits and culture they create off the ice translates to a good culture and habits on the ice.

    Going into the 2015-16 campaign, the Wheat Kings were viewed as a favourite to possibly challenge for another WHL title. While they won’t match their blistering league leading 53-11-4-4 record from last season, the Wheat Kings have been steady.

    In the current campaign, teams like the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Kelowna Rockets and Victoria Royals have all had surges at different times that have allowed them to float to the top of the league standings.

Reid Duke (#27) battles for a draw for the Wheat Kings.

    The Wheat Kings hovered near the top of the WHL’s East Division for about the first two-and-a-half months of the campaign and have remained in the division lead since returning from the Christmas break. After downing the Blades 5-1 in Saskatoon on Friday night, the Wheat Kings have earned points in their last nine games coming off seven wins and two extra time setbacks.

    They improved to 44-18-4-2 to sit two points ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes (45-21-1-1) for top spot in the Eastern Conference. Brandon also sits two points behind the Victoria Royals (45-16-3-3) for first overall in the league. The Wheat Kings also broke into the Canadian Hockey League’s top ten rankings this week in the 10^th spot.

    During a season where the consensus among scouts is that defence and goaltending across the WHL isn’t as strong as it normally is, the Wheat Kings might be able to finally capture their first league title since 1996.

    While they have piled up outstanding records in the regular season, the league title has eluded the Wheat Kings including last season, where they were swept away in the WHL final by the Rockets.

Jordan Papirny is loaded with playoff experience in goal.

    This season, the Wheat Kings forward group is as solid as ever. Centre Jayce Hawryluk leads the team in scoring with 42 goals and 56 assists, while 17-year-old sophomore centre Nolan Patrick has impressed with 40 goals and 57 assists. Due to where his birthday falls, Patrick, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds, isn’t eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until next year.

    Brandon’s back end is anchored by overage captain Macoy Erkamps, who has 13 goals, 55 assists and a plus-43 rating in the plus-minus department. Russian rearguard Ivan Provorov has also provided an offensive spark with 19 goals and 48 assists to go along with a plus-58 rating. Before the WHL trade deadline, the Wheat Kings also acquired overage defenceman Mitchell Wheaton, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 223 pounds, from the Blades to beef up their physical presence.

    The Wheat Kings back end has more parts than most other teams in the league to get the job done.

In goal, 19-year-old Jordan Papirny has carried the load as a starter and has been solid. He has posted a 28-17-6 record, a 2.69 goals against average, a .908 save percentage and five shutouts. Other netminders have better numbers, but Papirny has a tonne of post-season experience.

Ivan Provorov has 67 points on defence.

    Before 4,396 spectators at the SaskTel Centre on Friday, the Wheat Kings showed how opportunistic they can be going 3-for-7 on the power play, while adding a short-handed marker. The short-handed goal was a backbreaker for the Blades, as Hawryluk scored with 1.8 seconds to play in the second to give Brandon a 3-1 lead.

    The tally came just over two minutes after Blades captain Nick Zajac potted his 20^th of the season to pull the host side to within one.

    Hawryluk also picked up a power-play goal in his two-goal night. Patrick, John Quenneville and Erkamps all potted singles for Brandon. Papirny made 29 stops to earn the win in goal.

    Brock Hamm turned away 43 shots to take the loss in goal for the Blades. Saskatoon fell to 25-39-4 to officially be eliminated from playoff contention for the third year in a row.

    The Wheaties appear to be ready for a long playoff run. With the good habits they have developed off and on the ice, all they need are some breaks to go their way in the luck department and that elusive third WHL title in team history might finally fall into their grasp.

Gold Wings pull even with Stars

Chantal Burke (#39) made 42 saves to earn a shutout win against the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars saw their 13 game winning streak in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs come to an end on Friday night in Weyburn at the hands of the Esso Cup hosting Gold Wings.

    Gold Wings forward and University of Saskatchewan Huskies recruit Bailee Bourassa scored 48 seconds into a second overtime period to give her side a 1-0 victory over the Stars, who are the defending SFMAAAHL champions. Chantal Burke made 42 saves to earn the win in goal for Weyburn, while Emma Johnson turned away 41 shots to take the loss in goal for the Stars.

    With Weyburn’s win, the best-of-five SFMAAAHL semifinal series between the two clubs is tied 1-1. Game 3 of the series is set for Sunday at 4:45 p.m. at the Agriplace Arena in Saskatoon.

    The other best-of-five SFMAAAHL semifinal series between the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats and the Prince Albert A & W Bears is also tied 1-1.

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

Stars clip Wings in Game 1

The Stars celebrate a third period goal from Jordyn Holmes, right.

    A tougher opponent proved to be no problem at all for the Saskatoon Stars.

    The Stars opened their best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League semifinal series with a 5-0 victory over the Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings at the Agriplace Arena on Monday night.

    In the quarter-final round, the Stars swept a best-of-five series 3-0 against the Battlefords Sharks, who were 3-23-2 during the regular season. The Stars outscored the Sharks 28-3 in that series.

    Weyburn finished fourth overall in the SFMAAAHL regular season with an 18-9-1 record, and the Gold Wings are still expected to give the Stars, who topped the league regular season standings with a 24-4 record, a tough test. The Gold Wings also host the Esso Cup national championship tournament in April.

    In Monday’s series opener, the Stars jumped ahead 1-0 at the 11:14 mark of the first period on what appeared to be a lucky break goal by Rayna Jacobson. The officials weren’t sure Jacobson poked the puck in the net during a scrum of sticks around the Weyburn goal, but they awarded a tally after a conference discussion.

    With 61 seconds to play in the first, Julia Rongve put the Stars up 2-0 on a wraparound, where the puck just trickled out from under Gold Wings goalie Chantel Burke into the net.

Mackenna Parker potted the Stars third goal in their win on Monday.

    Mackenna Parker, who was the second leading scorer in the SFMAAAHL, put the Stars up 3-0 early in the second. Abby Shirley converted a fancy passing play from linemates Grace Shirley and Joelle Fiala to give the Stars a 4-0 edge heading into the second intermission.

    Jordyn Holmes added Saskatoon’s final goal late in the third.

    Emma Johnson made 14 stops to earn her fifth career shutout in SFMAAAHL post-season play for Saskatoon. Chantal Burke turned away 40 shots taking the loss in goal for Weyburn.

    The Stars and Gold Wings will go at it again in Game 2 of the series on Friday in Weyburn. Game 3 is set for Sunday at 4:45 p.m. at the Agriplace Arena. If necessary, Game 4 is set for Tuesday, March 15 in Weyburn and Game 5 would be on Wednesday, March 16 at the Agriplace Arena at a time to be determined.

    Saskatoon won three of the four games against Weyburn in the regular season.

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

The sweetest of title sweeps

Huskies capture 17^th Canada West crown with emotional win

Marty Smuk, Matthew Spafford, Stephanie Vause and Darla Smuk all rock.

    To say the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team was playing with heart may be the biggest understatement ever.

    On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Dogs weren’t going to be denied a Canada West title. Trailing their “Forever Rivals” the University of Alberta Golden Bears 1-0 entering the third period, the Huskies stormed out and scored three straight goals before a raucous sold out crowd of 1,066 spectators. U of A managed to pot one reply with seven seconds to play, but all that did was make the final on the scoreboard 3-2 in favour of the host Huskies.

    In the record books, the Huskies go down as sweeping the Golden Bears 2-0 in the best-of-three Canada West men’s hockey championship series. With their 17^th conference title win in team history, the Dogs will travel to Halifax for the University Cup, which is the Canadian Interuniversity Sport final eight championship tournament, along with the Golden Bears. That tourney runs from March 17 to 20.

    What the statistical sheet won’t show was that the Huskies were playing for something more. Besides playing for the logo on the front of the jersey and for the pride of the school and Saskatoon as a city, these Huskies were playing to honour the memory of a former teammate and alumnus.

Logan McVeigh, left, got the Ruthy jumping with a third period goal.

    After a battle with cancer that lasted over a year, Cody Smuk passed away in late June of 2015. The gritty forward, who played for the Huskies from 2010 to 2014, was known for his hard work and being the ultimate glue guy in the dressing room. Words can’t do justice to the impact he had on the Huskies athletic program and the community of Saskatoon.

    The Huskies men’s team retired Smuk’s #24 on Oct. 24, 2015. All season, they have warmed up with all players wearing his #24 jersey. Smuk’s father, Marty, mother, Darla, and fiancée, Stephanie Vause, have been to every home game.

    When it came time for the team picture with the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy and the championship banner, Huskies captain Kendall McFaull and third-year forward Josh Roach helped bring Marty, Darla and Vause on to the ice to be part the photograph. As the group approached the team, they received an ovation from the players, coaches and staff.

    Fifth-year forward Matthew Spafford teared up talking about his good friend and former teammate after the contest. His thoughts drifted to the 2014 University Cup championship tournament in Saskatoon, where Smuk played his final games with the Huskies. The Huskies made it to the championship game falling 3-1 to the Golden Bears at what is now known as the SaskTel Centre.

    “He (Smuk) is the driving force,” said Spafford. “I screwed up and didn’t get him one in my third year.

    “I know he is looking down on us right now, and he is helping us win, so it means everything.”

Levi Cable slips home the Huskies third goal of the night.

    Fifth-year defenceman Zak Stebner also couldn’t help but think his side might have had an extra boost. For Stebner, Smuk, who was nicknamed “Marty,” was a big part of the Huskies success in the 2015-16 campaign.

    “We are always playing for Marty,” said Stebner, “It is a big part of why we work so hard.

    “We try to work as Marty did, and he was a hard working dude. We figured if we could match just a fraction of how hard he works we will be successful, and I think that we exemplified that tonight.”

    At first, it looked like the Golden Bears were going to play spoilers. James Dobrowolski scored at the 3:31 of the first period to put U of A up 1-0. The goal only silenced the crowd for a short time, and it didn’t stall the Huskies.

    The Dogs responded with a big push back. Their efforts to net the equalizer also helped accidently create a pair of second period breakaways for Golden Bears forwards Brett Ferguson and Jordan Hickmott.

Zak Stebner hoists the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy.

    Huskie goaltender Jordon Cooke, who was named Canada West’s most outstanding player and goaltender of the year, stoned both chances. Cooke’s stop on Hickmott came late in the second and seemed to help add to the belief that the Huskies would rally.

    Early in the third, the Huskies push back resulted in the host side scoring two goals just 15 seconds apart from each other. Jesse Ross got the first tally, Logan McVeigh potted the second tally, and the Ruthy was rocking louder than it had at any point in the season.

    At the 11:57 mark, Levi Cable slipped home a low shot from a bad angle past Golden Bears goaltender Luke Siemens to increase the Huskies edge to 3-1.

    U of A rearguard Jordan Rowley, who was named Canada West’s top defenceman, netted the contest’s final goal with seven seconds to play.

    Cooke made 26 saves to earn the win in goal for the Huskies, who are rated third in the CIS top ten rankings. Siemens stopped 28 shots in net for the Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in the CIS top ten.

    While the Golden Bears played tough in both games of the series, the Huskies weren’t going to be denied in penning another cool chapter of a special season.

The Huskies are the 2016 Canada West champions.

    Even the rookies on the Huskies can feel something great has been happening. McVeigh, who is playing his first year with the Huskies after finishing his Western Hockey League career with the Kamloops Blazers, can feel the positive impact Smuk has had after his death.

    “It feels good just to get a win for him and his family,” said McVeigh. “It feels great to get them involved with our picture and come on the ice. It was great.”

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

Huskies nail it down in Game 1

Dogs dump Golden Bears 4-0 in Canada West final opener

Captain Kendall McFaull celebrates his goal with Logan McVeigh.

    You can bet fans likely forgot about their wait to get into the ancient Rutherford Rink on Friday night.

    Before the puck dropped for Game 1 of the Canada West men’s hockey championship series between the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Alberta Golden Bears, fans were lined up over a lengthy stretch outside the Huskies home rink looking to get a ticket to see the action. When they finally found a place to view the contest, the host side did not disappoint.

    The Huskies played one of their best games of the season and blanked their “Forever Rivals” 4-0 before a crammed gathering of 1,066 spectators. U of S will try to lock up the best-of-three series in Game 2 Saturday at 7 p.m. before what should be another raucous crowd at the Ruthy.

    During the regular season, the Golden Bears, who have won the last two University Cups, claimed three of four head-to-head meetings with the Huskies. In those four outings, the Golden Bears played their best hockey of the 2015-16 campaign, and the lone U of S victory came by a 3-2 score back on Oct. 30, 2015 thanks to a 44-save performance from netminder Jordon Cooke.

    On Friday night, the Dogs, who topped the Canada West standings with a 22-6 mark, showed they can take their game up to another level.

Parker Thomas scored a key insurance goal for the Huskies.

    In the opening 20 minutes, the Huskies, who are rated third in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top ten rankings, went toe-to-toe with the Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in the CIS top ten, trading scoring chances, hits and end-to-end rushes. The best collision came near the end of the frame, when Golden Bears forward Brett Ferguson and Huskies defenceman Zak Stebner smashed into each other. It was hard to tell who initiated the hit.

    The strong play of Cooke and Golden Bears netminder Luke Siemens ensured the two clubs entered the first intermission locked in a 0-0 draw. Fans were treated to intense playoff hockey at its best.

    The Dogs started assert control in the second. Working on a power play, they broke through on the scoreboard at the 5:57 mark, when “Captain Clutch” Kendall McFaull wired home a shot from the slot to the top corner of the U of A goal to give the hosts a 1-0 edge.

    U of S came at U of A in waves, and after the second period ended, the Huskies held a 24-18 edge in shots on goal.

    The Golden Bears, who finished second in Canada West with a 19-7-2 mark, didn’t go away. They mounted a big push back at the start of the third displaying the effort that allowed them to win the past two Canadian Interuniversity Sport titles.

Goalie Jordon Cooke and the Huskies defence fend of the Golden Bears.

    Cooke answered the bell for the Huskies showing why he was named the most outstanding player and goaltender of the year for Canada West on Wednesday. The Leduc product wowed fans with his glove saves.

    He set the tone early in the third robbing Ferguson at point blank range right in front of the U of S goal. It was a sign that this wasn’t going to be the visitors’ night.

    Backed by Cooke throwing up a wall in goal, the Huskies started to turn the game’s momentum back in their favour.

    With 6:30 to play in the third, Huskies forward Jaimen Yakubowski picked off a bad Golden Bears pass, slipped a nifty pass of his own to linemate Parker Thomas and watched Thomas tuck home his first of the post-season to give the Huskies a 2-0 edge.

    Just 44 seconds after that goal, Huskies forward Levi Cable was hacked down on a breakaway by Golden Bears defenceman Dylan Bredo. Cable actually slipped the puck into the net, but the officials said the goal became dislodged before the puck went in.

    That temporary disappointment was erased, when Cable was awarded a penalty shot on the play. The standout rookie and graduate of the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice totally undressed Siemens on a deke and popped home a tally that put the hosts up 3-0.

The Huskies celebrate Levi Cable's penalty shot goal.

    The Golden Bears pulled Siemens in the final minutes to get something going offensively, but third-year Huskies forward John Lawrence rounded out the contest’s scoring with an empty netter.

Cooke made 28 saves to earn his first career post-season CIS shutout. Siemens turned away 30 of 33 shots sent his way.

    While Friday’s game pleased the hometown crowd, this series could still go to a deciding Game 3, which is set for 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Rutherford Rink.

    Both teams are loaded with WHL grads, who know how to bounce back and make adjustments.

    With that said, Friday’s win was by far the best game the Huskies have had against the Golden Bears this season. If the Huskies can duplicate their effort in Game 2 on Saturday, they will give themselves a good chance to celebrate their 17^th conference championship and first since 2012.

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

The Ruthy will be a rockin'

Huskies and Golden Bears to battle in a take no prisoners Canada West final

Huskies captain Kendall McFaull, left, checks U of A's Brett Ferguson.

    Right now, nationals mean as much as manure produced by the USask Cows.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Alberta Golden Bears have berths locked up for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men’s hockey championship tournament, but the University Cup will seem far away for these “Forever Rivals” over the next two to three days. The Huskies and Golden Bears are set to lock horns for the 481^st, 482^nd and possibly the 483^rd time, when they battle in a best-of-three Canada West championship series at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

    Game 1 is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Game 2 follows on 7 p.m. Saturday and Game 3, if necessary, will be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday. These teams will not coast to save themselves for the CIS final-eight tournament, which runs March 17-20 in Halifax. Their series battle for the Dr. W. G. Hardy Trophy will resemble a battle for the Stanley Cup.

    Out all the rivalries that exist in Canadian university sports, Huskies versus Golden Bears in men’s hockey is arguably the granddaddy of them all, and it is definitely the granddaddy rivalry out of all leagues in Canada West. No other Canadian university teams have met more often and consistently since their first encounter in the 1910-11 campaign, when the Golden Bears dumped the Huskies 16-0 in Saskatoon on Feb. 27, 1911.

U of A's Kruise Reddick, left, battles Huskies centre Kohl Bauml for a draw.

    This is one of those rivalries that is still real, and all one has to do is look at the four regular season encounters between these two clubs in the 2015-16 campaign to see that is true.

    The Huskies topped the Canada West standings with a 22-6 mark, and their 22 victories matched a team record set in both 1987-88 and 1999-2000. They are rated third in the CIS top ten rankings.

    The Golden Bears finished second with a 19-7-2 record, are rated fourth in the CIS top ten and have won the last two straight University Cup titles. While they returned most of their roster from a season ago, the Golden Bears had some stumbles this season losing games to opponents they don’t usually drop game to.

    When it came to encounters with the Huskies, the Golden Bears peaked up their effort like they were about to take on the Soviet Union national team from 1972 that contained Vladislav Tretiak and Valeri Kharlamov. U of A’s best four efforts of the campaign came in games against the U of S.

    In the first battle on Oct. 30, 2015, the Huskies rode a 44 save performance by goaltender Jordon Cooke to a 3-2 victory at the Ruthy. The Huskies captured momentum near the end of the second period and controlled the third to erase a 2-1 deficit to pull out victory.

U of A's James Dobrowolski is stoned by Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke.

    One night later at the Rutherford Rink, the Golden Bears hit another gear to pull a 4-2 victory, while outshooting the Huskies 55-22. Cooke, who won Canada West’s most outstanding player and goaltender of the year awards on Wednesday, was spectacular in that setback.

    The rivalry went up another level when the two team met at the Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton on Feb. 5 and 6. The Huskies entered those matches with first place locked away in the Canada West standings, but the Golden Bears seemed to be out to send a message.

    They claimed the Feb. 5 contest 3-0, and the game featured 96 minutes in penalties. On Feb. 6, the Golden Bears skated away with a 5-2 win, while the chippy stuff continued as the clubs combined for 42 penalty minutes.

    There was also some gloating by some members of the Edmonton-based sports media on Twitter regarding the sweep by the underdog Golden Bears against the powerhouse Huskies. It seemed weird to consider a team like the Golden Bears, who have won 15 national titles, as underdogs.

    Going into the weekend, both teams can try and find ways to justify that they are somehow an underdog. The Golden Bears have to be given a slight edge due to the fact they have won the last two University Cups and have played their best when the Huskies have been the opposition. 

Huskies forward Michael Sofillas, left, tries to zip past U of A's Dylan Bredo.

    U of A’s roster is loaded with fifth-year players who have gotten it done in both the CIS and Western Hockey League in forwards Brett Ferguson, Kruise Reddick, Jordan Hickmott, James Dobrowolski and Levko Koper, as well as defencemen Thomas Carr and Jordan Rowley.

    The Huskies are a younger team as far as average age is concerned, but they have a group that is mentally tough and can get the job done. Cooke is a goaltender that should have an NHL contract, and the only reason that item didn’t come his way is because he stands 5-foot-10.

    Their defensive group of captain Kendall McFaull, Connor Cox, Jesse Forsberg, Jordan Fransoo, Zak Stebner, David Stumborg and Tyler Borstmayer match up well with the best the CIS has to offer. The forward group including Canada West rookie of the year Kohl Bauml, Levi Cable, Andrew Johnson, Logan McVeigh, Michael Sofillas, Jesse Ross and Cameron Blair are more than capable of providing enough offence to make it happen.

    You can also expect the crowd that will stuff into the Ruthy will be looking to explode the first time fifth year all-heart forward Matthew Spafford does something special.

Huskies forward Josh Roach slips past a couple of U of A checkers.

    The most vocal component of the home crowd will likely be the members of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, who will be looking to give their classmates another intangible edge.

    The 2016 Canada West championship series will likely mirror the 2007 WHL championship series, which was a seven game classic featuring the Medicine Hat Tigers and Vancouver Giants. The Tigers and Giants raged a war even though they both had berths secured for that year’s Memorial Cup tournament. 

    That WHL title series ended when the Tigers took Game 7 in double overtime at their long time storied home rink in The Arena on a winning goal from Brennan Bosch, who went on to become a Huskies captain and hero.

    The current Huskies don’t have Bosch in their lineup, but they would love it if the 2016 Canada West championship series had a similar finish to the one Bosch’s junior team had in the 2007 WHL final.

Blades fun in the Express

    I was back in Saskatoon Express this week with a fun story regarding the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

    On Saturday when the Blades host the Kootenay Ice at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre, they will hold their Home Grown Hockey Heroes night. The Blades hope this will be the first of an annual tradition, where they celebrate home-grown hockey heroes who could either be from Saskatchewan or former members of the Blades.

    For the first Home Grown Hockey Heroes night, the Blades are bringing in Hockey Hall of Fame member Bryan Trottier, who played for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins from 1975 to 1994. Trottier, who is from Val Marie, has a special connection with Blades account executive/hockey advisor Dustin Kohn, who played in the WHL from 2003 to 2007 with the Calgary Hitmen and Brandon Wheat Kings.

    Anyone who has ever met Trottier knows Saturday will be a cool night to be at the SaskTel Centre. The story about Kohn and Trottier and the night’s events can be found here.

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

Stars romp to final four

The Saskatoon Stars were all smiles after their playoff win on Wednesday.

    Quietly, the Saskatoon Stars have to be glad they’ve seen the last of the Battlefords Sharks this season.

    On Wednesday night at the Agriplace Arena, the Stars bombed the Sharks 12-0 to sweep a best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League quarter-final series 3-0 between the two clubs. The series was a mismatch on paper and played out that way on the ice. The Stars topped the SFMAAAHL’s regular season standings with a 24-4 mark, while the Sharks finished last in the eight-team circuit with a 3-23-3 record.

    During the three-game series, the Stars outscored the Sharks 28-3. Those two squads also faced each other in their final two regular season games, which meant Wednesday’s game was a fifth straight head-to-head meeting. Overall, the Stars took all seven of their games with the Sharks including action in the regular season and playoffs.

    In the final tilt between the two teams on Wednesday, the Stars led 4-0 after the first period and 9-0 after the second. The defending SFMAAAHL champs also held a 72-13 edge in shots on goal.

    Abby Shirley and Grace Shirley both scored twice and each had a pair of assists for the Stars. Mackenna Parker, Brooke Hausermann, Joelle Fiala, Danielle Nogier, Kalista Senger, Anna Leschyshyn, Julia Rongve and Rayah DeCorby all netted singles for Saskatoon. Emma Johnson made 13 saves to earn the shutout in goal.

Grace Shirley had two goals and two assists for the Stars on Wednesday.

    Shelby Tornato took the loss in goal for the Sharks stopping 45 of 55 shots fired her way. Chloe Marshall turned aside 15 of 17 shots sent her way entering the game in relief early in the third period.

    The Stars road towards making a return trip to the Esso Cup national championship tournament becomes a lot tougher from here on out. The two SFMAAAHL best-of-five semifinal series are expected to be highly competitive.

    Saskatoon has home ice advantage throughout the SFMAAAHL playoffs. The Stars will face either the Weyburn Gold Wings, who host the Esso Cup from April 17-23, or Melville Prairie Fire in the semifinal round. The Gold Wings posted an 18-9-1 mark in the regular season, while the Prairie Fire were 9-17-2.

    Melville trails a best-of-five quarter-final series 2-1 to the Prince Albert A & W Bears, who made last year’s SFMAAAHL final. The Prince Albert series with Melville is the only SFMAAAHL quarter-final series that is still going.

    The Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats will have home ice advantage for the other best-of-five SFMAAAHL semifinal series.

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