Rams fall short of final Mosaic miracle

Rams QB Noah Picton sets up in the pocket.

    REGINA - For a moment, you thought the Regina Rams would pull off one final miracle at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium.

    During their history as members of first the Canadian Junior Football League and then U Sports representing the University of Regina, the Rams in their glory days pulled out games that seemed lost guided by legendary head coaches Gord Currie and Frank McCrystal. Playing a Canada West semifinal game at their storied home park on Saturday against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, it appeared the Rams first place season was going to die on a whimper.

    With 12:31 to play in the fourth quarter, Thunderbirds quarterback Michael O’Connor hit receiver David Mann with an 11-yard touchdown toss to put the visitors up 39-13. The hosts trailed because they hadn’t played well. The Thunderbirds, to their credit, played good, but they weren’t great or spectacular.

    Despite the fact a crowd of 4,500 has been pretty raucous, the Rams appeared to be down and out.

    While there wasn’t much time remaining on the clock, the Rams roared back scoring three touchdowns, while the Thunderbirds replied with a rouge punt single from Greg Hutchins.

William McGee's punt is blocked by A.J. Blackwell (#35).

    The last U of R major came when star quarterback Noah Picton hit receiver Ryan Schienbein with an 11-yard scoring strike with nine seconds to play cutting the UBC lead to 40-34. Those that followed the Rams history know they once pulled out a 35-31 regular season victory at home in 2000 against the University of Alberta Golden Bears by scoring the winning points on an onside kick.

    That day, future CFL star Jason Clermont batted a ball out of the air into the arms of teammate Chris Warnecke, who ran the rest of the way for the deciding score. You wondered if something crazy like that would happen again to push the Rams into the Canada West championship game.

    However, Thunderbirds receiver Trey Kellogg hauled in the onside kick to ensure no miracle would happen on this day. The Thunderbirds held on for the 40-34 victory. They will travel to Calgary this coming Saturday to face the University of Calgary Dinos for the Canada West championship trophy – the Hardy Cup.

    With that loss, one of the great single season turnaround stories in recent U Sports history came to an end. After going 0-8 in 2015, the Rams topped the Canada West standings in 2016 with a six-win improvement going 6-2.

Atlee Simon darts through a hole to score a TD for the Rams.

    They were rated fourth in the U Sports top 10 rankings going into their clash with the Thunderbirds. It was an unthinkable development for anyone outside of the team.

    Under the one-year watch of former head coach Mike Gibson in 2015, the Rams fell into disarray. After the winless campaign in 2015, Gibson left the club for the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos to become their offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

    From there, Steve Bryce entered the picture as the Rams new head coach. He played on their offensive line from 1987 to 1991 in the team’s CJFL days and was part of a national championship winner in his rookie season. Under Bryce, the Rams started to play up to their past image from their glory days.

    Picton completed 224-of-323 passes for 3,186 yards, 25 touchdown passes and nine interceptions in the regular season. He set a new U Sports record for passing yards in a season completing an impressive 69.3 per cent of his throws. The Rams were always known as a pass-happy team, but they took that characteristic to a new exciting level this season.

The Rams defence stops Thunderbirds RB Ben Cummings.

    Against UBC, the Rams ran into one of U Sports best ever head coaches in Blake Nill, and his staff developed a game plan to neutralize their high-powered foes. The best way to keep Picton from hurting you was to make him stay on the Rams sidelines.

    Through a combination of running and a series of short passes, the Thunderbirds, who were 3-5 in the regular season, held the ball for 35 minutes and 21 seconds, which limited the Rams to 24 minutes and 39 seconds of possession time.

    The Thunderbirds also ran 22 more plays than their foes did and piled up an unheard of 42 first downs on 179 yards rushing and 397 yards passing. O’Connor accounted for all of UBC’s yards through the air connecting on 29-of-40 passes, two touchdown strikes and one interception.

Michael O'Connor piled up 397 yards passing for UBC.

    The Rams defence couldn’t get the stops their side needed.

    Adding to the frustrations for the home side, Thunderbirds defensive back A.J. Blackwell blocked a punt in the second quarter that was returned 27 yards by teammate Colton Zayshley for a major score. That play increased a 6-3 Thunderbirds edge to 13-3.

    With their limited time with the ball, the Rams still piled up solid offensive numbers. Picton completed 25-of-35 passes for 364 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. U of R also put up 106 yards rushing. Most of those yards came from running back Atlee Simon, who ran the ball 16 times for 78 yards and scored three touchdowns.

    Fifth-year Rams slotback Riley Wilson, who was playing his final university game, caught nine passes for 184 yards in a spectacular final bow.

    Still, the Rams had to ponder what might have been.

    With that in mind, the Rams will return the core of their team next season. They only loose Wilson and seven other players to graduation.

The Rams exit the Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium tunnel for the last time.

    U of R is miles ahead of last year.
    Under Bryce’s guidance, another golden age for Rams football might be around the corner.

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

Puck luck smiles on Huskies

Kennedy Harris breaks up ice for the Huskies.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team never gets upset when a few bounces go their way.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies built a 3-0 on the Mount Royal University Cougars due to some positive bounce breaks. From there, the hosts ultimately hung on for a 3-2 victory to end a two-game skid.

    The Huskies, who are rated 10^th in the U Sports top 10 rankings, jumped ahead 1-0 just before the midway point of the first period, when a seeing-eye point shot from offensive defender Leah Bohlken found the back of the goal. The two clubs played a fairly even opening 20 minutes, where the Huskies held a 9-7 edge in shots.

    Just 2:10 into the second period, the Dogs went ahead 2-0 thanks to a positive bounce goal from fourth-year forward Kennedy Harris. Harris was trying to centre the puck from the right corner of the offensive zone and managed to bank the puck off the legs of Cougars goalie Zoe DeBeauville into the net.

    A short time after that tally, the Huskies went up 3-0 thanks to some good awareness from third-year utility player Brooke Patron, who was playing on the U of S’s top line. After Huskies star winger Kaitlin Willoughby was stopped on a drive to the Cougars goal, Patron found the puck loose in the crease and popped it home to give her side a three-goal edge.

Kori Herner circles with the puck in the offensive zone for the Huskies.

    DeBeauville was injured on the play in a collision with Willoughby and left the game stopping eight-of-11 shots. Emma Pincott entered the contest in relief and turned away all nine shots fired in her direction.

    At that point, the Huskies started playing at a faster pace. They almost picked up their fourth goal on a two-on-one. Feisty forward Brooklyn Haubrich found a pinching Bohlken alone on the left side of the Cougars goal with a perfect pass, but Bohlkin was stoned by Pincott.

    The Cougars managed to gain some traction before the second frame ended, when Sarah Weninger picked up her fourth tally of the season to cut the Huskies edge to 3-1.

Jasey Book makes a stop in goal for the Huskies.

    In the third, the Huskies found themselves pinned in the defensive zone. The Cougars worked hard on the forecheck, but they were only able to beat rookie goalie Jacey Book with 3:44 to play.

    During a net scramble, Gabreille Seper picked up the rebound from a Weninger shot to cut the host’s lead to 3-2.

    That was as close as the Cougars would get in their search for the equalizer.
    Book slammed the door shut making 12 stops in the third period and 24 saves overall in the contest. The Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats midget AAA team grad has won both of her starts with the U of S.

    The Huskies improve to 6-3 with the win. The Cougars fall to 2-5-2.

    The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

Huskies men’s team thumped on the road

Jordon Cooke and the Huskies had a rough night in Calgary.

    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team had a second period they would like to forget on Friday night.

    Taking on the Mount Royal University Cougars, who are rated seventh in the U Sports top 10 rankings, the Huskies gave up four goals in the second period to fall behind 4-0. The Cougars cruised through the third period to post a 6-0 victory in Calgary.

    Cam Maclise, Luke Simpson, Jesse Lees and Jamal Watson all netted singles for the Cougars in the second. David Stephens and Matthew Brown rounded out the scoring for the host side in the third.

    Colin Cooper stopped all 25 shots he faced to pick up the shutout win in goal for the Cougars. Jordon Cooke turned away 18-of-23 shots starting and taking the loss in goal for the Huskies. Backup Daniel Wapple stopped 6-of-7 shots making a relief appearance for the visitors.

    The Huskies, who were rated second in the U Sports top 10 rankings, fell to 6-2-1. The Cougars improved to 5-2.

    The two teams face each other again on Saturday in Calgary.

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

Rams morph into “The Greatest Show on Turf”

QB Noah Picton (#4) had a spectacular regular season for the Rams.

    The 0-8 season has been left in the dust.

    A year removed from a winless campaign, the University of Regina Rams have become the most exciting team in U Sports football. At the start of the season, that concept was inconceivable.

    In 2015, the Rams had the image of being a bit of a train wreak under then head coach Mike Gibson, who left the club after only one season to join the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos as their offensive line coach and run game coordinator. The Rams seemed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory losing four games by seven or fewer points.

    Under Gibson, the Rams were getting disconnected from their alumni, which had never been an issue in the past. Behind the scenes, there was more turmoil than most people knew.

   In the off-season, the Rams looked to the past to find their new head coach in hiring Steve Bryce. Bryce played five seasons on the Rams offensive line during their Canadian Junior Football League days from 1987 to 1991, which included a national championship win in his rookie campaign.

    With Bryce at the helm, the Rams vaulted up the standings in 2016 finishing first in the Canada West Conference for the first time in team history with a 6-2 record. In the turnaround, they put up offensive numbers to make them look like the Kurt Warner era St. Louis Rams of the NFL.

    Like the Warner era St. Louis Rams did in the NFL, the Regina Rams have become “The Greatest Show on Turf” in U Sports football.

Mitchell Picton makes a catch in traffic for the Rams.

    Since joining the Canadian university ranks in 1999, the Rams helped the University of Regina become known as “Receiver-U” due to placing a number of pass catching grads into the professional ranks. Those grads always were catching passes from great quarterbacks like Darryl Leason, Mark Anderson, Teale Orban and Marc Mueller.

    This year’s Rams have taken their reputation as a pass-happy team to another level averaging 408.4 yards through the air per game. Third-year quarterback Noah Picton has had a season that eclipses anything any Rams quarterback great from their university or junior football era could ever imagine.

    Picton completed 224-of-323 passes for 3,186 yards, 25 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. His completion percentage of 69.3 per cent is impressive, and he set a new U Sports record for passing yards in a season. Former U of Calgary Dinos quarterback Andrew Buckley, who is a rookie with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, held the old U Sports passing yardage record at 3,162, which was set just last season.

    Picton has also run the ball 31 times for 238 yards and reached the end zone twice via that route. He is a favourite to win the Hec Crighton Trophy as the top player in U Sports football.

RB Atlee Simon (#36) is one of the Rams overlooked weapons.

    The signal caller has also spread the ball out very well resulting in three of his receivers surpassing 500-yards receiving in an eight-game campaign. Cousin Mitchell Picton topped Canada West in receptions (58) and receiving yards (834) and his 11 receiving touchdowns led everyone in U Sports.

Sophomore Ryan Schienbein hauled in 54 passes for 790 yards and seven touchdowns. Riley Wilson finished the regular season with 37 catches for 627 yards and one touchdown.

    The Pictons, Schienbein and offensive lineman Jeremy Zver were all named Canada West all-stars on Thursday.

    The Rams are so good through the air that talented tailback Atlee Simon seemed like a forgotten man. Simon ran the ball 113 times for 567 yards and scored four touchdowns on the ground in seven appearances. He also caught 17 passes for 203 yards and four touchdowns.

    Defensively, the Rams rank third in Canada West allowing 458.6 yards per game. Linebacker Danny Nesbitt and defensive backs Kahlen Branning and Jeff Propp were also named Canada West all-stars.

    Thanks to topping the Canada West standings, the only time the Rams wouldn’t potentially be playing at home at historic Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium during the post-season would be if they made the Vanier Cup. The only time the Rams appeared in the U Sports title game was in 2000, when they fell 42-39 to the U of Ottawa Gee Gees.

The Rams celebrate a touchdown catch from Ryan Schienbein (#14).

    Now, we will see if the Rams success in the regular season transfers over to playoffs. The fourth rated club in the U Sports top 10 rankings hosts a Canada West semifinal match on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. local time against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who went 3-5 as defending Vanier Cup champions. The Rams took both head-to-head meetings with the Thunderbirds this season.

    Looking further down the road, the U Sports football post-season also hasn’t been kind in recent years to the team that wins Canada West. Over the past 17 years, the Canada West champ has only moved on to win the Vanier Cup on two occasions including the Thunderbirds last year and the U of Manitoba Bisons in 2007.

    With that said, the Rams are in a spot that they don’t realize they aren’t supposed to accomplish what they have already accomplished. They still have nothing to lose and everything to gain. With Bryce at the helm, they also have all their alumni and supporters back in the fold too.

    If they can go all the way, these current Rams will produce a season that would arguably be the squad’s most memorable including the team’s time in both the university and junior ranks.

Huskies in position to make post-season noise

QB Kyle Siemens had a solid season calling signals for the Huskies.

  The U of Saskatchewan Huskies football team might be the wildcard when it comes to the U Sports post-season.

    Of course, the Huskies have lost their last seven straight playoff games, but this might be the year they break that dubious streak. After a three-game skid dropped them to 2-3, the Huskies won their last three straight regular season games to finish at 5-3.

    They are the hottest team entering the playoffs from Canada West, and they face an opponent they finally got over the hump against. On Saturday, the Huskies travel to Calgary to face the U of Calgary Dinos (6-2) in a Canada West semifinal match at 12 p.m. local time. The Huskies are rated ninth in the U Sports rankings, while the Dinos sit in the sixth spot.

    On Oct. 22, the Huskies slipped past the Dinos 38-35 in Calgary. Entering that contest, the Dinos had won 10 straight games between the two sides including action in the regular season and playoffs.

    In the other meeting between the two sides this season, the Dinos slipped past the Huskies 20-19 in Saskatoon thanks to a last minute field goal.

Huskies RB Tyler Chow led Canada West in rushing.

    During their three-game regular season skid, the Huskies offence lost its cohesion. Part of the struggles came from the fact reliable receiver Mitch Hillis missed a pair of games due to injury. When Hillis returned, the offensive unit seemed to find a new groove.

    Despite missing a pair of games, Hillis still made the Canada West all-star team catching 35 passes for 423 yards and three touchdowns. Starting quarterback Kyle Siemens had a solid campaign completing 166-of-278 passes for 2,091 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

    Running back Tyler Chow topped Canada West in rushing piling up 828 yards on 127 carries and scoring seven touchdowns. Chow also caught 16 passes for 132 yards in being named a Canada West all-star along with offensive tackle Evan Johnson.

    Defensive lineman Donovan Dale anchored the Huskies defence earning Canada West all-star honours with 24 total tackles, three sacks and one interception.

    Standout kicker Sean Stenger was the conference’s all-star place kicker and punter.

DB Payton Hall (#28) makes a tackle for the Huskies.

    U of S has an X-factor in receiver Chad Braun, who is a talented graduate of the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League. Braun caught 26 passes for 403 yards and scored two touchdowns and returned 37 punts for 449 yards and one touchdown.

    The Huskies have a number of other capable playmakers on offence including receivers Julan Lynch, Yol Piok and Ben Getzlaf along with running back Colton Klassen.

    They have a number of players that can rise to the occasion on defence including defensive lineman Matt Kozun, linebackers Justin Filteau and Quinn Pearce along with defensive back Payton Hall.

    The Huskies are right where they were expected to be as far as the regular season goes. It also feels like they haven’t reached their potential.

    It wouldn’t be a shocker if a long playoff run is finally on the horizon again for a club that has experienced eight one-and-done exits in the last nine years.

Off the Leach Luncheon was sweet

Lanny McDonald and Brian Burke spoke at the Off the Leash Luncheon.

    If you wanted to see how much the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team means to the Saskatoon community, all you have to do was attend the Off the Leach Luncheon on Thursday at Prairieland Park.

    A huge group of alumni and members of the Saskatoon and area hockey community turned out for this eighth annual event, which is a fundraiser for the Huskies men’s hockey team. The alumni turnout was impressive, and it shows that the Huskies hockey team means a great deal to those that wore the green and white. A large contingent of recent grads were present as well.

    At the luncheon, the Wright Construction company donated $1-million to the Home Ice Campaign, which is raising funds to build a new twin pad home rink on campus. With the Wright Construction company donation, $36-million has been raised towards building the new $41-million Merlis Belsher Place.

    The other big highlight of the evening was being entertained by the hockey stories of former NHL enforcer George Parros, Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Brian Burke and NHL legend Lanny McDonald. McDonald made a surprise appearance.

    If you live in the Saskatoon area and you haven’t been to the Off the Leash Luncheon, you are encouraged to put that function on your to do list.

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

Rider Nation soaks in Taylor Field atmosphere one last time

The crowd at Taylor Field soaks in the final Roughriders home game there.

    REGINA – Rider Nation truly lived in the moment when it came to attending the last Saskatchewan Roughriders game at Taylor Field/old Mosaic Stadium.

    On Saturday, Roughriders fans flocked in from all across the province and I dare say even across Canada to be part of the last CFL dance of the historic stadium in Regina. It was a nostalgia trip where one received comfort in reliving the familiar.

    The atmosphere was similar to a Labour Day Classic or even the game days around the 2007 and 2008 campaign. In 2007 and 2008, game days were surrounded with excitement by the fact the Roughriders were one of the league’s elite teams after about 15 years of being bad to mostly a middle of the pack club.

    While there were those similarities, the atmosphere was also different. The finality of what was going to take place was in the back of everyone’s minds. This was a night to say farewell and thanks to a park that contains so many great shared memories.

The Rider Cheer Team performs a routine on the practice field.

    People were arriving on Saturday three hours before the 5 p.m. kickoff against the B.C. Lions to tailgate in the parking lots near the facility.

    The tailgate party on the practice field was also packed. The air was filled with the sounds from the Regina-based rock band Big Bad Storm. The Rider Cheer team also came to put on a special performance to the sounds of the Rider Drum Line.

    As usual, the Rider Pep Band played outside the stadium’s front gates about 40 minutes before kickoff.

    At halftime, Canadian country music star and Langenburg, Sask., product Jess Moskaluke got the sellout crowd of 33,427 going with a short but energetic set.
    The post-game ceremony provided a great light and fireworks show that walked people back through time reliving the history of the place.

Jess Moskaluke starred at halftime.

    There were also huge cheers as mascot Gainer the Gopher took a last lap in his old car with the gopher hole roof.

    There were also appearances by Roughriders legends George Reed, Roger Aldag and Gene Makowsky, who each emerged from Rider cap jackets like Jedi Knights. Franchise quarterback Darian Durant completed the quartet to give representation for each of the club’s four Grey Cup championship teams, and he also gave a heartfelt address to the fans.

    Of course, Rider Nation was in top form. A number of Rider fans arrived wearing various trademark costumes. While Halloween was only a couple of days away, game days provide enough reason to dress up.

    The fans are the reason Taylor Field had the amazing atmosphere it did. Those that went to games became part of a community in a community. The regulars that came to each game got to know the neighbours that sat around them and those that sat at various other spots around the building.

    In a lot of cases, the regulars only get to see each other on game days. One of the best known regulars is Connie Dobson, who is also known as #TheTravelingRiderFan. She has made the jaunt from Edmonton to Regina for every Roughriders home game for over a decade. She has also followed the team on a regular basis on the road.

    While cheering hard for the Riders, Dobson also gives credit when the other teams do something well. Over the years, she has befriended and earned the respect of Roughriders players and a number of players from other CFL clubs too. Dobson is the textbook picture of the model fan.

Terrell Sinkfield Jr. makes an acrobatic TD catch for the Lions.

    Speaking of fans, you also saw small representations of fans wearing gear of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Edmonton Eskimos and the Lions to ensure their clubs had representation at this monumental game. It has become common place for fans of other CFL teams to make the trek to Taylor Field to see at least one game in the legendary park and feel the passion of Rider Nation up close.

    The only thing that didn’t go to plan was the action on the field during game time. As engaged as the crowd was, the Roughriders fell to the Lions 24-6 and dropped to 5-12 in the standings. B.C. improved to 11-6.

    All season, the Roughriders have been plagued by struggles on the offensive and defensive line due to injury and personnel turnover. Against the Lions, the Roughriders offensive line missed way too many blocks, and the defensive line didn’t apply much pressure on Lions quarterback Jonathon Jennings.

    The green and white will need to address both of those areas in the off-season.

Roughriders mascot Gainer the Gopher makes one last pass in his old car.

    In the end, the loss on the field didn’t dampen the night’s festivities. The members of Rider Nation have seen their share of downs, but they always persevere and look forward to next year.

    Next year provides the chance to back the Roughriders in a new Mosaic Stadium that looks like a palace. It is also specially constructed to trap noise. It won’t take long to indulge in the comforts of the new home park.

    Even with that in mind, the memories of the old park will never fade away.

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

Fischer powers Hilltops to third straight PFC title

Veteran running back plays his best when the stakes get high

Logan Fischer (#21) powers his way downfield for the Hilltops.

    The bigger the game the better Logan Fischer plays.

    The Saskatoon Hilltops fourth year power running back always seems to have his best games, when the stakes get high for his team. Sunday’s Prairie Football Conference final at Saskatoon Minor Football Field provided another chance to Fischer to add to his big-game resume, and he didn’t disappoint.

    In an offensive shootout with the visiting Calgary Colts, Fischer scored the Hilltops last three touchdowns, piled up 137 yards rushing on 28 carries and 38 yards receiving on five catches to power his squad to a 43-31 victory. The win marked the third straight year the Hilltops, who improved to 10-1 overall, have won the PFC final and all of those victories have come against the Colts, who fell to 8-3 overall. Fischer had big outings in the two previous PFC title wins.

    While the Hilltops celebrated another conference title, Fischer was already eyeing up another lofty plateau. With the win over the Colts, Saskatoon advances to the Canadian Junior Football League’s championship game – the Canadian Bowl – for a third straight year and is looking for a third straight in that championship game.

Logan Fischer muscles his way in for a TD for the Hilltops.

    The Hilltops travel to Langford, B.C., which is a suburb of Victoria, on Nov. 12 to face the Westshore Rebels (10-1-1 overall) for the CJFL title. Saskatoon has had two other runs of winning three straight CJFL titles coming in 2001 to 2003 and 2010 to 2012. If the Hilltops can win in Langford, they will pull off a third three-peat in team history and become the first club to win six CJFL championships over a seven-year period.

    “This will be the third year in a row, so this is definitely exciting,” said Fischer. “It has happened in the past the three-peat. We have some standards to live up to.”

    Against the Colts, Fischer admitted the Hilltops came in with some sharper focus after one of the Colts players said some bulletin-board material to a Calgary media outlet regarding his side’s chances of having success on Sunday. The Colts won the only regular season encounter between the two sides 36-21 back on Aug. 28 in Saskatoon.

    Fischer said he usually goes into a big game with some nervous energy, but Sunday’s game was different.

Dylan Minshull powers his way downfield for the Colts.

    “There is usually a lot of nerves and butterflies going on,” said Fischer. “This game Calgary they went on the news and they opened their mouths, and I guess we just kind of reacted the best way we know how (and) that was just come out and play some football.”

    Even with the extra motivation, the Hilltops had to work to put away the pesky Colts. Any time the hosts surged out to a sizable lead, the visitors pushed back.

    Early in the third quarter, the Hilltops went ahead 22-4, when quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit rookie receiver Rylan Kleiter with a 13-yard scoring toss.

    The Colts cut the gap to 22-11, when quarterback Bailey Wasdal found Dylan Schrot on a seven-yard pass completion.

    With 1:30 to play in the third quarter, Fischer broke off a 25-yard touchdown run to push the Hilltops in front 29-11.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Wasdal hit running back Dylan Minshull on a 15-yard scoring toss to cut Saskatoon’s edge to 29-18.

    Saskatoon increased its edge to 36-18 one play after recovering a Wasdal fumble, when Andreychuk hit Fischer with a seven yard scoring toss.

Jared Andreychuk fires a pass downfield for the Hilltops.

    Minshull proceeded to run in scores from five and 13 yards out to trim the Hilltops lead to 36-31. The Colts failed on a two-point conversion attempt on the first of those two scores.

    With two minutes to play, Fischer muscled his way in from a yard out to put the Hilltops up 43-31. Saskatoon rookie defensive back Jared Giddings made an interception on the ensuing Calgary series to put any hopes of a comeback by the visitors into miracle territory.

    “I’m proud we get to live another week,” said Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant. “We can coach this thing better, and we can play better.

    “Credit to Calgary and their coaching staff they kept coming back. We still have to iron out our own deal to make sure that we play better than what we did today.”

    Sargeant said it was huge that Fischer had another big outing for his club.

    “That is who he (Fischer) is,” said Sargeant. “He is one the best players in this league.

    “When you get to these games, him and Jared (Andreychuk) were our two best players. It is that simple. When those two guys are our two best players, it is pretty tough to beat us.”

Receiver Rylan Kleiter (#88) and the Hilltops celebrate their PFC title win.

    The Hilltops led 15-4 at halftime thanks to a punt single by Des Vessey, a 15-yard touchdown reception by Colin Stumborg from backup quarterback Jordan Walls on a fake field goal and a four-yard touchdown catch by Kleiter from Andreychuk.

    Kicker Stephen Fabian accounted for Calgary’s first half points on a 28-yard field goal and a rouge from a 36-yard missed field goal.

    Andreychuk connected on 15-of-23 passes for 154 yards and three touchdown passes for the Hilltops. Wasdal completed 27-of-37 passes for 300 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Colts.

    Minshull piled up 121 yards rushing on 18 carries and caught two passes for 30 yards for Calgary.

    In preparing for the Canadian Bowl, Sargeant just wants his coaches and players to keep finding ways to get better.

    “It is always about the process,” said Sargeant. “We keep moving forward.

    “We are going to play better, practice better and coach better. This team better come out and play better in two weeks that is all I ask.”

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

Huskies suffer power outage

Power play goes 0-for-11 in 2-0 loss to rival Cougars

Rachel Johnson (#19) tries to bury a scoring chance for the Huskies.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team was powerless on the power play, and it cost them their five-game winning streak.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies failed to cash in on 11 power-play chances in a 2-0 setback to their provincial rivals the University of Regina Cougars. The Huskies entered the contest riding a five game winning streak, which allowed them to be rated ninth in the U Sports top ten rankings.

    The Cougars came flying out of the gates scoring twice in a span of 2:20 early in the first period to put the Huskies back on their heels. Feisty forward Kylee Kupper potted the first goal for the visitors while working on a power play and sophomore Jaycee Magwood netted the second tally. Cougars captain Alexis Larson picked up assists on both goals.

Alexis Larson picked up a pair of assists for the Cougars.

    U of R scored once on six power-play opportunities.

  After getting the early lead, Cougars netminder Jane Kish slammed the door shut in goal making 28 saves to pick up the shutout. She also had a lot of help in front as her teammates cleared away rebounds and also blocked a fair number of shots helping the Cougars improve to 4-3.

    The Cougars shot blocking started to make the Huskies double clutch in the offensive zone, especially while working on other power play. The U of S players just couldn’t seem to find their flow when they attempted to set up scoring chances.

    In the third period, the Huskies failed to score on two separated lengthy five-on-three power-play chances.

    Cassidy Hendricks made 18 stops taking the setback in goal for the Huskies (5-2).

    The two team go at it again on Saturday in Regina at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

Blue-liners on fire for Huskies

Tanner Lishchynsky picked up his first U Sports goal.

    The defencemen for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team were playing with a hot hand on Friday night in Regina.

    Three different blue-liners found the back of the net for the Dogs as they downed the host U of Regina Cougars 4-1 at the Co-operators Centre. Captain Kendall McFaull scored in the first period, and fellow rearguards Jesse Forsberg and rookie Tanner Lishchynsky added singles in the second. Lishchynsky’s tally was his first in his U Sports career.

    The Cougars tried to battle back as Landon Peel scored early in the third, but Parker Thomas restored the Huskies three-goal edge scoring just past the midway point of the frame.

    Jordon Cooke made 25 saves to earn the win in goal for the Huskies (5-1-1). Andy Desautels turned away 33 shots taking the setback in goal for the Cougars (1-4).

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

Football Dogs roll into playoffs with 48-9 romp over U of A

Colton Klassen (#7) powers in for a Huskies touchdown.

    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies football team is hitting on all cylinders heading into the post-season.

    On Friday night before 2,686 spectators at Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies romped over the University of Alberta Golden Bears 48-9. Huskies receiver Chad Braun returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown to give the Huskies a 7-0 with 5:29 to play in the first quarter. The hosts rolled to 23-0 edge at halftime and led 33-0 at one point in the third quarter before cruising to the finish.

    The Huskies attack was a balanced one as they piled up 223 yards rushing as a team and 278 yards passing as a team. Starting quarterback Kyle Siemens completed 13-of-25 passes for 188 yards and one interception. Former starter and current backup Drew Burko, who is in his fifth year of eligibility, finished things off for the Huskies in relief connecting on 10-of-14 passes for 90 yards.

    Tyler Chow topped the Huskies in rushing piling up 79 yards on eight carries, and he scored one major. Colton Klassen ran the ball 10 times for 78 yards and score two touchdowns.

    Third-year kicker Sean Stenger connected on all six of his field goal attempts. He finished the regular season making 22-of-26 of his field goal attempts. Stenger’s 22 made field goals also set a new Huskies team record breaking the old mark of 19 set by Grant Shaw in 2009.

    Golden Bears quarterback Ben Kopczynski completed 17-of-36 passes for 170 yards and one interception. He also ran the ball 10 times for 66 yards scoring one touchdown.

Kyle Siemens (#19) fires a pass downfield for the Huskies.

    The two squads also traded safety touches.

    The Golden Bears finished last in the six-team Canada West conference with a 1-7 mark.

    The Huskies improved to 5-3 with the win, and they are riding a three-game winning streak heading into the playoffs. U of S could still finish second in Canada West, if the U of Calgary Dinos (5-2) fall to the UBC Thunderbirds (3-4) on Saturday in Vancouver.

    The Dogs and Dinos split their two regular season encounters, but the Huskies hold a standings tiebreaker having outscored U of C 57-55 in those two contests.

    If the Huskies host a Canada West semifinal playoff game, it will be held Nov. 5 at Griffiths Stadium.

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

Last call for Rider Nation at Taylor Field

Final Roughriders game a surreal thought for storied stadium

All smiles after a Riders win at 2009 Labour Day Classic at Taylor Field.

    My mind is working overtime thinking about what this drive will be like.

    When I leave Saskatoon early Saturday morning for Regina, I will be heading to the Saskatchewan Roughriders final home game at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium, which will be the team’s 611^th contest at that facility. They face the B.C. Lions at 5 p.m. local time. It is definitely a day I never imagined happening.

    For generations, many residents from Saskatoon and from all corners of the province of Saskatchewan have made the jaunt to the provincial capital to support the “Green and White.” During that drive on Saturday, I know my mind will be jumping through all sorts of memories.

    As far as football stadiums in Canada go, Taylor Field holds an esteem similar to that of Lambeau Field in the United States, which is home to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. Over the last decade, it has been common for fans of other CFL clubs to make the journey to see one game at Taylor Field in order to experience the passion of Rider Nation in person.

Rider Nation enjoys a pre-game practice field party before a 2006 game.

    When I first stepped into Taylor Field, I didn’t know how much I would take that place to my heart.

    A year after moving to Regina, I attended my first Roughriders game on July 26, 1996. The hosts were taking on the powerful Toronto Argonauts led by arguably the CFL’s all-time greatest player in Doug Flutie.

    The Argos jumped out to a 34-14 lead at halftime and cruised to a 40-16 victory. The Riders were so bad that game it almost hit a comic level. As those that follow the team know, the Riders have had many hapless down stretches.

    A crowd of 24,902 turned out and filled most of the facility that sat 27,732 at that time. There were those that left early in the fourth quarter, but most of the spectators stayed to the end.

    I was impressed. Out of the 20 years I had been alive to that point in time, I had lived a total of 16 years in Winnipeg. Football was the sport I loved the most, and I discovered it watching the Cal Murphy era Winnipeg Blue Bombers win Grey Cups in 1984, 1988 and 1990. I went to many games at old Winnipeg Stadium to see the Bombers play.

    The Bombers were so successful that fan expectations in Winnipeg hit the point that a season that didn’t finish with a Grey Cup win was deemed a failure even in 14-4 and 13-5 campaigns.

Fans get pumped up at the 2010 Labour Day Classic at Taylor Field.

    Watching the Roughriders fall to the Argonauts that warm summer night in July of 1996, I almost couldn’t imagine them ever winning the Grey Cup. That game was also the first time I went to a sporting event where the fans had a good time despite the fact their team was hammered on the scoreboard.

    I was also just weeks removed from getting dumped by my long time high school sweetheart girlfriend from Winnipeg. For me, stepping foot onto Taylor Field was a move towards becoming more of the community of Regina and Saskatchewan. While I was born in Winnipeg, my family came from Saskatchewan, so this was a return to the roots.

    My late father’s heart was with the Riders, and I remember him talking about what it was like to go to the deciding game of the 1970 West Final series, where a 14-2 Roughriders team dropped a 15-14 heartbreaker to the Calgary Stampeders at a frigid Taylor Field and fell in a best-of-three set 2-1. The cold heartbreak was pretty large that day.

Fans are all set in legendary Section 28 for a 2007 game at Taylor Field.

    Due to the family ties to Saskatchewan, the Roughriders were always a second favourite team, but they were going to be elevated to a favourite spot.

    After making my first game at Taylor Field, I began meeting players and coaches from the team due to the fact it was easy to interact with them in the Saskatchewan capital. I started to make regular appearances at Taylor Field to support the people I was getting to know.

    I remember hanging around with members of the University of Regina Cougars men’s basketball team in the fall of 1998 talking about how we hoped the Riders would go on a big winning streak to save the job of then head coach Jim Daley. Daley’s wife, Diane Hilko, was a gifted assistant coach with the Cougars women’s basketball team, and the Roughriders bench boss frequently appeared on campus.

    Soon, friends from the University of Regina Rams football team were suiting up for the Roughriders. The link really got solidified as soon as I moved to Medicine Hat for a 10-year stay starting in September of 2004.

The Riders Pep Band performs before a game at Taylor Field this year.

    When you left Saskatchewan, your identity was highly linked to the Roughriders, and the passion took another step. I would be part of the mass group of Roughriders supporters that made a few of the team’s road games in Calgary causing those matches to be dubbed the “Christmas Tree” games due to the mix of red and green colours in the stands.

    When Roy Shivers became the Roughriders general manager in 2000, the brain trust of the team worked to strengthen its links with former Saskatchewan residents that lived across Canada. When the team began to have a resurgence in the early 2000s, the Roughriders were boldly marketed as “Canada’s Team,” which is something that sticks to this day long after Shivers tenure with the squad ended.

    While living in Alberta, the best games were still the ventures back to Regina for visits to Taylor Field. It always felt like a homecoming.

    The anticipation was always there for the tailgating that went on in various parking lots near the facility and getting to the practice field for pre-game festivities. When the game ended, parties often went long into the night along the nightclub strip on Dewdney Avenue and the early hours the morning.

Darian Durant runs for an OT winning TD against the Eskimos this year.

    Soon, the Roughriders hit new heights with the dawning of the Darian Durant era at quarterback. He joined the team in 2006, was a backup on the 2007 Grey Cup winner, became the undisputed starter in 2009, guided the team to Grey Cup appearances in 2009 and 2010 and led a magical home Grey Cup win in 2013 with a 45-23 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

    I was at that home Grey Cup win, and that is still my best memory of being at Taylor Field. I wished that night would never end.

    Durant also became my all-time favourite CFL quarterback, and it has been fun watching him lead the Roughriders to many victories. One of the most scrutinized positions in Canadian sport is being the Roughriders starting quarterback. I could see a large number of CFL great signal callers failing in that role.

    Durant has taken ownership of that position, and you can tell being the Roughriders starting quarterback is important to him.

Gainer the Gopher makes his rounds at Taylor Field after a Roughriders TD.

    All of these thoughts cross the mind as the final Roughriders game at Taylor Field approaches. The Rams will actually close out the facility as they have the potential of hosting three U Sports playoff games there next month.

    However, Taylor Field’s identity will always be first linked with the Roughriders and Rider Nation. Since moving back to Saskatchewan in late July 2014 and settling in Saskatoon, I have tried to make as many Roughriders games as possible. This last CFL game at the storied park will be an emotional one, and the day and night will no doubt speed by way faster than you would like.

    The goal is to soak in the one last memory that will be made.

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