Blades get their hometown guy

Moore signs with WHL club a day after Prospects Draft

Blades GM Colin Priestner, left, is pictured with Zachary Moore.

It only took one night for the Saskatoon Blades to get their guy, and their guy to get his team.

On Friday morning, the Blades inked 15-year-old forward and hometown product Zachary Moore to a WHL Standard Player Agreement. 

The Blades selected Moore in the second round and 34^th overall in the WHL Prospects Draft that was held online on Thursday.

He was the first of 10 players the Blades picked in that draft.

Moore, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 150 pounds, has posted 10 goals and seven assists in 21 regular season contests with the Saskatoon Contacts of the Saskatchewan Male Under-18 AAA Hockey League. 

He is the Contacts leading scorer and has helped them post a 12-6-3 record so far this season.

Moore was pumped to be drafted by the Blades and sign with his hometown WHL club just a day later.

“It is such a great feeling (with) growing up watching all the Blades and seeing how they play,” said Moore. “I’ve always dreamed of playing in the WHL.

Zachary Moore signs a WHL Standard Player Agreement with the Blades.

“To get the opportunity to play with my hometown team, it is such an amazing feeling.”

He said his favourite Blades player was centre Kirby Dach, who now plays for the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Including the 19 games he played in his 15-year-old season, Dach suited up for the Blades from 2016 to 2019 before being selected in the first round and third overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Blackhawks.

“My favourite NHL team is the Chicago Blackhawks, so watching (Kirby) Dach go there after playing here, he is just an amazing talent,” said Moore. “He is so quick.

“He was probably my favourite player just to watch for the Blades.”

Blades general manager Colin Priestner was pleased his club was able to select Moore.

Zachary Moore, left, shakes hands with Blades GM Colin Priestner.

“It is pretty exciting for us to have a player like Zach (Moore) to come in here,” said Priestner. “Having the local ties is something that we felt was very important to us when you have a character like Zach who has very, very high character.

“He is someone that we just heard so many great things about from so many coaches and teammates and just different people in hockey throughout the province the over last couple of months. The opportunity came yesterday.”

Moore can played five games with the Blades this season and could potentially join the WHL squad full time, when the Contacts season comes to a conclusion.

Priestner said it is a bonus that Moore doesn’t have to travel far to suit up for the Blades, if they need to call him up.

“The great news is we know if we have sickness, injury or anything like that, he (Moore) can be here in 15 minutes to play on short notice,” said Priestner.

Moore said he is a player that prides himself on being able to play both ends of the ice.

“I think my 200-foot game is what sets me apart from other players,” said Moore. “My defensive ability is very good.

Zachary Moore, centre, is pictured with his parents.

“In the offensive zone, I also bring great vision, so I can set up my teammates very well. I feel like I just make the players around me better, which can bring impact to any line or any certain situation that I am being put into.”

Priestner is looking forward to what the future holds for Moore with the Blades.

“He is a guy we really targeted with our first pick,” said Priestner. “I couldn’t be more pleased to have Zach and his family here today to sign his standard player agreement with the Blades and begin his career here as a Saskatoon Blades prospect and potentially as soon as next year be a Blade.”

Funk’s cash in for Hitmen and untimely one for Blades

The Hitmen celebrate their winning goal by Zac Funk (#24).

Zac Funk broke the hearts of the Saskatoon Blades.

With the Blades locked in a 2-2 tie with Funk’s Calgary Hitmen, the 18-year-old right-winger received the puck in the left slot on a nice pass from linemate Sean Tschigerl and quickly snapped home a shot to put the Hitmen up 3-2 with 4:22 remaining in the third period of Friday’s WHL regular season clash between the two sides.

Funk’s timely goal, which was his second of the night, stood up as the winner as 19-year-old centre Riley Fiddler-Schultz potted an empty netter with 37.6 seconds remaining in the third to deliver the Hitmen to a 4-2 victory to disappoint most of the 2,946 spectators at the SaskTel Centre.

Both of Funk’s goals were timely momentum changers that allowed the Hitmen to hold an upper hand on the Blades, who were playing their first home game since downing the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-3 in overtime on November 9.

The Blades vacated the SaskTel Centre as the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held in their home rink from November 20 to 28.

Zac Funk scored twice for the Hitmen on Friday.

The Hitmen started Friday’s game carrying the momentum. They broke through on the scoreboard at the 11:39 mark of the opening frame with a goal coming off the stick of right-winger Adam Kydd.

The Blades evened the score 1-1 with 2:44 remaining in the first on a nifty play by star left-winger Kyle Crnkovic. Deep in the Calgary zone by left side of the Hitmen goal, Crnkovic stole the puck from 20-year-old centre Cael Zimmerman and immediately wired home the equalizer to the top left corner of the net.

That set the stage for Funk to step up with his first timely momentum changing tally.

With 16.5 seconds remaining in the first, Funk put the Hitmen back in front 2-1 shoveling a loose puck into the back of the Blades net during a net scramble.

In the second, both teams zipped up and down the ice with a lot of speed but there weren’t a whole lot of scoring chances with the Hitmen holding an 8-6 edge in shots on goal in the stanza.

The Blades best chance to score came when right-winger Brandon Lisowsky was stoned from close in front of the Calgary goal.

Kyle Crnkovic scored for the Blades on Friday.

Late in the second period, the Hitmen had their best chance to score close in at the right side of the Saskatoon goal, but Zimmerman couldn’t poke the puck past Blades star netminder Nolan Maier.

The Hitmen came out with the edge play in the at the start of the third holding a 7-4 advantage in shots on goal before left-winger Brandon Whynott took a tripping penalty with 8:02 left in the frame.

On the ensuing power play, the Blades evened the score 2-2 on some great work by Jayden Wiens.

On a zone entry, Wiens passed the puck down into the left slot to Trevor Wong. Wong took a shot and his rebound deflected right to Wiens on the right side of the Calgary goal.

Wiens potted the equalizer into an empty cage.

After Funk put the Hitmen up 3-2, Wiens had a big chance to even the score, but he was denied close in at the right side of the Calgary goal by Hitmen netminder Brayden Peters with 1:32 remaining in the frame.

The Hitmen celebrate their win on Friday.

Maier turned away 27-of-30 stops to take the setback in goal for the Blades (13-11-1). Peters stopped 23 shots to pick up the win in net for the Hitmen (11-9-2-1).

The Hitmen head to Prince Albert to face the Raiders on Saturday (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

The Blades return to action on Tuesday, when they travel to Moose Jaw to face the Warriors (7 p.m., Mosaic Place).

NOTE - The Blades wore special jerseys on Friday designed by 11-year-old Jaidyn Palmer, who won the Superstore “Design A Jersey” contest in the off-season. Those jerseys are being auctioned off with all the proceeds going to the Presidents Choice Children’s Charity.

Pats prevail over Raiders 5-2, other notes

Logan Nijhoff scored for the Pats on Friday.

The Regina Pats seemed to be getting contributions from everybody, and it proved to be too much for the visiting Prince Albert Raiders.

On Friday night before 3,564 spectators at the Brandt Centre, five different players scored for the Pats as they downed the Raiders 5-2. The Pats had a 2-0 lead after the first period, and 4-2 edge after the second period and rounded out the scoring with an empty-net tally in the third.

Tanner Howe, Layton Feist, Zane Rowan, Logan Nijhoff and Cole Carrier all had singles for the Pats. Carrier scored his tally into an empty net for his 10^th goal of the season.

Carson Latimer scored twice for the Raiders.

Matthew Keeper made 25 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Pats (11-14). Tikhon Chaika turned away 21-of-25 shots to take the setback in net for the Raiders (9-13-1-1).

The Pats return to action on Saturday when they travel to Brandon to play the Wheat Kings (7 p.m. local time, Westoba Place).

The Raiders return to action on Saturday when they return home to face the Calgary Hitmen (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

• The Seattle Thunderbirds selected forward Macklin Celebrini first overall in Wednesday’s WHL U.S. Priority Draft. The 15-year-old has 20 goals and 22 assists in 43 games for the Shattack St. Mary’s under-18 prep team in Faribault, Minnesota. Celebrini is a Vancouver, B.C., product, but he has played in the United States since the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
• The Spokane Chiefs selected forward and Saskatoon product Berkly Catton first overall in Thursday’s WHL Prospects Draft. The 15-year-old had 11 goals and 12 assists playing 15 games for the Shattack St. Mary’s Under-16 AAA team in Faribault, Minnesota. Catton has left Shattack St. Mary’s to join his hometown Saskatoon Contacts Under-18 AAA team.
• The Prince Albert Raiders picked up two players in the first round of Thursday’s WHL Prospects Draft. With the 13^th overall selection in the first round, the Raiders picked 15-year-old forward Cole Peardon from Outlook, Sask. Peardon has four goals and 13 assists in 19 regular season games with the Saskatoon Blazers Under-18 AAA team. With the 14^th overall selection in the first round, the Raiders picked 15-year-old forward Ryder Ritchie from Kelowna, B.C. Ritchie has a goal and two assists in three games with Kelowna’s Rink Hockey Academy’s Under-18 team.
• On Wednesday, I was back in the pages of the Prince Albert Daily Herald with a column on the Prince Albert Raiders trading their captain Kaiden Guhle to the Edmonton Oil Kings, because the Oil Kings made an offer the Raiders couldn’t refuse. That piece can be found by clicking right here.
• On Thursday, I went live with a pair of pieces for the Gordie Howe Sports Complex’s Howe Happenings blog. I wrote a post on the Saskatchewan North Central Softball Academy’s Timbits Saturdays program, which can be found by clicking right here. I also wrote a post on how linked the Veeman family is with sport of speed skating. Four members of the Veeman family are part of the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club. That piece can be found by clicking right here.

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

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Great culture powers 2021 return for football Huskies

Memorable campaign culminates in Vanier Cup appearance

The Huskies won the Hardy Cup as Canada West champions.

Everybody wanted to be there.

That in a nutshell was the intangible that allowed the U Sports football season to go for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. 

Of course, you can nitpick and drop names of players that didn’t return to the Huskies after a season off in 2020. The Canada West Conference season was cancelled and no U Sports nationals were held in 2020-21 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

When it game to the Huskies, the bottom line is a significant number of veterans felt so attached to the program that they were going to help the team return to the field no matter what happened.

In September and October of 2020, the Huskies held regular practices even though they weren’t going to play a meaningful game that year. They wanted to be prepared for the next season whenever it might come.

The Dogs took advantage of expanded practice regulations and staged workouts through the summer hoping they would get the chance to step on the field for game action in September.

When the Huskies gathered for training camp back on Sept. 1, there were no guarantees the football season would be seen to its conclusion.

They ultimately did see the football portion of the U Sports season to its end falling 27-21 to the University of Western Ontario Mustangs in the Vanier Cup championship game at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, before 5,840 spectators last Saturday.

The 2021 campaign was a memorable one just from the fact the Huskies advanced to the U Sports title game for the first time since 2006. The icing on the cake would have been a victory in the Vanier Cup, which is something the Huskies last achieved back in 1998.

Adam Machart had a forever memorable run for the Huskies.

The Huskies don’t get to the Vanier Cup unless they had a large group of people that still wanted to be with the team, when the squad was grinding through those practice sessions in 2020 and the workouts the team staged this past summer.

On top of that, the players spend countless hours on their own individual workout sessions away from team activities to ensure they had the physical conditioning to play the next season whenever it game.

You don’t do all those things unless you truly enjoy being a part of that team and being part of the Huskies is a huge positive thing in your life.

Basically, the culture and atmosphere on the Huskies was so good that those who were apart of the program wanted to come back to it even if it meant jumping hurdles of unforeseen world events that came their way.

The Huskies had seven players return to play their fifth and final seasons of U Sports eligibility in Colton Klassen, Clovis Lumeka, Kyle Newton, Carter Dahl, Finley Easton, Nick Summach and Yol Piok, who were all played out their fifth and final seasons of eligibility.

Klassen came back from a gruesome dislocated right ankle near the end of the first quarter in a 22-9 victory over the University of Alberta Golden Bears back in October 26, 2019.

Piok became a mental health advocate after coming forward with his own story of his battles with mental health.

Ultimately, all seven of those players brought special aspects that helped the team in 2021.

A whole host of other key veterans returned including Mason Nyhus, Adam Machart, Connor Berglof, Noah Zerr, Riley Pickett, Nathan Cherry, Jonathan Leggett, Tom Whiting, Charlie Ringland and David Solie. All the returning players played a part in making the Huskies motor along.

Colton Klassen had a great final season with the Huskies.

Head coach Scott Flory and pretty much his entire coaching staff came back. Flory deservedly received the coach of the year nod for the Canada West Conference.

The Huskies again received outstanding contributions from defensive coordinator Warren Muzika and special team coordinator Jerry Friesen. The rest of the assistant coaches performed at a top level and that added to the atmosphere that kept the players connected to the team.

Support staff like team manager Andrea Eccleston, assistant equipment manager Jay Starecki and hydrologist Tom Benson were again outstanding in thankless roles behind the scenes. They’re always positive and always seem to be having good days.

Also behind the scenes, the parents group has been super valuable as a support system for the players and team, especially when an emotional pick up is needed. Candice Klassen, who is Colton Klassen’s mom, did unbelievable amounts of work with the parents group over the years, and she was huge in making Huskies football feel like family.

It shouldn’t be noted lots of newcomers were key contributors on and off the field.

On the field, the Huskies made news when middle linebacker Nick Wiebe transferred from the University of Oregon Ducks of the NCAA Division I ranks to the Huskies. 

While the Huskies are deep at linebacker, Wiebe’s addition still increased the talent level at that position with his addition.

First year players in running back Ryker Frank and outside linebacker Lane Novak were already making big plays and the impacts they could potentially have on the Huskies program in years to come can be huge.

Clovis Lumeka suited up for a solid five seasons for the Huskies.

The Huskies had a totally new group of student trainers from the last time they took the field in 2019, and the new group including Madison Corrin, Jon Gough, Ashlyn Taillon, Rourke Wunder-Buhr and Joshua Sauverwald did stellar working helping players persevere through injuries.

Still when the games started to happen, the Huskies had to wonder where they would stack up with everyone as rosters of the various Canada West teams were shuffled.

After beating the University of Manitoba Bisons 31-14 in an exhibition game on Sept. 18 at Griffiths Stadium, the Huskies opened the regular season on Sept. 25 falling 34-20 in Calgary to the University of Calgary Dinos.

The Dinos won the Vanier Cup in 2019, so there had to be some uncertainty of just how good could the 2021 campaign could be.

The Dinos ultimately missed the playoffs posting a 2-4 record in a regular season that was shortened from eight games to six games for each team.

The Huskies proceeded to win eight straight games finishing first in the Canada West Conference and advancing to the Vanier Cup. They beat the Dinos 31-23 on Nov. 6 at Griffiths Stadium to close the regular season.

In the post-season, the Huskies captured the Hardy Cup winning the Canada West Championship game with a 45-17 victory over the Bisons on Nov. 20 at Griffiths Stadium.

The Huskies followed that win up taking a 14-10 thrilling finish in the Uteck Bowl over the Universite de Montreal Carabins at The CEPSUM in Montreal, Quebec on Nov. 27.

The Huskies linebackers are pictured with the Hardy Cup.

Machart’s electrifying 13-yard touchdown run to win the game with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter became an all-time storied moments in the history of the Huskies program.

That set the stage for the Vanier Cup title clash with the Mustangs. On a frozen turf at Stade Telus – Universite Laval, the Huskies came up a handful of plays short in a 27-21 setback that was really well played by both sides given the conditions.

All involved with the Huskies football team gave the squad a dream return in 2021. They all would have to agree that the journey to get to this point was worth it.

Hilltops grads Ochs and Chisholm join Rams

Mason Ochs in action for the Hilltops this past season.

On Saturday, the University of Regina Rams head coach Mark McConkey announced they signed two important keys from the Saskatoon Hilltops offensive line, who just graduated from venerable CJFL club.

Left tackle Mason Ochs and right tackle Jonathan Chisholm have committed to joining the Rams for the 2022 U Sports season. Both just finished up playing their fifth and final seasons with the Hilltops help Saskatoon win CJFL titles in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Included in those title wins was an 11-0 perfect season in 2018 and a 12-0 perfect season in 2019.

Ochs departs the Hilltops as one of the team’s all-time greats. He was both a PFC all-star and a CJFL all-Canadian all-star in the last four straight CJFL seasons.

Jonathan Chisholm in action for the Hilltops this past season.

The graduate of Saskatoon’s Tommy Douglas Collegiate Tigers football team was named the PFC’s most outstanding offensive lineman for this past season.

Chisholm became a starter on the Hilltops offensive line at the start of the 2019 campaign. The graduate of Swift Current Comprehensive High School Colts suffered a knee injury in the Hilltops second regular season game this past season but returned to the lineup in the team second last regular season game.

On Oct. 24, Chisholm caught a touchdown pass on a trick play as the Hilltops beat the Rifles in Winnipeg 32-17 to close their regular season.

Ochs and Chisholm helped the Hilltops win the PFC title for a seventh consecutive season before the club’s season came to an end with a 17-14 CJFL semifinal loss to the Rams in Langley, B.C.

Langley Rams capture first Canadian Bowl in 37-0 route

The #CJFL champion @LangleyRams for 2021 pic.twitter.com/hgnvltb5b9

— CJFL News (@CJFLnews) December 4, 2021

The Langley Rams proved to be too much for London Beefeaters to handle in the CJFL championship game – the Canadian Bowl.

Last Saturday at Western Alumni Stadium in London, Ont., the Rams flattened the Beefeaters 37-0 to capture their first CJFL title in team history. The Beefeaters were only able to gain 20 yards of net offence for the contest.

The Rams piled up a Canadian Bowl record 10 sacks in the contest with defensive lineman Tyler Eckert collecting 3.5 sacks, which was also a Canadian Bowl record. He was named the defensive player of the game.

In the first quarter, Rams kicker Tato Ferreyro Araya hit field goals from 17 and 18 yards out to give Langley a 6-0 lead.

The Beefeaters conceded four safeties in the second quarter to extend the Rams lead to 14-0.

At the start of the third quarter, the Beefeaters conceded another safety to allow the Rams to assume a 16-0 edge.

Before the third quarter ended, Rams receiver Daniel Kubongo returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown to increase the Rams advantage to 23-0.

In the fourth quarter, Rams quarterback Micheal Calvert connected with receiver Mario Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Running back Derek Best rounded out the scoring for Langley with an eight-yard touchdown run.

Calvert was named the offensive player of the game completing 12-of-25 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown, while throwing two interceptions.

Kubongo claimed special teams player of the game honours returning two punts for 108 yards to go with his one touchdown.

The Rams concluded the 2021 campaign with an 11-1 overall record including a 7-1 mark in regular season play.

The Beefeaters closed out the season with an 8-3 overall record that included a 6-2 mark in regular season play.

Since 2017, teams from the Ontario Football Conference, which the Beefeaters play out of, have posted an 0-4 record in CJFL semifinal and championship games having dropped each of those contests by 25 or more points.

Thunder’s MacAulay named CJFL coach of the year

Scott MacAulay was named the CJFL’s coach of the year.

Head coach Scott MacAulay captured a major CJFL award after leading his Regina Thunder to their best regular season in team history.

MacAulay guided the Thunder to their first ever first place finish in PFC regular season standings and their first undefeated record in regular season play with an 8-0 mark. For those accomplishments, MacAulay was named the winner of the CJFL’s Gord Currie Coach of the Year Award last Wednesday.

MacAulay took over as head coach of the Thunder in 2013 and guided the club to its first ever CJFL championship that season.

He became the first Thunder head coach to capture CJFL coach of the year hours since Randy Shaw back in 2002.

In 2021, the Thunder’s run of success came to a halt in the PFC final, when they fell to their provincial rivals the Saskatoon Hilltops 29-9 on Nov. 14 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

The CJFL announced its major award winners over its website all last week in the lead up to last Saturday’s Canadian Bowl, where the Langley Rams blanked the London Beefeaters 37-0 in London, Ont., to become CJFL champions.

On Friday, Okanagan Sun running back Malcolm Miller claimed the Peter Dalla Riva Offensive Player of the Year award.

Calgary Colts linebacker Austin Daisy captured the Larry Wruck Defensive Player of the Year award on Thursday.

The CJFL’s Rookie of the Year award went to Langley Rams receiver Daniel Kubongo last Tuesday.

Rounding out the CJFL awards, Valley Huskers receiver Mateo Tuioti was the CJFL Past Commissioners Award for community service, BCFC president Tyler McLaren claimed honours as the CJFL’s Stewart MacDonald Executive of the Year, and CJFL Life Member Awards went to Ed and Terry Plant of Edmonton and OFC president Darren Cocchetto.

Schnitzler versus Neufeld in Grey Cup

Tom Schnitzler in action for the Hilltops in 2015.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders aren’t in the Grey Cup, but there will be a Saskatchewan flavor in the CFL’s championship game.

The Grey Cup is set for this coming Sunday at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, when the host Tiger-Cats (10-6 overall) face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12-3 overall). The Tiger-Cats features defensive lineman Tom Schnitzler and the Bombers roster contains veteran right guard Patrick Neufeld.

Schnitzler, who is a Saskatoon product, played defensive end for the CJFL’s storied Saskatoon Hilltops from 2013 to 2017. He helped the Hilltops win CJFL championships in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Following his time with the Hilltops, Schnitzler played two seasons in the U Sports ranks on the defensive line for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Football team. The 26-year-old is playing in his rookie season with the Tiger-Cats having dressed in three regular season games and both of the Tiger-Cats post-season contests.

Neufeld, who is a Regina product, played four seasons in the U Sports ranks with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies from 2006 to 2010. He is in his 10^th full season in the CFL beginning his career with the Roughriders before a trade on Oct. 10, 2013 brought him to the Bombers.

Neufeld helped the Bombers win the Grey Cup in 2019. The 32-year-old played in 13 out of the 14 regular season games and the one post-season contest the Bombers needed to play to advance to the Grey Cup.

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

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Failed third down gamble does in Huskies in Vanier Cup

Mustangs take U Sports title with 27-21 victory

Mason Nyhus threw for 303 yards for the Huskies on Saturday.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football team gambled and lost.

The University of Western Ontario Mustangs were able to turn one early third quarter play into an avalanche that allowed them to win the Vanier Cup as U Sports champions 27-21 on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, before 5,840 spectators.

On the final play of the first half, Huskies kicker David Solie booted a 24 yard field goal to give his squad a 12-10 lead.

On the opening kickoff of the third quarter, Huskies kick returner Josh Ewanchyna ran the ball back 44 yards to the Mustangs 51 yard line. The Huskies appeared to be in a good spot to build on their slim lead.

The ensuing offensive possession saw the U of S face a third and one situation from the Mustangs 42 yard line. The Huskies sent in their short-yardage offence to make the conversion.

Ewanchyna lined up at running back, got the ball and was tackled inches short of the first down by third-year Mustangs linebacker Zach Lindley to cause a turnover on downs.

At that point, momentum jumped on the side of the Mustangs in a big way.

Two plays after that failed gamble, Mustangs first-year quarterback Evan Hillock connected with veteran receiver Griffin Campbell on a 50-yard pass and run touchdown toss to put the London, Ontario-based squad up 17-12.

That score was the start of what seemed like an avalanche run that saw the Mustangs outscore the Huskies 17-2.

At the 7:43 mark of the third quarter, the Huskies pinned the Mustangs in bad field position causing the Ontario side to concede a safety to trim the Mustangs edge to 17-14.

After getting out of that jam, the Mustangs closed the third quarter with Hillock connecting with Campbell on a perfectly executed bubble screen pass play that went 17 yards for a major score. After that seven-play scoring drive that covered 72 yards, the Mustangs were now exiting the third quarter holding a 24-14 advantage.

Josh Ewanchyna scored the Huskies final TD on Saturday.

The Mustangs surge concluded with a 37 yard field goal from kicker Brian Garrity at the 2:59 mark of the fourth quarter to increase Western’s lead to 27-14.

While there was still lots of time remaining in the fourth quarter at that point, the Huskies were never able to get a game-changing big play to get the traction they needed to start the rally. The Huskies defence wasn’t able to get any interceptions or fumble recoveries.

The Mustangs defence did a great job in not giving up the big play.

The Huskies did move the ball offensively, but they needed to put together efficient multiple play drives to score. U of S’s longest play on offence in the game was a 26-yard pass to star fifth-year utility player Colton Klassen.

After the Huskies got the Mustangs offensive momentum to fizzle out, the Dogs put up a major on a one-yard touchdown run from Ewanchyna to cut the Mustangs lead to 27-21 with 28 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

U of S attempted an onside kick to try and get the ball back for a miracle finish, but Western blocked the play up perfectly to allow sophomore running back Keon Edwards to field the ball. The Mustangs proceeded to run out the clock with two running plays and a kneel down to take their eighth U Sports championship in team history with the 27-21 win.

Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall was a part of four of those wins guiding the squad to a Vanier Cup champions in 2017 and serving as a Mustangs assistant coach for Vanier Cup title victories in 1989 and 1994.

While the weather conditions were expected to favour the Huskies being -11 C with an eight kilometre an hour wind creating a field that was frozen and slippery, the Mustangs came out and played a solid game in those conditions like they were a U Sports or CFL team based in one of the Prairie provinces.

On the first offensive series of the game, Western put together a five-play scoring drive that covered 70 yards that culminated in a 25-yard touchdown run by fifth-year running back Trey Humes for a 7-0 lead.

Before the first quarter ended, the Huskies got a 26-yard field goal from Solie to cut the Mustangs lead to 7-3.

At the 5:03 mark of the second quarter, the Huskies jumped ahead 9-7, when star quarterback Mason Nyhus hit third-year receiver Daniel Perry on a 22-yard touchdown toss. Solie’s point after attempt was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, which prevented the Huskies from going up by three points.

The Mustangs retook the lead with 3:20 remaining in the second quarter on a 23-yard field goal from Garrity for a 10-9 edge.

Adam Machart had 78 yards rushing and 82 yards receiving.

That set the stage for Solie to make his kick that put the Huskies in front 12-10 at halftime and lead up to the failed third down gamble on the Huskies first series of the third quarter.

While the failed gamble ultimately snowballed on the Huskies and was the turning point in the contest, the U of S coaching staff made the right call in deciding to go for it at that point in the game.

Huskies head coach Scott Flory coaches in a style that is a mix of his former Huskies head coach in the legendary Brian Towriss and two of his former CFL head coaches with the Montreal Alouettes in the late great icon in Don Matthews and cerebral standout Marc Trestman.

Matthews was the type of coach that believed at certain points in any contest you have to gamble and go out and win the game.

The Huskies throughout their history are known for their great offensive lines, and U of S can be rightfully dubbed “O-line U.”

Putting in a jumbo set for a third-and-one gamble, you have to believe your players can go out and get that yard. If the Huskies succeed in that gamble, they might have finished that first possession drive of the third quarter scoring a touchdown for a 19-10 advantage.

At that point, the game plays out quite a bit differently that it did.

Even if the Mustangs got the stuff, the Huskies had to believe there was still plenty of time to recover from that missed chance.

To the Mustangs credit, they made that Huskies missed gamble turn into a costly one.

When the dust settled, Nyhus finished having an outstanding game for the Huskies completing 28-of-40 passes for 303 yards, one touchdown pass and no interceptions. Huskies star running back Adam Machart ran the ball 16 times for a team high 78 yards and caught eight passes for 82 yards.

Klassen topped the Huskies with 95 receiving yards coming on seven catches.

Riley Pickett had 1.5 tackles for a loss for the Huskies.

Defensive back Cameron Skinner led the Huskies with seven total tackles, while defensive end Riley Pickett had 1.5 tackles for a loss. He shared a tackle for a loss with fifth-year linebacker Clovis Lumeka.

Hillock showed he is potentially on the cusp of a stellar career with the Mustangs completing 18-of-29 passes for 274 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He took home the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game’s most outstanding player.

Campbell caught six passes for a game high 104 yards to go with his two touchdowns.

The Mustangs piled up 209 yards rushing as a team with five different players getting rushing attempts.

Mustangs fourth-year defensive back Daniel Valente Jr. had a game high 8.5 tackles taking home the Bruce Coulter Award as the defensive player of the game.

Defensive linemen Deionte Knight and Malcolm Hinds had single sacks for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs finished the campaign with a 10-1 overall record, while the Huskies concluded the season with an 8-2 overall mark.

The Vanier Cup loss brings an end to the U Sports careers of seven Huskies players in Klassen, Lumeka, Kyle Newton, Carter Dahl, Finley Easton, Nick Summach and Yol Piok, who were all played out their fifth and final seasons of eligibility.

That group helped the Huskies win a Canada West Conference title in 2018 and another conference championship this season in making the run to the Vanier Cup game.

Before those two post-season runs, the last time the Huskies had won the Canada West title and advanced to the Vanier Cup game was 2006.

The Huskies are still searching for their first Vanier Cup win since 1998. In total, they’ve won the U Sports title on three occasions including 1990 and 1996.

After the Huskies weren’t able to hit the field in 2020 as the Canada West Conference season and the Vanier Cup were cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) campaign that has gripped the world, the 2021 return season for the Huskies was a remarkable one.

Colton Klassen had 95 yards receiving on Saturday.

They returned a strong core group of players that took the program to heights it hasn’t reached in some time.

The Huskies have once again been able to see what the Vanier Cup looks like. You can bet this will help motivate the returning players and add to the realization that reaching the U Sports mountaintop again is something that can be realistically achieved in future seasons.

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

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Five Huskies get all-Canadian nods in lead up to Vanier

Dogs play in U Sports title game on Saturday

David Solie was named a first team all-Canadian all-star.

While team success is always the most remembered thing in football, it always good to take time to celebrate individual honours.

Ultimately, it is the players and individual stories in the game that help followers draw a closer connection to the sport.

On Thursday night at the annual U Sports football awards show held in Quebec City, Quebec, five members of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies were named all-Canadian all-stars.

At the ballroom in the Hotel le Concorde Quebec, running back Adam Machart, left tackle Noah Zerr, defensive end Nathan Cherry and kicker David Solie were named first team all-Canadian all-stars, while Connor Berglof, who plays both centre and right guard, was named a second team all-Canadian all-star.

Solie earned his first team all-Canadian all-star nod at punter. Berglof claimed his second team all-Canadian all-star position at centre.

The awards were handed out as the Huskies close in on playing in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup – for the first time since 2006.

The Huskies (8-1 overall) face the University of Western Ontario Mustangs (9-1 overall) in the Vanier Cup on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec (12 p.m. Saskatchewan time, CBC). The Mustangs head into that clash as favourites, but the weather might favour the Huskies as it is expected to be -10 C with a 60 per cent chance of snow according to Environment Canada.

The Dogs are looking for their first Vanier Cup win since 1998, while the Mustangs last won the U Sports title in 2017. The Huskies have won the Vanier Cup three times, and Mustangs claimed the top prize in U Sports football seven times.

On the individual front, Machart picked up a first team all-Canadian nod after a solid campaign. He led the Huskies in rushing yards during the regular season piling up 415 yards on 60 carries and scoring two touchdowns appearing in five of U of S’s six regular season games.

During those five regular season contests, Machart hauled in 14 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown. This was the second consecutive season Machart was named a first team all-Canadian all-star.

Noah Zerr, right, makes a blog in a double team.

U Sports didn’t hold any national championships and most of that circuit’s teams didn’t play in the 2020-21 campaign due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

Zerr was named an all-Canadian for the first time with his first team all-Canadian all-star nod. On September 1, Zerr was rated 20^th among the top 20 prospects for the 2022 CFL Draft as ranked by the Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau.

Cherry also picked up his first all-Canadian honour with his first team all-Canadian all-star selection. He had a monster year at defensive end recording 5.5 sacks and 13.5 total tackles playing all six of the Huskies regular season games.

Solie took all-Canadian status for the first time with his first team all-Canadian all-star award thanks to his outstanding year punting the ball. Appearing in all six of the Huskies regular season games, Solie punted the ball 36 times for 1,563 yards for an average of 43.4 yards per kick.

Berglof claimed all-Canadian status for a second straight season. In 2019, he was named a first team all-Canadian all-star at centre.

This season, Berglof was named a second team all-Canadian all-star at centre. The CFL Draft selection of the Toronto Argonauts played most of the regular season at centre for the Huskies.

He was moved to right guard near the end of the regular season and remained at that spot through the post-season.

The work Zerr, Berglof and the rest of the Huskies offensive line put in saw quarterback Mason Nyhus only get sacked four times and the Huskies lead U Sports in rushing yards per carry.

As for the major award winners in U Sports football, University of Waterloo Warriors quarterback Tre Ford won the Hec Crighton Award as the most outstanding player of the year.

Mustangs defensive end Deionte Knight claimed J.P. Metras Award as the most outstanding lineman.

University of Alberta Golden Bears linebacker Josiah Schakel took the Presidents’ Trophy as the most outstanding defensive player.

Connor Berglof (#68) throws a block for the Huskies.

Concordia University Stingers receiver Jaylan Greaves claimed the Peter Gorman Trophy as the rookie of the year.

Late University of Ottawa Gee-Gees defensive lineman Francis Perron was posthumously awarded the Russ Jackson Award for outstanding community service. Perron passed away after the Gee-Gees first regular season game, when they fell 11-10 to the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in Toronto on September 18.

Queen’s University Golden Gaels head coach Steve Snyder captured the Frank Tindall Trophy as the coach of the year.

University of Guelph Gryphons offensive line coach Michael MacDonald took the Gino Fracas Award as the Volunteer coach of the year for U Sports.

Alums send pump up messages to current Huskies team

Tyler Siwak (#19) in action for the Huskies in 2002.

The alumni of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football put together video of pump up messages for the current team going into this year’s Vanier Cup.

The Huskies play the University of Western Ontario Mustangs in the U Sports football championship game on Saturday at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec.

The video was shared over the social media channels for the Huskie Football Alumni and the University of Saskatchewan. The messages were great and a number of them were colourful.

The video showed how many beauties played on the team and were characters that have character like Murray Sadownick, Cal Hobbs, Brent Schneider, Kelly Bates, Tyler Siwak, Lyndon Rush, Ben Coakwell, Ivan Brown, Laurence Nixon, Parker Siemens, Rylund Hunter, Ben Heenan and Tanner Secord.

Secord, who played his fifth and final year in 2019 on the offensive line, told former teammate and current fourth-year centre and right guard on the offensive line Conner Berglof that he was allowed to smile after the current team wins on Saturday.

Feel free to check out the video below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Huskies FB Alumni (@huskiealumni)

Hockey men’s Huskies romp past MRU 7-2

Jaxan Kaluski had two goals and an assist for the Huskies.

It was all Dogs all night at Merlis Belsher Place on Friday night.

In a U Sports men’s hockey regular season contest, the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies thumped the Mount Royal University Cougars 7-2 holding a 37-17 advantage in shots on goal before 1,673 spectators. The Huskies, who are rated fourth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, led 2-0 after the first period and 4-0 after the second frame.

Jaxan Kaluski had two goals and an assist for the Huskies. Jared Dmytriw and Vince Loschiavo each picked up a goal and two assists in the win.

Captain Gord Ballhorn, Donovan Neuls and Owen Hardy had singles for the Huskies.

Riley Sawchuk and Tyson Helgesen replied with singles for the Cougars.

Roddy Ross made 15 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies (8-3). Riley Morris turned away 30 shots going the distance in goal for the Cougars (6-5-1).

Those two squads go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

MRU blanks Huskies women’s team 1-0

Bailee Bourassa had eight shots on goal for the Huskies.

Zoe De Beauville was a brick wall the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team wasn’t able to overcome.

The netminder for the Mount Royal University Cougars women’s hockey team made 28 saves to backstop her squad to a 1-0 U Sports regular season win over the Huskies at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary on Friday. The shutout was the third of the season for De Beauville.

Cougars captain Amy Tatum scored on the power play at the 11:12 mark of the first period to account for the game’s only goal. Emma Bergesen and Breanne Trotter picked up assists.

The Cougars, who are rated fifth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, improved to 8-1-2 with the win.

Camryn Drever made 24 stops to take the setback in goal for the Huskies 6-3-2. Huskies captain Bailee Bourassa had eight shots on goal.

The Cougars were 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Huskies were unable to score on five power-play chances.

The two sides go at it again on Saturday in Calgary.

Expect Bombers to pull out win on Irving’s last call, other notes

Andrew Harris and the Bombers to give their all for Bob Irving.

On the CFL front, the Saskatchewan Roughriders might be heading into a buzz saw, when they head into Winnipeg to face the host Blue Bombers in the West Final on Sunday.

On sports talk shows based out of Saskatchewan, locals have been phoning in their support for the Roughriders saying they will win as the Bombers battle rust. The Bombers topped the entire CFL standings with an 11-3 record and closed the regular season losing two straight games that wouldn’t effect where they were in the standings.

The Roughriders, who were second in the West Division with a 9-5 mark, have won five of their last six games including a thrilling 33-30 overtime victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the West semifinal at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

The Bombers head into the West Final at IG Field in Winnipeg with extra motivation.

The West Final will be the last game Bob “Knuckles” Irving calls as the iconic play-by-play voice of the Bombers. The 71-year-old has filled that roll with CJOB in Winnipeg since 1974.

Irving is a total professional when it comes to calling the game. He has piled up many accolades including induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and having the press box at IG Field named in his honour as the Bob Irving Media Centre.

He has called Bombers games through many ups and downs and seen the team win Grey Cup championships in 1984, 1988, 1990 and 2019.

Irving means a lot to the team. While the Bombers were favourites in this game anyways, you have to believe they will dig down to find another gear to get this one for Irving.

You can expect veterans like star running back and hometown hero Andrew Harris, who is returning from injury, will try his best to allow Irving to depart on a high.

Irving will be inducted to the Bombers ring of honour before Sunday’s game.

He is a true media professional, and he gets uncomfortable when the story becomes about him or a fuss is made over him.

Hopefully, he lets himself enjoy the ride this time.

If the Bombers do win as expected, it would be cool if the management and broadcasters at TSN work things out to allow Irving to call the Grey Cup game in Hamilton on Dec. 12 as an extra treat for a national audience. That won’t likely happen, but it would be the right thing to do, if the Bombers are in that game.

• On Monday, the Winter Universiade, which was set to run Dec. 11 to 21 in Lucerne, Switzerland, was cancelled due to concern over the omicron variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the world since March of 2020. Switzerland had imposed border restrictions on travelers from several countries where the new omicron variant has been discovered causing the cancellation of the games. Several countries including Canada have introduced new travel restrictions due to the omicron variant. The Winter Universiade was originally supposed to be held back in January but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccines were just starting to be distributed at that time.
• As the Universite Laval Rouge et Or won’t be playing in the Vanier Cup, it is unknown who the neutral crowd at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, will cheer for in the U Sports football championship game on Saturday. The University of Saskatchewan Huskies take on the University of Western Ontario Mustangs for the title. Since London, Ont., is way closer to Quebec City than Saskatoon, Mustangs fans might travel to give their side more of a home field advantage. Fans in Quebec City may cheer on the Huskies due to the fact they had to travel further to get to the game and the Mustangs developed a slight rivalry with the Rouge et Or after meeting the Vanier Cup in 2017 and 2018. The Mustangs took the 2017 Vanier Cup and the Rouge et Or claimed the 2018 title game.
• The Bodog sports betting site has the University of Western Ontario Mustangs favoured in an opening spread by 9.5 points over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in Saturday’s U Sports football championship game – the Vanier Cup. The game will be played at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec. You can check those odds out by clicking right here.
• On Friday, Nov. 26, former WHLer and University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team alum Matt Swaby passed away in a farming accident. His celebration of life was held today in Prince Albert. Swaby played defence for the Prince Albert Mintos under-18 AAA team from 2002 to 2004, the WHL’s Tri-City Americans from 2004 to 2007, the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings from 2007 to 2008 and the U Sports’ Huskies from 2008 to 2011. He leaves behind his wife Carla and their three boys Thomas, 6, Blake, 4 and Cody, 2. Swaby was a friend to all and a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $221,000 for the family. Anyone looking to donate to the GoFundMe campaign for the family can do so by clicking right here.

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

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Huskies, Mustangs to add chapter to head-to-head history with Vanier Cup clash

Storied U Sports programs collide for sixth time

Adam Machart has delivered big plays for the Huskies.

As two of U Sports most storied football programs, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Western Ontario Mustangs are historic familiar foes.

On Saturday, the two sides will face each other for a sixth time when they collide in the U Sports championship game – the Vanier Cup (12 p.m. Saskatchewan time, CBC). The two sides enter the contest to be played at Stade Telus – Universite Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, each riding eight-game winning streaks.

The Huskies, who have won the Vanier Cup three times, are 8-1 overall and rated fourth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. The Mustangs, who have won the Vanier Cup seven times, are 9-1 overall and are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.

In the previous five encounters between the two squads, the Mustangs claimed victory on four occasions.

The Huskies and Mustangs last met in the 2018 Mitchell Bowl at Western Alumni Stadium, which was then known as TD Stadium, in London, Ont.

The teams were tied 17-17 at halftime before the Mustangs shot out to claim a 47-24 victory. There are still a few holdovers from that game, which should create some familiarity between the two sides.

The Huskies and Mustangs first went at in way back in 1974 in London, Ont., in the Churchill Bowl. The Churchill Bowl used to serve as one of U Sports semifinal games and was last rewarded in 2002.

In the 1974 Churchill Bowl, the Mustangs romped to a 41-17 victory and moved on to win the second Vanier Cup in program history.

The two sides wouldn’t meet again until the 1989 Vanier Cup. At that point, Brian Towriss was cemented as head coach of the Huskies, and Larry Haylor was entrenched as head coach of the Mustangs. They took the helms of their respective programs in 1984.

Both men would find their way into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as builders.

Mason Nyhus fires a pass downfield for the Huskies.

Entering that contest, the Mustangs were an established power having won the Vanier Cup four times. The Huskies were a team on the rise.

Before 32,877 spectators at what is now known as Rogers Centre and then known as the Skydome in Tononto, Ont., the Mustangs were too much for the Huskies and stormed to a 35-10 victory to capture the Vanier Cup for a fifth time.

Mustangs’ receiver Tyrone Williams was named the game’s MVP hauling in five catches for 157 yards and one touchdown. Williams would go on to win two Super Bowls as a member of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and 1993 and one Grey Cup as a member of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in 1996.

The Huskies would win their first Vanier Cup in 1990 and collide with the Mustangs again this time in the 1994 Vanier Cup that was played once more at Rogers Place in Toronto. Going into this U Sports title clash, both programs were now established powerhouses.

This battle would go down as an all-time U Sports classic and the moment memorable encounter between the two sides.

The Mustangs took 31-14 lead into the fourth quarter before the Huskies offence hit high gear. The Huskies went on a roll and assumed a 37-34 lead with 64 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on a 34-yard touchdown reception from David Blackburn.

With four seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Mustangs kicker Frank Jagas kicked a 42-yard field goal to force a 37-37 tie and send the Vanier Cup to overtime for the first time ever.

Under the overtime rules U Sports used at the time, the teams played two halves that were 10-minutes in length. The Huskies and Mustangs exited the first 10-minute half with the game now tied 40-40.

The Mustangs scored the only 10 points of the second overtime half to claim a 50-40 victory and their sixth Vanier Cup title.

Nick Wiebe (#43) has had a strong season at middle linebacker.

Huskies star quarterback Brent Schneider was named the game’s MVP, and he completed 36-of-67 passes for 528 yards and four touchdowns, while throwing five interceptions.

The Huskies would win their second Vanier Cup in 1996 before next meeting the Mustangs in the 1998 Churchill Bowl. This clash would take place at the Huskies storied home field of Griffiths Stadium and the fourth time would be a charm when it came to achieving victory for the Dogs.

Huskies star running back Doug Rozon zipped to a 49-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter and the hosts ran to a 33-17 victory. Rozon finished the contest carrying the ball 23 times for 214 yards to go with his major score, and he caught three passes for 37 yards.

The Huskies advanced onward to win their third Vanier Cup title.

After that Churchill Bowl encounter, the Huskies and Mustangs wouldn’t meet again until the 2018 Mitchell Bowl. The Mustangs entered that Mitchell Bowl as defending Vanier Cup champions having thumped the Universite Laval Rouge et Or 39-17 in the 2017 U Sports title game.

The Mustangs rode the golden arm of star quarterback Chris Merchant to win the seventh Vanier Cup in program history in 2017.

 After downing the Huskies in the 2018 Mitchell Bowl, the Mustangs fell 34-20 in the Vanier Cup to the Rouge et Or, who were playing in their home park in Stade Telus – Universite Laval.

This year’s clash will see Huskies head coach Scott Flory and Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall face each other for a second time.

Flory, who was an offensive lineman on the Huskies Vanier Cup winners in 1996 and 1998, rejoined the program in 2014 as an assistant coach after playing 15 years with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. He took on the head coach role in 2017 as Towriss’s successor.

Sam Bakers sheds a defender after making a catch.

In a short time, Flory has name a name for himself in the head coach role guiding the Huskies to two Canada West Conference titles and making the Vanier Cup in four seasons on the job.

Marshall has been a career coach whose time as a sideline boss spans five decades. He was a Mustangs assistant coach under Haylor when the Mustangs won the Vanier Cup over the Huskies in 1989 and 1994.

He guided the McMaster University Marauders as head coach from 1997 to 2003 and went on to become head coach of the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2004 to 2006.

Marshall rejoined the Mustangs as head coach in 2007 and has guided the program to seven Ontario University Athletics conference championships and a Vanier Cup title in 2017.

Both teams bring a cast of standout players to the contest.

The Huskies are guided by gunslinger Mason Nyhus at quarterback, have a big playmaker at running back in Adam Machart and sure handed pass catchers in Sam Baker and utility player Colton Klassen.

As is tradition with the Huskies, their offensive line makes things go, and they have a great one again with Nick Summach at right tackle, Connor Berglof at right guard, Oluwayombo Olabimtan at centre, Derek Beaubien at left guard and Noah Zerr at left tackle. Berglof has starred for a lengthy stretch at centre before moving over to right guard.

On defence, the Huskies look to defensive ends Riley Pickett and Nathan Cherry, linebackers Nick Wiebe and Clovis Lumeka and defensive back Charlie Ringland to make momentum changing plays.

The Mustangs start first year signal caller Evan Hillock at quarterback. He took over the starter’s role in the Mustangs second regular season game and guided the offence with a steady hand.

Hillock appears to be on the cusp of a great U Sports career.

The Huskies look to celebrate one more big win.

Sophomore Keon Edwards is the Mustangs game breaker at running back and veteran receiver Savaughn Magnaye-Jones is the team’s big play pass catcher.

Centre Elliot Beamer, guard Phil Grohovac and tackle Zach Fry anchor the offensive line.

The Mustangs are filled with standouts on defence including defensive end Deionte Knight, defensive tackle Malcolm Hinds and free safety Daniel Valente. Knight has been a terror when it comes to tracking down and sacking quarterbacks.

This latest chapter of head-to-head encounters between the Huskies and Mustangs has the potential to be as memorable as the 1994 Vanier Cup.

On Saturday, they will confront each other for a prize only one can win.

HuskieFAN a home run for Huskies

In a sports media world in Canada that continues to shrink, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies found an inventive way to get more coverage.

At the start of this season, the Huskies partnered with Pattison Media to launch the HuskieFAN app and website. The coverage HuskieFAN has provided to date has been outstanding.

HuskieFAN’s coverage is focused on Huskies football and men’s and women’s hockey.

Huskies football games are streamed digitally and carried on the radio waves on the AM dial by 750 Beach Radio based out of Melfort, Sask.

All men’s and women’s hockey home and away games are broadcast digitally with HuskieFAN app staff providing play-by-play call for those contests.

Pattison media gained extra attention here for becoming the first private broadcaster in Canada to commit to broadcasting a full season of women’s hockey with Daniella Ponticelli taking on the role of play-by-play voice of the Huskies women’s team. Ponticelli is also the current anchor for Global News Morning in Regina.

Well-known veteran broadcaster Wray Morrison is the senior producer, host and partnership coordinator for HuskieFAN. He has comfortably filled the role calling Huskies football games, and he has shown his hidden talent of being a pretty good writer creating written content for the HuskieFAN site.

On the HuskieFAN’s biggest adds might Katie Brickman-Young, who is a former sportwriter for the now defunct Moose Jaw Times-Herald. She is also a communications advisor for the Federated Co-operatives Limited.

Brickman-Young is a seasoned and experience WHL beat writer, and she is strong at finding different hooks to pull readers into feature, advancer and game story pieces.

HuskieFAN has pulled in Jeff D’Andrea, who is a sports reporter with Pattison Media’s paNOW in Prince Albert, Sask., to do play-by-play of some men’s hockey games along with providing strong written content. D’Andrea is known as a veteran on the WHL beat covering the Prince Albert Raiders.

Matt Morrison, who is Wray’s son, has provided analysis on Huskies football broadcasts. He is likely one of the industries more under-appreciated broadcasters.

Ben Tompkins, who is news and sports reporter with Pattison Media, will add content to HuskieFAN from time to time too.

This partnership between Pattison Media and the Huskies has turned out to be a great one, because it is giving the consistent beat coverage the Huskies football, men’s and women’s hockey team deserve. HuskieFAN has stories on the other Huskies teams too.

Overall, it is great an avenue has been found to get consistent coverage to the football team and the two hockey squads. That type of attention for U Sports programs is unfortunately not the norm anymore in Canada.

It is great all involved took a chance on this idea.

On the full disclosure front, I was approached by a manager at Pattison Media about contributing to HuskieFAN, but I couldn’t make it work with my current work life schedule and trying to be more present on the family front.

The approach came during a time when my main focus was on a big family wedding that was happening at the start of September and the timing for me was all wrong.

Still, I am happy to see HuskieFAN has taken off like it has, and good people are doing a great job with it. Feel free to check it out at huskiefan.ca.

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

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