Pandas win ugly, hold off Huskies rally

The Pandas celebrate Natasha Steblin's OT winner.

    The University of Alberta Pandas women’s hockey team proved they win the ugly one.

    Had the host University of Saskatchewan Huskies claimed victory, they would have held that same distinction.

    On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Pandas slipped past the Huskies 2-1 in double overtime in a match that resembled what a New Jersey Devils game looked like back in their Stanley Cup winning years. From the second period onwards, the contest was defined by a whole tonne of clutching and grabbing, and the officials could have called more penalties than 13 total infractions that were issued out.

    Actually, the officials seemed to be trapped in not knowing what calls they should let go and what infractions they should call, which helped to further drag the flow of play down.

    When the dust settled in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport regular season clash, one of the biggest differences that created the final outcome was the fact the Pandas went 2-for-6 on the power play, while the Huskies went 0-for-7 with the one-player advantage.

    The Pandas struck first in Saturday’s clash with 2:03 to play in the opening frame. While working the power play, fifth-year forward Lindsey Cunningham collected the rebound from a Natasha Steblin shot at the side of the U of S goal and potted her third of the season to put U of A up 1-0.

    As the contest progressed, it appeared Cunningham’s tally would hold up to give the Pandas victory. Both teams had trouble working their way up and down the ice, which helped cut down on the scoring opportunities for both sides.

Julia Flinton had a huge goal for the Huskies.

    When scoring chances did come, Lindsey Post stood tall in the Pandas net, while Cassidy Hendricks ensured the Huskies remained within a goal.

    Just when the contest appeared to be stuck in a quagmire, Huskies offensive defender Julia Flinton netted the equalizer with four seconds to play in the third period on a beautiful solo rush. The Williams Lake, B.C., product picked up speed in the centre ice zone, blew by the Pandas defenders and slipped home a backhand shot past Post to even the score at 1-1.

    Near the end of the first four-on-four overtime period, the Huskies had huge chance to pull out the win, when they went on the power play after Pandas forward Deanna Morin was given a minor for checking to the head. The Huskies had three solid chance to win the game on that power-play chance including a point shot that deflected high into the air and almost lobbed into the U of A net. The puck ended up just settling on top of the goal.

    During a second overtime period played under a three-on-three format, the Pandas went to the power play after Huskies centre Lauren Zary was given a slashing minor.

    The visitors capitalized on that chance, when Steblin fired home the winner from the slot passed a screened Hendricks to give the Pandas a 2-1 victory.

    Hendricks made 18 stops taking the overtime setback in goal for the Huskies. Post made 24 saves to earn the win in goal for the Pandas.

    The Huskies record moved to 13-9-4, and they were able to clinch a berth in the Canada West playoffs with the point they earned from the overtime setback. With two regular season games to play, the Huskies sit fourth overall in Canada West two points up on the University of Manitoba Bisons.

    The Pandas improve to 14-9-3 to sit third in Canada West with a four-point cushion on the Huskies thanks mainly to having 13-10 advantage in regulations wins.

    The Huskies close the regular season with a home-and-home series with the U of Regina Cougars (16-9-1). The two teams play this coming Friday in Regina at the Co-operators Centre and this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

Golden Bears pull out brooms in Edmonton

Sean Aschim had a goal for the Huskies in Edmonton on Saturday.

    The University of Alberta Golden Bears served notice that they are still a force to be reckoned with in Canada West men’s hockey.

    On Saturday in Edmonton, the Golden Bears completed a two-game series sweep of the Canada West leading U of Saskatchewan Huskies posting a 5-2 victory before 1,653 spectators at the Clare Drake Arena. The sweep at the hands of U of A marks the first time the Huskies have dropped two straight game all season. The Golden Bears took Friday’s clash in Edmonton between the two club’s 3-0.

    In Saturday’s encounter, Levko Koper, Jordan Rowley and Thomas Carr netted singles to stake the hosts out to a 3-0 lead.

    Jesse Ross and Sean Aschim responded with singles for the Huskies to cut the Golden Bear’s lead to 3-2 heading into the second intermission.

    In the third period, Stephane Legault and Jamie Crooks potted singles to seal victory for the Golden Bears.

    Jordon Cooke made 32 saves to take the loss in goal for the Huskies. Luke Siemens turned away 17 shots to pick up the win in the Golden Bears net.

    The Huskies, who are rated first in the CIS top ten rankings, fell to 21-5, but they have already locked up first overall in Canada West. The Golden Bears, who are rated seventh in the CIS top ten rankings, improve to 17-7-2 to sit third in Canada West just one point behind the Mount Royal University Cougars (17-6-3).

    U of S closes its regular season with a home-and-home series against the University of Regina Cougars (6-20). The two clubs play this coming Friday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink and on Saturday in Regina at the Co-operators Centre.

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

Huskies finally get rewarded

Kaitlin Willoughby celebrates her second period goal for the Huskies.

    It might be a bit of an understatement to say the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team needed to break back into the win column.

    Entering play Friday, the Huskies had won only won one of their last six games, and in the five setbacks, they had the edge in shots on goal. The effort was there, but the goals had dried up as the Dogs only scored eight times over that stretch. What made the losses even more painful was the fact two were by one goal and two were by two goals.

    The biggest challenge facing Huskies head coach Steve Kook and his staff was trying to keep the confidence of their players elevated and make them believe that the goals will come, if they keep their effort up.

    Heading into their home game Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies, who were no longer rated in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top ten rankings, faced a huge challenge taking on the University of Alberta Pandas, who are a powerhouse club year in and year out in the Canada West Conference.

    In one of those that’s why they play the games moments, the Huskies pulled out a 2-1 victory in the match that resembled what one might see in the post-season.

    The contest turned out to be a goaltending duel between fourth-year veterans Cassidy Hendricks of the Huskies and Lindsey Post of the Pandas. Hendricks turned way 30 shots, while Post made 27 saves.

Centre Lauren Zary jets up ice for the Huskies.

    Over the opening 20 minutes, the Huskies stormed out of the gates with huge jump and outshot the Pandas 17-5. The hosts had some golden chances, but Post slammed the door shut.

    The Huskies mental toughness was tested even further in the second period. The Pandas responded with a big push back, where they were spending large stretches of time in the U of S zone.

    U of A broke through at the 13:23 mark, when third year forward Ashley Morin deked around a Huskies defender and tucked a smart shot past Hendricks to give the Pandas a 1-0 lead.

    The Huskies were at a point they could have folded, but they kept digging deep and finally started to get rewarded around the net. Just three minutes after the Pandas tally, Huskies winger Kaitlin Willoughby broke into the U of A zone with speed, deked past a Pandas defender and roofed a shot top corner on Post to tie things up at 1-1. The tally energized the home side.

    With 22 seconds to play in the second, Huskies were buzzing in the Pandas zone, and U of S centre Lauren Zary corralled a rebound from a Marley Ervine shot at the side of the U of A net and lifted a backhander home to put the Huskies up 2-1. The normally calm Zary proceeded to leap in the air and then jump into the glass with excitement.

    In the third, the Pandas had the majority of the chances, but the Huskies still had a number of moments where they applied pressure in the offensive zone in search for an insurance goal.

Cassidy Hendricks makes a clutch save late in the game for the Huskies.

    The biggest difference maker down the stretch was Hendricks in goal. With under a minute to play, Pandas standout rookie Alex Poznikoff had an opportunity to score from point blank range, but Hendricks was able to trap the puck between her arm and body.

    The win allowed the Huskies to improve to 13-9-3 to remain fourth in the Canada West standings with three games to play. The Pandas dropped to 13-9-3, but they remained three points ahead of the Huskies due to having three more regulation wins. In Canada West women’s play, teams are awarded three points for a regulation win and two points for an extra time victory.

    Both teams will go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink, and the Huskies should have a little extra boost in confidence from seeing positive results come from their efforts.

Dogs winning streak ends at nine

Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke made 22 stops in Friday's loss in Edmonton.

    It seemed the University of Alberta Golden Bears men’s hockey team wanted to do everything they could to end the winning streak of their forever rivals, and they were successful in doing just that.

    On Friday night in Edmonton, the Golden Bears blanked the U of Saskatchewan Huskies 3-0 before a large gathering of 1,839 spectators at the Clare Drake Arena in a tightly contested match. Jayden Hart tallied for the hosts at the 9:40 mark of the second period to give the Golden Bears a 1-0 edge.

    The Golden Bears potted a couple of power-play goals in the third, with Jordan Rowley scoring at the 45-second mark and Kruise Reddick tallying at the 17:10 mark. Luke Siemens turned away 23 shots to earn the shutout in goal for U of A.

    Jordon Cooke stopped 22 shots taking the loss in net for the Huskies, who saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end. U of S was 11-0 on the road this season before falling to the Golden Bears on Friday night. The Huskies, who are rated first in the CIS top ten rankings, fell to 21-4, but they entered play Friday having first place in the Canada West Conference all locked up.

    The Golden Bears, who are rated seventh in the CIS top ten rankings, improved to 16-7-2 and sit a point behind the Mount Royal University Cougars (16-6-3) for second in Canada West.

    The Huskies and Golden Bears go at it again on Saturday at the Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

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

Stars roll into break

Abby Shirley fires a shot on goal for the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars kicked things back into high gear before heading into an extended break.

    On Saturday and Sunday, the Stars convincingly swept a two-game series against the visiting Melville Prairie Fire taking the encounters by respective scores of 6-2 and 8-0 at the Agriplace Arena.     The victories were big bounce back efforts for the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champs, who dropped a 3-2 decision at home to the Prince Albert A & W Bears back on Jan. 24 in their last outing before facing Melville.

    The sweep allowed Saskatoon to improve to 22-4 and move into a position to be on the cusp of locking up first place in the SFMAAAHL and home ice advantage throughout the league’s post-season. The Stars conclude the regular season by traveling to Battleford to play the Sharks (3-18-2) on Feb. 20 and 21, and would clinch first by winning just one of those two contests.

    The Stars will know if they need to earn any wins at all in order to secure stop spot in the league before they hit the ice on Feb. 20. Only the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats (15-5-2) could finish ahead of the Stars in the league standings, but the Wildcats need to win all of their final six games in regulation to have a chance at that distinction.

    Swift Current will have finished its regular season schedule before the Stars hit the ice on Feb. 20. The Wildcats do complete their regular season schedule on Feb. 20, but their home encounter that day against the Weyburn Southern Range Gold Wings starts six hours and 45 minutes before the Stars game does.

Anna Leschyshyn drives to the net for the Stars.

    The SFMAAAHL awards three points in the standings for a regulation win, two points for an extra time win and one point for an extra time loss. Saskatoon has 64 points coming from 20 regulation wins and two extra time victories.

    Swift Current has 47 points with all their wins coming in regulation along with two points from extra time setbacks. If the Wildcats won their remaining six games in regulation, they would finish with 65 points in the standings.

    Mackenna Parker and Danielle Girolami had big nights in Saturday’s 6-2 victory over Melville. Parker had a pair of goals and an assist, while Girolami had three assists.

    Grace Shirley, Julia Rongve, Joelle Fiala and Kianna Dietz had singles. Emma Johnson made 26 saves to earn the win in goal.

    Regan Nichol and Cheyanne Fishley replied for the Prairie Fire (7-15-1), while Macey MacDonald made 43 stops taking the loss in net.

    In the Stars 8-0 win on Sunday, Abby Shirley had a pair of goals, while Willow Slobodzian, Hollie Coumont, Grace Shirley, Girolami, Jordyn Gerlitz and Anna Leschyshyn had singles. Jordan Ivanco made 26 saves to earn her first shutout of the season in goal for Saskatoon.

    Ashlyn Taillon made 51 stops to take the loss in net for the Prairie Fire.

    Last season, the Stars topped the league’s regular season standings with a 25-3 record.

Blades rally for La Loche, support girl fighting cancer

    When the Saskatoon Blades want to organize something special, they definitely knock it out of the park.

    On Saturday at the SaskTel Centre, the player from the Blades and the visiting Regina Pats stood shoulder to shoulder at the centre ice circle to honour four victims who were killed in a Jan. 22 shooting In La Loche. The Blades staff created a display featuring pictures of the victims Drayden Fontaine, Dayne Fontaine, Adam Wood and Marie Janvier. Six people from La Loche, whose family members were receiving medical care in Saskatoon, also took part in the pre-game ceremony.

    A total of 30 people from La Loche were guests of the Blades.

    The pre-game ceremony included a song of healing performed by drummer Marc Okicitow before Michelle Dubois sang O Canada. The video of the ceremony was special to see, and it can be found right here.

    The pre-game tribute definitely overshadowed the fact the host Blades came away with a 7-3 victory in captain Nick Zajac’s 300^th career regular season game.

    The Blades will continue efforts to be a force in the community on another front during their game Tuesday against the Prince George Cougars (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre). Along with M.D. Ambulance, the local WHL club will be raising money for Grade 2 student Naomi Lendvay and her family, as young Lendvay is fighting stage four pediatric cancer. Funds will be raised through a jersey auction and the 50/50 draw.

    Spectators will also receive a special hockey player card of Lendvay.

    If Lendvay is feeling well enough, she will drop the puck for a pre-game ceremonial faceoff. The Blades put together a video of Lendvay’s story, and it can be found here.

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

Canada West's top Dogs

Huskies lock up first place, Cooke equals club wins record

Jordon Cooke picked up his 18th win of the season on Saturday night.

    When it came to talking about what has become a record season, Jordon Cooke quickly spread the love around.

    Playing in his sophomore season for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team, Cooke made 25 saves on Saturday night to back his club to a 5-2 victory over the U of Manitoba Bisons at the ancient Rutherford Rink. The Leduc, Alta., product also picked up his 18^th win of the campaign which equals a club record that was accomplished by Jeff Calvert (1998-99) and Ryan Holfeld (2012-13).

    “It is exciting, definitely,” said Cooke. “Obviously, this is a team sport, so I definitely couldn’t have done it without them (his teammates).

    “It has been one heck of a ride so far, and we’re looking to get more.”

    The Huskies, who are rated first in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top ten rankings, improved to 21-3 and have won nine straight. They also locked up first place in the Canada West Conference after the U of Calgary Dinos knocked off the U of Alberta Golden Bears 5-3 later on Saturday night in Calgary.

    With four games remaining in the regular season, the Huskies have earned a bye into the semifinal round of the Canada West post-season and will have home ice advantage through the entire conference playoffs.

    After qualifying for the Canada West playoffs with the sixth and final seed with a 10-15-3 mark last season, the Huskies have enjoyed a dream campaign in 2015-16. The quarter stone of the Dogs success is having a strong base in goal.

The Huskies celebrate a goal by captain Kendall McFaull.

    Cooke arrived on campus boasting an impressive resume as a netminder having been a star with the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets. In his final season in the major junior ranks in 2013-14, Cooke was named the Canadian Hockey League’s goalie of the year. He was overlooked in the NHL ranks being deemed too small standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing in at 185 pounds.
    With the Dogs this season, Cooke has posted an 18-3 record, a 2.36 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and two shutouts.

    Huskies head coach Dave Adolph couldn’t stress how important it is to be strong in goal in hockey, and Cooke has been stellar between the pipes.

    “It gives your whole team confidence in everything else you do,” said Adolph. “Jordon tonight in the first period, we were up 1-0 at the end of the first, and it could have been 3 or 4-1 for them.

    “Jordon has done that all year. He has given us a chance to win.”

    Having suffered an 8-3 thrashing at the hands of the Huskies on Friday night at the Rutherford Rink, the Bisons came out with some good jump in the opening 20 minutes of Saturday’s encounter.

    The Huskies jumped ahead 1-0 at the 14:10 mark of the first, when rookie forward Kohl Bauml fed a pass over to linemate Andrew Johnson, who slipped home a shot from a bad angle just under the bar of the Bisons goal.

    Just 26 seconds into the second, the Bisons had a glourious chance to draw even, when fourth year forward Jesse Paradis was awarded a penalty shot. Despite his small stature, Cooke played large in goal forcing Paradis to shoot wide on the penalty shot attempt.

Parker Thomas netted the Huskies final goal in Saturday's win.

    The Huskies proceeded to take control from that point. At the 3:34 mark of the second, captain and standout defenceman Kendall McFaull intercepted a pass just inside the blue-line of the Bisons zone and blasted home his fourth goal of the season to increase the Dogs’ lead to 2-0.

Before the second ended, Bauml put his soft hands to work tucking home a tally in close to give U of S a 3-0 lead.

    Levi Cable and Parker Thomas rounded out the scoring for the Huskies in the third, who led 4-0 at one point. Jordan DePape and Jonah Wasylak replied with singles for the Bisons, who fell to 10-12-2. Byron Spriggs turned away 26 shots in the U of M net.

    As far as the Huskies net is concerned, Cooke said he is having success due to the fact he has been able to track the puck well.

    “I think I am just watching the pucks a little bit better than I have been,” said Cooke. “For me, that is the thing.

    “If I am not seeing pucks, I am not stopping them.”

    He also admits his comfort level in the CIS ranks is higher this second season due to the fact he has a full campaign under his belt being a university level student-athlete.

    “Obviously, last year was a learning experience whether it was hockey or off ice at school,” said Cooke. “I definitely think I grew up as an individual.”

    The Huskies are also a win shy of matching their overall club record for wins in a season. U of S has won 22 games in a regular season twice in team history. The last 22-win campaign came back in 1999-2000, when the Dogs posted their best ever regular season mark at 22-3-3.

    Cooke has been impressed watching his current group of teammates play in front of him.

    “They have been unbelievable all year,” said Cooke. “I think every weekend we’ve shone. We’ve always gotten better, and that is a big thing at this point.”

    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday and Saturday, when they travel to Edmonton to take on the Golden Bears (15-7-2).

Goals dry up again for Huskies women’s squad

Marley Ervine played in her 132nd career regular season game.

    One night after posting a 3-1 win, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team lost their touch around the net once again.

    On Saturday night in Winnipeg, the Huskies dropped a 3-0 decision to the host U of Manitoba Bisons despite holding a 21-19 edge in the shots on goal department. Cailtin Fyten, Charity Price and Lauryn Keen potted singles for the Bisons (11-11-2), who received a 21 save shutout performance from Amanda Schubert in goal.

    Cassidy Hendricks made 16 stops in goal for the Huskies, who failed to score on four power-play chances. The Huskies, who are rated 10^th in the CIS top ten rankings, fell to 12-9-3.

    The Huskies sit a point ahead of the Bisons for fourth overall in Canada West. U of S has 36 points coming from nine regulation wins, three extra time victories and three extra time setbacks.

    The Bisons have 35 points coming from the fact all 11 of their wins have come in regulation along with two extra time setbacks. Three points are awarded for regulation victories and two points are given for extra time wins in Canada West women’s play.

    In Saturday’s setback, feisty forward Marley Ervine appeared in her 132^nd career regular season game and moved alone into top spot in the career games played list for the Huskies women’s team. Kandace Cook sits second with 131 games played.

    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday and Saturday when they host the U of Alberta Pandas (13-8-3) at 7 p.m. on both nights at the Rutherford rink.

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

Huskies bash Bisons, pile up milestones

Andrew Johnson scored twice in the Huskies runaway victory on Friday.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team looked every bit like a club that tops the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top ten rankings.
    For the second time this season, the Huskies were voted number one in the weekly CIS top ten rankings entering play this weekend. Hosting the University of Manitoba Bisons at the ancient Rutherford on Friday night, the Huskies actually fell behind 1-0 just 31 second in, when Bisons forward Warren Callis potted the rebound from an Adam Henry point shot.

    The Huskies roared back with five straight goals and cruised to an 8-3 victory.

    U of M’s lead lasted to the 4:49 mark of the opening frame, when Huskies rookie forward Kohl Bauml netted his 10^th goal of the season to tie things up at 1-1. Just 15 seconds later, Jaimen Yakubowski potted his second goal of the season to put the Huskies up 2-1.

    Before the opening frame ended, rookie forward Andrew Johnson netted a pair of goals just 17 seconds apart from each other to give the Huskies a 4-1 lead. At the 11:46 mark of the second, Josh Roach scored on the power play to put the Huskies up 5-1 and pretty much put the competitive phase of the contest on ice.

    Jordan Fransoo, Michael Sofillas and Cameron Blair potted singles to round out the Huskies scoring. Fransoo’s tally came on a pretty tick-tack-toe passing play, when the hosts were working on a two-man advantage. Bauml and defenceman Connor Cox picked up the helpers on that fancy tally.

Jordan DePape and Brett Stovin, who is a former captain of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, picked up singles to conclude the scoring for the Bisons.

Jordan Fransoo potted a beauty power-play goal for the Huskies on Friday.

    Jordon Cooke made 23 saves to earn the win goal for the Huskies. The victory in net was the 17^th of the season for Cooke, who is one win shy of equaling the club record for wins in a season. The team record of 18 goaltending wins in a season is held jointly by Jeff Calvert (1998-99) and Ryan Holfeld (2012-13).

    Rookie Justin Paulic stopped 36 shots going the distance in goal for the Bisons, who fell to 10-11-2.

    The Huskies stretched their winning streak to eight games and improved to 20-3. They hit the 20-win mark in the regular season for the third time in team history.

    The last time the Huskies won 20-or-more games in a regular season came back in 1999-2000, when the Dogs posted their best ever regular season record at 22-3-3.

    U of S also sits eight points up on the University of Alberta Golden Bears for first place in the Canada West standings. With the Golden Bears dropping a 6-4 decision to the University of Calgary Dinos on Friday night in Edmonton, the Huskies need to earn just three points in the standings in their final five regular season games to lock up first overall in Canada West.

    The Huskies could cement first overall on Saturday night, if they beat the Bisons (7 p.m., Rutherford Rink) and the Golden Bears fall in any fashion at home against the Dinos.

    NOTE – U of S was without standout fifth-year defenceman Zak Stebner, who is nursing a leg injury.

Huskies women’s team ends skid

Brooklyn Haubrich drives to the net for the Huskies.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team brought their four game losing streak to an end on Friday night in Winnipeg.

    Having been snakebitten around the net in recent weeks, the Huskies, who are rated 10^th in the CIS top ten rankings, scored three times on the nine shots they had on goal to slip past the host University of Manitoba Bisons 3-1.

    Huskies rookie forward Shyan Elias, who is from Winnipeg, picked up her first CIS regular season goal at the 8:45 mark of the opening frame. Just under two minutes later, fourth-year forward Lauren Zary picked up her career high seventh tally of the campaign to give the visitors a 2-0 edge.

First-year forward Brooklyn Haubrich potted the only goal in the second to put the Huskies up 3-0. Alanna Sharman replied with the Bisons loan goal in the third.

    Cassidy Hendricks made 22 saves to earn her 10^th win in goal of the season for the Huskies (12-8-3). The fourth-year netminder became the first goalie in the history of the Huskies women’s program to win 10 or more games in a season in four straight campaigns.

    Rachel Dyck made six stops in goal for the Bisons (10-11-2).

    These two teams will go at it again on Saturday in Winnipeg.

    NOTES - On Wednesday, the Huskies announced Danielle Nogier, who is the captain of the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team, has committed to play for the U of S in the 2016-17 campaign. Known for her work as a defensive forward, Nogier has five goals and two assists for the Stars, who lead the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League with a 20-4 record.

    Her brother, Nelson, is a standout defensive defenceman with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels and is a draft selection of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Danielle's father, Pat, played goal for the Huskies men's hockey team from 1988-91.

    The Huskies were without captain Paige Anakaer, who is nursing a leg injury, on Friday.

    Feisty forward Marley Ervine played in her 131^st career regular season game on Friday for the Huskies to equal Kandace Cook for first on the club’s all-time list.

Stars learn about defeat

Abby Shirley charges into the offensive zone for the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars aren’t used to defeat, especially when it is suffered at the hands of a come-from-behind effort by their opponent.

    After winning the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship last season, the Stars picked up where they left off this season leading the SFMAAAHL with a 20-4 record. The fourth setback might have been the toughest one.

    Last Sunday at the Agriplace Arena, the Stars jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the visiting Prince Albert A & W Bears and held a decisive edge in shots on goal and territorial play through the contest’s first 30 minutes. With 7:05 to play in the second, the Bears scored on the power play to gain some traction, and the momentum of the game turned completely around.

    Prince Albert scored on another power play before the second period concluded to tie things up at 2-2 and potted a third power-play marker with 12:42 to play in the third to go up 3-2. The 3-2 Bears edge held up as the final outcome in the contest.

    While the Stars had lots of time to get the equalizer, it seemed they were trying to immediately create two or three breakaways to get a goal. In doing that, they played right into the defensive shut down game the Bears began to employ, which resulted in a number of turnovers in the centre ice zone.

    After the game ended, the youth of the Stars team came to the surface. A lot of the players broke out in tears. Most of that reaction stems from the fact the majority of the players on Saskatoon roster are around age 15.

    The disappointment energy was opposite of the bounce off the wall happiness energy the Stars displayed when they won the SFMAAAHL title.

    In the setback to Prince Albert, the Stars were reminded of a fact that former Saskatoon Blades head coach and general manager Lorne Molleken often alluded to in that there are two teams on the ice trying to win a hockey game. He often gave credit to the fact the opponent has some good players who will make some outstanding plays to help their side.

    The big lesson for the Stars is to not get discouraged or go in a shell when a good opponent does something great. When an opponent does something great, it presents an opportunity to respond in a good fashion to show perseverance.

    The Stars have a strong coaching staff and a strong parent group, so the players will have good support in going through this learning experience. If the Stars win all of their last four regular season games in regulation, they will still finish first overall in the SFMAAAHL.

    They return to action on Saturday night, when they host the Melville Prairie Fire (7-13-1) at 7:45 p.m. at the Agriplace Arena. The Stars and Prairie Fire will also meet on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. at the Agriplace Arena.

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

Feeling connected calms the mental health seas

Ryan Holfeld, left, and myself during a social time.

    When he coached the Medicine Hat Tigers, Willie Desjardins often told his players one of the best places to be was at the rink.

    For me, that can expand to the football field, a basketball court, volleyball court, soccer pitch or even a UFC octagon ring. The reason those places are the best places to be are the people that are there.

    The athletes, coaches, trainers, staff, facility attendants and even the fans in the stands make those places enjoyable.

    In my life, I have found the athletes, coaches and staffers to be the most genuine and real people I know. It is the main reason I continue to be a regular at the Rutherford Rink and the Physical Activity Complex on the University of Saskatchewan campus, Saskatoon Minor Football field and so far a handful of WHL rinks.

    Since November of 2012, I have known I have had issues dealing with anxiety. The issues rose due to a mental health issue I discovered in my workplace at the time, which was the Medicine Hat News, and that resulted in a whole host of spinoff problems.

    There is still a stigma around mental health issues, and they are unfortunately still treated as the elephant in the room in too many circles.

    From the start of my mental health journey, the one constant group of forward thinking backers I have had have been the young athletes that have played either in the WHL, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport ranks or the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association. I have found they have always been the most open minded and genuinely positive in helping on the mental health front.

    I remember talking about a few of these young adults with former Medicine Hat College Rattlers men’s volleyball head coach Steve Russell during a coffee chat, and he said their support on the mental health front is fitting because these are our future leaders.

    If I tried to make a list of all the people I have leaned on, I fear I might leave someone out.

    The first group of people that knew about what I was going through included Tigers grads Brennan Bosch, Ryan Holfeld and David Schlemko. From Bosch and Holfeld, the group quickly expanded to the members of the 2012-13 University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team. Bosch and Holfeld were in the middles of their CIS careers with the Dogs at that time.

    The early list also included Talayna Tremblay and Kelsey Konihowski, who were both still with the Medicine Hat College Rattlers women’s volleyball team at the time. All of five of those people were key in helping me make my initial steps forward.

The Hilltops win in the Canadian Bowl was a good time.

    Since those beginnings, the list has greatly expanded. Over the past eight months the conversations haven’t been about mental health, when I have been at sporting venues or visiting my friends that are involved in high-level sports. The visits mainly revolve around regular talks you have every day on a variety of topics.

    When I am in those moments, I feel most normal. Actually, I usually don’t even think about my anxiety battles until I am home or I am spending time alone.

    Connectivity is the main reason I remain around the sports scene.

    That connectivity can be viewed at an obvious time like when the Saskatoon Hilltops won their 18^th Canadian Junior Football League title back on Nov. 7, 2015. I think everyone that was at Saskatoon Minor Football Field that day felt connected to what went on at that Canadian Bowl championship game.

    Connectivity also comes during a more quiet time like last Sunday at the Agriplace Arena. After watching the Saskatoon Stars fall 3-2 to the Prince Albert A & W Bears in a Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League game, I spent a lengthy time visiting with University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team members Kaitlin and Morgan Willoughby and their mother, Dinah.

    Our conversation ventured through all sorts of subjects including mutual friends, memories from sports and the Edmonton Oilers from Wayne Gretzky’s days.

    This season, I decided I would get my Canadian Hockey League pass in order to work a little more on the major junior circuit again. In those travels, I have felt a renewed connectivity to a vast network of people I got to know covering the WHL as a beat reporter for 15 seasons. Even Red Deer Rebels head coach, general manager and owner Brent Sutter smiled when he saw me during pre-game before his squad took to the ice to face the Saskatoon Blades at the SaskTel Centre. (Side note: Sutter does smile and he does so more than you think).

Being on the WHL trail allowed me to have a great visit with Jaeger White.

    On Saturday night, I had a great visit and talk with Brandon Wheat Kings centre Jaeger White, who is the step son of current Medicine Hat Tigers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston. I’ve known White since his bantam hockey days, and I was impressed with how mature he was during our talk that I almost forgot he is 17-years-old.

    Connectivity is the thing for me that makes all the bad stuff with anxiety wash away.

    Actually, the more connected someone with a mental illness feels connected with their community and surroundings the better off he or she will be. As this is Bell Let’s Talk day, I hope everyone remembers how powerful connectivity can be.

    When you have visits with someone who is battling a mental illness, the talk doesn’t necessarily have to be about that subject. It can be about any topic of mutual interest.

    The key is to visit and to visit in person, because those visits can go a long way to improving your overall mental health.

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

Hebig hits stride with Blades

Cameron Hebig has exploded offensively for the Blades.

    When Cameron Hebig achieves a milestone, he automatically sets his sites on a higher goal.

    After his hometown Saskatoon Blades selected him in the third round and 56^th overall in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, Hebig saw that moment as an opportunity he wanted to take advantage of.

    “I just wanted to make it a goal of mine to make it into the WHL,” said Hebig. “The goals just keep getting hirer and hirer. I am always setting goals.”

    The speedy centre cracked the Blades lineup as a 16-year-old in the 2013-14 campaign. With the Blades having turned over most of their roster after hosting the 2013 Memorial Cup, Hebig received a lot of opportunity to gain experience and picked up 13 goals and 13 assists in 67 games.

    Having learned what the grind of the circuit was about, Hebig set out to improve his game in both the offensive and defensive zones as a 17-year-old sophomore last season. He dressed for all of the Blades 72 regular season games picking 18 goals and 22 assists.

    This season Hebig has become a force offensively piling up 22 goals and 27 assists in 43 games.

    “I just had a good start to the year and have just been positive,” said Hebig, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 190 pounds. “I think if you are working hard chances will come, and you just have to bury those.

    “I’ve been grateful for the points I have got and just keep going.”

    In their third season since hosting the Memorial Cup, the Blades are still going through growing pains. After jumping out to a strong 7-4-3 start, the Blades, who still have one of the youngest teams in the WHL, hit the wall in the middle of November. After falling 6-2 to the Brandon Wheat Kings before 4,637 spectators on Saturday night at the SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon’s record dropped to 17-27-4.

    Hebig’s jump has not waivered during the down stretches. On Saturday night, he netted both of the Blades goals on a couple of nice shots and was a plus-two in the plus-minus department. On his second tally, he stole the puck from a Wheat Kings defender, used another rearguard as a screen and tucked a shot home past netminder Logan Thompson.

Cameron Hebig celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal.

    “He (Hebig) is our best player, and he brings it every night,” said Blades head coach and general manager Bob Woods. “He is not a real vocal guy, but he leads by example because of his work ethic.

    “He is a big part of our offence, so we really depend on him to take care of that.”

    Woods believes a missed goal helped kick Hebig into another gear this season.

    “I think not getting drafted (into the NHL) was kind of not a wakeup call, but he just didn’t like it,” said Woods. “He worked extremely hard this summer on his game.

    “We talked a little bit about just being the complete player. I thought last year maybe he didn’t do the things that he has to do. He is a skilled player, but he is not skilled enough to live on that.

    “He has to be that guy that can kills penalties and block shots and play good defensively. I think he has really come through with that, and I think that is a big reason why he is having more success.”

    Hebig prides himself in playing a strong two-way game. On the intangible side, he finds he just doesn’t get down on himself or his team when things get rough.

    While the Blades trail the Edmonton Oil Kings (19-22-6-1) by seven points for the final playoff berth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, Hebig believes it is still possible for his club to make an appearance in the post-season.

Cameron Hebig looks to make a play in the offensive zone for the Blades.

    “We’ve got a good group here, and we believe in ourselves,” said Hebig. “When things get tough, we can’t pack it in. We always have to bring it every game and always try to get better.

    “Obviously, we want to make the playoff push. It is a goal of ours. It is just about sticking together as a team and playing together. Anything is possible.”

    When it comes to making the NHL, Hebig’s lack of size might be the biggest obstacle he has to overcome. He is quick to point out you don’t have to be 6-foot-2 and weigh over 200 pounds to make an impact in the NHL.

    The shifty skater lists off Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens and Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins as smaller players that have made an impact in hockey’s top professional league. Gallagher and Marchand both stand 5-foot-9, while Johnson is 5-foot-8.

    “When you are small, you just have to use your speed and show that you can play there and show that you are worthy of a draft pick,” said Hebig, who is rated 140th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings. “I don’t like the size comparison. I think it is what is in the heart.”

Cameron Hebig gets set to take a draw for the Blades.

    In Saturday’s tilt with Brandon, the Wheat Kings, who top the WHL’s East Division with a 29-13-2-2 mark, led 2-1 after the first period and 5-2 after the second frame after Hebig gave the Blades a short-lived 1-0 edge.

    Reid Duke had a hat trick for the Wheat Kings, who received a two-goal performance from Jayce Hawryluk and a single from John Quenneville. Thompson made 18 stops to earn the win in goal.

Brock Hamm turned away 25 shots to take the loss in net for the Blades.

    The Blades return to action Friday, when they travel to Regina to take on the Pats. The Wheat Kings are in Regina to face the Pats on Sunday.

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