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| Kandace Cook takes a draw for the Huskies. |
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies
Women’s Hockey team was definitely fond of red for one night.
The Huskies players might never have
felt so relieved than to see the red lap behind the opposition net light up
three times like it did Saturday night.
During the early portion of the
regular season, the defending Canada West champs struggled to put the puck in
the net. Those struggles continued during their home opener on Friday night,
when they raised their conference championship banner at the Rutherford Rink.
The Dogs fired 31 shots on goal and came away falling 4-0 to the University of
Alberta Pandas.
After that loss to the Pandas, the
Huskies had scored six goals in five games.
On Saturday night, the Pandas took a
1-0 lead on a goal from Ashley Morin early in the first period. The Huskies
then broke their jinx around the opposing goal scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead
into the first intermission.
Rookie Chelsea Wilson popped home
the first goal, while Kandace Cook slid home the second tally on a nice
individual rush. Those goals really seemed to give a lift to the Huskies side.
Jessica Kampjes scored for the
Pandas at the 8:09 mark of the second to force a 2-2 tie. Cook put the Huskies
ahead for good scoring on the power play before the second ended putting her
side up 3-2, which stood as the final outcome.
Lindsey Post stopped 32 shots
suffering the loss in goal for the Pandas (4-2), while Cassidy Hendricks made
36 stops earning the win in goal for the Huskies (3-3).
While three goals isn’t a huge
number to post on the scoreboard, it is a big number to put up on the Pandas,
who are a traditional CIS powerhouse in women’s hockey. The surge marked the
most goals the Huskies put in the back of the net since downing the University
of British Columbia Thunderbirds 5-4 in a shootout in the season opener for
both teams on Oct. 3 in Vancouver.
The surge against the Pandas doesn’t
totally eliminate the Huskies scoring woes. Only six different players have
found the back of the net so far this season, so there is still a whole host of
other players in search of their first tally of the season. As a collective,
the team has to feel a gorilla was slammed to the ground.
Now the task is to duplicate and
improve on Saturday’s effort this coming weekend against another tough
opponent.
The Huskies host the 4-0-2
University of Calgary Dinos at 7 p.m. on both this coming Friday and Saturday
nights. The Dinos roster contains Hayley Wickenheiser, who is an icon on Canada’s
national women’s team.
Wickenheiser, who is in her fourth
year of eligibility, completed her kinesiology degree last year and is enrolled
in graduate studies. She had been attempting to get into medical school.
Victory costly for Hilltops
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| Wayndel Lewis (#22) on the run for the Hilltops. |
Let the Wayndel Lewis watch begin.
The Saskatoon Hilltops blasted the
Winnipeg Rifles 43-13 on Sunday in what was a costly playoff victory at the
Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Toppers advanced to host the Prairie Football
Conference final against the Calgary Colts this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at SMF.
In the win over the Rifles, the
Hilltops lost Lewis, who is their star tailback, on their first offensive
series of the second half. Lewis rushed for 90 yards on 14 carries before
leaving with an injured left ankle.
He had an outstanding regular season
leading the PFC with 1,063 yards rushing on 130 carries, while scoring nine
touchdowns.
If Lewis in unable to go against the
Colts, Logan Fischer will likely carry the bulk of the load at tailback against
the Colts.
Home sweet home for Huskies soccer
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| Jenelle Zapski of the Huskies. |
It will be playoff Sunday on the
soccer pitch at PotashCorp Park.
Both U of S Huskies soccer teams
will host Canada West single-elimination quarter-final matches. The men’s team
entered the final weekend of regular season play already guaranteed first place
in the Prairies Division.
They closed the regular campaign on a stumble falling 2-1 and drawing
2-2 against the Mount Royal University Cougars last Saturday and Sunday
respectively. The Huskies posted their best regular season finish ever at
9-1-2, while the Cougars were tied with Thompson Rivers for last overall in
Canada West at 2-8-2.
The women’s team finished up posting 3-0 and 3-1 victories over the U of
Regina Cougars on Saturday and Sunday respectively at PotashCorp Park. The wins
vaulted the Huskies to second in the Prairies Division with a 7-2-3 mark.
In the two wins, third year Huskies striker Jenelle Zapski scored four
goals to finish the regular season with a team record 14 tallies. The previous
regular season record for goals was 11 scored by Elizabeth Hudon in the 2010
campaign.
This coming Sunday, the Huskies women’s team hosts the MacEwan Griffiths
(7-3-2) at 12 p.m., and the Huskies men’s team takes on the University of
Winnipeg Wesmen (4-7-1) at 2:15 p.m.
Riders looked better with Joseph
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| Kerry Joseph (#5) calls signals for the Roughriders. |
Oh, the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The CFL team everyone in
Saskatchewan loves, and a team that appears to also have a million general
managers, when you read various social media feeds or listen to call-in shows.
There was definite dejection by the
green and white faithful, when the Riders dropped their fourth in a row, with
the latest setback being a 24-19 decision to the Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday at
Mosaic Stadium.
The Roughriders dropped to 9-7, but
the offence looked better with 41-year-old veteran quarterback Kerry Joseph at
the controls. Joseph’s statistics weren’t going to blow you away. He was
17-for-36 passing for 213 yards, two touchdown throws and two interceptions.
The starting signal caller for the
team’s 2007 Grey Cup championship season looked a lot more in control and
poised compared to Tino Sunseri and Seth Doege.
The Roughriders lost starting
quarterback Darian Durant due to an arm injury in a 30-24 road victory over the
Blue Bombers in Winnipeg on Sept. 7. Saskatchewan was 8-2 after that victory.
Since Durant went down, the quarterback
position was influx, which lead to Joseph’s signing. The loss to the Eskimos
was Joseph’s first start this season, and his stats would have been a lot
better outside of a number of drops by the receivers. The drop problem also occurred
this season with Durant throwing pinpoint passes as well.
Joseph, who had originally retired
in the off-season having last suited up for the Eskimos, gives the Roughriders
their best chance to win now. If Durant can’t return this season, the
Roughriders would be best advised to go with Joseph, who was the CFL’s most
outstanding player in 2007, the rest of the way. With Joseph, the Roughriders
have a more realistic shot of making a championship run this season as an
underdog as opposed to Sunseri and Doege, who have been inconsistent.
If you have any feedback on this
blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.
