Men’s hockey Dogs open post-season with
impressive 5-1 romp
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| Alex Forsberg had two goals and two assists for the Huskies on Friday. |
Riding a 10-game winning streak to end the regular season to
lock up first place in the Canada West Conference, the Huskies rolled to an
impressive 5-1 victory over the Mount Royal University Cougars in Game 1 of a
best-of-three Canada West semifinal series on Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place.
U of S will try to sweep the series in Game 2, which is set for Saturday at 7
p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.
The Huskies came out of the gates quickly to stun the
visiting Cougars.
At the 3:45 mark of the first period, fourth-year winger Levi
Cable scored the first Huskies post-season goal in their brand new rink to take
a 1-0 lead.
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| The Huskies celebrate Alex Forsberg’s second goal on Friday. |
The hosts expanded their lead to 2-0 at the 6:19 mark of the
first when sophomore winger Alex Forsberg scored a power-play goal on a
four-on-one rush.
From that point, the Cougars never really got into the game.
The Huskies held 14-6 edge in shots on goal going into the first intermission.
They proceeded to play the bulk of the second period in
Mount Royal’s zone.
Fifth-year right-winger Parker Thomas scored at the 4:36 mark
of the second to give the Huskies a 3-0 advantage. Forsberg banged home a
gritty goal from the front of the Cougars net for his second tally of the night
giving the Huskies a 4-0 lead at the 13:03 mark of the second to delight the
1,580 spectators in attendance.
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| Levi Cable scored twice for the Huskies on Friday. |
After 40 minutes, the Huskies had a 4-0 lead on the
scoreboard and a 30-12 edge in shots on goal.
Had this game been a boxing match, the referee might have
stopped the proceedings at that point in the contest. The Huskies were that
good.
Cable roofed home his second tally of the night at the 4:10
mark of the third to put the Huskies up 5-0.
Mount Royal’s high point of the night came with 4:11
remaining in the third, when sophomore forward Bradley Kennedy scored on the power
play to end the shutout bid of Huskies star netminder Taran Kozun.
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| Parker Thomas scored early in the second period on Friday. |
Playing their inaugural season in the newly built Merlis
Belsher Place, the Huskies, who are rated third in the U Sports Top 10
rankings, have had a special campaign posting their best regular season record
in team history at 25-3. They entered their series with the Cougars as big
favourites.
Mount Royal finished fifth in Canada West with a 12-11-5
mark and went on the road to Vancouver, B.C., to down the University of British
Columbia Thunderbirds 2-1 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series
last weekend.
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| Huskies captain Jesse Forsberg, left, sizes up a scoring chance. |
Their starting six on defence make up one of the best
blue-lines you will see in U Sports. While Kozan has received most of the accolades
with an impressive season in goal, back-up netminder Travis Child is fairly
accomplished in his own right.
When you saw the Huskies play on Friday, it was easy to see
why four of their players were named Canada West Conference all-stars, while
one of the first-year players cracked the all-rookie team. Kozun, captain and
star offensive defenceman Jesse Forsberg and forward Carson Stadnyk were named
to the first all-star team. Winger Kohl Bauml cracked the second all-star team,
while defenceman Gordie Ballhorn made the all-rookie team.
At the moment, the Huskies are one win away from returning
to the Canada West Championship series and the U Sports national championship
tournament, the University Cup.
One has to wonder how far will their roll go?
Playoff berth clinch put on hold for Blades
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| Max Gerlach scored for the Blades on Friday. |
On Friday, the Blades had a chance to clinch a playoff berth
for the first time since 2013, if they earned a regulation time win against
Wheat Kings in a WHL regular season clash at Westoba Place in Brandon. The Wheat
Kings romped to a 6-2 victory before 3,875 spectators to erase any thoughts the
Saskatoon side had of celebrating a playoff berth.
The win was the sixth straight for the Wheat Kings, who
improved to 29-22-3-4. They now hold the second wildcard spot in the WHL’s
Eastern Conference with a two-point standings lead on the Red Deer Rebels
(29-23-4-1). Red Deer has a game in hand on Brandon.
The Blades, who are rated 10th in the CHL’s Top 10 rankings, saw their seven-game winning streak come to an
end. Going into Friday’s clash with the Wheat Kings, the Blades were riding a stretch
of earning standings points in 13 straight contests posting 11 wins and two
extra time setbacks over that stretch. They still sit third overall in the WHL
standings with a 37-14-8 mark.
Saskatoon started Friday’s game with optimism taking a 1-0
just 2:18 into the first period on Ryan Hughes’s 24th tally of the
season.
Near the midway point of the first, the Blades had a
glorious chance to go up by two goals, when veteran left-winger Gary Haden was
awarded a penalty shot. Haden was stopped by Wheat Kings netminder Jiri Patera,
and that save seemed to change the feel of the contest.
Brandon rolled off five straight goals to go ahead 5-1.
Ridly Greig and Zach Wytinck netted singles before the first
period ended to give the Wheat Kings a 2-1 advantage. Luka Burzan, who scored
his 35th goal of the season, Caiden Daley and captain Stelio
Mattheos, who potted his 40th goal of the campaign, had singles in
the second to put Brandon up 5-1.
Overage right-winger Max Gerlach netted his 37th
goal of the season for the Blades at the 4:47 mark of the third to cut Brandon’s
lead to 5-2.
Ben McCartney netted a short-handed goal for Brandon shortly
after the midway point of the third to round out the game’s scoring.
Nolan Maier started and took the setback in goal for the
Blades turning away 17-of-22 shots sent his way. Dorrin Luding played the third
period in relief for Saskatoon and stopped five-of-six shot sent his way.
Patera turned away 37 shots to pick up the win in goal for
the Wheat Kings.
The Blades return home on Saturday to host the Kootenay Ice
(11-38-7-2) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. Saskatoon can clinch a playoff
berth on Saturday night with a win and a regulation loss by either the Wheat
Kings or Rebels that same night.
The Wheat Kings travel to Prince Albert on Saturday to face
the WHL leading Raiders (48-8-1-2) at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. The
Rebels host the Edmonton Oil Kings (33-18-4-4) at 7 p.m. local time at the
Enmax Centrium.
Scott, Leason power Raiders to shutout win
over Ice
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| Brett Leason had three assists for the Raiders on Friday. |
On Friday before 2,380 spectators at the Art Hauser Centre,
Scott and Leason both came off the injury list to help the Raiders blank the
Kootenay Ice 4-0. Scott, who is the team’s star netminder, made 21 saves to
pick up his fifth shutout of the season. Leason, who is the team’s star
right-winger, picked up assists on three of the Raiders goals.
Both Scott and Leason last dressed for the Raiders in their
8-2 victory over the Hitmen in Calgary on Feb. 8. Since that contest, both were
out with lower body injuries.
Against the Ice on Friday, the Raiders, who are rated second in the CHL’s Top 10 rankings, built a 2-0 lead after
the first period and held a 3-0 lead after the second frame. They rounded out
the game’s scoring with a final tally in the third to improve their WHL leading
record to 48-8-1-2.
Overage centre Sean Montgomery scored twice for the Raiders,
while captain Brayden Pachal and Ozzy Wiesblatt had singles.
Curtis Meger turned away 26 shots to take the loss in goal
for the Ice (11-38-7-2).
The Raiders return to action on Saturday, when they host the
Brandon Wheat Kings at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.
The Ice travel to Saskatoon on Saturday to face the Blades
at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre.
Pandas put Huskies on the ropes in Canada
West semi
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| Jessica Vance made 25 saves in goal for the Huskies on Friday. |
On Friday in Edmonton, Alta., the Huskies were blanked 2-0
by the host U of Alberta Pandas at the Clare Drake Arena in Game 1 of a
best-of-three Canada West Conference semifinal series. The Huskies need to win
Game 2 on Saturday in Edmonton to remain alive in the U Sports playoffs and
force a series deciding Game 3 on Sunday in Edmonton.
The Pandas, who are rated first in the U Sports Top 10
rankings, jumped out to a 1-0 lead, when star fourth-year forward Alex
Poznikoff scored at the 1:37 mark of the first period. Amy Boucher gave the
Pandas a 2-0 advantage scoring with 4:45 remaining in the third period.
Kirsten Chamberlin made 17 saves to pick up the shutout win
in goal for the Pandas. Jessica Vance turned away 25 shots to take the setback
in goal for the Huskies.
The Pandas finished first in Canada West with a 23-5 record and
won their last seven straight regular season games heading into the
post-season.
The Huskies finished fourth in Canada West with a 16-10-1-1
record. They eliminated the Mount Royal University Cougars 2-1 in a best-of-three
Canada West quarter-final series last weekend to advance to play the Pandas.
The Pandas have won their last three games including action in
the regular season and playoffs with the Huskies by identical 2-0 scores. All
three of those contests were played at the Clare Drake Arena.
Overall, the Pandas have downed the Huskies in their last
four straight encounters including action in the regular season and playoffs.
On Wednesday, Huskies physical offensive-defender Leah
Bohlken was named a first team Canada West all-star.
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to stankssports@gmail.com.
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