The Huskies raise the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy as Canada West champs.
The “Ironman”
came up clutch for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team.
Fifth-year
right-winger Levi Cable fired home a pair of power-play goals to give the
Huskies a 3-1 victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in
Game 2 of the Canada West Championship series before a record crowd of 2,667
spectators at Merlis Belsher Place on Saturday.
With the
win, the Huskies swept the best-of-three series 2-0. They captured their first
Canada West title since 2016 and 18th conference title in team
history, with 11 of those wins coming in the conference’s modern era that
started in 1972.
Levi Cable scored twice for the Huskies on Saturday.
“It was big,”
said Cable. “Going into this year that is all we wanted.
“This was
our goal. I’m glad we have another one coming up, but this one was a stop on
the way. I’m glad we got it.”
After
raising the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy as Canada West champions, the next one coming
up that Cable refers to is of course the U Sports men’s hockey nationals.
Both the
Huskies and Thunderbirds are guaranteed berths to the David Johnston University
Cup, which is the U Sports men’s hockey national championship tournament. The U
Sports national championship tournament is played in an elite-eight format, and
it runs from March 12 to 15 in Halifax, N.S.
In the
series clinching win over the Thunderbirds, Cable played in his 175th
consecutive game for the Huskies including action in the U Sports regular season
and post-season. He has never missed game in his career with the Huskies.
Levi Cable celebrates his first of two goals on Saturday.
The 25-year-old’s streak
includes 140 regular season games, 23 contests in the Canada West playoffs and
12 games at the David Johnston University Cup.
Besides
skating in a milestone contest in his streak, Cable was pumped to exit his
final home U Sports game with a win in front of a loud and appreciative crowd, which
included a raucous student section. The Huskies have been playing out of Merlis
since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.
“This was
the loudest I have heard this place,” said Cable. “The student section was
really going.
“It was a
lot of fun to play in front of. I’m glad my last game here was in front of
these guys.”
The Huskies
drew first blood at the 7:33 mark of the opening frame when right-winger Carson
Stadnyk popped home the rebound from his own shot after receiving a pass from Jared Dmytriw.
Part of the record crowd at Merlis reacts to a Huskies goal.
The host
side expanded their edge to 2-0 about five minutes later when Cable popped home
a power-play goal from the left side of the Thunderbirds net. Cable benefitted
from a little luck as he received a backdoor pass from Stadnyk that was ticked
off the stick of left-winger Collin Shirley.
The Huskies
could have exited the first period with a bigger advantage had it not been for
a number of stellar saves from Thunderbirds star netminder Rylan Toth, who made
13 stops in the opening 20 minutes.
Huskies
star goalie Taran Kozun, who was named both the Canada West player of the year
and goaltender of the year, gave huge props to his counterpart in Toth.
Carson Stadnyk scored the Huskies first goal.
“He (Toth)
played one heck of series,” said Kozun. “I have to give him credit.
“If he does
that at nationals, he is going to give the other teams there lots of troubles.
It is a big battle (going head-to-head with Toth), and it is fun coming out on
the winning side.”
In the
final 10 minutes of the second, the Thunderbirds started to melt down taking 28
minutes in penalties in that span of time including two misconducts 10 minutes
in length.
The Huskies
looked to have gone ahead 3-0 with 3:31 to play in the second on goal from
rookie forward Jeff Faith, but that goal was disallowed due to incidental
contact on the netminder as a player was pushed into Toth.
The
Thunderbirds had to argue to get the goal disallowed. The argument included
someone from the Thunderbirds bench throwing a water bottle on to the ice.
While Faith’s
goal was disallowed, the Thunderbirds team bench was given a minor penalty for
unsportsmanlike conduct.
Rylan Toth jumps on a loose puck for the Thunderbirds.
On that
power-play opportunity, Cable netted his second goal of the contest firing home
the rebound of a shot taken from Huskies defenceman Gordie Ballhorn with 2:37
remaining in the second stanza.
“The
emotions of the game sometimes they get the better of you, and sometimes it
doesn’t,” said Kozun. “It has happened to us in the past, where the emotions
take over.
“It was
nice to see us not on that side this time.”
As the game
went along, Kozun said the home crowd gave his side an edge.
“Winning it
today in front of all these fans, it is surreal,” said Kozun. “It is going to
be a fun night, and I hope the boys enjoy it.”
The Huskies bench reacts to winning the Canada West title.
The Thunderbirds
finally got on the scoreboard with 3:16 remaining in the third period thanks to
a power-play marker coming from the stick of left-winger Jake Kryski. While
that tally cut the Huskies lead to 3-1, it was too little too late for the
visitors.
Kozun made
17 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Toth turned away 26 shots
to take the setback in net for the Thunderbirds.
Huskies
head coach Dave Adolph was pleased his team’s four players in their fifth-years
of eligibility in Cable, Kohl Bauml, Andrew Johnson and Logan McVeigh were able
to win on conference title in their final home game.
The student section reacts to the Huskies Canada West title win.
“Andrew
Johnson, Logan McVeigh, Kohl Bauml and Levi (Cable), they have had five special
years,” said Adolph. “These kids have gone to the Canada West final all five
years they’ve played.
“They’ve
had dynamic goals each and every year I think with the exception of maybe A.J.
He has been more of a penalty killer the last two years. He was on the forefront
when he first started.
“You live
and die with your seniors, and I don’t care what sport it is. Ours have been
good.”
Adolph said
it doesn’t come as a surprise that Cable, Bauml, Johnson and McVeigh were
members of the last Huskies team to win a Canada West title at the squad’s
former long time home in the ancient Rutherford Rink and are members of the
first Huskies team to win a conference title in the squad’s new home in Merlis.
Merlis Belsher, second from left, presents the championship trophy.
“That is
just the character of those kids,” said Adolph. “They’ve been good since they’ve
been here in everything.
“They’re outstanding
students. They are what Huskies should be, really they are.”
The Huskies
entered the series with the Thunderbirds as decided favourites finishing second
in the Canada West Conference with a 22-4-2 record and being rated second in
the U Sports Top 10 rankings. U of S has won 15 straight games including action
in the regular season and playoffs.
The
Thunderbirds have enjoyed a Cinderella run to get to this point after finishing
fifth in Canada West with a 9-14-4-1 mark. They cracked the U Sports Top 10 rankings
this week at the ninth position.
Captain Tanner Lishchynsky takes a spin with the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy.
While the
Huskies were the favourites, they did stumble out of the gates to start the
regular season posting an 0-3-1 record. Cable said he was impressed with how
his Huskies have persevered through the tough stretches to put together a great
season to date.
“At the
beginning of the year when we went 0-3-1, it was looking a little bit different
than years previous,” said Cable. “I’m just glad the group came together, and
we put together a good run to finish the season.”
With that
in mind, Cable said he doesn’t want the run of success to end here.
The Huskies celebrate winning the Canada West championship.
“We still
have a bigger goal in mind,” said Cable. “I would like to end my five years
winning a national championship.”
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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Layne Young, middle, celebrates his winning goal for the Huskies.
Layne Young’s
first career U Sports post-season goal ended up being a huge one for the
University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team.
On Friday
before a season high crowd of 2,281 spectators at Merlis Belsher Place, the
sophomore left-winger tipped home a mid range shot from linemate Levi Cable to
give the Huskies a 3-1 lead over the University of British Columbia
Thunderbirds at the 3:57 mark of the third period.
The
Thunderbirds cut the cap to 3-2 with a turnaround shot from sophomore
left-winger Maxwell James right in front of the U of S net with 31.1 seconds to
play in the third, but the visitors couldn’t find the equalizer.
The Huskies
held on to make the 3-2 score hold up as the final in Game 1 of the Canada West
Championship series between the two teams. Young was pumped he could net the
winner for his side.
“It feels
really good,” said Young. “It is an unbelievable feeling.
Layne Young has had a breakout season with the Huskies.
“The
atmosphere was great here tonight, so it was awesome. It was 3-1 at the time,
but I guess just the way it worked out it ended up being the game winner.”
Thanks to
their victory in Game 1, the Huskies will try to close out the best-of-three
set in Game 2 on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis. If necessary, Game 3 is slated
for Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.
After
pulling to within 3-2, any further last second heroics by the Thunderbirds were
stifled, when star netminder Rylan Toth was given a minor penalty for boarding
inside of the final 20 seconds of the third.
The
Thunderbirds were starting out of their own zone on a rush shortly after the
ensuing faceoff that resulted after cutting the Huskies edge to 3-2. Toth
started skating out of his net for an extra attacker, when the puck was turned
over to Cable along the right wing boards.
Layne Young is playing in lots of different situations for the Huskies.
Toth, who
is a Saskatoon product, was the closest Thunderbirds player to Cable and the
puck stopper turned and nailed the fifth-year right-winger from behind into the
boards. Toth was given a boarding penalty for his actions.
Cable was
playing in his 174th consecutive game for the Huskies including action in the U
Sports regular season and post-season, and Young said Toth’s hit on the veteran
provided some comic relief for the U of S side.
“We were
poking fun at Levi a little bit,” said Young. “It is not too often you get hit
by a goalie, especially from behind, so it was kind of funny.
“I was on
the ice. I saw it. It was quite the thing that is for sure.
“I had
never seen that before.”
During the
opening 20 minutes of Friday’s game, Toth, who is in his third year with the
Thunderbirds, was doing what he does best in keeping his squad in the game as
the Huskies held a 14-2 edge in shots on goal over that span of time.
Jordan Tkatch, left, celebrates scoring the first goal for the Huskies.
The Huskies
took a 1-0 edge at the 7:38 mark of the opening frame when right-winger Jordan
Tkatch tapped in a backdoor feed from centre Jared Dmytriw.
As for
Huskies star netminder Taran Kozun, he had to be extremely sharp on one of the
two shots he faced in the opening frame. The Nipawin, Sask., product had to make
a key stop on a tipped shot from James on a UBC power play.
The Huskies
expanded their edge to 2-0 at the 12:06 of the second period, when right-winger
Carson Stadnyk tapped home a backdoor feed from centre Logan McVeigh on an offensive
zone rush.
Rylan Toth was penalized for making a big hit for the Thunderbirds.
With less
than four minutes to play in the second, Thunderbirds rookie left-winger Jake
Kryski snuck home a shot from the left side of the Huskies goal to cut the host
side’s edge to 2-1.
That set
the stage for the dramatics in the third.
While U of
S had a strong start, Huskies head coach Dave Adolph thought his side had to
ultimately gut out the win.
“It wasn’t
a Picasso, and it never usually is in the playoffs,” said Adolph, whose team
was outshot 21-17 through the second and third periods. “I thought that once we
got the lead we started playing tentative.
“We started
playing cautious. I think every team when you get to this point you are so
worried about the next five minutes. You can’t think that way.
Levi Cable played in his 174th consecutive game for the Huskies.
“We learned
and we lived. We will be better tomorrow.”
Adolph was
pleased to see Young net the winner.
“He (Young)
is a really skilled player,” said Adolph. “It is good.
“Some of
our young guys the more times they get out there in these situations that is
just going to help our program. Layne (Young) is going to be a goody.”
Before
joining the Huskies, Young was a star in the junior A ranks piling up 86 goals,
167 assists for 253 points in 169 regular season games playing with the
Battlefords North Stars from 2014 to 2018. The Frenchman Butte, Sask., product
was named the MVP of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in his final
campaign with the North Stars in 2017-18 after posting 35 goals and 72 assists
in 57 regular season games.
Adolph was
happy Young elected to join the Huskies enrolling Agriculture and Bioresources
program at the U of S.
Carson Stadnyk had the Huskies second goal on Friday.
“He (Young)
had like four or five NCAA offers,” said Adolph. “He chose to go into
agriculture, because that is what his family does.
“He is a
third generation dairy farmer and farmer. It is no different than (Huskies
rookie forward) Justin Ball, who is going to be a star in our league too, when
he gets his chance. Junior A guys don’t get overlooked.
“Sometimes
they chose an academic route rather than a hockey route.”
After
netting one goal in six regular season games as a rookie, Young recorded eight
goals, 11 assists and a plus-10 rating in the plus minus department in 27
regular season games with the Huskies as a sophomore.
Jake Kryski had the Thunderbirds first goal on Friday.
Throughout
this season, Young has played on a line with Cable and fifth-year veteran Kohl
Bauml at centre. Young, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 205 pounds, has enjoyed
that opportunity.
“It has
been huge,” said Young. “We’ve been together since game one of this year, so
our chemistry has just built all year.
“It is has
been awesome. They are great guys to play with, and it has just been great.”
The
22-year-old said he would love to see the Huskies four fifth-year players in
Bauml, Cable, McVeigh and Andrew Johnson graduate from the program hoisting
championship trophies.
“All four
of our fifth years are just unbelievable people,” said Young. “I think they
deserve a championship.”
Kozun made
21 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Toth turned away 28 shots
to take the setback in net for the Thunderbirds.
Jared Dmytriw set up the Huskies first goal on Friday.
The Huskies
entered the series as decided favourites finishing second in the Canada West
Conference with a 22-4-2 record and being rated second in the U Sports Top 10
rankings. They have won 14 straight games including action in the regular season
and playoffs.
The
Thunderbirds have enjoyed a Cinderella run to get to this point after finishing fifth
in Canada West with a 9-14-4-1 mark. They cracked the U Sports Top 10 rankings
this week at the ninth position.
Both teams
are guaranteed berths to the David Johnston University Cup, which is the U
Sports men’s hockey national championship tournament. The U Sports national
championship tournament is played in an elite-eight format. It runs from March
12 to 15 in Halifax, N.S.
The Huskies celebrate their victory in Game 1 of the Canada West final.
Before
looking forward to nationals, Young said he would like to see his team lock up
the Canada West title series on Saturday.
“I think
the nerves might hit a little bit tomorrow,” said Young. “We just have to play
our way, and I think we will be OK.”
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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Lauren Focht is the Rebels all-time leading scorer.
Lauren
Focht keeps piling up the highlights and milestones with her elite hometown
team.
On Tuesday
at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn, Focht became the all-time leading scorer in
regular season for her Regina Rebels female midget AAA hockey team. The skilled
forward, who turned 18-years-old in January, picked up a goal and an assist as
the Rebels thumped the host Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings 8-2 in a Saskatchewan
Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season game.
The effort
gave Focht 66 goals and 56 assists for 122 points in 102 regular season games.
That put Focht one point ahead of Emma Waldenberger for top spot on the Rebels
all-time regular season scoring list.
Waldenberger
collected 60 goals and 61 assists for 121 points playing in 109 career regular
season games for the Rebels from 2010 to 2014.
Besides
being the Rebels all-time leader in career points, Focht, who stands 5-foot-3,
is also the Rebels leader in all-time career goals. Her 66 tallies ranks eighth
on the SFMAAAHL all-time career regular season goals list.
Lauren Focht is the Rebels all-time leader in career goals.
Focht’s 122
career points are good for 11th place on the SFMAAAHL’s all-time
career regular season points list. Over the Rebels final three games, she has a
chance to move past former Saskatoon Stars captain Lauren Zary for 10th
on the SFMAAAHL’s all-time scoring list.
Zary piled
up 44 goals and 82 assists for 126 points playing 103 regular season games with
the Stars from 2008 to 2012.
Focht hasn’t
just burst on the scene with the Rebels. She has produced consistent offensive
numbers with the team over her four seasons never falling below 23 points in
any campaign.
This
season, Focht currently sits second in team scoring with 14 goals and 22
assists for 36 points. Her assist total is a career high showing her playmaking
abilities can be just as good as her scoring touch around the net.
Focht is a
Rebels co-captain along with gifted offensive defender Sydney Pedersen.
Actually,
Focht doesn’t actively pay attention to her personal statistics and is more
focused on team success. You get the feeling she relishes the fact she gets to
be one of the sparkplugs that makes the deep Rebels machine go.
Last
season, the Rebels showed they were ready to play with Canada’s best in the
female midget AAA hockey ranks.
Lauren Focht been one of the Rebels most consistent players.
They finished second in the SFMAAAHL with a
17-7-4 record, advanced to the league championship series and fell to a powerhouse
Stars club that was loaded with superstar veterans.
The Rebels
gave the Stars their only regular season loss in the 2018-19 campaign.
With
another year of experience under their collective belts, the Rebels have
already locked up first place in the SFMAAAHL with an impressive 26-1-1 record
and they are Canada’s top rated female midget AAA hockey team according to the
My Hockey Rankings site. The Rebels last topped the SFMAAAHL standings in the
2013-14 campaign. The current Rebels have a drive and self-belief that is powerful and beyond the teenage years of the players.
In Tuesday’s
win over the Gold Wings, the Rebels offensive output came from a number of
sources. Pedersen and Neena Brick both had two goals and an assist. Kaylee Dyer
had a goal and an assist, while Megan Hayhurst and Shaelyn Myers had singles.
Alexis
Petford had a pair of assists, while Penny Bellefontaine and Jasmine Lamotte
had single assists.
Jayden
Baker and Lauren Demmans both had a goal and an assist for the Gold Wings.
Lauren Focht (#22) doesn’t actively follow her personal statistics.
Payton
Schlamp made 16 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels. Veteran Chloe
Burt turned away 49 shots to take the setback in net for the Gold Wings, who
fell to 5-22-2.
The Rebels
return to action this coming Thursday, when they host the Battlefords Sharks at
8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.
Brick, who
has been Focht’s linemate for much of the current campaign, leads the SFMAAAHL
in scoring with 28 goals and 27 assists for 55 points skating in her sophomore
16-year-old campaign.
With all
that noted, Focht has produced a great made in Regina story. Her family is
talented in the game too, as older brother Carson has 31 goals and 20 assists
in 55 regular season games with the Calgary Hitmen heading into WHL action on
Friday.
It is
almost too bad Carson, who turned 20-years-old in February, didn’t play for the
WHL’s Regina Pats.
When the
Rebels season wraps up, Lauren Focht will continue her hometown journey in
hockey joining the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey teams in the U
Sports ranks. Focht’s addition is a huge addition for the Cougars.
Many more special moments could awaiting Lauren Focht and the Rebels.
While it is
a big jump to play in the U Sports ranks and success is in no way guaranteed,
you have to love that the chance is there for the hometown product to do big
things with her hometown university team.
Until then,
Focht and the Rebels are well positioned to make a memorable post-season. With
the WHL’s Pats still going through a massive rebuild, Focht and her teammates
can capture the imagination of the sports scene in “the Queen City” along with
the Regina Pat Canadians, who topped the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League
standings.
Some more special
hockey memories are just waiting to be made in the Saskatchewan capital.
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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Dogs aim to take Canada West final against Thunderbirds
Kohl Bauml will play his final home games for the Huskies this weekend.
For Kohl Bauml,
this weekend’s Canada West Championship series is one of those life comes at
you fast moments.
The fifth-year
centre will be skating in the final home games he could possibly play in his U
Sports career, when his University of Saskatchewan Huskies face the University
of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three series that will determine
the champion for the Canada West Conference in men’s hockey.
Game 1 of
the series is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place. Game 2 of the
series follows on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis, and if necessary, Game 3 will
be held on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.
“It has
come quick,” said Bauml. “I don’t think many people expected us to be able to
be at home this weekend.
“We are
going to try and take advantage of it. We’ve been really good at home this
year. UBC is coming in hot.
Kohl Bauml will play in his fifth straight Canada West final for the Huskies.
“They’ve
been playing really good hockey. Their goaltender has been lights out, so we
have to try and change that.”
The
25-year-old will be making his final home hurrah along with fellow fifth years
in right-winger Levi Cable, left-winger Andrew Johnson and centre Logan
McVeigh. Cable is the Huskies ironman having played in 173 consecutive games
for the team including action in the U Sports regular season and post-season.
The Huskies
are appearing in the Canada West final for a fifth straight year, and this year’s
Canada West title series offers a much different storyline to the previous four
the U of S fifth-years have skated in.
Over the
previous four campaigns, the Huskies have battled their “forever rivals” in the
University of Alberta Golden Bears in a clash of the top two teams in the
conference.
This year,
the Huskies enter the Canada West final as a decided favourite against a
decided underdog in the Thunderbirds, who are enjoying a Cinderella run.
Kohl Bauml and the Huskies will be favoured in the Canada West final.
Both teams
are guaranteed berths to the David Johnston University Cup, which is the U
Sports men’s hockey national championship tournament. The U Sports national
championship tournament is played in an elite-eight format. It runs from March
12 to 15 in Halifax, N.S.
The Huskies,
who will go to U Sports nationals for a fifth straight year, finished second in
the Canada West Conference with a 22-4-2 record and swept the University of
Calgary Dinos 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series. The Dogs
have won 13 straight games including action in the regular season and
post-season and are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.
The
Thunderbirds finished fifth in Canada West with a 9-14-4-1 record. They upset
the Mount Royal University Cougars, who were fourth in Canada West with an
18-8-0-2 record, in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series 2-1.
Kohl Bauml has 108 career regular season points with U of S.
The
Thunderbirds then shocked the Golden Bears, who were first in Canada West with
a 23-5 mark, in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series 2-1. The upsets
have allowed the Thunderbirds to sneak into the U Sports Top 10 rankings in the
ninth position.
UBC is
making its first appearance in the Canada West title series for men’s hockey
since 1978 and will make its first appearance at U Sports nationals since 1977.
Thunderbirds
netminder and Saskatoon product Rylan Toth has been the difference for the UBC
side. He has started all six of UBC’s games in the post-season posting a 4-2
record, a 2.83 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.
During the
regular season, Toth appeared in 23 games for the Thunderbirds posting an
8-10-4 record, a 2.78 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
Bauml said
a number of Huskies got to know Toth a bit after getting to play some
three-on-three hockey with him about three years back. The speedy forward said
the UBC netminder is a genuine good guy.
“I am happy
for him to have his success against U of A,” said Bauml, who stands 5-foot-8
and weighs 170 pounds. “Hopefully that doesn’t continue against us, but it was
nice to see him put in such a good weekend for himself personally and have his
team be rewarded for it.”
Kohl Bauml will play in a fifth straight Canada West final for the Huskies.
Rookie
centre Jared Dmytriw topped the Huskies in scoring collecting 10 goals and 18
assists appearing in all of his team’s 28 regular season games.
Sophomore
Gordie Ballhorn topped all Huskies defenceman in regular season scoring with
four goals and 15 assists appearing in 24 regular season games.
Star
third-year netminder Taran Kozun played in 22 regular season games posting a
17-3-2 record, a 1.87 goals against average, a .931 save percentage and five
shutouts. He also scored a goal.
Third-year
forward Tyler Sandhu topped the Thunderbirds in scoring piling up 12 goals and
11 assists appearing in all 28 of his squad’s regular season games.
Fourth-year
veteran Jerret Smith led all Thunderbirds blue-liners in scoring with three
goals and 12 assists appearing in 27 regular season games.
AndrewJohnson will be playing his final home weekend with the Huskies.
While Bauml
is facing his last chance to the Huskies win Canada West and U Sports titles,
he said his squad talked about how these opportunities don’t come along all
that often during a team chapel session on Tuesday.
During
Bauml’s career, the Huskies captured the Canada West title just once back in
his rookie season in 2015-16, and appeared in the U Sports championship game
once falling 5-3 to the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds in 2017.
Bauml said
message was to not take these opportunities for granted, and it is directed to
the whole squad.
“That was
one of the things we talked about was not letting an opportunity slip away,”
said Bauml. “We’ve been close four out of my four years so far.
“This is
kind of the last chance for me, A.J. (Andrew Johnson), Logy (Logan McVeigh) and
Cabes (Levi Cable). We were kind of just saying like, ‘Hey, let’s not let this
one slip away.’ We don’t know how many chances that we are going to get this
close every again.
Levi Cable will experience his final home hurrah with the Huskies.
“It is not
guaranteed that we get to the nationals every year, so we have to try and take
advantage of one of these years.”
Huskies
head coach Dave Adolph said it is special that his fifth-year players will be
able to play the Canada West Championship series at home. The Huskies are
closing out the home schedule in their second season playing out of Merlis
Belsher Place after moving out of their long time old home in the ancient
Rutherford Rink.
Adolph
caught a media story about the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball
team hosting a winner take all Canada West title game on Friday at 7 p.m. at
the Physical Activity Complex against the U of Alberta Pandas. The veteran
hockey bench boss saw how significant that opportunity was for the Huskies
women’s basketball fifth-year team members in Sabine Dukate, Megan Ahlstrom and
Vera Crooks.
“It (the media story) was talking about what
an honour it was for their fifth-year girls to actually have an opportunity to
play at home,” said Adolph. “I think our guys feel the same way.
Logan McVeigh will skate in his final home games with the Huskies.
“This
hasn’t been our home for very long, but I think Kohl (Bauml) and Levi (Cable)
and Logan (McVeigh) and certainly Andrew Johnson remembers the last banner that
they won at Rutherford, and it was special.”
While Bauml
wants to do everything he can for his team to capitalize on the chance they
have this weekend, he said it is bittersweet knowing that his playing days with
the Huskies are coming to a close. The graduate of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips
said he keeps in contact with his former Huskies teammates from previous
seasons, and everyone from this year’s squad has become buds.
“You look
at the alumni group that we have and they are all buddies from back in the 80s
and 90s and early 2000s. It is stuff like that you see what you have to look
forward to in the future but also being able to remember the stuff that you did
in the past that is going to be most special to me.”
Kozun takes two huge Canada West
awards
Taran Kozun was the Canada West player of the year.
It was
Taran Kozun’s day on Wednesday when it came to winning Canada West Conference
awards.
The
third-year star netminder with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team
was named the Canada West player of the year and goaltender of the year. Kozun
had an outstanding campaign for the Huskies appearing in 22 regular season
games posting a 17-3-2 record, a 1.87 goals against average, a .931 save
percentage and five shutouts. He also scored a goal.
The
Nipawin, Sask., product topped the Canada West Conference in wins and save
percentage, while posting the lowest goals against average. His five shutouts equalled
a record for regular season play in Canada West which he set last season along
with U of Alberta Golden Bears goalie Zach Sawchenko.
Thanks to
Kozun’s efforts, the Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with
a 22-4-2 record.
The
graduate of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and Seattle Thunderbirds became the
first player to capture the Canada West player of the year and goaltender of
the year honours in the same campaign since former Huskies star Jordon Cooke
pulled that same distinction off in the 2015-16 campaign.
Jared Dmytriw was the Canada West rookie of the year.
Last
season, Kozun was named both the Canada West goaltender of the year and the U
Sports goaltender of the year.
“I said to
somebody the other day he has been the best goalie in probably Canada since he
has been 18,” said Huskies head coach Dave Adolph. “He was phenomenal in
Seattle.
“He was the
goaltender of the year in the Western Hockey League (in 2015). He was probably
one of the most highly touted 20-year-olds coming out of the Western Hockey
League and decided to go pro. Somehow, he fell in our lap, so we are pretty
fortunate to have him.”
Kozun wasn’t
the only major Canada West award winner from the Huskies men’s hockey team.
Centre
Jared Dmytriw was named the Canada West rookie of the year after an outstanding
first-year campaign.
He led the
Huskies in scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists appearing in all of the Huskies
28 regular season games. He was a plus-20 in the plus-minus department.
The former
captain of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants has played a key role in helping the
Huskies advance to the Canada West Championship series.
Levi Cable captured the Canada West sportsmanship and ability award.
Huskies
ironman Levi Cable captured the Canada West sportsmanship and ability award.
The fifth-year right-winger appeared in all the Huskies 28 regular season games
posting 10 goals, 14 assists, a plus-13 rating and didn’t record a single
minute in the penalty box.
The Hudson
Bay, Sask., product has appeared in 173 consecutive games for the Huskies
including the U Sports regular season and post-season. Cable has appeared in
every game he could possibility suit up for with the Huskies.
He is the
third player in the history of the Huskies to play in 140 career regular season
games, and he collected 51 goals, 64 assists and a plus-50 rating in those outings.
U of Manitoba
Bisons fifth-year defenceman Adam Henry took home honours as Canada West’s top
defenceman and the student-athlete community service award.
U of Regina
Cougars bench boss Todd Johnson was named the Canada West coach of the year.
Haubrich captures student-athlete community
service award
Brooklyn Haubrich took home student-athlete community service award.
Graduating
fifth-year captain Brooklyn Haubrich took home a big award for her impact and
leadership off the ice.
On
Wednesday, the feisty forward for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s
hockey team was named the winner of the Canada West Conference student-athlete
community service award.
The
23-year-old product of Hodgeville, Sask., coaches a team of youth funded by the
Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon allowing families to enjoy the game who otherwise
wouldn’t be able to.
She is a
mentor in the Big Sister/Little Sister program, makes monthly visits to various
elementary schools as a Huskie Homeroom Mentor and has worked to provide on-ice
opportunities to female hockey players in rural communities throughout
Saskatchewan.
The
agricultural and bioresources student has been a U Sports academic all-Canadian
in her first four seasons with the Huskies.
Haubrich
has been the Huskies captain for the past two campaigns.
Brooklyn Haubrich was the Huskies captain the past two seasons.
This season, she
appeared in 27 regular season games with the Huskies collecting eight assists
and a plus-five rating in the plus-minus department.
During her
five seasons with the Huskies, Haubrich appeared in 129 regular season games
posting eight goals, 28 assists and a plus-12 rating.
She helped
the Huskies finish third in the Canada West Conference with a 17-7-2-2 record.
The Huskies were swept 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final against
the UBC Thunderbirds dropping an overtime decision and a double overtime
heartbreaker.
Haubrich is
a graduate of the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats female midget AAA team. The area she comes from has a huge community conscious, so it is fitting
Haubrich would capture the Canada West student-athlete community service award.
U of
Calgary Dinos netminder Kelsey Roberts was named the Canada West
player-of-the-year. Forward Madison Willan of the U of Alberta Pandas captured
honours at the Canada West rookie of the year.
Dinos head
coach Danielle Goyette was named the Canada West coach of the year.
When UBC last made the Can West men’s
hockey final in 1978
Tyler Sandhu's T-birds last appeared in the Canada West final in 1978.
The
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds last appeared in the Canada West
Championship series for men’s hockey way back in 1978, and it is pretty obvious
a lot has changed since then.
When the
Thunderbirds last appeared in the Canada West final, Cam Cole was the
statistician for Canada West that put together the year in review report for
the 1977-78 campaign. Cole is best remembered for going on to be a sports
scribe at the Edmonton Journal, National Post and Vancouver Sun.
With the
Edmonton Journal, Cole covered the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers dynasty era from 1983
to 1990, where the team won the Stanley Cup five times.
The Canada
West Conference for men’s hockey include just four teams in the 1977-78 campaign
including the Thunderbirds, U of Alberta Golden Bears, U of Calgary then known
as the Dinosaurs and the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. The four squads played a
24-game regular season against each other.
The
Thunderbirds, who were 14-10 in the regular season, fell 2-1 in the
best-of-three Canada West Championship series to the Golden Bears, who were
20-4 in the regular season.
The Golden
Bears took Game 1 of the series 4-2, but the Thunderbirds rebounded with a 2-1
victory in Game 2. U of A romped to a 9-1 anti-climatic win in a
series-deciding Game 3.
The Golden
Bears advanced on to win the U Sports national title. Their roster contained a
defenceman named Randy Gregg, who became a key member of the Oilers Stanley Cup
dynasty. The Thunderbirds finally made it back to the best-of-three Canada West Championship series this season, and they will open that series with Game 1 on Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place against the U of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Ennis six-goal night anniversary with WHL’s Tigers
A Tyler Ennis Medicine Hat Tigers card.
Today marks
the 11th anniversary in one of the most incredible individual performances
in the history of the WHL.
On Feb. 27,
2009, Tyler Ennis scored six goals for the Medicine Hat Tigers Tigers as they
downed the Prince Albert Raiders 6-2 in front of an appreciative sellout crowd
of 4,006 spectators at The Arena in Medicine Hat, Alta.
The skilled
and speedy right-winger was tallying goals of the spectacular variety. On his
fifth goal of the night, Ennis turned Raiders rookie defenceman Ryan Aasman inside
out in scoring that particular marker.
Aasman is
currently a head coach in the junior A ranks with the Grande Prairie Storm of
the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Ryan McDonald
and Igor Revenko replied with singles for the Raiders on the night Ennis had
his goal explosion.
Ryan
Holfeld made 26 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers. Steven
Stanford turned away 28 shots taking the setback in net for the Raiders.
Covering
the game for the Medicine Hat News that night, I gave Ennis all three of my
game stars, which was the only time I had ever done that.
Ennis pile
up 43 goals, 42 assists and a plus-11 rating in 61 regular season appearances
in that campaign with the Tigers, which was his final season in the WHL. He
helped Canada win gold at the world junior tournament that season posting three
goals and four assists in six tournament games.
Ennis is
now an NHL veteran who has played 606 career regular season games and is
currently skating for his hometown Edmonton Oilers.
His
six-goal night with the Tigers is still a thing of beauty to watch, and it is even that much better with the call of Bob Ridley, the Tigers iconic play-by-play voice.
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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