Grawbarger makes Varsity Blues dreams come true

Sophie Grawbarger scored the winner for the Varsity Blues.

“You Make My Dreams (Come True)” may never have sounded sweeter for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s hockey team.

With the NHL’s Toronto Maples Leafs have dropped the famous Hall and Oates tune early in the 2023-24 campaign as their goal song after five full seasons, the Varsity Blues decided to pick the medley as their goal song, and they are two victories away from winning a national championship with it. Being two wins away from winning a championship is something the Maple Leafs have only dreamt about since 1967.

On Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place, the Varsity Blues were locked in a 1-1 tie with the University of New Brunswick Reds in the fourth quarter-final of the U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship tournament. With 2:21 remaining in the third, Varsity Blues third-year left-winger Sophie Grawbarger elected to take control of the contest in her own hands.

After getting the puck in the centre ice zone, Grawbarger drove hard down the middle of the ice into the UNB zone. She got in close to the Reds goal and put a backhand shot over the shoulder on the stick side of Reds netminder Kendra Woodland into the UNB net to give U of T a 2-1 lead.

That 2-1 score held as the final in front of a gathering of 771 spectators to allow the sixth seeded Varsity Blues to advance to the tournament’s semfinal round. They will face the seventh seeded University de Montreal Carabins in Saturday’s second semifinal slated for 7 p.m. at Merlis.

The first semifinal on Saturday sees the top seeded Concordia University Stingers take on the fourth seeded University of Waterloo Warriors at 4 p.m. at Merlis.

The Reds will play a consolation semifinal against the second seeded University of British Columbia Thunderbirds set for 1 p.m. at Merlis on Saturday.

In the clash between the Varsity Blues and Reds, the two sides played a fairly even first period.

The Reds were denied an equalizer with 18.9 seconds left in the third.

First-year right-winger Ashley Delahey scored at the 12:32 mark of the first to put the Blues up 1-0. Second-year defender Mackenzie Keenan tallied just 49 seconds later for the AUS champion Reds to even the score at 1-1.

The shots on goal between the two sides were tied 9-9 after 20 minutes. The Varsity Blues and Reds skated through a fairly tight checking contest from that point with U of T holding a 7-4 edge in shots on goal in the second period and 6-4 advantage in shots in the third frame.

After the Blues went up 2-1, the Reds made a last gasp push with Woodland pulled for an extra attacker looking for an equalizer that would force overtime. The Reds were successful in creating a hectic mad scramble where Varsity Blues netminder Erica Fryer was able to cover up the puck with 18.9 second remaining in the frame.

Fryer stopped 16 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Varsity Blues. Woodland turned away 20 shots to take the setback in net for the Reds.

The Varsity Blues are searching for their first U Sports crown since winning their lone title in 2001, when they down the University of Regina Cougars 4-3, when the national championship tournament was held in Calgary.

Unfortunately if the Varsity Blues are able to win the U Sports title, they won’t be able to celebrate the accomplishment at one time famed Saskatoon night hotspot in Beily’s Ultra Lounge, which closed in February of 2015. The famed closing tune at Beily’s was “You Make My Dreams (Come True).”

T-birds nationals jinx continues, Carabins take quarter-final

The Carabins enjoy an empty-net goal from Laurie-Anne Ethier (#10).

It seems like a black cloud hangs over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds when it comes to playing in the U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship tournament.

The Thunderbirds jinx at nationals continued even with entering this year’s event having won the Canada West Conference title for a third straight year and being the tournament’s second seed. They fell 4-2 to the seventh seeded Universite de Montreal Carabins in the third quarter-final played on Friday at Merlis Belsher Place before 2,150 spectators.

The teams were tied 1-1 after 20 minutes and were locked in a 2-2 early in the third before the Carabins scored twice more to secure victory. The Carabins were third in Reseau du Sport Etudiant du Quebec at 13-10-2 and went 3-3 in post-season falling to the Concordia University Stingers in the RSEQ final.

In 2022, the Thunderbirds entered nationals held in Charlottetown, P.E.I., as the third seed and fell in the quarter-final 1-0 to the Nipissing University Lakers. Last year, the Thunderbirds entered nationals held in Montreal as the second seed. They fell 3-1 to the Stingers in the semifinal and rebounded to claim the bronze medal game 3-2 over the Carabins.

Friday’s clash between the Thunderbirds and Carabins was tightly contested. Carabins fourth-year centre Mylene Lefebvre scored at the 6:58 mark of the opening frame to give her squad a 1-0 lead. Thunderbirds second-year forward Cassidy Rhodes potted the equalizer at the 13:45 mark of the first to even the score at 1-1.

With 11:01 remaining in the second, Thunderbirds third-year left-winger Grace Elliott was awarded a penalty shot, but she was turned away by Carabins fifth-year netminder Aube Racine.

After the two sides played through a scoreless second, Carabins fourth-year left-winger Joannie Garand wired home a shot from the right wing into the Thunderbirds net to put Montreal up 2-1.

Jade Picard had a goal and two assists for the Carabins.

A short time later, Carabins defender Rose-Michelle Cardin was given a double minor penalty for head contact. On the first part of the double minor, Thunderbirds third-year defender Sophia Gaskell slipped home a smart shot from the point to once again even the score this time at 2-2 just 90 seconds after Garand’s tally.

With 6:10 remaining in the third, Carabins second year defender Jade Picard popped collected the rebound at the left side of the Thunderbirds net from a Garand shot and popped home a tally that gave the Carabins a 3-2 lead. Carabins second-year right-winger Laurie-Anne Ethier scored into an empty-net with 2:01 remaining in the third to round out the Carabins 4-2 victory.

Racine made 24 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Carabins. Third-year goalie Elise Hugens turned away 18-of-21 shots to take the setback in net for the Thunderbirds.

Picard had a pair of assists to go with her goal and was a plus-three in the plus-minus department. Garand and Lefebvre both had an assist to go with their respective goals.

The Carabins went 0-for-7 on the power play, while the Thunderbirds were 1-for-3 with a one skater advantage.

The Carabins advance to play in a tournament semifinal against the sixth seeded University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.

The Thunderbirds will take part in a consolation semifinal against the University of New Brunswick Reds on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Merlis.

Blades close in on clinching first overall in WHL

Alexander Suzdalev scored twice for the Blades on Friday.

With first place in the WHL’s East Division and Eastern Conference locked up, the Saskatoon Blades have turned their full focus towards finishing first overall in the WHL.

On Friday, the Blades took a big step in getting closer to finishing first overall when they won their fifth straight downing the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors 6-3 in a regular season clash before 6,257 spectators at the SaskTel Centre. With the five straight wins, the Blades improve their WHL leading record to 47-12-2-3.

“The Bridge City Bunch” needs to collect five standings points over their last four games to lock up first place overall in the WHL. Only the B.C. Division champion Prince George Cougars (45-15-1-3) and the U.S. Division leading Portland Winterhawks (45-15-2-1) could pass the Blades in the overall WHL standings.

The last time the Blades finished first overall in the WHL was back in the 2010-11 campaign when they posted a 56-13-1-2 record. The 56 victories are a Blades franchise record for wins in one regular season.

In Friday’s contest with the Warriors, the two sides engaged in a back-and-forth struggle over the first 40 minutes. The two sides were locked in a 2-2 draw after the first period and a 3-3 tied after the second before the Blades exploded for the only three goals in the third.

Blades star import winger Alexander Suzdalev blew up Platform-X when he scored a power-play goal on a Michigan style lacrosse shot with four seconds remaining in the opening frame to force a 2-2 tie. Suzdalev finished the night having scored a pair of goals.

Blades star left-winger Brandon Lisowsky had a big night recording a pair of goals and an assist in the win. With 38 goals on the season, Lisowsky is trying to hit the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his WHL career.

Steady left-winger Tyler Parr has a goal and an assist for the Blades, while overage left-winger Easton Armstrong netted a single, which allowed him to hit 30 goals scored for one season for the first time in his WHL career. Blades captain Trevor Wong, star centre Fraser Minten and offensive-defenceman Tanner Molendyk each recorded two assists in the win.

Wong leads the WHL with 83 assists to go along with 13 goals for 96 points. The Vancouver product is trying to hit the 100-point plateau for the first time in his WHL career.

Blades import right-winger Egor Sidorov was held off the scoresheet as he sits on the cusp of a big milestone. Sidorov had scored 49 goals so far this season, which is good for fourth best in the WHL. Along with trying to hit the 50-goal plateau, Sidorov is trying to become the first Blades player to score 50-or-more goals in a season since the 1995-96 campaign.

In the 1995-96 season, both Frank Banham and Mark Deyell hit the 50-goal plateau for the Blades. Banham record 83 goals in that campaign, which is still a franchise record for most goals in a season, and Deyell posted 61 goals.

In the setback to the Blades, offensive-defenceman Denton Mateychuk, Atley Calvert and Jagger Firkus all netted single for the Warriors. Mateychuk had an assist to go with his goal, and Brayden Yager had a pair of assists for the Moose Jaw side.

Rookie netminder Evan Gardner made 26 saves to earn the win in goal for the Blades, who are rated fifth in the CHL Top 10 Rankings. Jackson Unger turned away 36 shots to take the setback in net for the Warriors, who fell to 41-20-0-3 to sit second overall in the Eastern Conference.

The Blades and Warriors go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Raiders fall to Pats, inch closer to playoff berth

Justice Christensen scored for the Raiders on Friday.

The Prince Albert Raiders stumbled in Regina but got closer to locking up a playoff berth due to an assist from the Edmonton Oil Kings.

On Friday night at the Brandt Centre in Regina, the Raiders dropped a 5-2 decision in a WHL regular season clash to the host Pats before 3,782 spectators despite having a 34-19 edge in shots on goal. The Pats improved to 22-36-4-2 to remain last in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

Out in Edmonton, the host Oil Kings downed the visiting Calgary Hitmen 6-2, which allowed the Raiders to get closer to locking up a berth in the WHL Playoffs. The Oil Kings improved to 25-36-3-1 to sit second last in the Eastern Conference.

With the loss to the Pats, the Raiders fell to 30-29-2-3, but they still sit in eighth place and hold the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Hitmen fell to 26-30-7-1 with the loss to the Oil Kings. Calgary sits ninth in the Eastern Conference five standings points behind the Raiders.

At the moment, the Raiders need to collect four more standings points in their final four games to lock up a berth in the WHL Playoffs. The Lethbridge Hurricanes (31-28-5) and the Brandon Wheat Kings (30-28-6-1) both sit two standings points ahead of the Raiders.

The Hurricanes hold sixth place in the Eastern Conference over the Wheat Kings due to having a greater number of wins.

In Friday’s encounter between the Raiders and Pats, Tye Spencer gave the Pats a 1-0 lead at the 10:13 mark of the opening frame. Just 77 seconds later, overage centre Turner McMillen tallied for the Raiders to even the score at 1-1.

Anthony Wilson and Jaxsin Vaughan netted singles for the Pats in the second to give the host side a 3-1 edge going into the second intermission. Pats captain Tanner Howe scored just 10 seconds into the third to increase Regina’s advantage to 4-1.

Raiders offensive-defenceman Justice Christensen potted a power-play goal with 4:46 remaining in the third to trim Regina’s lead to 4-2.

Braxton Whitehead popped home an empty-net goal with 1:42 remaining in the third to round out the 5-2 final in favour of the Pats.

Kelton Pyne stopped 32 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Pats. Max Hildebrand turned away 14-of-18 shots to take the setback in goal for the Raiders.

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

The Pats return to action on Sunday when they host their archrivals the 41-20-0-3 Moose Jaw Warriors (4 p.m., Brandt Centre).

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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