In Cooke the Huskies trust

Netminder gives Dogs edge in Canada West final against U of A

Jordon Cooke had another spectacular season for the Huskies.

    On Thursday, Jordon Cooke was a repeat winner as the goaltender of the year in the Canada West conference, and this weekend he gives a distinct edge to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team in their quest to repeat as conference champions.

    The Huskies host their forever rivals the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the second straight year in a best-of-three Canada West final at the ancient Rutherford Rink. Game 1 is set for Friday at 7 p.m.

    Game 2 follows on Saturday at 7 p.m., and if necessary Game 3 will be held Sunday at 7 p.m. The Huskies finished first in Canada West with a 21-5-2 record, while the Bears were second with an 18-8-2 mark.

    Last year, the Huskies swept the Golden Bears 2-0.

    Both teams will ice four solid forward lines and three strong defensive pairs. When it comes to goaltending, the Huskies have the edge thanks to Cooke, who was also named the top netminder in U Sports last season.

Jordon Cooke plays the puck behind his net.

    The 23-year-old Leduc, Alta., product was a prized recruit for the Huskies back at the start of the 2014-15 campaign. He arrived on campus having won the Canadian Hockey League’s goaltender of the year award. Cooke was overlooked by the NHL ranks being deemed too small standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 180 pounds.

    In recent years, NHL scouts lean towards goaltenders that stand a least 6-feet tall in height or taller.

    Since Cooke joined the Huskies, he has displayed the form that allowed him to be named the top goalie in the major junior ranks. Cooke hasn’t rested on past accomplishments, and has improved as his university career has progressed. He admits he strives for constant improvement.

    “I definitely set my goals to be better,” said Cooke during a media scrum Thursday at the Rutherford. “I constantly want to get better. I want to be recognized, and hopefully down the road, pursue a pro career.

    “If I could repeat from the previous year, that would be a big achievement. We didn’t really loose a whole lot of guys on our team. A lot of our team is a young group of players.

    “When you have a team like this, it is pretty to have good success.”

    Cooke turned away 56 of 58 shots in last year’s Canada West championship series with U of A. In four encounters from the current campaign, Cooke turned away 126 of 132 shots he faced from the Golden Bears in four games, and the Huskies won three of those encounters. The last of those games saw Cooke post a beauty 45-save shutout performance in a 4-0 Huskies win on Dec. 3, 2016.

Jesse Forsberg had a breakout campaign.

    At the moment, Cooke has U of A’s number. With him in goal, you would think the confidence of the rest of his team has to be fairly sound. During the regular season, Cooke posted a 19-4-2 record, a 1.94 goals against average, a .929 save percentage and four shutouts.

    Cooke wasn’t the only conference award winner from the Huskies this season. Third-year rearguard Jesse Forsberg captured the Mervyn “Red” Dutton Trophy as the top defenceman in Canada West. Huskies head coach Dave Adolph was named the Canada West coach of the year for the third time in his career, with the last two wins coming back in the 1997-98 and 1999-2000 campaigns.

    Cooke and goaltending partner Daniel Wapple also claimed the Adam Kryczka Memorial Trophy for the lowest goals against average posted a duo in the conference at 2.11.

    Centre Logan McVeigh topped the Huskies in regular season scoring with 13 goals and 18 assists, while Forsberg led the conference in defencemen scoring with 27 points coming on 11 goals and 16 assists.

    Forward Jamie Crooks and Tyson Baillie, who took the U of A Hockey Alumni trophy as the Canada West rookie of the year, each topped the Golden Bears with 26 points. Crooks had 15 goals and 11 assists in 27 regular season games, while Baillie had 13 goals and 13 assists playing in all 28 regular season games.

    Dylan Bredo topped all U of A defencemen in scoring with three goals and 17 assists.

    Rookie Brendan Burke and fourth-year veteran Luke Siemens split time in the U of A net. Burke posted an 8-3 record, a 1.70 goals against average, a .934 save percentage and three shutouts. Siemens posted an 8-4-1 record, a 2.82 goals against average and a .905 save percentage.

Former Regina Pats winger Cole Sanford could be a wildcard for U of A.

    One wildcard in the series might be the fact the Golden Bears added Cole Sanford after the Christmas break. Sanford had two goals and five assists in 12 games with U of A, but he was a prolific goal scorer in the WHL netting over 30 goals a season in each of his last three major junior campaigns. In 260 career regular season games with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Regina Pats from 2012 to 2016, Sanford had 126 goals and 123 assists.

    In their semifinal series sweep of the Mount Royal University Cougars, the Huskies did a good job staying out of all the little chippy and trash talking battles that happened behind the play or after the whistle. They will have to repeat that behaviour against U of A.

    This series has the potential to go the distance, but when the dust settles, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Golden Bears went down to defeat again due to heroics of Cooke.

Huskies hoops women’s team underdogs

Huskies guard Libby Epoch speaks to the media on Thursday at U of S.

    In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team has found itself hosting the Canada West final four championship tournament for the second year in a row, but the defending U Sports champions are not the clear cut favourite.

    When it comes to wins and losses, the Huskies finished with in Canada West with a solid 15-5 record, but were given the conference’s top seed in playoffs due to having the most difficult schedule out of the 12 teams that made the post-season. The top 12 teams in the 17 club conference made playoffs, and they were seeded by a strength of schedule index number.

    The Huskies face the U of Alberta Pandas, who were 17-3 in the regular season in one semifinal match set for 6:15 p.m. on Friday at the Physical Activity Complex. In two regular encounters that were held at the PAC, the Pandas took the first game 72-50 on Feb. 3, while the Huskies claimed a 72-62 victory one night later.

    The Huskies, who graduated four players in their fifth-year of eligibility last season, can never be counted out due to the fact Lisa Thomaidis guides them as their superstar head coach.

    Huskies rookie guard Libby Epoch likes her team’s chances of making noise at home.

    “I think our team has just been getting better about working off each other and having that team chemistry,” said Epoch. “It has been getting even better all year.”

    “On the road, you kind of feel a sense of like pressure and urgency to kind of win. At home, you have a more comfortable feeling. I think we know what we need to do this weekend, and we will hold ourselves accountable for that.”

    The other semifinal on Friday features the U of Winnipeg Wesmen, who had a Canada West best 18-2 regular season record, taking on the U of Regina Cougars, who were 17-3 in the regular season, at 8:15 p.m. at the PAC.

    The winners of the semifinal games advance to the U Sports championship tournament, which runs March 9 to 12 in Victoria, B.C.

    The bronze medal game of the Canada West final four is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday, and the gold medal match follows at 7 p.m. It is possible the winner of the bronze medal contest could earn the one wildcard berth to nationals.

Dobler quietly sets Huskies games played record

Alyssa Dobler leads the Huskies in games played.

    Alyssa Dobler quietly worked her way into the record books for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in her final university campaign.

    The fifth-year defender played her final game at the U Sports level, when the Huskies dropped a 3-1 decision in a deciding Game 3 of best-of-three Canada West semifinal series against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in Vancouver. Dobler scored the Huskies lone goal in that contest, which was also her first and only tally at the university level.

    The defensive defender will be more remembered as the Huskies leader in career games played. In her five seasons, Dobler appeared in 137 career regular season games breaking the old mark of 136 contests set last year by feisty forward Marley Ervine. At one time, Ervine’s career regular season games played mark was a Canada West record.

    Including action in the regular season, Canada West playoffs and U Sports championship tournament played, Dobler hit the ice for a Huskies team record 159 games breaking the old mark of 155 games which was also held by Ervine. Ervine played in all her games consecutively, while Dobler’s stretch was broken up sitting out three games due to injury in her fourth season.

    Thunderbirds fifth-year forward Stephanie Schaupmeyer holds the Canada West record for career regular season games played at 139. She is finishing her final playoff run with UBC.

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

Thunderbirds withstand Huskies' fight

UBC's Haneet Parhar (#12) battles U of S's Elizabeth Salyn (#3) for the puck.

    In what may have been one of their most intense performances of the season, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team deserved a way better fate.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies showed the grit and character that is currently being displayed by the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Facing the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds who top the U Sports women’s hockey top 10 rankings, the Huskies didn’t back down anywhere and took the fight to their foes, which at times meant literally. The squads engaged in a few post-whistle scrums.

    When the dust settled, the Thunderbirds, like any top ranked club, found a way to pull a victory out of what was an extremely hot fire. Playing in a three-on-three double overtime period, the Thunderbirds broke in on a two-on-one break, when the Huskies were still trying to change a couple of players.

Huskies forward Kaitlin Willoughby wins a battle for a loose puck.

    Mathea Fischer, who is from Oslo, Norway, fed a nice pass past a Huskies defender to lineman Nicole Saxvik, and the fifth year forward buried her ninth goal of the season to deliver the Thunderbirds to a 2-1 victory. The Thunderbirds improved to 18-3, while the Huskies fell to 11-7-3.

In defeat, the Huskies showed the potential they have.

    The Thunderbirds started the contest with a mini momentum spurt, before things turned in favour of the home side. At the 7:19 mark of the opening frame, speedy forward Kaitlin Willoughby set up Elizabeth Salyn for her third goal of the season on just the Huskies second shot of the contest.

    From that point, the Huskies came at the Thunderbirds in waves. UBC rookie goalie Amelia Boughn stood on her head to ensure the Huskies didn’t get ahead by more, as U of S had a 10-7 edge in shots after 20 minutes.

Huskies forward Danielle Nogier fights for the puck along the boards.

    In the second, the Huskies created more scoring chances, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Willoughby set up fifth-year forward Rachel Johnson in the slot with a nice pass through traffic. Johnson didn’t get all of the puck on her shot, and Boughn came up with the stop.

    With their effort, there were times the Huskies were a little too aggressive, which resulted in the Thunderbirds getting four straight power-plays in the second frame. On the third of those opportunities, Fischer beat Huskies netminder Cassidy Hendricks with a high looping shot to tie things up at 1-1.

    In the third, the Huskies really kept bringing the pressure. Right off the opening faceoff, Willoughby blew in on a breakaway and wired a shot that just missed the top corner of the UBC goal.

    A short time later, fourth-year forward Kori Herner found herself on a breakaway, but she was denied by Boughn. The UBC goalie gave up a rebound on Herner’s shot, which allowed Johnson a scoring chance, but she was also stopped.

The Thunderbirds, left, celebrate their overtime winning goal.

    Following those opportunities, Willoughby, who was playing with as aggressiveness similar to former Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Chris Schlenker, found herself on another breakaway, but Boughn came up big again for the Thunderbirds.

    Near the end of the third, rookie forward Bailee Bourassa, who used to pile up the goals for the Weyburn Gold Wings midget AAA team, had two chances in close but was unable to find the go-ahead tally.

    After the two teams played through a scoreless four-on-four overtime period, that set the stage for the Thunderbirds to get the winner in the second extra frame.

    Boughn made 27 mostly extremely hard stops for the Thunderbirds. Hendricks turned away 23 shots in net for the Huskies.

    The Huskies biggest hurt came from the fact they went 0-for-5 on the power play. So far this season, they have converted on just 10.8 per cent of their chances with the one person advantage.

    The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

Woytowich honoured in Play for a Cure

Hailey Woytowich, centre, drops the puck for a ceremonial faceoff.

    Tonight’s Huskies game was a big one for my family as my young cousin Hailey Woytowich dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff as part of the Huskie Play for a Cure game.

    Woytowich graduated from Bethlehem Catholic High School last June, while fighting cancer. At one point in time, she had a big lump on her neck, while fighting the disease. She had surgery over the summer and was declared cancer free.

    With that bit of news, she became the first person in my family that I know of to survive a battle with cancer. Cancer has taken the lives of many members of my family.

    Woytowich was brought to centre ice by another one of my young cousins in Danielle Nogier, who is a rookie forward with the Huskies, and fifth-year defender Alyssa Dobler, who is Woytowich’s neighbour and a long time best friend.

    Woytowich, who was nervous about the puck drop, made quick work of the formalities quickly dropping the puck between Huskies captain Lauren Zary and Thunderbirds captain Stephanie Schaupmeyer. Following the game, Woytowich also got Nogier’s game jersey as a keepsake.

    Since I moved back to Saskatoon in the summer of 2014, I still have a hard time keeping track of all my family members. I believe I speak for everyone in thanking the Huskies for the special night.

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

Defensive “Ds” key for Dogs

Brooke Mutch controls the puck for the Huskies.

    They are a group you almost forget about.
    When comes to the defenders on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team, Julia Flinton is easiest rearguard to notice. The member of Canada's women's team at the 2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain, has a unique skill set on the offensive end, which has allowed her to collect five goals and nine assists in 23 regular season games with the Dogs.
    Going pretty much unnoticed are the team's five defensive defenders in fourth-year veterans Brooke Mutch and Hanna McGillivray, third-year vet Alyssa Dobler and sophomores Kira Bannatyne and Brooke Patron. When it comes to locking down the action the action in their own zone, they are as good as any group in the Canada West Conference. They are also durable having only lost a combined three games to injury, when McGillivray sat out three contests with a concussion early in the second semester.
    As group, they have helped the Huskies give up the fourth fewest goals in the conference with 61 tallies against in 26 games. That equates to a team 2.35 goals against average.
    That stat is even more impressive given the fact the Huskies have scored the third fewest goals in the conference at 52. The struggles on the offensive end means there is that much more pressure placed on the defenders and the goaltenders to ensure the team still has a chance to win game in and game out.
    When the Huskies do get ahead by scores of 3-1 or 4-2, the defensive defenders are able to lock things down to ensure victory will be obtained.
    Mutch might be arguably the toughest of the defensive defenders. Her minus-10 rating in the plus-minus department is more of a product of her squad's offensive struggles and the fact she usually faces the top forwards of every opponent the Huskies face.
    While bodychecking isn't legal in the women's game, the Nokomis, Sask., product has thrown the odd hit that has helped turn the momentum of the game around. She is also very solid, when it comes to calmly bringing the puck out of defensive zone to transition the play up ice.
    McGillivray is a must player you have to have on the ice when you are protecting a one-goal lead in the final minute of the third period. The Saskatoon product has a plus-one rating in 23 regular season games.
   The Huskies missed McGillivray's consistency when she was injured. The Dogs gave up 11 goals in the three game they played without McGillivray.

Alyssa Dobler has played 94 straight games for the Huskies.

    Dobler has never missed a game in her career playing in 94 straight contests for the Huskies counting action in the regular season, the Canada West playoffs and last year's Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament. It almost seems automatic that she will step in and play big minutes.
    Both Bannatyne and Patron have seen their roles increase on the team as sophomores. They have stepped to the challenge knowing they won't be healthy scratched due to the fact the Huskies only have six rearguards on their roster.
    If the Huskies can shake their collective jinx around the net on the offensive end, it will make their defensive defenders that much more effective. It will decreased the pressure of giving up just one goal and make it easier to play that much more calm and in control.
    With Mutch, McGillivray, Dobler, Bannatyne and Patron controlling things on the back end, the Huskies have to feel secure about things in their own zone.
    NOTES -- The Huskies (13-10-3) close the regular season with a home-and-home series with the U of Regina Cougars (14-10-2). The two teams meet Friday at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina and on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the ancient Rutherford Rink on the U of Saskatchewan campus. Saturday's tilt will be senior's night for the Huskies, which means there will be some pre-game honours headed the way of fifth-year forwards Kandace Cook and Chelsey Sundby.

Ridley hits another milestone

Bob Ridley calls a Tigers game at The Arena.

    In what might be one of the best feel-good stories periods in sports, Medicine Hat Tigers legendary play-by-play voice Bob Ridley hit another milestone.
    On Wednesday, Ridley called his 3,600^th game as the WHL team's play-by-play voice, when the Tigers dropped a 6-3 decision to the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, B.C. The total includes 3,202 regular season games, 378 games in the WHL playoffs and 20 games in the Memorial Cup tournament. Over most of that stretch, Ridley has also driven the Tigers bus on road trips.
    With the Tigers trailing 6-1 heading into the third period, Ridley still called his classic upbeat game. When German forward Markus Eisenschmid scored for the Tabbies to cut the Ice lead to 6-3, Ridley's call made it sound like the orange and black could still make a comeback. Ridley quickly followed with the fact that there was basically less than 30 seconds to play, so you knew a rally wasn't possible.
    You can't help but be in awe of the total of games Ridley has called. That feeling of awe grows with every Tigers contest Ridley continues to call in the future.

Farewell to Beily's

    Saskatoon's night life will never been the same after this weekend after Beily's Ultralounge on 8^th Street closes its doors forever.
    This will be the last weekend Beily's will be open, as it will be shut down after a 10-year run. For most of that run, it was the hotspot to be at in Saskatoon, before a whole bunch of different pubs opened up in downtown. NHL players often stopped in at Beily's. For a number of years, there was often an annual impromptu gathering there during the weekend NHLers came to town to support the annual fundraising golf tournament for the Royal University Hospital.
    For the longest time, it was one of the places that even as a male you would dress up classy to go out to. During most of the 10 years Beily's was open, it also was one of the few night establishments that had regular staff work there over long stretches of years. That helped attract regulars.
    Beily's industry nights on Sunday nights were legendary, as large numbers of staffs from the other night clubs in the Bridge City would meet for fun nights out. There will be one more of those fun nights this coming Sunday.
    For myself, I had a lot of memorable nights there, and I appreciated how great the staff always was. I also appreciated the fact cabs always seemed to be available at the end of the night.
    I think the night I was best known for being out there was a Sunday back in 2012 when I bought about 25 members of the Saskatoon Valkyries shots to celebrate one of their victories in Western Women's Canadian Football League playoffs.
    Cheers to Beily's. Thanks for all the great times.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.