Crooks breaks out for U of A in Canada West title clincher

Golden Bears third period surge does in Huskies

Jamie Crooks celebrates scoring his first of three goals for U of A.

    In what had been a forgettable run on a personal level through the U Sports playoffs, Jamie Crooks finally had a banner night for the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

    During U of A’s 28-game regular season, Crooks led the Golden Bears men’s hockey team with 15 goals and he equaled rookie teammate Tyson Baillie with a team-high 26 points. Through the Golden Bears first four games in the Canada West conference playoffs, Crooks had just one assist and was searching for his first goal.

    On Sunday at the ancient Rutherford Rink in a winner take all Game 3 of the Canada West championship series with the host U of Saskatchewan Huskies, Crooks came alive to deliver the Golden Bears a conference title.

    With the teams locked in a 2-2 draw entering the third period of Sunday’s clash, Crooks converted a nifty passing set up from linemates Stephane Legault and Tyson Baillie to put the Golden Bears up 3-2. That started a surge, where the Golden Bears scored three times in two minutes and 16 seconds to build a 5-2 edge.

Tyson Baillie looks to set up a play in the offensive zone for U of A.

    Taylor Cooper got the second goal in that surge and Crooks capped the outburst with his second of the night.

    After Huskies centre Jordan Tkatch scored to cut the gap to 5-3 with 8:04 remaining in the third, Crooks sealed the win potting his hat trick goal into an empty cage with 30 seconds to play in the frame. The 6-3 victory by the Golden Bears allowed them to take the best-of-three Canada West championship series 2-1 and disappoint most of a packed crowd of 845 spectators.
    The win marked the 14^th time in the last 17 years the Golden Bears captured the Canada West championship.

    A year ago, U of S swept the conference final 2-0 held at Rutherford against U of A.

    “It feels good,” said Crooks. “I was a little bit frustrated before that not having any (goals) in the playoffs yet.

    “I trusted in (Golden Bears head coach) Serge (Lajoie). He told me to shoot the puck, and I trusted that. I just put it on net, and it went in.”

Huskies forward Josh Roach (#7) drives a shot on the U of A net.

    For a lengthy time on Sunday, it seemed like the Huskies were going to repeat as conference champs. At the 4:56 mark of the first period, Golden Bears netminder Brendan Burke lost track of the puck behind his net, and Huskies rookie forward Carson Stadnyk dumped the puck into an open right side of the U of A goal to give the hosts a 1-0 edge.

    The Huskies appeared to go ahead 2-0 a few minutes later, but a goal by captain Kendall McFaull was ruled to have been knocked home with a high stick. After 20 minutes, the Huskies were rolling and outshooting the Golden Bears 13-6.

    Just 90 seconds into the second, the Golden Bears tied things up at 1-1, when rookie centre Luke Philp scored on a short-handed breakaway chance to the blocker side of Huskies star goalie Jordon Cooke.

Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke turns away a wraparound chance.

    The Huskies went back in front 2-1 working on a power play just before the midway point of the frame, when rookie winger Connor Gay scored off a rebound.

    The hosts appeared they would head to the second intermission with a lead, but the Golden Bears had other ideas working on a power play of their own. With 1:49 to play in the second, a U of A point shot deflected off a Huskies player to Golden Bears winger Cole Sanford in the slot. Sanford buried a shot to force a 2-2 tie.

    That set the stage for the visitors to surge ahead in the third.

    Cooke turned away 29-of-34 shots to take the loss in goal for the Huskies, who were rated second in the U Sports top 10 rankings. Burke made 32 stops to earn the win in net for the Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in the U Sports top 10 rankings.

Defenceman Dylan Bredo leads a rush up ice for U of A.

    “I think we knew coming in here it would be very difficult,” said Lajoie. “We have the utmost respect for the Huskies, the program, the tradition of excellence that they have here under (head coach) Dave Adolph.

    “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew this third game was going to be difficult. I thought both team played extremely hard.

    “Our compete level was exactly where it needed to be. We were just hopeful we would get rewarded for all the hard work.”

    The Huskies topped the Canada West standings in the regular season with a 21-5-2 mark. The Golden Bears finished second with an 18-8-2 record.

    “There is not a whole lot of difference between these two teams,” said Crooks. “I guess our shots went in, and theirs didn’t.

    “It was a tight fought series, one of the best series I have been a part of, and it was really good to play in.”

    Both the Golden Bears and Huskies qualified for the University Cup national championship tournament, which will be held March 16 to 19 at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Crooks said any possible encounter with the Huskies in that event would be a hard match.

The Golden Bears enjoy the spoils of their Canada West title win.

    The 25-year-old Vermilion, Alta., product said his team is focused on capturing another national title. U of A captured the University Cup for the 14^th and 15^th time respectively in 2014 and 2015 but got knocked out in the quarter-final round last year.

    As a sense of superstition, Golden Bears captain Brennan Yadlowski wouldn’t touch the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy, which is given to the Canada West title winner, after Sunday’s game.

    “It feels good, but we are not done yet,” said Crooks. “It is not our ultimate goal.

    “We still want to go to Fredericton and win there. We have a ways to go yet, but it does feel pretty good.”

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

Yakubowski pushes Huskies into series deciding Game 3

Canada West final with Golden Bears tied 1-1

Jaimen Yakubowski, right, celebrates his first of two goals.

    It is Jaimen Yakubowski’s world, and the University of Alberta Golden Bears are living in it.

    On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the second-year winger scored both of that night’s goals for University of Saskatchewan Huskies to deliver them to a 2-0 victory over U of A in Game 2 of the Canada West men’s hockey championship series. 

    With the win, the Huskies, who are the defending conference champions, tie the best-of-three series 1-1 and force a series deciding Game 3 for Sunday at 7 p.m. at Rutherford.

    Both teams already have berths locked up at the University Cup national championship tournament, which runs March 16 to 19 at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

    Besides hitting the scoresheet offensively, Yakubowski played his feisty forward role perfectly. The 22-year-old competed hard and did his part to agitate U of A players with some verbal jabs during and after the play. The Dalmeny, Sask., product also absorbed some shots like a butt end to the face in the third period when he wasn’t able to draw any penalties.

Jaimen Yakubowski brought a feisty edge to the Huskies game.

    “In the moment, I am just here to contribute in whatever way I can,” said Yakubowski. “I don’t really think about it at that moment. It definitely does feel good to get on the scoresheet and muck it up at the same time.”

    The Golden Bears roster contains players that have reputations of being able to trash talk and pull a few physical jabs to draw penalties. A number of U of A players have been trying to do just that in both games of the series so far with the Huskies.

    Yakubowski’s forward line, which also contains centre Jordan Tkatch and winger Parker Thomas, have been the Huskies counter point to that aspect of the Golden Bears game. Yakubowski, Tkatch and Thomas have at times struck first and initiated getting under the skins of the Golden Bears, but the tactic has been something that has come in the moment.

    “I wouldn’t say it was planned or anything,” said Yakubowski, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 205 pounds. “We’ve been a very disciplined team. It started since last year.

The Huskies and Golden Bears engaged in a number of scrums.

    “I think we understand that in order to put ourselves in the best position to win we don’t need to take those stupid penalties. At the same time, we have to stand up for ourselves and for our teammates.

    “(You are) just riding the line that you try not to go over it so much. We’ve been really good at that all playoffs.”

    Besides being feisty, Yakubowski showed the packed rink of 845 spectators that he has some pretty good skill. After the Huskies came out of the gate with a strong first period, Yakubowski got the puck in close of the U of A goal just three minutes into the second, and he tucked his first marker past Golden Bears goalie Brendan Burke. Thomas and offensive defenceman Jesse Forsberg combined to get the puck to Yakubowski down low.

    At the 8:59 mark of the third, Wyatt Johnson and Forsberg combined to get the puck to Yakubowski down low again, and he put a backhand shot past Burke after a deke move to give the Huskies a 2-0 edge.

Jesse Forsberg (#5) had two big assists for the Huskies.

    During the regular season, Yakubowski had four goals and six assists in 20 games for the Huskies. While he wasn’t one of U of S’s top scorers, Huskies head coach Dave Adolph wasn’t surprised to see the feisty winger score twice noting Yakubowski had 32 goals and 18 assists in 66 regular season games with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes as an 18-year-old in 2012-13.

    In 247 career WHL regular season games with the Hurricanes, Seattle Thunderbirds and Moose Jaw Warriors, Yakubowski picked up 67 goals, 56 assists and 507 minutes in penalties.

    “He is hard to play against,” said Adolph. “He has been (hard to play against) his whole career in the Western League, and he has here.

    “He had a bit of a shoulder issue, when he first got to us. He has always had the ability to score.

    “That second goal he scored, those are nice hands. That was a goal-scorer’s goal.”

Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke makes one of his 26 saves in a shutout win.

    Star netminder Jordon Cooke made 26 saves to earn the win in goal for the Huskies, who are rated second in the U Sports top 10 rankings. Burke turned away 40 shots taking the loss in net for the Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in the U Sports top 10 rankings.

    The Huskies topped the Canada West standings with a 21-5-2 record, while the Golden Bears finished second with an 18-8-2 mark.

    On Sunday, the Huskies will try to repeat what they did when they hosted the 2012 Canada West final against the U of Calgary Dinos. In that year, the Huskies lost the opening game and rallied back to take the series 2-1.

    The Huskies won Game 3, when Brett Ward scored at the 6:33 mark of the third overtime period to give U of S a 2-1 victory.

The Huskies celebrate their Game 2 victory.

    Yakubowski didn’t want to venture a guess who could possibly be the Game 3 goal-scoring hero for the Huskies this year against the Golden Bears.

    “I’m hoping my linemates each get one,” said Yakubowski. “That is the best-case scenario.

    “I don’t care who gets them as long as somebody does, and we put up a good battle tomorrow. That is all we are looking forward to.”

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

Golden Bears X-factors put Huskies on the ropes

Dogs fall 4-3 in exciting Canada West final opener

The Golden Bears celebrate Taylor Cooper’s second goal.

    You wish these forever rivals could go at it in best-of-seven final.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Alberta Golden Bears staged another classic match in the opening game of their best-of-three Canada West championship series. Both sides had their spots where they carried momentum would have been pleased with their play at certain times. The also would have been disappointed in how other areas in their game went.

    When the dust settled, the Golden Bears cashed in on a couple of more positive bounce breaks and came away with a 4-3 win to put the Huskies, who are the defending Canada West champions, on the ropes in the short set. The Golden Bears will look to close out the series in Game 2 on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rutherford. If a Game 3 is necessary, it will be played on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Ruthy.

    U of A took the game relying on three X-factors in the line of Taylor Cooper, Cole Linaker and Lucas Nickles, who powered the visitors combining for three goals and six assists. Cooper and Linaker are both rookies, while Nickles is in his second year of eligibility.

Connor Gay paced the Huskies with two goals and an assist.

    During the regular season, they weren’t a trio U of A relied on for offence. Cooper, Linaker and Nickles played a combined 66 regular season games recording six goals and nine assists.

    The Golden Bears came out flying in Friday’s contest getting the first 10 shots on goal. They finally put a puck past Huskies star netminder Jordon Cooke with their 12^th shot on net coming at the 10:44 mark of the opening frame, when the X-factors went to work.

    Cooper and Nickles got the puck to Linaker who cut to the U of S goal and tucked a shot home to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.

    A short time later, the Huskies thought they tied a game, but a goal by winger Levi Cable was called off due to the officials ruling he scored knocking a puck home with a high stick. The hosts did exit the opening frame forcing a 1-1 tie on a goal from rookie winger Connor Gay.

U of A goalie Brendan Burke makes one of his 31 saves.

    At the 7:21 mark of the second, Cooper scored his first of two of the night to put the visitors up 2-1. The goal came after the Huskies turned the puck over in their own end.

    That lead lasted only 38 seconds as Gay broke in to the U of A zone on an individual effort, cut into the right slot and roofed home a shot past Golden Bears rookie goalie Brendan Burke.

    Momentum shifted back to the visitors at the start of the third. Cooper tipped in his second goal of the game on a chance that seemed to come out of nowhere, and defenceman Graeme Craig blasted home an insurance goal from the point to put U of A up 4-2 with 11:24 to play in the frame.

    The Huskies didn’t go away as rookie forward Wyatt Johnson scored down low with 5:39 to play in the third to cut U of A’s lead to 4-3. Gay picked up an assist on that tally for a three-point night. The local product and graduate of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades had the best game of his university career, but his effort was overshadowed by the end result on the scoreboard.

The Huskies try to find an equalizer in the dying seconds of the third period.

    In the dying seconds of the third, the Huskies tried to find the equalizer on a scramble around the Golden Bears net, but the officials blew the play down, when the puck was loose and open by the left side of the U of A net. It was a bitter pill for the Huskies to swallow along with the packed crowd of 845 people that were in the rink.

    Cooke made 28 saves to take the loss in goal for the Huskies, who entered the contest rated second in the U Sports top 10 rankings. Burke made 31 stops to earn the win in goal for the Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in the U Sports top 10 rankings.

The Golden Bears celebrate their Game 1 Canada West final win.

    The Huskies topped the Canada West standings with a 21-5-2 record, while the Golden Bears finished second with an 18-8-2 mark. Both teams already have spots locked up at the University Cup national championship tournament, which will run March 16 to 19 at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, but you would never know it by the way they played on Friday.

    Both the Huskies and Golden Bears played for keeps, and it will likely be no different in Game 2 on Saturday. The Huskies are hoping to capitalize on a couple of extra positive bounces on Saturday to force a series deciding Game 3 on Sunday.

Huskies women’s hoops team earns berth at nationals

Point guard Sabine Dukate (#5) drives to the hoop for the Huskies.

    Head coach Lisa Thomaidis and her coaching staff have worked wonders again, and they have their young U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team heading back to nationals.

    Last year, the Huskies won their first U Sports national championship title, but that squad graduated four extremely key fifth-year players. Entering this season, the Huskies, who have six first-year and four second-year players on their roster, appeared to be a long shot to return to nationals.

    On Friday night at the Physical Activity Complex, the Huskies, who are rated eighth in the U Sports top 10 rankings, trailed the U of Alberta Pandas, who are rated ninth in the U Sports top 10 rankings, 29-26 in a semifinal match at the Canada West women’s final four tournament. The Huskies proceeded to rally with a huge second half to pull away with a solid 72-62 victory.

Huskies guard Megan Ahlstrom, centre, drives through the Pandas defence.

    Second-year point guard Sabine Dukate, who is the only returning starter from last season, led the way with 25 points. Second-year guard Megan Ahlstrom and rookie post Summer Masikewich each netted 13 and 10 points respectively to power the host side.

    Fifth-year guard Maddie Rogers led the Pandas with 19 points.

    On Saturday at 7 p.m. at the PAC, the Huskies will try to win their second straight Canada West title in a rematch of last year’s conference final with the U of Regina Cougars. The Cougars took the other semifinal match 81-70 over the U of Winnipeg Wesmen. The Wesmen and Pandas will face each other in a bronze medal match set for 5 p.m. on Saturday at the PAC.

    The Huskies and Cougars will advance to the U Sports championship tournament which will be held March 9-12 at the University of Victoria.

Stars down Wildcats in Game 1 of SFMAAAHL semi series

Grace Shirley had a goal and an assist Friday for the Stars.

    The Saskatoon Stars outlasted a spirited effort by the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats to take Game 1 of a best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League semifinal series between the two squads on Friday night at the Agriplace Arena.

    The Stars led 3-2 after two period of play and pulled away for a 5-2 victory. Grace Shirley and Joelle Fiala both had a goal and an assist to pace the Stars, who received big efforts from what seemed like everyone on their roster. Jayda Sachs, Mackenna Parker and Jordyn Gerlitz all netted singles for Saskatoon.

    Chloe Smith, who has been recruited to join the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in the fall, and Janessa Fournier paced the Wildcats offence each picking up a goal and an assist.

    Jordan Ivanco made 21 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Harper Davey turned away 21 shots taking the loss in the Wildcats net.

    The Stars and Wildcats have a bit of a break before going at it again for Game 2 on Wednesday in Swift Current. Game 3 is set for Saturday, March 11 at the Agriplace Arena.

    Saskatoon and Swift Current met in last year’s SFMAAAHL championship series, and the Stars took the best-of-five set 3-1.

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