Huskies’ Vance elated to be back playing hockey again

Netminder makes 31 stops for second shutout of season

Jessica Vance has played to her star reputation since joining the Huskies.

    Jessica Vance is happy to finally have her old hockey life back.

    After being out of the game for two seasons, the 20-year-old Prince Albert, Sask., product made her fifth start in goal in the current campaign for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team at the ancient Rutherford Rink on Saturday. She came up with another spectacular performance making 31 saves to help the Huskies post a 2-0 shutout win against the visiting Mount Royal University Cougars in a U Sports clash.

    In her five starts, Vance, who stands 5-foot-7, has posted a 3-2 record, a 1.41 goals against average, a .945 save percentage and two shutouts.

    She has displayed the form that made her one of the all-time greatest goalies in the history of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League, when she played for the Prince Albert Northern Bears.  

Goalie Jessica Vance holds off the pressure from the Cougars.

    Playing for the Bears from 2010 to 2015, Vance posted a 48-36 record, a 2.27 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 91 career regular season games. Her 48 wins, 16 shutouts and 91 games played are all SFMAAAHL career regular season records.

    “It is pretty nice being back,” said Vance. “I forgot how much fun it was.

    “It was just so much fun just playing the sport I love. I just feel like I am right back in it.”

    After exhausting her midget AAA eligibility, Vance committed to play for the U of Manitoba Bisons women’s hockey team, but she was forced to sit out the 2015-16 campaign as a medical redshirt after suffering a major leg injury playing competitive softball in the summer of 2015.

Morgan Willoughby (#9) celebrates a goal with Jessica Vance.

    Vance dressed for one game as a backup goalie very early last season for the Bisons before electing to play closer to home. Due to dressing for that one game, she wasn’t eligible to play for the Huskies until Nov. 1 of this year.

    On Nov. 10 in Vancouver, B.C., Vance made her Huskies debut getting the start against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who are a powerhouse in the Canada West Conference. She made 33 saves to pick up a 2-0 shutout victory.

    “I was nervous definitely,” said Vance, who started her academic studies at the U of S in January. “It was good. I think after the first period I kind of realized that I know what to do and that I should just stay in there.

    “It was a pretty big win. I think that was really what I needed to get that first win out of the way and to get the nerves out of the way. It was good.”

    Huskies head coach Steve Kook said he only started to get to work with Vance this season after taking a professional year leave up absence from the U of Saskatchewan in the 2016-17 campaign. He was impressed with how Vance just stayed calm no matter what life threw at her, which is a key characteristic for a goalie.

Courtney Cormack had the Huskies first goal on Saturday.

    “To me, her demeanour is what sets her apart,” said Kook. “She was just even keel whether she was in the lineup, or whether she was working hard to get back to eligibility. She is no different now than how she was in September still waiting to be eligible.

    “She doesn’t get up or down. That is the impressive part about her.”

    During the first period of Saturday’s win over the Cougars, Kook said Vance made a key kick save on a screen shot that help set the tone for the Huskies in the contest.

    “I think there must have been about four people in front of the net, and I don’t know how she saw it,” said Kook. “That was a game saver.

    “They had hemmed us in a little bit. For us, that was the save that kept us in the game.”

Morgan Willoughby starts a rush up ice for the Huskies.

    The Huskies exited the first period with a 1-0 lead thanks to a gritty goal from third-year forward Courtney Cormack. The Cougars outshot the Huskies 14-11 in the frame, and Vance had to make a few key saves to allow her team to head into the first intermission with the lead.

    After a scoreless second, the Huskies went ahead 2-0 at the 9:30 mark of the third on a gritty goal from third-year defender Morgan Willoughby, who was one of Vance’s teammates with the Bears in Prince Albert.

    The Cougars pulled starting goaltender Emily Severson at that point, who stopped 26-of-28 shot fired her way. Zoe DeBeauville played the rest of the way in the Mount Royal goal in relief, but didn’t face any shots.

    Vance said her team’s persistent effort in the offensive zone proved to be key in the win.

    “I think this game getting to the net really worked for us,” said Vance. “We just had to keep working hard.

    “I think just the hard work and driving to the net kind of made us win today.”

    On Huskies third period goal, captain Kaitlin Willoughby, who is Morgan’s older sister, picked up an assist for her 101^st career regular season point. Kaitlin now sits alone in third spot on the Huskies all-time scoring list with 45 goals and 56 assists in regular season play one point ahead of Cara (Wooster) Muench. Muench recorded 36 goals and 64 assist for 100 points playing three seasons for the Huskies from 2010-2013.

Jessica Vance (#30) celebrates her second shutout victory of the season.

    The Huskies improved to 8-5-1 with Saturday’s win to sit fourth in Canada West, while the Cougars fell to 4-10 to sit last in the eight-team conference.

    After playing four times on the road, Vance was pleased to get her first start at home.

    “I didn’t really know what to expect I guess, because it is a smaller rink,” said Vance. “I definitely like it.

    “It is good to get the first start at home and the first win too. It was a little bit of a tougher game, because there wasn’t always shots coming.

    “There were some breaks. Everything just seemed to be going right. I felt the puck well.”

    The Huskies return to action on Friday, when they travel to Regina to face the U of Regina Cougars (6-7-1).

Cooke on fire for Dogs in win over Cougars

Jordon Cooke had another stellar performance for the Huskies on Saturday.

    Star netminder Jordon Cooke delivered another stellar performance for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team, and it spelled doom for the Mount Royal University Cougars.

    On Saturday at the Flames Community Arena, Cooke made 32 saves and picked up an assist to back the Huskies to a 4-1 victory over the Cougars. The win was the 52^nd of Cooke’s U Sports regular season career with the Huskies moving him to within one victory of Ryan Holfeld for second on the Huskies all-time career list. Holfeld won 53 career regular season games tending goal for the Huskies from 2010 to 2015.

    Cooke’s performance on Saturday allowed him to move into fourth all-time on the Huskies career list for regular season saves. The 24-year-old from Leduc, Alta., has 2,045 career regular season saves, which jumped him past the 2,017 career saves put up by Tomas Vicars for fourth spot on the Huskies career list. Vicars played for the U of S from 2002 to 2006.

    The Cougars exited the first period of Saturday’s clash with a 1-0 lead on a goal from rookie forward Brad Kennedy.

    The Huskies answered back scoring four straight goals in the second period with singles coming from the sticks of Carson Stadnyk, Collin Shirley, Levi Cable and Jesse Forsberg. Fifth-year forward Josh Roach picked up a pair of assists, and Cooke recorded his helper on Cable’s goal.
    Cam Lanigan started in goal for the Cougars and turned away 14-of-18 shots fired his way. Wyatt Hoflin stopped all three shots set his way playing the third period in relief for Mount Royal.

    The Dogs have won their last three in a row to improve to 11-2-1 to sit second in Canada West. The Cougars fell to 6-7-1 to sit fifth in Canada West.

    The Huskies return to action on Friday, when they host the U of Regina Cougars (3-9-1-1) at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

    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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Where there’s a “Willo,” there’s a way

Willoughby delivers first round series sweep to Huskies

Kaitlin Willoughby (#17) celebrates her series-winning goal for the Huskies.

    Just when everything seemed dark, Kaitlin Willoughby brought the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team into the light.

    On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies went into Game 2 of their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final playoff series looking for a sweep of the University of Regina Cougars. In the third period of Saturday’s clash, things were looking bleach for the home side.

    The Huskies went into the third period holding a 1-0 lead, but the never-say-die Cougars came out hard and were throwing everything including the kitchen sink at Huskies goalie Cassidy Hendricks recording the first 12 shots on goal in the frame.

    At the 9:33 mark of the third, the Cougars finally broke through as fourth-year defender Jolene Kirkpatrick found the equalizer on her side’s 13^th shot of the period to force a 1-1 tie. The Huskies for the most part were unable to get out of their zone, and it seemed like it would just be a matter of time before the Cougars went ahead on the scoreboard.

Kaitlin Willoughby starts her drive on her game-winning goal rush.

    When all hope seemed lost, Willoughby stepped up and stormed into the Cougars zone on a spectacular individual rush. The Prince Albert product wired home the winning goal top corner on Cougars netminder Jane Kish to put the Huskies up 2-1 with 3:35 to play.

    The Huskies came to life to close out the 2-1 victory in Game 2 and sweep the series 2-0.

    “I think when they scored, it was kind of just like you just feel like so upset,” said Willoughby, who had a hat trick in the Huskies series opening 4-3 win on Friday night at Rutherford. “You just have to make sure everyone on the bench is ready to go.

    “We’re not going to let that bother us. I kind of said to everyone like let’s make sure this doesn’t affect us. We got to go out and keep doing what we are doing, because it is going to come our way. It did.

    “I am so proud of how our team played this weekend. If we play like that from here on out, we will be doing good things.”

Defender Jolene Kirkpatrick had the equalizer for the Cougars.

    During the first two periods of Saturday’s game, it seemed like the Huskies would steadily push to a low-scoring win. With 2:09 to play in the first period, Bailee Bourassa accounted for the Huskies first goal thanks to a positive bounce. Huskies sophomore forward Courtney Cormack flipped a shot high on the U of R goal, and it deflected off Bourassa into the net to give the hosts a 1-0 edge.

    After 40 minutes, the Huskies seemed to have control of the game holding a 17-14 edge in shots on goal and having spent long stretches in the U of R zone. In the third, the visitors came in waves, but Hendricks, who is the Huskies fifth-year money netminder, was up to the challenge of holding her team in the game.

    “It was a really hard period,” said Hendricks. “Luckily, there were a lot of faraway shots, so I could control it pretty well.

    “I just had to focus on staying like calm. I just had to focus on making saves and controlling my rebounds. It worked out for the most part.”

Cassidy Hendricks makes one of her 31 saves for the Huskies.

    Hendricks ultimately made 31 stops to earn the win in goal for the Huskies. She admitted she got pretty pumped, when Willoughby put the hosts ahead.

    “I am just so glad to have Willo on the team,” said Hendricks. “She just always performs when she needs to, especially with last night’s three goals.

    “She is just a huge player. I love her on the team.”

    Kish turned away 21 shots to take the loss in goal for the Cougars.

    The series win was a first for Huskies interim first-year head coach Robin Ulrich, but the bench boss wasn’t overly concerned about that fact.

    “More important, the team got the win,” said Ulrich. “That is all I really care about. Overall, I think it was a real good series for us.

    “Those were a couple of excellent games for us as a team. Tonight, was a big test. Regina came with everything they had.

    “I really like the game that we brought tonight.”

    With the series win, the Huskies advance to play the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series. Game 1 is set for this coming Friday in Vancouver.

The Huskies salute the crowd at Rutherford after their series sweep.

    The two clubs split their four encounters in the regular season. The Thunderbirds finished first in Canada West with a 23-4-1 record and are rated first in the U Sports top 10 rankings. The Huskies were fourth in Canada West with a 15-10-3 mark.

    Willoughby can’t wait to take on the next challenge in the post-season.

    “I think it is going to be awesome going to UBC,” said Willoughby. “We’re not going to take them lightly, but at the same time, we know that we can beat them.

    “We just have to go do the things we’ve been doing all year that had success against them before. It will be an exciting series that’s for sure, but I think it will be good.”

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

Huskies lock up home playoff series for second year in a row

U of S takes care of business, gets gift from Dinos

The Huskies are all smiles after a goal from Kaitlin Willoughby.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team looked after what they could control and proceeded to benefit from a gift from the U of Calgary Dinos.

    As a result of those two developments, the Huskies will open the Canada West playoffs hosting a first round playoff series for a second straight year.

    On Friday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, the Huskies downed the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns 3-1 to put a halt on a three-game skid. Out in Calgary on the same night, the Dinos upset the U of Regina Cougars with a 4-3 regulation win.

    Those results guaranteed the Huskies will finish fourth in Canada West. The Huskies improved to 14-10-3 with their win, and they have 41 points in the Canada West standings coming off 10 regulation wins, four extra time wins and three extra time losses.

Forward Emily Upgang picked up the Huskies third goal on Friday.

    The Cougars fell to 13-13-1 with their loss, and they have 37 points in the standings coming off 10 regulation wins, three extra time wins and one extra time loss. In Canada West women’s play, three points are awarded in the standings for a regulation win.

    The Huskies and Cougars will also face each other in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series. Game 1 is slated for 1 p.m. on February 17 at the Rutherford Rink.

    U of R was locked into fifth place in Canada West after the Mount Royal University Cougars dropped a 1-0 regulation decision to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Friday in Vancouver. Mount Royal fell to 10-13-4 and will finish sixth in Canada West with 33 points coming off nine regulation wins, one extra time win and four extra time losses.

    Against the Pronghorns on Friday, the Huskies accomplished a number of positives. U of S was able to control play and keep U of L pinned in its own zone for long stretches.

Morgan Willoughby, right, clears the puck out of the defensive zone.

    The Dogs received goals from three different players, went 1-for-5 on the power play and killed off all three Pronghorns power-play chances.

    After scoreless first period that was controlled by the Huskies, sophomore winger Courtney Cormack put the hosts up 1-0 slipping home a power-play goal from the front of the Pronghorns net at the 5:14 mark of the second.

    With 4:02 to play in the second, star forward Kaitlin Willoughby wired home her 10^th of the season top corner on Pronghorns netminder Jessica Lohues to put the hosts up 2-0. Willoughby was playing in her first game with the Huskies since returning from the FISU Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where she helped Canada’s women’s hockey team win a silver medal.

Courtney Cormack (#16) smiles after scoring a goal for the Huskies.

    The Pronghorns proceeded to give the Huskies a scare in the third period, when third-year forward Delaney Duchek netted her fourth of the season at the 6:20 mark of the third to cut the Huskies lead to 2-1.

    U of S sealed victory with 4:20 to play, when rookie forward Emily Upgang knocked home a loose puck that took a high positive bounce towards her by an open side of the Pronghorns goal to cement the 3-1 victory.

    Huskies star goaltender Cassidy Hendricks had to be mentally sharp turning away 11 shots to pick up the win in goal. Lohues stopped 25 shots to take the loss in goal for the Pronghorns, who sit last in Canada West with a 4-20-3 mark.

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

Cooke slams door on Pronghorns

Jordon Cooke came up big again for the Huskies.

    Jordon Cooke played like his usual self which spelled doom for the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey team on Friday night in Lethbridge.

    The Leduc product made 36 saves to back his U of Saskatchewan Huskies to a 4-1 road victory over the host Pronghorns. The opening 20 minutes were extremely dicey for the Huskies, who were outshot 21-8, but they still managed to head into the first intermission locked in a 0-0 draw thanks to the stellar play of Cooke.

    Just past the midway point of the second, Huskies third-year forward Parker Thomas scored to put the visitors up 1-0. Third-year Defenceman David Stumborg, who was appearing in his first game of the season, tallied to put the Huskies up 2-0 at the 7:29 mark of the third.

    The Pronghorns answered back just over a minute later, when Sam McKechnie scored to cut the Huskies edge to 2-1.

    U of S sealed victory with a late power-play goal from John Lawrence and an empty-net marker from Michael Sofillas.

    Garret Hughson turned away 36-of-39 shots in the Pronghorns goal.

    The Huskies improved to 20-5-2 with the win, and they had first in Canada West already locked up heading into this weekend’s action. The Dogs have also won 11 of their last 13 games.

    The Pronghorns fell to 11-13-3. They are locked in a battle with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who are also 11-13-3, for sixth place and the conference’s final playoff berth. The Pronghorns and Thunderbirds split their four head-to-head meetings, but U of L holds the tiebreaker besting UBC 6-5 in points earned in the standings in the head-to-head matches.

    The Huskies and Pronghorns go at it again on Saturday in Lethbridge. If the Pronghorns win, they would qualify for the post-season.

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

The 2014-15 Saskatoon Stars will shine forever

The Saskatoon Stars celebrate winning the SFMAAAHL title.

    When you post a 45-5 record, there isn't too much you can be disappointed about.
    That mark was put up by the Saskatoon Stars during action in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season and playoffs, the prestigious Mac's tournament and the Esso Cup national championship tournament. On Saturday in Red Deer, the Stars skated away with a 5-1 victory over the Portage la Prairie based Central Plains Capitals to capture a bronze medal at the Esso Cup.
    With the way victories piled up for the Stars this season, it seemed they would win the Esso Cup to complete the triple crown of female midget AAA hockey in Canada by winning the Mac's tournament title, the provincial title and the Esso Cup all in the same season.
    On New Year's Day, the Stars downed the Calgary Fire 4-2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary in a nationally televised game to bring home the team's second ever Mac's title. Saskatoon was a perfect 9-0 in the SFMAAAHL playoffs. A 2-0 victory over the Prince Albert A & W Bears at the Agriplace Arena gave the Stars their first SFMAAAHL title in team history.
    They advanced through the preliminary round of the Esso Cup with a 4-1 record. In a semifinal match on Friday, they suffered an untimely fifth loss with a 2-1 setback after a tiebreaking shootout to the host Red Deer Chiefs.
    Saskatoon rebounded nicely with the 5-1 win in the bronze medal game. Mackenna Parker, Sophie Shirley, Julia Rongve, Kianna Dietz and Nara Elia all scored singles for the Stars, while Karlee Fetch made 27 saves in goal to pick up the final victory of her midget AAA career before graduating to the post-secondary ranks.

Courtney Cormack (#17) hugs Brittany Heuchert after a goal.

    Sheridan Oswald had the lone reply for the Capitals, while Lauren Taraschuk stopped nine shots in goal.
    While there had to be some disappointment the Stars didn't get to the Esso Cup title game and win it, they were still making their first appearance in team history at nationals, and the bronze finish was their first medal win at the event. Their season was spectacular.
    They were good even in their semifinal loss on Friday. Shirley gave the Stars a 1-0 lead scoring on the power-play at the 8:18 mark of the first. It looked like Saskatoon would get rolling at that point.
    Cassidy Hollman potted the equalizer for Red Deer on the power play in the second to make the score 1-1. Chiefs netminder Sarah Murray turned away 30 shots through regulation and a 10-minute four versus four overtime period.
    Emma Johnson, a 15-year-old sophomore, was equally as good in goal for the Stars turning away 25 shots through 70 minutes of play.
    The Chiefs had two goals disallowed. One was called back due to the Saskatoon net being knocked ajar and the second was disallowed after being knocked in with a high stick.
    The Stars failed to score on at least four different breakaway opportunities. One of those chances came in overtime, when 18-year-old forward Brittany Heuchert failed to find the back of the net. As one of most loved and respected players amongst her teammates, Heuchert would have written a story book finish to that game had she scored.
    Instead, Red Deer's Mairead Bast scored the only goal in a tiebreaking shootout in the session's fourth round to give the Chiefs victory.

Karlee Fetch made 27 saves in her final win in goal for the Stars.

    Overall, the Stars season was beyond something that would be written about in a fairy tale or a movie script even with the semifinal setback. They entered the season with only five players in their 17-year-old and final midget campaign. Saskatoon's roster was loaded with players in their 15-year-old seasons and five players in their 14-year-old campaigns, which meant they were still eligible for bantam hockey.
    At the start of the campaign, it would be hard to think the big goals they accomplished would be possible. Going out and winning 90 per cent of your meaningful games is something no coach or anyone involved with a team can imagine at the start of a season.
    Various football teams have done that, but over the course of a season that ranges anywhere from 10 to 16 games at the amateur level. It is unthinkable over a campaign that contains 50 contests.
    Over the season, Shirley, who was the SFMAAAHL and Esso Cup most valuable player, and Elia, who was the SFMAAAHL scoring leader and Esso Cup most sportsmanlike player, emerged as superstar talents.
    The campaign was a dream that became a reality. Had the Stars won the Esso Cup, the campaign would have been better than a dream.
    It is safe to say the season the Stars had will never be forgotten by the players, coaches, team staff, parents or the team's fans.

Narcisse All-Star Event a big success

A Don Narcisse football card from 1991.

    Saturday was alright for Don Narcisse and friends.
    The Canadian Football Hall of Fame member, who starred as a receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1987 to 1999, was in Saskatoon on Saturday hosting a one-day football kids' camp. The day concluded with a gala dinner at the Travelodge hotel. The entire function for the day, which was titled the Don Narcisse All-Star Event, raised funds for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Saskatoon and Area.
    The camp held at the Sasktel Sports Centre was a big hit, where about 150 kids aged seven to 18 ran through a series of fun drills to develop skills. The camp helped reinforce a love of the game for the kids, and it allowed them to meet a number of current and former Roughriders players.
    The guest coaches included Belton Johnson, John Chick, Anthony Allen, Levi Steinhauer, Xavier Fulton, Marco Harris, Paul Woldu and Weldon Brown. Chick was the keynote speaker at the gala dinner.
    This marked the fifth year in a row Narcisse hosted one of his All-Star Events in Saskatoon, and it was once again a big hit bringing in all sorts of positive reaction.

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

Stars write inspiring story

Brittany Heuchert, left, and Hollie Coumont celebrate with the Fedoruk Cup.

    The Saskatoon Stars can do no wrong.
    It seems like everything the Bridge City based female midget AAA hockey club does turns to gold.
    Coming into the 2014-15 campaign, the Stars have traditionally been a strong club in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League. They won a Mac's tournament title in 2011. They made three straight league finals appearances from 2010 to 2012, but an SFMAAAHL title eluded them.
    The Stars were a respectable 13-11-4 in 2013-14, but they were swept away in the first round of the playoffs by Swift Current.
    It was reasonable to assume they would contented to appear in the league finals in 2014-15. Not even the most bright-eyed optimist could have seen the dream season that was to come.
    During the regular season, they topped the SFMAAAHL standings with a franchise best 25-3 record. They were 6-0 at the Mac's tournament winning the event's title game for the second time in team history. In the SFMAAAHL playoffs, the Stars brought their game up another level downing three determined opponents in posting a 9-0 record to win the Fedoruk Cup.
    They will play in their first ever appearance at the Esso Cup national championship tournament, which runs April 19-25 in Red Deer, Alta.

Kianna Dietz celebrates scoring a goal for the Stars.

    As the journey through the season progressed, it looked the Stars enjoyed every moment of it. No matter what point in the season it was, you could see there was a special pure love for the game. When the playoffs came around, there was an excited and maybe even innocent attitude from the players that if they won this big game they would get to play in another big game and it was all great.
    When it was game time, they were the determined and focused team, where everyone stepped up to contribute. When they won trophies celebrating the Mac's and league title wins, they were your classic energetic and excited group of teenage girls aged 14 to 18. They were almost bouncing off the walls due to just being pumped up because they won.
    Another cool thing is there was no arrogance either, when they claimed victory. They acted with a legitimate belief that it was super cool they were experiencing success, and they should feel that way.
    Offensively, they were led Nara Elia and Sophia Shirley, who played for the team as 14-year-old rookies in 2013-14 and blossomed into superstars in 2014-15 as sophomores.
    Elia, who was the SFMAAAHL's most sportsmanlike player, led the league in scoring with 23 goals and 17 assists, while Shirley, who was the SFMAAAHL's most valuable player, came in second in league scoring with 22 goals and 17 assists. They raised their respective games to another level in the SFMAAAHL playoffs.
    In the league championships series against the Prince Albert A & W Bears, they were key. Game 1 of the best-of-five series went to overtime, and Shirley set up Elia, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time, for the winner to give the Stars a 3-2 victory.

Emma Johnson covers up a loose puck for the Stars.

    Shirley put the team on her back in Game 2 in Prince Albert scoring twice and adding an assist in a 3-0 victory. In the nine SFMAAAHL playoff games the Stars participated in, Shirley had 12 goals and 12 assists.
    Julia Rongve has found her niche being a nice fit as the third forward on the line with the dynamic duo of Elia and Shirley. Rongve picked up six goals and seven assists in nine post-season games.
    Every championship playoff run also needs some X-factors to emerge, and Saskatoon received key contributions from the supporting cast in big moments.
    During the SFMAAAHL championship clinching victory over the Bears, the Stars went ahead 1-0 in the second period, when 15-year-old rookie forward Kianna Dietz set up fellow rookie Jordyn Gerlitz. Just 14 seconds later, Dietz potted a key insurance goal to give Saskatoon a 2-0 victory. Due to how their birthdays fell, both Dietz and Gerlitz still have three more years of eligibility at the midget AAA level, so big moments like these are not necessarily expected at this point in their careers.
    Thanks to how strong the team has played, the Stars goaltenders often can be overlooked. During the post-season, 15-year-old sophomore Emma Johnson carried most of the workload and made a number of big saves in the semifinal and championship rounds.

Courtney Cormack clears the puck out of her own zone.

    In the SFMAAAHL title clinching win, Johnson ensured the 2-0 lead her team held didn't evaporate in the third period. The Bears came on with a serious third-period push and outshot the Stars 8-1 through about the first eight minutes of the frame. Johnson turned away every big challenge to help her side withstand the Prince Albert surge of pressure to ensure the shutout would hold.
    Karlee Fetch, the Stars 17-year-old veteran goalie, came through with a big 25-save performance, when Saskatoon swept away the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats in the league semifinal series with a 3-2 victory in Game 3 of that best-of-five set.
    The team's second line of Brittany Heuchert, Danielle Nogier and Courtney Cormack have become the defensive shutdown unit. When the Stars are holding a one or two goal edge in the final minute of the third period, that trio hits the ice to seal up the final result. They also added timely offence combining for 12 goals and 11 assists in the team's nine playoff games.
    When veteran defender Jenna Nash, who recently turned 18, was lost for the season tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee playing for Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C., in February, it appeared the Stars would have a big hole on their back end. While no one person could replace Nash, the Stars defenders Paige Michalenko, Willow Slobodzian, Hollie Coumont, Rayna Jacobson and Danielle Girolami as a collective all brought their play to a higher level to make up for the loss of Nash.
    The team's coaching staff of head coach Greg Slobodzian and assistant coaches Patrick Nogier, Don Rongve and Jason Schneider have all done a stellar job working with this group of young athletes. The fact the chemistry on the team is so good has to go to the fact the coaches have created an environment that allows their players to reach their potential.

The Stars celebrate a goal by Hollie Coumont, second from left.

    Away from the rink, the Stars have been supported by a spectacular group of parents. They are there positively supporting their daughters but have never been pushy.
    The parents have enjoyed watching their children have success but have never demanded attention due to that success. The fathers and mothers have been humble in victory.
    At times, they had to go beyond the call of duty in support, which included driving their kids to Calgary on Christmas day to take part in the Mac's tournament. Money can be tight for female midget AAA hockey teams, and this move allowed the Stars to save some funds.
    The Stars have enjoyed a season to remember, but all good things do come to an end. If they make the final of the Esso Cup, they will play a maximum of seven more games together over a period of seven days. If the rest of this season is any indication, you can bet they will enjoy every day of that national championship tournament.
    They have bested every obstacle they have faced. It is not that far-fetched to see them playing at an even higher level and taking part in one more championship trophy winning celebration as the top female midget AAA hockey team in Canada.

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

The shining Stars of Saskatoon

Nara Elia led the SFMAAAHL in scoring this season.

    So good. So young.
    Nara Elia and Sophia Shirley look like they are ready to play hockey in the university ranks right now. However, two full seasons still have to pass before the two top scores from the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League can jump to the post-season ranks.
    The talented duo are helping lift their hometown Saskatoon Stars to heights the program has never seen.
    The nation got a first glimpse of them on New Year's Day. In the nationally televised female final of the prestigious Mac's Midget Tournament, Elia set up Shirley for three goals as the Stars doubled up the Calgary Fire 4-2. The win completed a 6-0 run for the Stars at the Mac's, which they also won back in 2011.
    In the SFMAAAHL regular season, Elia won the league scoring title piling up 23 goals and 17 assists. Shirley was a second – a point back – with 22 goals and 17 assists. Those accomplishments are amazing as Elia turned 16 in February and Shirley is still 15.
    The large majority of players in the midget AAA are older than them, and yet they can make a lot of those veterans look out of place.

Sophia Shirley was second in SFMAAAHL scoring.

    When they hit the ice on the Stars top line, you notice them pretty fast as they make the puck dance in the offensive zone. The chemistry they have to make plays is inspiring. They are seeing a game that no one else on the sheet of ice they are playing on is seeing.
They play on a team that is deep in talent. To be fair, placing them on the Stars roster might be the equivalent of giving Superman brass knuckles to take out the bad guys. They make their coaches look like better coaches, because they are that good.
    As a result of the superhuman efforts of Elia, who stands 5-foot-7, and Shirley, who stands 5-foot-4, the Stars rocketed to first place in the Saskatchewan league with a 25-3 mark. Add in results from the Mac's and the playoffs, the Stars are an incredible 36-3 overall.
    During semifinal round of the SFMAAAHL playoffs, the Stars dynamic duo has shown they can once again take their game up another level, when the stakes get higher and the competition gets tougher.
    In Game 1 of a best-of-five series against the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats on Tuesday at the Agriplace Arena, Shirley laser beamed the game's first goal top corner on Wildcats goaltender Jasey Book. Book appeared to have a look of disbelief after that rocket beat her.
    After the Wildcats tied the game 1-1 early in the second, Elia got the puck to Shirley down low, and she potted a pretty goal on a deke move to put the Stars up 2-1. The duo teamed up to set up linemate Julia Rongve to put the Stars up 3-1. Brittany Heuchert, a veteran 17-year-old forward, potted the Stars final goal in the third period in the 4-2 victory.

Nara Elia wheels with the puck for the Stars.

     The performance of the Stars two superstars was legit solid. The Wildcats were a respectable 15-11-2 in the regular season and are also a fast skating club. They also had to be a confident team, because they dumped the Stars 5-2 in the final regular season contest for both clubs back on Feb. 22 in Swift Current.
    Elia and Shirley showed they were ready for the challenge. The only downer in Game 1 came from the fact Elia was lost to injury in the third period after being on the receiving end of a head hit from Wildcats forward Chloe Smith, who was given a major penalty and a game misconduct on the play.
    In Game 2 on Thursday in Swift Current and playing without Elia, the Stars showed their depth pulling out a 3-2 overtime win. Shirley had an assist, but the supporting cast came through. Danielle Nogier and Kianna Dietz scored in regulation, while 17-year-old Courtney Cormack, who recently committed to playing for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's team, potted the overtime winner.

Sophia Shirley battles for a draw for the Stars.

    The Stars will try to close out the Wildcats on Saturday in Saskatoon (2 p.m., Agriplace Arena). Elia likely won't be available for that next title, but her absence just makes her team a little bit more human.
    Shirley and the rest of the Stars have more than enough to finish the job against the Wildcats and earn a berth into the league championship series.
    Before Saskatoon's post-season run ends, Elia will likely return at some point and will once again be teamed with Shirley. With that combo together again, the Stars might be too much for anyone to handle. As it stands right now, few teams have been able to hang with the Stars as it is.

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

Madness starts early for Huskies

Matthew Forbes slams down a huge basket for the Huskies.

    One elimination game down, and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's basketball team hopes to experience a lot more do-or-die matches in March.
    The Huskies didn't take the easy road in claiming a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final playoff series 2-1 against the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack. In all three games, U of S fell behind by sizable margins, but managed two successful comebacks to stay alive in the post-season. In a series deciding Game 3 on Sunday at the Physical Activity Complex, the Wolfpack led the host Huskies 39-29 at one point in the second quarter.
    The visitor's led was cut to 43-42 at halftime after Huskies guard Evan Ostertag hit a three at the buzzer. The hosts took a 61-57 lead after the third quarter and rolled in the fourth quarter to an 84-71 victory. The win was capped by a monster dunk by Huskies post Matthew Forbes inside of the contest's final minute.
    Thanks to that win, the Huskies will have the rare privilege of host the men's Canada West Final Four tournament this coming Friday and Saturday at the Physical Activity Complex. The opening match at 6 p.m. on Friday sees the U of Victoria Vikes, who were 15-5 in the regular season, take on the Abbotsford, B.C., based University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, who were 17-3 in the regular season. At 8 p.m., the U of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who were 14-6 in the regular season, face the Huskies, who were 15-5 in the regular season.
    The Huskies host the final four, because they topped the Conference's Pioneer Division. The Cascades topped the Explorer Division.
    Before the Huskies could think about hosting the final four, they had to down a determined Wolfpack side. Games 1 and 2 were held at St. Joseph High School due to the fact the U of Saskatchewan was hosting the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Men's Volleyball Championship tournament. The atmosphere at the packed high school gym was raucous on both nights.
    In Game 1 last Friday, the Wolfpack, who were 11-9 in the regular season, jumped out to a 27-19 lead after the first quarter and held a 49-43 edge at halftime. The Huskies dominated the second half and rolled to a 96-82 victory. Veteran post Matthew Forbes led the way for the Huskies with 20 points, while second-year forward Shane Osayande came off the bench and hit all seven of his shot attempts to finish second in team scoring with 14 points.

Dadrian Collins drives the lane for the Huskies at St. Joseph High School.

    In Game 2 last Saturday, the Huskies faithful packed the gym at St. Joseph High School hoping the first half scare the Kamloops, B.C., based Wolfpack gave the U of S side would only happen for one game. It didn't.
    The Wolfpack stormed out to a 16-0 lead and held a 40-25 edge at halftime. The Huskies rallied in the second half and closed to within 71-69 late in the game. The visitors scored to go up 73-69 and closed out an 81-75 victory to tie the series 1-1.
    Andrew Henry and Dadrian Collins led the Huskies with 12 points each in the Game 2 setback.
    Game 3 back at the PAC wasn't an easy one for the Huskies to pull out. Wolfpack fifth-year guard Brett Rouault went off for a game-high 33 points mostly due to hitting 7-of-10 shots from three-point range.
    Forbes countered topping the Huskies with 30 points to help the hosts get their series clinching 84-71 win.
    Going forward in the post-season, the Huskies would like to have some better starts, but they should have some confidence knowing the can pull out big comeback victories if they need to.
    Now, they face was is essentially another elimination game. The two teams that make the final of the Canada West Final Four advance to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Final Eight championship tournament hosted by Ryerson University in Toronto.
    The winners of the semifinal games of the Canada West Final Four this coming Friday will ensure they will play in the final weekend of the 2014-15 campaign. Being at home for basically a do-or-die match, you have to like the Huskies chances of advancing, even if they do fall behind once again.

Huskies women's hoopsters hit the road

Kabree Howard dishes the ball for the Huskies.

    The Huskies women's basketball team will be on the road for the duration of their playoff run.
    They had a chance of hosting the women's Canada West Final Four tournament had the U of Regina Cougars upset the UBC Thunderbirds in a best-of-three quarter-final series in Vancouver. 
    The favoured Thunderbirds prevailed. UBC took Game 1 on Friday 75-59 and Game 2 on Saturday 68-63.
    As a result, the women's Canada West Final Four opens on Friday in Vancouver. The Huskies, who were 17-3 in the regular season, face the U of Victoria Vikes, who were 13-7 in the regular season. 
    The Thunderbirds, who were 17-3 in the regular season, take on the U of Alberta Pandas, who were 16-4 in the regular season, in the other semifinal.
    The Huskies enter the final four having won 15 straight games combined in the regular season and playoffs.

Men's CIS volleyball championships a hit

The Huskies salute their home crowd after their last regular season game.

    Huskie Athletics should get all sorts of high praise for host an outstanding Canadian Interuniversity Sport Men's Volleyball Championship tournament.
    There had to be a bit of fear with regards to how well attended the event would be at the Physical Activity Complex if the host Huskies weren't able to advance to the semifinal round. The Huskies did not qualify for the Canada West playoffs finishing the regular season with a 12-12 record and were seeded eighth in the eight-team event.
    They played hard in the quarter-final round but committed too many errors in being swept away by the top seeded McMaster University Marauders by scores of 26-24, 25-20 and 25-18. Officially attendance was 2,223 at the PAC, which seats 2,500. Those that were there said it was hard to find a seat, and spectators filled the standing space that rung round the track at the top of the stands.
    With the Huskies knocked to the consolation side, attendance stayed fairly strong. A total of 1,841 spectators attended Friday's semifinal round and 2,127 were out for the medal round games on Saturday. Those numbers have to be considered huge successes.
    Overall, this year's CIS Men's Volleyball Championship tournament was viewed as being extremely well run.
    In the title game, U of Alberta Golden Bears repeated as champs sweeping the Trinity Western University Spartans 25-19, 25-17 and 25-15. McMaster swept Dalhousie University 3-0 in the bronze medal game.
    The host Huskies downed Universite de Laval 3-1 in a consolation semifinal match and took the consolation final 3-1 over York University to finish fifth.
    Once again, Canada West showed it is the powerhouse conference in men's volleyball, as its three entries finished in the top five of the CIS tournament. That powerhouse showing takes a whole new light considering the Huskies just missed making the Canada West Conference playoffs and were still fifth at nationals.
    Canada West Conference teams have claimed 20 of the last 21 championships in CIS men's volleyball.

Stars advance to final four

Courtney Cormack, left, and Danielle Nogier celebrate a goal.

    The Saskatoon Stars will enjoy a little bit of time off before they resume their quest to earn a provincial title.
    On Sunday, the Stars completed a 3-0 sweep of their best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League quarter-final series over the Notre Dame Hounds. Saskatoon took Game 1 in Wilcox 7-2 on Thursday, and Games 2 and 3 at the Agriplace Arena by respective scores of 9-5 and 10-0 on Saturday and Sunday.
    Those results weren't much of a surprise as the Stars finished first in the league at 25-3, while the Hounds were last in the eight-team circuit at 4-22-2.
    The Stars top forwards Nara Elia and Sophia Shirley each had six goals and six assists in the series. Their linemate Julia Rongve had three goals and six assists. Forward Courtney Cormack have five goals and an assist in the three games.
    Saskatoon's opponent for the semifinal round is still to be determined as two quarter-final series were still ongoing after Sunday. The post-season road will definitely become more challenging from here on out for the Stars, who won the female title in the Mac's Midget AAA Tournament on Jan. 1.
    As they progress through the playoffs, they will pick up more and more attention in the Saskatoon area as a number of other local teams see their campaigns come to an end.
    At the moment, the Stars are still one of the best kept secrets in the Bridge City. By the end of March, they will likely have an increased profile.

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