Will this group win an elusive second U
Sports nationals?
Jeff Faith, left, and Evan Fiala ham it up.
Could the
intangible characteristic of chemistry be the thing that pushes the University
of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team to a U Sports national title?
As of right
now, the Huskies have that characteristic in spades. They have the right mix.
Due to the
fact it is almost impossible to measure intangibles by statistics, someone
might say it is totally bonkers to outright say a team has the right mix or
chemistry to win a national title.
Still on a
gut feeling, things just feel right with this Huskies team. It seems every
player, coach and staffer is where they are supposed to be in the here and now.
When the Huskies
travel to Halifax, N.S., for the David Johnston University Cup that runs March
12 to 15, they will encounter a number of powerhouse U Sports squads from
Eastern Canada that can prove having the right mix might not be enough to win a
U Sports national title.
Evan Fiala is popular in Saskatoon’s hockey community.
The David
Johnston University Cup is played in an elite-eight format to determine the U
Sports national champion. In a one-and-done event, any number of factors on any
given day can do in a team like a hot goaltender, a hot scorer or a positive
bounce for the opposition.
With all
that in mind, you have to feel excited about this Huskies team.
Their
perseverance showed early after starting the regular season 0-3-1 due to a
number of injuries on defence. At that point, thoughts about the Huskies
finishing first or second in Canada West to earn a first round series bye
seemed distant.
It seemed
reasonable to think they could rally to earn the right to host a first round
playoff series.
Despite
other injuries that came up during the campaign, the Huskies rolled off a
22-1-1 run over 24 games to finish the regular season with a 22-4-2 record to
place second in Canada West.
Collin Shirley is a big favourite in Saskatoon’s hockey community.
Had they earned just one more point in the
standings, they would have finished on top of the conference. They are currently rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.
The Huskies
got healthy as the post-season drew near. Currently, the only player still out
due to a long term injury is fourth-year forward and assistant captain Wyatt
Johnson, who has a past history of battling concussion injuries. He still tries
to be a source of support for the team
The Dogs
rolled off 11 straight wins to close the regular season and have extended that
streak to 15 games after sweeping their Canada West semifinal and championship
series.
On Saturday
at Merlis Belsher Place, the Huskies completed a 2-0 sweep of the best-of-three
Canada West final with a 3-1 victory over the University of British Columbia
Thunderbirds in Game 2. Merlis was rocking as 2,667 spectators jammed into the
main rink, which was a record crowd for the facility.
Levi Cable has played 175 consecutive games for the Huskies.
The win
marked the first time the Huskies captured the Canada West title since 2016.
The Huskies
are heading back to U Sports nationals for a fifth straight year. The overall
depth in talent on the Huskies might have been a touch greater the three
previous campaigns.
They still
have good talent this season, but it also seems to be the right amount of
talent. They have balanced scoring from all four of their forward lines.
They have a
strong shutdown defensive unit playing in front of a star netminder in Taran
Kozun, who was named both the Canada West player of the year and goaltender of
the year.
It seems
like everyone on this Huskies team fits into their roles. They know who will be
scorers, the defensive forwards, the power play quarterbacks on defence, the
shutdown rearguards and Kozun holds the last line of defence.
Merlis Belsher, second from left, greets Huskies goalie Taran Kozun.
Actually,
the Huskies have another great goaltender as their backup in Travis Child, but
in this case, he is performing the role of supportive goaltending partner
exceptionally well.
These
Huskies don’t get derailed by those who play the role of agitator on opposing
squads.
This
Huskies team just has some good old guys you have to like.
Canada West
second team all-star forward Collin Shirley and sophomore defensive defenceman
Evan Fiala are arguably two of the team’s most popular players in minor hockey
rinks across Saskatoon.
Both are
local products as Shirley grew up in Saskatoon and Fiala comes from the bedroom
community of Clavet, which is located just outside the southeast corner of the
city limits.
The noisemakers came out at Merlis on Saturday.
Other that
seem to subjectively be favourites around local area rinks are Johnson, Kohl
Bauml and Carson Stadnyk.
The Huskies
have a strong fifth-year group who have been key contributors to the team and
strong in the classroom in Bauml, Levi Cable, Andrew Johnson and Logan McVeigh.
Cable has played in 175 consecutive games with the Huskies in the U Sports
regular season and post-season showing unmatched durability.
Fourth-year
left-winger Jordan Tkatch can played skilled or grease it up, and that style of
play has allowed him to still have a strong backing in Prince Albert, where he
played for the WHL’s Raiders.
Carson Stadnyk has been clutch for the Huskies.
Sophomore
left-winger Layne Young seems just happy to be on the team, and he has become a
key offensive contributor. Rookie centre Jared Dmytriw transitioned from being
the captain of the Vancouver Giants, who appeared in last season’s WHL final, to
playing like a natural with U Sports veteran experience on the Huskies.
Captain
Tanner Lishchynsky and fellow fourth year veteran Colby Harmsworth might be one
of the best shutdown defensive pairings in amateur hockey in Canada.
Sophomore
rearguard and second team Canada West all-star Gordie Ballhorn and third-year
blue-liner Sam Ruopp bring strong offensive skill to the back end.
Rookie Jeff
Faith plays a utility role and has a fun goofy side to his personality as well.
You can
keep going down the roster, but the Huskies are a team that is made up of guys
that are just good guys. They have guys that have a bit of character too.
Tanner Lishchynsky leads a group that has a good vibe.
The right
tone around that team is just there.
It would be
sweet if they were able to bring home the Huskies second U Sports national title.
The Huskies have a storied history winning the Canada West championship 18
times, and 12 of those title wins have come since the first U Sports national
title was awarded in 1963.
When they
get to nationals, it seems like the unfairness of sports takes frequent bites
out of the Huskies. They have had a number of teams stocked with talented good
guys, and all but one have been unable to win the big prize.
Since winning
a national title in 1983, the Huskies have fallen in the U Sports championship game
on four occasions in 1987, 2005, 2014 and 2017.
Layne Young, right, shares a special moment with his parents.
Huskies
head coach Dave Adolph, who is the U Sports leader in all-time career victories,
had guided his team to the University Cup 15 times and still hasn’t seen his
squad win the championship game. The man who has one of the best senses of
humour in U Sports and is a stellar coach deserves to have experienced victory
in at least one U Sports championship game as a coach.
He was a
player on the 1982-83 Huskies team that won both the Canada West title and the U
Sports national championship.
The 1982-83
Huskies lived the saying, “Win today and walk together forever.”
The Huskies hope to repeat this scene at U Sports nationals.
When that
team has a reunion, only one or two players are usually not able to attend. The
members of that Huskies squad are well-known for their tight bonds.
You can bet
the current Huskies team will do everything that they can control to have that
bond too.
If the hand
of fate decides to give them a break or two that most past Huskies teams haven’t
had at this stage of things, that would be a good thing too.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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Dogs open Canada West semi against Dinos on
Friday
Taran Kozun scored a goal by shooting the puck into an empty net.
Taran Kozun’s
goal has become a never ending conversation piece for the 25-year-old
goaltender.
On Jan. 18,
Kozun made 22 saves backing the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey
team to a 3-0 U Sports regular season shutout win over the University of
Calgary Dinos at the Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary, Alta. Normally, the
shutout win would be the highlight of the night for a puckstopper.
On this outing,
Kozun netted his team’s final goal of the contest scoring into an empty net
with 2:49 remaining in the third period. With that tally, Kozun became just the
second goalie in the history of the Canada West Conference to score a goal.
“Everybody
likes talking about it, so you kind of got to go with it,” said Kozun, who is
still fielding questions about the tally over a month later. “If a goalie
scores, talk is going to come with it.
Taran Kozun has been a first team Canada West all-star two straight years.
“I’d kind
of like to (keep it) a secret a little bit, but what are you going to do.
Everybody wants to talk about it. Even when you go back home, everybody has to
mention it and talk about it and see what happens.
“I tell the
story lots, and it is all not that bad. It would be nice to just be able to go home
and not talk about it, but it is alright.”
Kozun was
actually the first goalie in the history of the Canada West Conference to score
a goal by shooting the puck into the opposing net.
Way back on
October 26, 2012, U of Alberta Golden Bears netminder Curtis Mucha was credited
with his team’s first goal in a 7-1 victory over the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns
in Lethbridge, Alta. In that instance, a member of the Pronghorns accidentally
passed the puck the length of the ice into his own empty net during a delayed
penalty call.
Taran Kozun was the Canada West goaltender of the year last year.
Since Mucha
was the last Golden Bears player to touch the puck, he was credited with the
goal.
Kozun
admitted he tried in the past to score a goal during his days playing in the
WHL with the Kamloops Blazers and Seattle Thunderbirds from 2011 to 2015.
“I probably
tried about five times throughout my junior career,” said Kozun, who is in his
third season of U Sports eligibility. “I think I missed the net four times and
hit my D-man in the back on one other one.
“I figured I’d
try it again. You never know what is going to happen.”
Kozun will
once again be facing the team he victimized for his goal. The Huskies, who are
rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, will take on the Dinos, who are
rated eight in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, in a best-of-three Canada West
semifinal series.
Taran Kozun was the U Sports goaltender of the year last year.
The Huskies
finished second in the Canada West regular season standings with a 22-4-2
record, while the Dinos placed third with an 18-7-3 mark. U of S won three out
of the four head-to-head encounters in the regular season between the two
sides.
The Dinos
swept the U of Manitoba Bisons 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final
series to get to this point, while the Huskies had a bye into the semfinal set.
Game 1
between the Huskies and Dinos is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.
Game 2 is slated for Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis, and if necessary, Game 3
follows on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.
Of course,
Kozun, who is from Nipawin, Sask., is best known for stopping the puck. During
his final major junior campaign in 2014-15 with the Thunderbirds, Kozun was
named a first team WHL Western Conference all-star and he claimed the WHL’s Top
Goaltender award.
Taran Kozun had five shutouts in each of the past two seasons.
Last season
in his first full campaign as the Huskies starting goalie, Kozun was named a
first team Canada West all-star, the Canada West goaltender of the year, a
first team U Sports all-Canadian and the U Sports goaltender of the year.
On Wednesday,
he was named a first team Canada West all-star once again. Kozun appeared in 22
regular season games posting a 17-3-2 record, a 1.87 goals against average, a
.931 save percentage and five shutouts.
He topped
Canada West in wins, goals against average, save percentage and shutouts. The
five shutouts equal a record he set last year along with Golden Bears netminder
Zach Sawchenko.
Collin Shirley was a second team Canada West all-star.
Kozun helps
the Huskies maintain a strong presence in goal that started in 2002 with Thomas Vicars, who gave way to Jeff Harvey, was passed on to Ryan Holfeld, who handed
down to Jordon Cooke and was inherit by Kozun. All five of those netminder have
won 40 or more career regular season games stopping pucks for the Huskies.
“The
smartest coach has the best goaltender,” said Huskies head coach Dave Adolph
with a sly grin.
To say
Adolph was happy to bring Kozun on board before the start of the 2017-18
campaign is a sizable understatement. Kozun took over the starter’s roll that
season when Cooke was injured in Game 1 of a best-of-three Canada West
semifinal series against the Dinos, which the Huskies claimed 2-1.
“Taran
Kozun has been one of the top goalies in the country since he has been 18,”
said Adolph. “We are real fortunate to have him in terms of the progression
after Jordon Cooke.”
Kozun was
happy he was named a first team Canada West all-star for a second straight
campaign.
Gordie Ballhorn was a second team Canada West all-star.
“It is a
huge honour just for me, but it also shows that the team played in front of me,”
said Kozun. “I feel like for a goalie getting an all-star and doing well a lot
of it comes down to the D in front of him and the forwards coming out to help
me out and making my job as easy as possible and being able to play as a team
in the D-zone.
“It makes
your goalie look pretty good.”
Things didn’t
look good for the Huskies at the start of the campaign, when they stumbled to
an 0-3-1 start after their first four regular season games. A large number of
injuries – specifically on defence – hurt the Huskies in the early going.
The Huskies
posted a 22-1-1 mark from there and have won 11 straight heading into the
playoffs.
“It was a
tough start for everybody myself included,” said Kozun. “It was a long summer
off.
“Getting
back into things, we just quite weren’t ready to go as a team. It is the way it
goes some years. Some years you come out flying, and the next year you might
come out a little slower than in other years.
“It got us
into the mindset right off the start that if we play the wrong way we are not
going to win. Throughout the second half, we proved to ourselves that if
everybody buys into the system that is going on out on the ice that we have a
good chance to win every night.”
Jared Dmytriw was named to the Canada West all-rookie team.
Kozun was
joined on the Canada West all-star team by left-winger Collin Shirley and
defenceman Gordie Ballhorn, who were both named second-team all-stars.
Shirley had
nine goals, 17 assists and a plus-16 rating appearing in all of the Huskies 28
regular season games. Ballhorn has four goals and 15 assists skating in 24
regular season contests.
Centre
Jared Dmytriw was named to the Canada West all-rookie team after leading the
Huskies in scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists appearing in all 28 regular
season games.
Matthew
Alfaro, who is a third-year forward with the Dinos, took home first-team Canada
West all-star honours after leading the conference in regular season scoring
with 15 goals and 21 assists.
Dinos
fifth-year forward Coda Gordon was named a second team Canada West all-star
finishing second in U of C team regular season scoring with eight goals and 20
assists.
Taran Kozun (#31) hopes to enjoy a number of post-season wins.
Dinos
forward and Saskatoon product Kaden Elder and netminder Brodan Salmond were
placed on the Canada West all-rookie team.
Elder had
13 goals and eight assists in 25 regular season games with the Dinos. Salmond
played in 15 regular season games posting a 9-2-3 record, a 2.40 goals against
average, a .900 save percentage and one shutout.
The Dinos
like to utilize fourth-year veteran Matthew Greenfield in a platoon-type
fashion with Salmond.
Kozun said
his Huskies will have their work cut out for them.
“It is
going to be a really close series,” said Kozun. “Every time we play them even
last year and this year, it is usually a one or two-goal game.
“We have to
make sure that we are ready to go to play full 60, because they play a full 60.
They play a hard full 60. They have three or four lines that are really good,
and they have six D that can play.
“They have
two of the better goalies in the league over there too, so we are really going
to have to make sure that we buy in. If we are not ready to go, they can take
it to us pretty quickly.”
Young Stars on the rise
Emily Holmes scored the winning goal for the Stars on Thursday.
The
Saskatoon Stars have caught fire during a season where they have undergone a
massive rebuild under an entirely new coaching staff.
On Thursday
at Merlis Belsher Place, the Stars scored three times in the third period to
down the visiting Battlefords Sharks 4-1 in a Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA
Hockey League regular season contest. The win was a third in a row for the
Stars, who have posted a 7-1-1 record in their last nine games.
Thanks to
that surge, the Stars have improved their record to 12-12-0-3 to sit fourth in
the SFMAAAHL just two standings points back of the 14-11-2 Notre Dame Hounds.
In the
SFMAAAHL, teams earn three standings points for regulation wins, two for extra
time wins and one point for an extra time setback.
Arden Kliewer makes one of her 29 saves in goal for the Stars on Thursday.
The Hounds
have 41 standings points coming on 11 regulation wins, three extra time wins
and two extra time setbacks.
The Stars
have 39 points with all their wins coming in regulation and three extra time
setbacks.
In Thursday’s
clash with the Sharks, Sydney Mercier scored early in the first period to give
the Stars a 1-0 lead. Madison Glynn replied for the Sharks with 3:02 remaining
in the third to even the score at 1-1.
Defender
Emily Holmes score 46 seconds into the third to put the Stars up 2-1. Mercier
scored on the power play to complete a two-goal night to give the Stars a 3-1
advantage.
Ava Metzger
sealed the win with an empty-net tally with less than 35 seconds to play in the
third to round out the game’s scoring.
The Stars celebrate their win on Thursday.
Arden Kliewer
made 29 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars. Yelena Zaleschuk turned
away 18-of-21 shots to take the setback in goal for the Sharks (9-17-1).
The Stars
finish out the regular season playing three times on the road. If they can
finish fourth or higher in the league standings, the Stars will have home ice advantage for a
best-of-three SFMAAAHL quarter-final series.
The highest
Saskatoon can finish in the SFMAAAHL standings is third and the lowest is
fifth.
The Stars
return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Regina to face the SFMAAAHL
leading Rebels (22-1-1).
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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U of S still alive in race for first in
Canada West
Huskie C Logan McVeigh, right, collides with a Cougars player.
The end is
coming fast at Logan McVeigh.
The
fifth-year centre with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey
seems to keep experiencing finalities every time he steps on the ice. On
Friday, the Kenaston, Sask., product played his final U Sports regular season
home game, and he ensured it had a memorable moment.
At the 4:53
mark of the second period in a clash against the University of Regina Cougars,
McVeigh blasted home his seven goal of the campaign from the front of the
visitor’s net. That goal was the final tally in a 4-0 Huskies victory before a
season high 1,889 spectators at Merlis Belsher Place.
“It was
weird,” said McVeigh. “It is weird to be in my fifth year to begin with.
“Now, I
scored my last goal at Merlis in a regulation game. It was different, but it
was exciting. I managed to sneak one in, and we managed to get the win which
makes it even sweeter.”
Logan McVeigh (#14) enters the ice for the start of Friday’s game.
The win
allowed the Huskies to run their current winning streak to 10 games. They
improved to 21-4-2 to remain in the hunt for first place in the Canada West
Conference.
They
weren’t able to get ahead of the U of Alberta Golden Bears, who thumped the U
of Manitoba Bisons 8-0 on Friday in Edmonton, Alta. The Golden Bears improved
to 22-5 with the win.
Both the
Huskies and Golden Bears have 44 points in the standings to hold the first and
second spots in Canada West. The Golden Bears hold the standings tiebreaker
having won three out of the four head-to-head games with the Huskies.
Both squads
have locked up byes past the first round of the Canada West playoffs and will
host best-of-three semifinal series.
Logan McVeigh scored the Huskies fourth goal on Friday.
The Cougars
fell to 8-16-2-1 with the setback. After the University of British Columbia
Thunderbirds downed the Mount Royal University Cougars 3-2 in Vancouver, B.C.,
on Friday, the U of R Cougars were officially eliminated from Canada West playoff
contention.
The U of R
Cougars and Huskies will close their respective regular season schedules
against each other on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.
The Golden
Bears host the Bisons again on Saturday in Edmonton in the final regular season
contest for both of those squads.
McVeigh
said the cards will fall where they will fall as far as the first place race
goes.
“It would
be nice to be in first place,” said McVeigh, who stands 6-feet and weighs 190
pounds. “It doesn’t looking like it is going to happen here with Alberta
playing Manitoba.
The Huskies celebrate Logan McVeigh’s second period goal.
“Maybe
Manitoba can squeak a win out tomorrow. If second place does come, it is OK.”
Against the
U of R on Friday, the Huskies jumped ahead 1-0 at the 6:09 mark of the first
period on a goal from sophomore defenceman Gordie Ballhorn.
The lead
expanded to 2-0 at the 13:50 mark of the opening frame, when left-winger Andrew
Johnson put a backhand shot past Cougars netminder Brandon Holtby.
Before the
opening frame ended, rookie right-winger Jeff Faith netted his fourth of the
season to put the Huskies up 3-0.
If there were
thoughts of a Cougars comeback, the Huskies landed a knockout blow with McVeigh’s
second period tally.
Gordie Ballhorn scored for the Huskies on Friday.
McVeigh thought
it was great his Huskies had offensive contributions from multiple sources.
Rookie centre Jared Dmytriw was the only U of S player to have a multiple point
night with two assists.
“It is nice
playing a team like that where everyone can contribute offensively,” said
McVeigh. “We have a well rounded team.
“I think it
showed tonight. Hopefully, we can carry that on and get the goals and assists
and everything going into playoffs as well.”
During the
season, the Huskies had to play through a number of injuries resulting in everyone
on their roster seeing ice time. McVeigh said that experience that was gained
through the campaign is showing off now.
Taran Kozun made 20 saves for his fifth shutout of the season.
“Everyone
had to get their ice time in,” said McVeigh, who has seven goals, eight assists
and a plus-seven rating in the plus-minus department appearing in all of the
Huskies 27 regular season games. “Now that everyone is starting to get healthy,
it shows on the ice.
“Everyone
is contributing, and everyone is there to step up. If the next guy goes down,
there are always players coming in.”
Taran Kozun
stopped 20 shots to pick up the shutout win in goal for the Huskies, and he hit
a trio of milestones as well. The Nipawin, Sask., product has five shutouts on
the campaign, which equals the single Canada West regular season record, which
he set in the 2018-19 campaign.
Kozun
shares that record with former Golden Bears netminder Zach Sawchenko, who also
had five shutouts in the 2018-19 campaign.
The Huskies celebrate a 10th straight win on Friday.
Friday’s
shutout win was the 11th of Kozun’s U Sports regular season career
which is a new Huskies team record. The old record of 10 was shared by Jeff
Harvey, who played for the Huskies from 2005 to 2009, and Jordon Cooke, who played
for the Huskies from 2014 to 2017.
Kozun’s 11
career regular season shutouts are tied for the second most in the history of
the Canada West Conference. Dustin Schwartz had 11 career regular season
shutouts playing for the Golden Bears from 2001 to 2005.
Kozun
picked up his 40th career regular season victory as well on Friday,
and he is the seventh netminder in the history of the Huskies to accomplish
that feat.
Brandon
Holtby turned away 35 shots to take the setback in goal for the Cougars.
Looking
forward, McVeigh is happy he will get to enjoy a weekend off before the Huskies
start their run in the post-season. The 25-year-old hopes his last playoff run
will be a long one.
“It was
nice to get that second place locked up, so we know we have this weekend off
here,” said McVeigh. “We have nice break here, get some practises in and get
ready for playoffs.
“It is the
best time of the year. Hopefully, we can carry on this winning streak and keep
going.”
Bourassa’s double OT winner lifts Huskies over
Cougars
Bailee Bourassa scored the double OT winner for the Huskies.
Bailee
Bourassa broke the hearts of the U of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team and
their followers on Friday night.
Playing in
front of 877 spectators at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, Bourassa scored
in double overtime time to give her U of Saskatchewan Huskies a 2-1 victory over
the U of Regina Cougars in a U Sports regular season contest. Linemate Abby
Shirley and offensive defender Leah Bohlken picked up assists on the winning
goal.
The Cougars
had a large number of their alums in attendance as they honoured their
fifth-year players in Jaycee Magwood, Tamara McVannel and netminder Jane Kish.
The host
side led 1-0 after second-year forward Jenna Merk scored at the 15:22 mark of
the second period.
Shirley
potted the equalizer for the Huskies at the 9:55 mark of the third with Shyan
Elias and Sophie Lalor picking up assists.
That set
the stage for Bourassa to win it in overtime with her 12th goal and
18th point of the campaign, which are both career highs.
Bourassa’s
12 tallies are the most goals any player on the Huskies women’s team has scored
in one regular season since Kandace Cook posted 13 goals in the 2014-15
campaign.
Jessica
Vance stopped 16 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies, who improved
to 17-7-2-1. Jane Kish turned away 19 shots to take the setback in goal for the
Cougars, whose record moved to 13-13-1.
Abby Shirley had a goal and an assist for the Huskies.
The win
allowed the Huskies, who are third in the Canada West Conference, to have a
shot to vault into second place and earn a bye through the first round of the
Canada West playoffs to host a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series.
The Huskies
have 51 standings points coming off 14 regulation wins, three extra time wins
and three extra time setbacks.
In Canada
West women’s hockey, teams earn three standings points for regulation wins, two
standings points for extra time wins and one standings point for extra time
setbacks.
The U of
Calgary Dinos (17-7-1-2) sit second in Canada West with 53 standings points
with 16 regulation wins, one extra time win and three extra time setbacks.
The Huskies
hold the standings tiebreaker against the Dinos having won all four
head-to-head encounters between the two sides.
Both squads
have one game remaining on their respective regular season schedules. If the
Huskies win their final game in regulation and the Dinos lose their final
regular season contest in any fashion, the Huskies will finish second.
If the
Dinos lose their final regular season game in regulation and the Huskies win
their final game in any fashion, the Huskies would finish second in that
scenario too.
The Huskies
close their regular season schedule against the Cougars on Saturday at 7 p.m.
at Merlis Belsher Place. That game will conclude the Cougars regular season
schedule.
Jessica Vance made 16 saves in goal for the Huskies on Friday.
The Dinos
finish their regular season schedule hosting the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns
(9-15-1-2) on Saturday in Calgary. The Pronghorns, who have been eliminated from
post-season contention, will close their campaign with that Saturday clash
against the Dinos.
The Dinos
could still top the Canada West standings with a regulation win combined with a
regulation loss by the U of Alberta Pandas (19-8) in their final regular season
game.
The Pandas
top the Canada West standings with 56 points coming on 18 regulation wins and
one extra time win. The Dinos hold the standings tiebreaker against the Pandas
having one three out of the four regular season encounters between the two
sides.
The Pandas
close their regular season schedule on Saturday taking on the U of Manitoba
Bisons (10-16-1) in Winnipeg, Man. The Bisons have been eliminated from playoff
contention and will close their 2019-20 campaign on Saturday.
Canada West Hall of Fame calls Huskies’
great Desjardins
Willie Desjardins’ picture at Merlis Belsher Place.
Willie
Desjardins, who was arguably the greatest captain out of any U of Saskatchewan
Huskies teams, was officially named to the inaugural class for the Canada West
Hall of Fame on Friday.
Desjardins
had an outstanding career with the Huskies men’s hockey team playing five seasons
for the squad from 1978 to 1983. During that time, he appeared in 121 regular
season games piling up 68 goals and 121 assist for 189 points. Desjardins
career offensive totals were all Huskies team records at the time of his graduation.
Over
Desjardins final three seasons, the Huskies won three straight Canada West
titles from 1981 to 1983.
During his
final season in 1982-83, Desjardins was the Huskies captain when they won the
David Johnston University Cup as U Sports national champions. The Huskies
downed the Concordia University Stingers 6-2 in the U Sports championship
tournament title game, which was held in Moncton, N.B.
In three
tournament games, Desjardins posted four goals and seven assists for 11 points. The star forward’s 11 points is still a record for one tournament. He was named the MVP of the
1983 U Sports championship tournament.
Desjardins
was a Canada West all-star on four occasions during his career with the
Huskies, and he was the Canada West MVP during the 1982-83 campaign. He was a U
Sports all-Canadian all-star in the 1980-81 campaign.
On top of
the conference honours, Desjardins was twice awarded the E. Kent Phillips
Trophy as the overall male athlete of the year for U of S. In 1983, Desjardins
claimed the Rusty McDonald Cup as the U of S all-around male athlete for being outstanding
in the characteristics of leadership, sportsmanship, athletics and academics.
Following
his playing days with the Huskies, Desjardins embarked on an outstanding
coaching career that include time in U Sports, the WHL, the NHL, the AHL and
Canada’s national team program.
He is
currently the head coach and general manager of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
As a head
coach, Desjardins led the U of Calgary Dinos to a Canada West title in 1990.
Desjardins
guided the Tigers to WHL titles in 2004 and 2007. He won an AHL championship as
head coach of the Texas Stars in 2014.
Members of the Huskies 1980 to 83 teams at Merlis Belsher Place on Friday.
In 2018,
Desjardins was at the helm when Canada’s national men’s hockey team won a
bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
As an assistant
coach, Desjardins helped Canada’s world junior team win a gold medal in 2009.
Last
October, the Huskies squads that won three straight Canada West titles from
1981 to 1983 were named to the inaugural class of the Canada West Hall of Fame.
Members from those Huskies teams were honoured before the Huskies 4-0 victory
over the U of Regina Cougars in a U Sports regular season game on Friday at
Merlis Belsher Place.
Huskies’ George named to Canada West Hall of
Fame
Breanne George pictures in the Huskies hockey history book.
The high-scoring
Breanne George had a decorated career with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s
hockey team, and she picked up a huge honour in her post-playing days.
On Tuesday,
George was inducted as part of the inaugural class to the Canada West Hall of
Fame.
George
played for the Huskies from 2007 to 2012 and is still the squad’s most prolific
scorer. The star forward holds the Huskies career records for most regular season goals (86)
and points (149).
Her 63
career regular season assists ranks third in Huskies team history.
George
holds the Huskies record for most goals in one regular season at 28 and points
at 46. Those marks were achieved in the 2009-10 campaign.
She topped
the Canada West Conference in goals and points in the 2009-10 season and was
named the Canada West MVP.
The Saskatoon product was a first team Canada
West all-star in 2010 and 2011 and a second team Canada West all-star in 2012.
She was a first team U Sports all-Canadian in 2010 and 2011.
In 2011,
George played for Canada’s women’s team at the FISU Winter Universiade in
Erzurum, Turkey. She had seven goals and 12 points in seven games helping
Canada win gold.
George is
currently a physiotherapist in Sherwood Park, Alta. For a flashback to the past, check out this interview George did for the Huskies YouTube channel back in October of 2010 at the ancient Rutherford Rink.
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The Golden Bears celebrate their Canada West title win.
When the championship trophies are on the line, it always
seems to be the University of Alberta Golden Bears time.
In a classic series deciding Game 3 of the Canada West
final, the Golden Bears men’s hockey team once again found a way to prevail
over their “forever rivals” the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
On Sunday at Merlis Belsher Place, the Golden Bears downed
the Huskies 1-0 to claim the Canada West title for a third straight year to the
disappointment of a packed crowd of 2,614 spectators. With the win, the Golden
Bears locked up the best-of-three series 2-1.
The Huskies claimed Game 1 of the series on Friday 4-2, but the Golden Bears rebounded
to take a 3-0 victory in Game 2 on Saturday.
Sophomore Golden
Bears netminder Zach Sawchenko made 20 saves to earn the shutout win in Game 2,
and he turned away 29 shots to pick up a second consecutive shutout in Game 3.
Luke Philp had the only goal in Game 3 on Sunday.
The Huskies had
their share of quality chances to take Game 3, which included a last gasp
opportunity off an offensive zone faceoff to the left of the U of A goal with
1.1 seconds remaining in the third period. Huskies rookie centre Donovan Neuls
won the draw back to rookie defenceman Gordie Ballhorn, who rang a shot off the
post of the U of A net.
“It is a game of
inches,” said Sawchenko. “It has been a crazy weekend.
“There has just been
bounces. I can’t stress enough. It has been a game of inches this weekend.
“There was a post in
Game 2, post in Game 1 and post in Game 3. It really could have gone either
way. We’re just happy to be on this end of it.”
The win allowed the
Golden Bears, who are the defending U Sports national champions, to capture the
Canada West title for a third straight year.
Gordie Ballhorn (#3) skates away after hitting a post with a last second shot.
The Golden Bears and Huskies have
met in the conference final for four straight years, and U of S took the first
of those meetings back in 2016.
Dating back to the
1996-97 season, the Golden Bears and Huskies have clashed 17 times in the
Canada West Championship series, and U of A has won 12 of those encounters.
Still on Sunday when the teams met for the 511th overall time, it
appeared the Huskies might get some breaks to take this round. U of S started
Game 3 holding a 6-1 edge in shots on goal, but the Golden Bears, who are rated
first in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, thought they took the lead with 9:26
remaining in the opening frame.
Goalie Zach Zawchenko makes one of 29 saves in a shutout performance.
Huskies sophomore
netminder Taran Kozun was playing the puck behind his own net, and he had it
stolen off his stick by Golden Bears left-winger Taylor Cooper. Cooper got the
puck to right-winger Cole Sanford, who slid it into an empty right side of the
U of S goal.
The tally was
disallowed as the officials ruled the net was knocked ajar.
In the second
period, the Huskies had a glorious chance to go ahead, when right-winger Parker Thomas centred a pass from the right side of the U of A goal to left-winger
Alex Forsberg. Forsberg was denied at point blank range by Sawchenko.
Taran Kozun makes one of his 27 saves in goal for the Huskies.
The Golden Bears
netted the game’s lone tally with 2:16 remaining in the second period while
working on the power play. Golden Bears left-winger Trevor Cox had the puck
along the left side boards in the U of S zone and fed a pass to centre Steven
Owre, who was sitting beside the left post of the Huskies net.
Owre slipped a
backdoor pass across the face of the U of S goal to Luke Philp. Philp, who
claimed Canada West player of the year honours for a second straight season,
fired the puck in an empty right side of the Huskies cage. He said he felt
relieved to see the puck go in.
“It was about time I
think,” said Philp. “We had our fair share of chances.
“We did a good job
with both units getting chances, but we couldn’t seem to find the net for a
while there. That felt great to get that first one. We did a good job sticking
with it.”
Steven Owre had an assist on the Golden Bears lone goal.
The Huskies didn’t
go away.
Moments after Philp’s
goal, Huskies fourth-year right-winger Levi Cable had a breakaway into the U of
A zone, but he fired his shot attempt over top of the goal.
In the third period,
Forsberg was sent in alone on the U of A goal, but his rolling shot attempt was
turned away by Sawchenko.
Huskies left-winger
Collin Shirley had a big scoring chance too on the doorstep at the left side of
the Golden Bears net, but he was stoned by Sawchenko.
Then came the
dramatics when Ballhorn wired his shot off the U of A goal.
Philp had lost the
game’s final faceoff to Neuls and admitted he had a moment of panic.
“I was thinking, ‘What
the heck just happened?,’” said Philp. “I didn’t know what happened.
“I thought he was
going to go forward with it on the faceoff. Last second, he won it back. He did
a good job there, but thank God it didn’t go in.”
Kozun turned away 27
shots to take the setback in goal for the Huskies, who are rated third in the U
Sports Top 10 rankings.
Golden Bears D Jason Fram battles Huskies LW Collin Shirley.
Huskies captain Jesse Forsberg left Sunday’s game late in the third period with an injury.
Both the Golden
Bears and Huskies have earned berths to the David Johnston University Cup
national championship tournament slated for March 14 to 17 in Lethbridge, Alta.
The Canada West final
was expected to be tight. The Huskies topped the conference standings in the
regular season with the best record in team history at 25-3. The Golden Bears
were second sitting one point back in the standings with a 24-3-1 mark.
The Golden Bears receive their Canada West gold medals.
U of A head coach
Ian Herbers said his team wanted to back to nationals as conference camps and
was pleased his team captured the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy on Sunday. The Golden
Bears have won the U Sports national title 16 times.
“That was one of our
steps,” said Herbers. “We wanted to make sure we came in here, and we win a
Canada West (title).
“We knew it would be
a tough challenge. They are a very good team over there. They play hard, and we
knew it would be a good challenge.
“It is another step
for us to help in our development and get us ready for nationals.”
The Golden Bears are all smiles during their post-game team picture.
Sawchenko was in
goal as a rookie last season for the Golden Bears Canada West title clinching
win and their national championship win. He said he is looking forward to playing
more hockey at the upcoming David Johnston University Cup in Lethbridge.
“It is a good
feeling,” said Sawchenko. “At the end of the day, it is not the end of the road
for us.
“Canada West is
great, but we have our eyes on the big prize now, and that is a national title.”
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