Taran Kozun was named the U Sports player of the year.
Taran Kozun
achieved a significant first when it came to winning U Sports men’s hockey awards.
On
Wednesday at the men’s hockey awards gala in Halifax, N.S., the third-year
netminder from the University of Saskatchewan Huskies was named the recipient
of the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as the U Sports player of the year,
and he took honours as the U Sports goaltender of the year.
Kozun
became the first player in U Sports history to claim both awards in the same
season. On top of those honours, he was named a U Sports first team
all-Canadian all-star.
The
25-year-old had an outstanding campaign for the Huskies appearing 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 also became the second goalie in the history
of the Canada West Conference to score a goal as well during those regular
season appearances.
The
Nipawin, Sask., product topped the Canada West Conference in wins and save
percentage, while posting the lowest goals against average. His five shutouts
equalled a record for regular season play in Canada West which he set last
season along with U of Alberta Golden Bears goalie Zach Sawchenko.
Thanks to
Kozun’s efforts, the Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with
a 22-4-2 record.
Levi Cable was named the most sportsmanlike player in U Sports.
In the
Canada West playoffs, the Huskies swept the University of Calgary Dinos in a
best-of-three semifinal series 2-0 and pulled out the brooms again for the
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds taking the best-of-three Canada
West Championship series 2-0.
Last
season, Kozun was named both the Canada West goaltender of the year and the U
Sports goaltender of the year as well as a U Sports first team all-Canadian
all-star.
Kozun wasn’t
the Huskies only major award winner.
The team’s
ironman in fifth-year right-winger Levi Cable captured the R.W. Pugh Fair Play
Award as the most sportsmanlike player in U Sports.
The
25-year-old appeared in all the Huskies 28 regular season games posting 10
goals, 14 assists, a plus-13 rating in the plus-minus department and didn’t
record a single minute in the penalty box.
The Hudson
Bay, Sask., product has appeared in 175 consecutive games for the Huskies
including the U Sports regular season and post-season. Cable has appeared in
every game he could possibility suit up for with the Huskies.
He is the
third player in the history of the Huskies to play in 140 career regular season
games, and he collected 51 goals, 64 assists and a plus-50 rating in those
outings.
Huskies
centre Jared Dmytriw was up for the Clare Drake Award and the rookie of the
year for U Sports, but that honour went to Saint Mary’s University Huskies
forward Mitchell Balmas.
Dmytriw was
named to the U Sports all-rookie team. He led the Huskies in scoring this
season appearing in all of the team’s 28 regular season games posting 10 goals,
18 assists and a plus-20 rating.
Jared Dmytriw was named to the U Sports all-rookie team.
The Huskies
begin play at the David Johnston University Cup U Sports elite-eight national
championship tournament on Thursday in Halifax as the event’s second seeded
team. They will face the seventh seeded University of Western Ontario Mustangs,
who were the bronze medalist of the Ontario University Athletic conference.
The
semifinals of the University Cup will be held on Saturday and the gold and
bronze medal matches are slated for Sunday.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for
stopping in.
The Huskies aim to have big moments at the University Cup.
The
University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team will try to withstand the
madness of March in their first game at the David Johnston University Cup.
The Huskies
enter the U Sports elite-eight national men’s hockey championship tournament
seeded second having won the Canada West Conference title. They earned that
seed posting a 22-4-2 record in the regular season and going 4-0 in the
post-season.
Between the
regular season and playoffs, the Huskies have won 15 straight games.
They will
be heavy favourites when they open the University Cup on Thursday in Halifax,
N.S., against the seventh-seeded University of Western Ontario Mustangs.
The
Mustangs finished eighth in the Ontario University Athletics West conference with
an 11-13-4 record. In the post-season, the Mustangs went on a Cinderella run
upsetting the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, who finished first in the
OUA West, and Ryerson University Rams, who finished second in the OUA West.
Both of
those best-of-three series went the distance.
The
Mustangs fell to the Guelph University Griffins in a best-of-three series in
the OUA West final that went the distance. Western proceeded to down the
Concordia University Stingers 5-2 in the OUA bronze medal game to earn a berth
at nationals.
Taran Kozun was the Canada West player of the year.
Of course,
the University Cup is played in an elite-eight style one-and-done format due to
the fact it increases the potential for upsets. It has become a staple for university
sports in Canada and the United States because of the excitement and intrigue
it creates.
The Huskies
enter the tournament with one of the most well-rounded lineups they have ever
had.
Rookie centre
Jared Dmytriw topped the Huskies in scoring collecting 10 goals and 18 assists
appearing in all of his team’s 28 regular season games. Dmytriw was named the
Canada West rookie of the year.
Fourth-year
right-winger Carson Stadnyk topped the Huskies with 13 goals in the regular
season to go along with eight assists appearing in all 28 of his team’s regular
season games.
Third-year
left-winger Collin Shirley finished second in Huskies team scoring with nine
goals and 17 assists appearing in all 28 of his team’s regular season games.
Sophomore
Gordie Ballhorn topped all Huskies defenceman in regular season scoring with
four goals and 15 assists appearing in 24 regular season games.
Shirley and
Ballhorn were both named second team Canada West all-stars.
Fifth-year
right-winger Levi Cable is the Huskies ironman having played in 175 straight
games including action in the U Sports regular season and post-season. Cable,
who has never missed a game in his U Sports career, finished third in Huskies
team regular season scoring with 10 goals and 14 assists.
Collin Shirley was a second team Canada West all-star.
Cable won
the Canada West sportsmanship and ability award this season.
Star
third-year netminder Taran Kozun played in 22 regular season games posting a
17-3-2 record, a 1.87 goals against average, a .931 save percentage and five
shutouts. Kozun was named the Canada West player of the year, Canada West
goaltender of the year and a first team Canada West all-star.
Rookie
centre Franco Sproviero topped the Mustangs in scoring netting 15 goals and 19
assists in 24 regular season games.
Third-year
defenceman Stephan Desrocher led all Mustangs blue-liners in scoring with seven
goals and eight assists appearing in 28 regular season games.
The
Mustangs roster contains a couple of players WHL followers from mid to northern
Saskatchewan will be familiar with.
Sean
Montgomery, who was a career centre with the Prince Albert Raiders over five
WHL seasons, skated in his rookie season with the Mustangs moving to defence. He
had nine goals and five assists appearing in 24 regular season games.
Third-year
Mustangs forward Kolten Olynek had stints in the WHL with both the Raiders and
the Saskatoon Blades. He posted nine goals and eight assists playing in 27
regular season games with the Mustangs.
In goal,
the Mustangs have turned to fourth year veteran in Luke Peressini. Peressini
posted a 6-10-4 record, a 3.83 goals against average and a .893 save
percentage.
While the
Huskies will be favourites in their quarter-final match, the defending U Sports
national champion University of New Brunswick Reds will be the favourites to
win the tournament.
Jared Dmytriw was the Canada West rookie of the year.
The Reds are
the number one seed at the University Cup having posted a 26-4 regular season record
and going 5-1 in the post-season to win the Atlantic University Sport
conference championship.
The Reds
open their tournament schedule on Friday, when they face the eight-seeded
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a quarter-final contest.
The
Thunderbirds posted a 9-15-4-1 record in the Canada West regular season and
advanced to the Canada West championship series before falling to the Huskies
2-0 in a best-of-three series.
The
semifinal matches for the University Cup are set for Saturday. The bronze and
gold medal matches will be held on Sunday.
Dates set for Bears, Stars playoff series
Goalie Janae Neufeld, centre, tracks an incoming shot for the Bears.
The Prince
Albert Northern Bears and the Saskatoon Stars are set to renew their rivalry
meeting for the fourth time in the last six years in the Saskatchewan Female
Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs.
The dates
for the best-of-three SFMAAAHL quarter-final series between the two clubs has
been set. Game 1 is slated for Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre in
Prince Albert.
The Stars
will host Game 2 on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon.
If necessary, Game 3 will be held on Tuesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Art
Hauser Centre.
The Bears
finished fourth in the SFMAAAHL regular season standings with a 15-13-2 record
and the Stars placed fifth with a 12-14-4 mark.
Prince
Albert won all five head-to-head meetings in the regular season against
Saskatoon.
The Bears will
host the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament from April
19 to 25.
Emily Holmes works the puck in the offensive zone for the Stars.
Paris
Oleksyn topped the Bears in scoring with 15 goals and 11 assists appearing in
28 regular season games.
McKenzie
Mayo and Kailee Peppler tied for posting the most points by Bears defenders at
13. Mayo had her 13 points on six goals and seven assists, and Peppler had her
13 points on two goals and 11 assists.
In goal,
Janae Neufeld had a solid year for the Bears posting an 8-6-1 record, a 2.39
goals against average, a .904 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Stars
were led in scoring by 16-year-old rookie forward Sydney Mercier, who collected
nine goals and 10 assists appearing in all of the Stars 30 regular season
games.
Veteran
17-year-old defender Emily Holmes topped the Stars in scoring on the back end
collecting six goals and five assists in 22 regular season games.
In goal,
the Stars will be backed by four-year veteran Arden Kliewer, who posted a
6-10-1 record, a 2.78 goals against average, a .921 save percentage and one
shutout.
The Stars
won the SFMAAAHL title four times in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, but their
current roster experienced a sizable turnover from the end of last season going
into the current campaign.
The Bears
won the SFMAAAHL title twice in 2009 and 2017. Only captain Brooklyn Anderson
and forward Jasper Desmarais remain from the Bears title winning team in 2017.
The Stars
claimed SFMAAAHL title series wins against the Bears in 2015 and 2018. The
Bears took the 2017 SFMAAAHL championship series against the Stars.
“Habby” enjoyed interviewing “Rids”
Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid enjoyed interviewing Bob Ridley.
Marc
Habscheid’s defending WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders are holding down first
place in the East Division, but one of the highlights for the long time veteran
head coach came off the ice.
Last Nov.
23 before the Raiders played in Medicine Hat against the host Tigers, Habscheid
interviewed iconic Tigers play-by-play voice Bob Ridley during the morning
skates. Ridley was going around recording segments for that night’s game
broadcast, and Habscheid, who has the seventh most career regular season head
coaching wins in the WHL at 545, decided for once if he could ask Ridley about
interviewing him.
Habscheid,
whose Raiders have a 36-18-6-4 record, was pumped Ridley went along with it.
“Loved it,”
said Habscheid. “He is my favourite.
“We’re
going to go on a bike trip this summer him and I. He is a great man he really
is. I have a lot of respect for him.
“I love the
man. He has seen a lot of hockey. He has a wealth of experience, a wealth of
knowledge, but the best part about him is he is a gentleman and an awesome guy.”
Bob Ridley is closing in on calling his 4,000th game.
Ridley is nearing
a milestone that might never been seen again in hockey. On Tuesday, Ridley
called his 3,998th game as the Tigers play-by-play voice as the
Medicine Hat side downed the visiting Red Deer Rebels 4-3 in overtime in “The
Gas City.”
The Tigers
improved to 41-19-2-1 with the win.
No one has
called more games as the play-by-play voice of one hockey team as Ridley has,
and he is closing in on his 4,000th game.
Ridley will
call his 3,999th contest on Friday, when the Tigers travel to Swift
Current to take on the Broncos. His 4,000 call will happen on Saturday, when
the Tigers host the Broncos at 7:30 p.m. local time at the Canalta Centre.
The Tigers
are playing in their 50th season, and Ridley has been the club’s only
play-by-play voice.
Blades blank Warriors for third straight win
Koen MacInnes earned his third shutout of the season on Tuesday.
The
Saskatoon Blades proved to be too much for the Moose Jaw Warriors to handle.
On Tuesday
playing before 2,608 spectators at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, the Blades
blanked the host Warriors 6-0 holding a 47-19 edge in shots on goal. The win
was the third straight for the Blades who improved to 34-24-2-3.
Alex
Morozoff scored twice for the Blades, who received singles from Kyle Crnkovic,
Tristen Robins, Chase Wouters and Riley McKay. Crnkovic was stopped on a late
third period penalty shot.
Rookie netminder
Koen MacInnes made 19 saves for his third shutout of the season.
Boston
Bilous started in goal for the Warriors turning away 23-of-28 shots he faced
and was pulled after the Blades went up 5-0 in the second period. Brock Gould
stopped 18-of-19 shots playing the rest of the way in relief.
Tristen Robins had a goal for the Blades on Tuesday.
Besides the
game, the Blades announced on Monday they raised $9,710.51 from their Hockey
Night in Canada jersey auction of the special jerseys the team wore Friday in a
2-1 overtime victory over the Regina Pats. The game on Friday was the Blades
Suits Up game and all the proceeds will be donated to Saskatoon’s Kidney
Foundation Branch.
The Blades
return to action this coming Friday, when they travel to Winnipeg to take on
the Ice.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for
stopping in.
Dogs aim to take Canada West final against Thunderbirds
Kohl Bauml will play his final home games for the Huskies this weekend.
For Kohl Bauml,
this weekend’s Canada West Championship series is one of those life comes at
you fast moments.
The fifth-year
centre will be skating in the final home games he could possibly play in his U
Sports career, when his University of Saskatchewan Huskies face the University
of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three series that will determine
the champion for the Canada West Conference in men’s hockey.
Game 1 of
the series is set for Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place. Game 2 of the
series follows on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis, and if necessary, Game 3 will
be held on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.
“It has
come quick,” said Bauml. “I don’t think many people expected us to be able to
be at home this weekend.
“We are
going to try and take advantage of it. We’ve been really good at home this
year. UBC is coming in hot.
Kohl Bauml will play in his fifth straight Canada West final for the Huskies.
“They’ve
been playing really good hockey. Their goaltender has been lights out, so we
have to try and change that.”
The
25-year-old will be making his final home hurrah along with fellow fifth years
in right-winger Levi Cable, left-winger Andrew Johnson and centre Logan
McVeigh. Cable is the Huskies ironman having played in 173 consecutive games
for the team including action in the U Sports regular season and post-season.
The Huskies
are appearing in the Canada West final for a fifth straight year, and this year’s
Canada West title series offers a much different storyline to the previous four
the U of S fifth-years have skated in.
Over the
previous four campaigns, the Huskies have battled their “forever rivals” in the
University of Alberta Golden Bears in a clash of the top two teams in the
conference.
This year,
the Huskies enter the Canada West final as a decided favourite against a
decided underdog in the Thunderbirds, who are enjoying a Cinderella run.
Kohl Bauml and the Huskies will be favoured in the Canada West final.
Both teams
are guaranteed berths to the David Johnston University Cup, which is the U
Sports men’s hockey national championship tournament. The U Sports national
championship tournament is played in an elite-eight format. It runs from March
12 to 15 in Halifax, N.S.
The Huskies,
who will go to U Sports nationals for a fifth straight year, finished second in
the Canada West Conference with a 22-4-2 record and swept the University of
Calgary Dinos 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series. The Dogs
have won 13 straight games including action in the regular season and
post-season and are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.
The
Thunderbirds finished fifth in Canada West with a 9-14-4-1 record. They upset
the Mount Royal University Cougars, who were fourth in Canada West with an
18-8-0-2 record, in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series 2-1.
Kohl Bauml has 108 career regular season points with U of S.
The
Thunderbirds then shocked the Golden Bears, who were first in Canada West with
a 23-5 mark, in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series 2-1. The upsets
have allowed the Thunderbirds to sneak into the U Sports Top 10 rankings in the
ninth position.
UBC is
making its first appearance in the Canada West title series for men’s hockey
since 1978 and will make its first appearance at U Sports nationals since 1977.
Thunderbirds
netminder and Saskatoon product Rylan Toth has been the difference for the UBC
side. He has started all six of UBC’s games in the post-season posting a 4-2
record, a 2.83 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.
During the
regular season, Toth appeared in 23 games for the Thunderbirds posting an
8-10-4 record, a 2.78 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
Bauml said
a number of Huskies got to know Toth a bit after getting to play some
three-on-three hockey with him about three years back. The speedy forward said
the UBC netminder is a genuine good guy.
“I am happy
for him to have his success against U of A,” said Bauml, who stands 5-foot-8
and weighs 170 pounds. “Hopefully that doesn’t continue against us, but it was
nice to see him put in such a good weekend for himself personally and have his
team be rewarded for it.”
Kohl Bauml will play in a fifth straight Canada West final for the Huskies.
Rookie
centre Jared Dmytriw topped the Huskies in scoring collecting 10 goals and 18
assists appearing in all of his team’s 28 regular season games.
Sophomore
Gordie Ballhorn topped all Huskies defenceman in regular season scoring with
four goals and 15 assists appearing in 24 regular season games.
Star
third-year netminder Taran Kozun played 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 also scored a goal.
Third-year
forward Tyler Sandhu topped the Thunderbirds in scoring piling up 12 goals and
11 assists appearing in all 28 of his squad’s regular season games.
Fourth-year
veteran Jerret Smith led all Thunderbirds blue-liners in scoring with three
goals and 12 assists appearing in 27 regular season games.
AndrewJohnson will be playing his final home weekend with the Huskies.
While Bauml
is facing his last chance to the Huskies win Canada West and U Sports titles,
he said his squad talked about how these opportunities don’t come along all
that often during a team chapel session on Tuesday.
During
Bauml’s career, the Huskies captured the Canada West title just once back in
his rookie season in 2015-16, and appeared in the U Sports championship game
once falling 5-3 to the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds in 2017.
Bauml said
message was to not take these opportunities for granted, and it is directed to
the whole squad.
“That was
one of the things we talked about was not letting an opportunity slip away,”
said Bauml. “We’ve been close four out of my four years so far.
“This is
kind of the last chance for me, A.J. (Andrew Johnson), Logy (Logan McVeigh) and
Cabes (Levi Cable). We were kind of just saying like, ‘Hey, let’s not let this
one slip away.’ We don’t know how many chances that we are going to get this
close every again.
Levi Cable will experience his final home hurrah with the Huskies.
“It is not
guaranteed that we get to the nationals every year, so we have to try and take
advantage of one of these years.”
Huskies
head coach Dave Adolph said it is special that his fifth-year players will be
able to play the Canada West Championship series at home. The Huskies are
closing out the home schedule in their second season playing out of Merlis
Belsher Place after moving out of their long time old home in the ancient
Rutherford Rink.
Adolph
caught a media story about the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball
team hosting a winner take all Canada West title game on Friday at 7 p.m. at
the Physical Activity Complex against the U of Alberta Pandas. The veteran
hockey bench boss saw how significant that opportunity was for the Huskies
women’s basketball fifth-year team members in Sabine Dukate, Megan Ahlstrom and
Vera Crooks.
“It (the media story) was talking about what
an honour it was for their fifth-year girls to actually have an opportunity to
play at home,” said Adolph. “I think our guys feel the same way.
Logan McVeigh will skate in his final home games with the Huskies.
“This
hasn’t been our home for very long, but I think Kohl (Bauml) and Levi (Cable)
and Logan (McVeigh) and certainly Andrew Johnson remembers the last banner that
they won at Rutherford, and it was special.”
While Bauml
wants to do everything he can for his team to capitalize on the chance they
have this weekend, he said it is bittersweet knowing that his playing days with
the Huskies are coming to a close. The graduate of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips
said he keeps in contact with his former Huskies teammates from previous
seasons, and everyone from this year’s squad has become buds.
“You look
at the alumni group that we have and they are all buddies from back in the 80s
and 90s and early 2000s. It is stuff like that you see what you have to look
forward to in the future but also being able to remember the stuff that you did
in the past that is going to be most special to me.”
Kozun takes two huge Canada West
awards
Taran Kozun was the Canada West player of the year.
It was
Taran Kozun’s day on Wednesday when it came to winning Canada West Conference
awards.
The
third-year star netminder with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team
was named the Canada West player of the year and goaltender of the year. Kozun
had an outstanding campaign for the Huskies appearing 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 also scored a goal.
The
Nipawin, Sask., product topped the Canada West Conference in wins and save
percentage, while posting the lowest goals against average. His five shutouts equalled
a record for regular season play in Canada West which he set last season along
with U of Alberta Golden Bears goalie Zach Sawchenko.
Thanks to
Kozun’s efforts, the Huskies finished second in the Canada West Conference with
a 22-4-2 record.
The
graduate of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers and Seattle Thunderbirds became the
first player to capture the Canada West player of the year and goaltender of
the year honours in the same campaign since former Huskies star Jordon Cooke
pulled that same distinction off in the 2015-16 campaign.
Jared Dmytriw was the Canada West rookie of the year.
Last
season, Kozun was named both the Canada West goaltender of the year and the U
Sports goaltender of the year.
“I said to
somebody the other day he has been the best goalie in probably Canada since he
has been 18,” said Huskies head coach Dave Adolph. “He was phenomenal in
Seattle.
“He was the
goaltender of the year in the Western Hockey League (in 2015). He was probably
one of the most highly touted 20-year-olds coming out of the Western Hockey
League and decided to go pro. Somehow, he fell in our lap, so we are pretty
fortunate to have him.”
Kozun wasn’t
the only major Canada West award winner from the Huskies men’s hockey team.
Centre
Jared Dmytriw was named the Canada West rookie of the year after an outstanding
first-year campaign.
He led the
Huskies in scoring with 10 goals and 18 assists appearing in all of the Huskies
28 regular season games. He was a plus-20 in the plus-minus department.
The former
captain of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants has played a key role in helping the
Huskies advance to the Canada West Championship series.
Levi Cable captured the Canada West sportsmanship and ability award.
Huskies
ironman Levi Cable captured the Canada West sportsmanship and ability award.
The fifth-year right-winger appeared in all the Huskies 28 regular season games
posting 10 goals, 14 assists, a plus-13 rating and didn’t record a single
minute in the penalty box.
The Hudson
Bay, Sask., product has appeared in 173 consecutive games for the Huskies
including the U Sports regular season and post-season. Cable has appeared in
every game he could possibility suit up for with the Huskies.
He is the
third player in the history of the Huskies to play in 140 career regular season
games, and he collected 51 goals, 64 assists and a plus-50 rating in those outings.
U of Manitoba
Bisons fifth-year defenceman Adam Henry took home honours as Canada West’s top
defenceman and the student-athlete community service award.
U of Regina
Cougars bench boss Todd Johnson was named the Canada West coach of the year.
Haubrich captures student-athlete community
service award
Brooklyn Haubrich took home student-athlete community service award.
Graduating
fifth-year captain Brooklyn Haubrich took home a big award for her impact and
leadership off the ice.
On
Wednesday, the feisty forward for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s
hockey team was named the winner of the Canada West Conference student-athlete
community service award.
The
23-year-old product of Hodgeville, Sask., coaches a team of youth funded by the
Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon allowing families to enjoy the game who otherwise
wouldn’t be able to.
She is a
mentor in the Big Sister/Little Sister program, makes monthly visits to various
elementary schools as a Huskie Homeroom Mentor and has worked to provide on-ice
opportunities to female hockey players in rural communities throughout
Saskatchewan.
The
agricultural and bioresources student has been a U Sports academic all-Canadian
in her first four seasons with the Huskies.
Haubrich
has been the Huskies captain for the past two campaigns.
Brooklyn Haubrich was the Huskies captain the past two seasons.
This season, she
appeared in 27 regular season games with the Huskies collecting eight assists
and a plus-five rating in the plus-minus department.
During her
five seasons with the Huskies, Haubrich appeared in 129 regular season games
posting eight goals, 28 assists and a plus-12 rating.
She helped
the Huskies finish third in the Canada West Conference with a 17-7-2-2 record.
The Huskies were swept 2-0 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final against
the UBC Thunderbirds dropping an overtime decision and a double overtime
heartbreaker.
Haubrich is
a graduate of the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats female midget AAA team. The area she comes from has a huge community conscious, so it is fitting
Haubrich would capture the Canada West student-athlete community service award.
U of
Calgary Dinos netminder Kelsey Roberts was named the Canada West
player-of-the-year. Forward Madison Willan of the U of Alberta Pandas captured
honours at the Canada West rookie of the year.
Dinos head
coach Danielle Goyette was named the Canada West coach of the year.
When UBC last made the Can West men’s
hockey final in 1978
Tyler Sandhu's T-birds last appeared in the Canada West final in 1978.
The
University of British Columbia Thunderbirds last appeared in the Canada West
Championship series for men’s hockey way back in 1978, and it is pretty obvious
a lot has changed since then.
When the
Thunderbirds last appeared in the Canada West final, Cam Cole was the
statistician for Canada West that put together the year in review report for
the 1977-78 campaign. Cole is best remembered for going on to be a sports
scribe at the Edmonton Journal, National Post and Vancouver Sun.
With the
Edmonton Journal, Cole covered the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers dynasty era from 1983
to 1990, where the team won the Stanley Cup five times.
The Canada
West Conference for men’s hockey include just four teams in the 1977-78 campaign
including the Thunderbirds, U of Alberta Golden Bears, U of Calgary then known
as the Dinosaurs and the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. The four squads played a
24-game regular season against each other.
The
Thunderbirds, who were 14-10 in the regular season, fell 2-1 in the
best-of-three Canada West Championship series to the Golden Bears, who were
20-4 in the regular season.
The Golden
Bears took Game 1 of the series 4-2, but the Thunderbirds rebounded with a 2-1
victory in Game 2. U of A romped to a 9-1 anti-climatic win in a
series-deciding Game 3.
The Golden
Bears advanced on to win the U Sports national title. Their roster contained a
defenceman named Randy Gregg, who became a key member of the Oilers Stanley Cup
dynasty. The Thunderbirds finally made it back to the best-of-three Canada West Championship series this season, and they will open that series with Game 1 on Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place against the U of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Ennis six-goal night anniversary with WHL’s Tigers
A Tyler Ennis Medicine Hat Tigers card.
Today marks
the 11th anniversary in one of the most incredible individual performances
in the history of the WHL.
On Feb. 27,
2009, Tyler Ennis scored six goals for the Medicine Hat Tigers Tigers as they
downed the Prince Albert Raiders 6-2 in front of an appreciative sellout crowd
of 4,006 spectators at The Arena in Medicine Hat, Alta.
The skilled
and speedy right-winger was tallying goals of the spectacular variety. On his
fifth goal of the night, Ennis turned Raiders rookie defenceman Ryan Aasman inside
out in scoring that particular marker.
Aasman is
currently a head coach in the junior A ranks with the Grande Prairie Storm of
the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Ryan McDonald
and Igor Revenko replied with singles for the Raiders on the night Ennis had
his goal explosion.
Ryan
Holfeld made 26 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Tigers. Steven
Stanford turned away 28 shots taking the setback in net for the Raiders.
Covering
the game for the Medicine Hat News that night, I gave Ennis all three of my
game stars, which was the only time I had ever done that.
Ennis pile
up 43 goals, 42 assists and a plus-11 rating in 61 regular season appearances
in that campaign with the Tigers, which was his final season in the WHL. He
helped Canada win gold at the world junior tournament that season posting three
goals and four assists in six tournament games.
Ennis is
now an NHL veteran who has played 606 career regular season games and is
currently skating for his hometown Edmonton Oilers.
His
six-goal night with the Tigers is still a thing of beauty to watch, and it is even that much better with the call of Bob Ridley, the Tigers iconic play-by-play voice.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like
this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for
stopping in.
Carson Stadnyk, right, reacts to his double OT winner on Saturday.
Who else
would you expect to do in the University of Calgary Dinos but Carson Stadnyk?
On Saturday
at Merlis Belsher Place, Stadnyk and his University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s
hockey team went into double overtime against the Dinos locked in a 4-4 tie in
Game 2 of a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series.
Just 77
seconds into the second overtime frame, Stadnyk got the puck in the Dinos zone
off a turnover, circled across the front of the U of C net and fired home the
winning goal through a screen to give the Huskies a 5-4 victory.
The goal
from the fourth-year right-winger sent the crowd of 1,647 spectators at Merlis
into bedlam and allowed the Huskies to sweep the best-of-three series 2-0.
“We were
all getting tired and so were they,” said Stadnyk. “We just got the one extra
bounce.
Carson Stadnyk is mobbed by his teammates after his double OT winner.
“We just
couldn’t be more happy right now.”
With the
win, the Huskies advance to the best-of-three Canada West champions series to
play the winner of the other best-of-three Canada West semifinal series between
the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and the University of Alberta
Golden Bears in Edmonton, Alta.
The
Thunderbirds and Golden Bears are tied in 1-1 in their best-of-three set with
Game 3 slated for Sunday in Edmonton. The Golden Bears, who are rated fourth in
the U Sports Top 10 rankings, topped the Canada West regular season standings
with a 23-5 record, while the Thunderbirds finished fifth with a 9-14-4-1 mark.
The celebration continues after Carson Stadnyk’s double OT winner.
U of S also
earns a berth for the fifth straight year to the U Sports elite eight national
championship tournament – the David Johnston University Cup. The David Johnston
University Cup runs March 12 to 15 in Halifax, N.S.
Saturday’s
game wasn’t the first time Stadnyk broke the hearts of the Dinos in the
post-season. When the Huskies and Dinos previously met in the post-season in a
Canada West semifinal series in 2018, a series-deciding Game 3 was required.
With the
two squads locked in a 1-1 tie in that Game 3 played at the Huskies former home
in the ancient Rutherford Rink, Stadnyk broke the deadlock scoring the game and
series winner with 24 seconds remaining in the third period. The Huskies added
an empty-net goal to seal a 3-1 victory in that contest.
Merlis Belsher Place was feeling good after Carson Stadnyk’s winner.
In the latest
clash on Saturday, the Huskies held a 4-1 lead at one point in the second
period before the Dinos rallied to even things up at 4-4 and force overtime.
“When we
were up by three, they worked their way back and made a comeback,” said Stadnyk,
who had an assist to go with his goal. “That was pretty tough on us.
“We just
had to do what we do best. We just had to watch their top players, because they
have a lot of good players over there. Our guys who had that responsibility did
their job.
“We just
came out lucky, and we are just happy to be moving on.”
Carson Stadnyk had a goal and an assist for the Huskies on Saturday.
Huskies
head coach Dave Adolph was pleased to see Stadnyk net the winner after giving a
strong effort on Saturday night. The veteran bench boss was reminded about the
2018 series with the Dinos at game’s end.
“That was
the first thing the guys said it was Stadnyk that got it two years ago,” said
Adolph. “He had about four or five great looks tonight that didn’t go in, and I
thought Shirls (Collin Shirley) had a couple too.
“That is
the way hockey goes. I am glad we are on the right end of it.”
As for the
rest of the game itself, the Huskies jumped ahead 1-0 at the 3:47 mark of the
first period thanks to a gaff by Dinos sophomore defenceman James Shearer.
Shearer had the puck behind his own net, and he tried to fire a pass up the
centre of the ice.
He put the
puck right on the tape of the stick of Huskies right-winger Jeff Faith, who
quickly fired home the gift for the contest’s opening goal.
The Huskies celebrate a first period goal from Jeff Faith (#5).
At the 9:22
mark of the opening frame, the Dinos evened things up at 1-1, when rookie
right-winger Kaden Elder scored on a two-man advantage.
The Huskies
caught a break 50 seconds into the second when Dinos defenceman Jake Kearley
received a double minor for spearing.
At the 2:18
mark of the second, the Huskies scored on the power play to go ahead 2-1, when
second-year centre Donovan Neuls fired home a shot from the right slot after
receiving a beauty set up pass from linemate Kohl Bauml.
Shirley,
who is a standout left-winger, extended the Huskies advantage to 3-1 tucking
home a goal close in at the left side of the Dinos net at the 5:57 mark of the
second.
Just under
three minutes later working again in the Dinos zone, Shirley slipped a pass
across the face of the U of C goal to rookie centre Jared Dmytriw, who popped a
tally to put the host side up 4-1.
Collin Shirley had a goal and an assist for the Huskies on Saturday.
If it
appeared the issue was sealed, the Dinos pushed back with goals coming from the
sticks of Dane Gibson and Tim Vanstone to cut the Huskies lead to 4-3 heading
into the second intermission.
With 1.7
seconds remaining in the second, a huge scrum developed after one of the
Huskies players was dropped with an elbow by one of the Dinos players. The
Huskies came out of that with a two-minute power play but were unable to score
on that man advantage.
In the
third, Dinos defenceman Ryan Gagnon worked his way in front of the net, and he
netted the goal that created a 4-4 tie and forced overtime.
“Tip your
hat to the University of Calgary,” said Adolph. “That is a really good team.
Some of supporters for Huskies D Evan Fiala in the crowd on Saturday.
“I don’t
know that there is anybody that is as physical and greasy as they are. That is
a team that is pretty worthy of probably playing in a national championship.”
In the
first overtime period, both sides had solid chances to end the game. Huskies
start goaltender Taran Kozun robbed Vanstone with a glove save.
Huskies
fifth-year right winger Levi Cable looked like he would snipe the winner, but
Dinos goalie Matthew Greenfield got his glove hand on a piece of Cable’s shot
to direct the puck just wide of the goal.
Ryan Gagnon had the equalizer for the Dinos on Saturday.
Cable was
playing in his 173rd consecutive game for the Huskies on Saturday
including action in the U Sports regular season and post-season. He has never
missed a game with the Huskies.
Everything
that happened in the contest to that point set the stage for Stadnyk to get the
winner in the second overtime.
Kozun
stopped 29 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Greenfield turned
away 26 shots to take the setback in goal for the Dinos. Saturday’s win was the 13th straight for the Huskies including action in the regular season and post-season.
The Huskies,
who are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, finished second in the
Canada West regular season standings with a 22-4-2 record, while the Dinos, who
are rated eighth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, were third in Canada West
with an 18-7-3 mark.
Levi Cable (#10) almost had the winner in the first overtime period.
Adolph
thought the series with the Dinos would be a good one and the two teams
delivered.
“There are
ice bags everywhere,” said Adolph. “I think both teams were just absolutely
punished here.
“I really
respect (Dinos head coach) Mark Howell as a coach, and I really respect the
Dinos as a program. I just hope that we always finish on the winning side,
because that one could have gone either way tonight.”
Stadnyk
said his team is excited to be returning to U Sports nationals for a fifth
straight year. Before that rolls around, Stadnyk would love it if the Huskies
could win their first Canada West title since the 2015-16 campaign.
If the
Thunderbirds win against the Golden Bears on Sunday, the Huskies would host the
Canada West championship series. If the Golden Bears win on Sunday, the Huskies
would travel to Edmonton to play the Canada West final.
The Huskies salute the crowd at Merlis Belsher Place.
“Hopefully,
we get that chance to do it this time around,” said Stadnyk. “Whoever we play
going forward, hopefully, we have a good chance.”
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
If you like what you
see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the
DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for
stopping in.
