People who rock

    Wherever my life travels have taken me, I have found outstanding individuals.

    For just a plain feel good exercise, I thought I would list a few people who are “beauties” and make life just so much better. By no means is this list complete or even in any sort of order. I am just hoping it creates some good, upbeat and positive energy.

Kabree Howard

Kabree Howard in action for the Huskies.

    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies are so going to miss her.

    For five seasons, Howard was more than just a point guard on the Huskies women’s basketball team. She just made life better for everyone at the U of Saskatchewan.

    The Regina product was the heart of the Huskies program, who was everyone’s best friend and always knew the right thing to say to pick up someone’s spirits and motivate them. She also seemed to get out to every community event the Huskies held, and volunteered to help out numerous other community projects.

    When her final season was complete, Howard won the Huskies team award as the program’s all-around female athlete of the year. The 23-year-old has also excelled in the classroom being constant academic all-Canadian.

    While she has exhausted her playing eligibility, the Huskies would be wise to find a permanent position for her within their athletic department. All Howard has done is make the Huskies look good, and you can’t put a price on that.

Bob Ridley

Bob Ridley calls a Tigers game at The Arena.

  Ridley has been the play-by-play voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers for all 45 seasons of their existence and drove the team bus for the majority of that time.

    Les Lazaruk, who is the play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades, called Ridley the dean of all WHL broadcasters, and the label fits.

    Between the regular season and post-season, Ridley has called all but one of the Tigers games. He has worked 3,219 of the team’s 3,220 regular season contests, all 388 of the club’s contests in the WHL playoffs and all 20 games the team has played in at the Memorial Cup tournament for a total of 3,627 contests.

    Ridley, 70, is a WHL legend and icon. Back in 2006, he was the recipient of the WHL’s Distinguished Service Award. There is hope that one day he will find his way into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and he is deserving of a spot with the game’s all-time greats.

    The best part about Rids is he has always taken all the accolades that have come his way in a humble manner, and he has never made himself that big of a deal. The press box in the new Medicine Hat Regional Event Centre, which is nearing completion, will be named after Ridley.

    Last season was the first campaign Ridley wasn’t the full-time bus driver for the Tigers since the early 1970s. He does admit he is getting older, and he needed to depart from that role.

    Ridley has been blessed with great health for his whole life, and here is hoping he will still be calling Tigers for a few more season’s in the future. When the day comes you no longer get to hear “he scooorrrreeeesss” on the radio, it will feel like something is missing.

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause watch a Huskies men's hockey game.

    The former U of Saskatchewan Huskies athletes, who are engaged to me married, never cease to be inspiring.

    When Smuk was diagnosed with cancer just over a year ago, the resolve this young couple has displayed has been breathtaking. Smuk, who was a forward with the Huskies men’s hockey team, has always been a hard-working and ultimate team guy. Vause, who was a member of the Huskies track and field team, never wavered as a source of outstanding support for Smuk.

    She started the Gofundme page to raise money to help Smuk in cancer battle. The funds have been used to send Smuk to Germany for an alternative vaccine treatment. The doctors took a sample from the cancerous tumour in Smuk’s chest and created a vaccine for it, and the initial news is that the treatment is working.

    Smuk proposed to Vause in late December of last year. In February, the couple won a Dream Wedding Contest, which was organized by Crystal MacLeod of RSVP Event Design.

    Smuk and Vause have impressed all of their supports throughout Smuk’s cancer battle. They deserve nothing but good things to keep coming their way.

Steve Hogle

Steve Hogle, right, works the card table at the Blades Vegas night.

    The president of the Saskatoon Blades has become the public face of the hockey club.

    Hogle arrived in Saskatoon in September of 2013 and became Blades president under the club’s new owner Mike Priestner. Since landing in the Bridge City, Hogle hit the ground running to do his best to become part of his new community.

    Any time the Blades are engaged in a community event, Hogle is front and centre ensuring that everything is organized. He has represented the team in all sorts of forums, and on game nights, he can always be found on the concourse level interacting with fans.

    He has developed a reputation for being fun and energetic, and he helps add a lot of spark to the club’s various nightly promotions. That includes have a very noticeable joy of being part of the hoopla during the club’s Las Vegas night, where Hogle can be found working a card table.

    Away from the Blades, Hogle can be found wandering Saskatoon doing various other activities like taking in other sporting events like the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Men’s Volleyball Championships at the U of Saskatchewan or checking out a Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan play performance.

    Once thought to be a lifer with CTV News in Edmonton, Hogle has found a home in Saskatoon.

Kandace Cook

Kandace Cook zips down the ice for the Huskies.

    The gritty and hard-working forward in hockey always finds a place in your heart, and no one in the Canada West women’s conference was a feisty as Kandace Cook.

    She stands only 5-foot-2 but played the game like she was 6-foot-2. The Lloydminster product was spectacular in her fifth and final season with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team. For the third straight season, Cook appeared in all of the Huskies 28 regular season games, and she had career highs in goals (13) and points (22).

    For her efforts, Cook was named the most valuable player of the Huskies women’s hockey team.

    When she is on the ice, you can tell Cook loves the game. She is not afraid to go in front of the net or into the corners, where players do still take a physical beating in the women’s game. Away from the rink, she is energetic, outgoing and is very popular with the rest of her teammates.

    Now that she has exhausted her university eligibility, the Huskies will definitely miss Cook next season, and could only wish to find five more players just like her.

    Away from the rink, you don’t have to know Cook long to learn that her other big passion is farming, and she can usually be found helping out the family farm operation.

Peter Anholt

Peter Anholt.

    It was a big lift for the WHL, when Peter Anholt once again became employed with one of the league’s member teams in a role as a manager or coach.

    The Naicam, Sask., product was a respected, accountable and personable career coach in the WHL for much of his life. After guiding the Prince Albert Raiders to the playoffs in the 2006-07 campaign as head coach, Anholt parted ways with the club when his contract was allowed to expire in the off-season.

    Anholt had huge ties to the Raiders and to the Prince Albert community, and it was strange that he was no longer the team’s head coach. He was a defenceman on two national championship teams with the Raiders in 1979 and 1981, when the club was still a member of the junior A ranks. It seemed like he was meant to coach that team forever.

    The former defenceman with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team 1983 University Cup national championship team was hired by the struggling Lethbridge Hurricanes as an assistant general manager in June of 2014. The Hurricanes last made the WHL playoffs in 2009. Anholt’s arrival was the first huge positive step forward the team took in some time.

    In December of last year, the Hurricanes cleaned house firing general manager Brad Robson and head coach Drake Berehowsky.

    Anholt became the club’s new head coach and general manager. For the rest of the 2014-15 regular season, the Hurricanes were no longer an easy win for every other team in the league. The Hurricanes played inspired hockey and started rolling off some winning streaks.

    The coaching veteran treated the players with respect but still held them accountable. His biggest strength is his ability to instill confidence, and that could be seen when the Hurricanes took the ice. They still finished second last in the league at 20-44-5-3, but hope had returned to Lethbridge.

    In May, the Hurricanes signed Anholt to a three-year extension as the team’s general manager. On Thursday, Anholt hired long time Calgary Hitmen assistant coach Brent Kisio as the Hurricanes new head coach. The hire was a forward thinking move by Anholt bringing in an eager 32-year-old bench boss, who had been part of a winning program.

    Not so long ago, the Hurricanes were a franchise players wanted to leave. Under Anholt, players are now excited about the prospect of joining the Hurricanes.

Kris Russell

A Kris Russell card from his Tigers days.

    The Caroline, Alta., product is living proof that talent, hard work and persistence can take you a long way.

    During his major junior days with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Russell was viewed as one of the most exciting players in the entire Canadian Hockey League helping Canada win gold at the world junior championships in 2006 and 2007 and being named the WHL’s MVP in the 2006-07 campaign. He also accumulated numerous other accolades in his four seasons with the Tigers from 2003 to 2007, and he was key in helping Medicine Hat win WHL championships in 2004 and 2007.

    Russell started his NHL career with an extended stay with the Columbus Blue Jackets before being dealt to the St. Louis Blues. The Blues built a deep back end, and traded Russell to the struggling Calgary Flames in July of 2013.

    With the Flames, the dynamic Russell was given a full out shot to excel, and he didn’t disappoint. This past season, Russell cemented a reputation for being a standout on the blue-line at the NHL level.

    In helping the Flames make the playoffs for the first time in six years, Russell established a new NHL record for most blocked shots in a season at 283, which broke the old mark of 274 set back Anton Volchenkov in the 2006-07 campaign with the Ottawa Senators.

    Russell, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 173 pounds, also set career highs in assists (30), points (34) and plus-minus rating (plus-18) playing 79 regular season games with the Flames. In the playoffs, Russell netted two goals, seven assists and blocked 54 shots in 11 games.

    Away from the rink, Russell has always been well mannered and has treated others with lots of respect. He is a good guy, and it is great to see success at the NHL level come to a good guy.

David Schlemko

David Schlemko back in 2007.

    During his whole professional hockey career, David Schlemko proved that you can make it into the NHL as an undrafted player.

    The Edmonton product was never selected in the NHL Entry Draft, but he made it to the professional ranks after signing an NHL entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes in 2007. An offensive defenceman in his major junior career with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Schlemko was being molded into a power-play specialist as a member of the Coyotes franchise.

    He started in the Central Hockey League ranks, worked his way up through the American Hockey League ranks and joined the Coyotes on a full-time basis for the 2010-11 campaign.

    For a time, it seemed like Schlemko would be a career member of the Coyotes franchise. That all changed this season, when the Coyotes decided to go in another direction dumping a number of veterans to get younger.

    With his contact set to expire at the end of the season, he was placed on waivers after playing 20 regular season games with the Coyotes and claimed by the Dallas Stars in January. He played five games with the Stars before again being placed of waivers, and he was claimed by the Calgary Flames in early March.

    Joining his third team in the final year of his contact, you had to wonder if Schlemko would be cycled out of the NHL. He turned 28 in May, but lots of players get cycled out of the league at that age to make room for younger prospects.

    Schlemko has a good understanding of the realities of the business side of hockey, but he showed he still has a lot to offer at the NHL level in his time with the Flames. He made an immediate impact in his first game with the Flames.

    Locked in a 2-2 draw against the Bruins in Boston on March 5, the Flames sent Schlemko on the ice to win the contest in the eighth round of a tiebreaking shootout.

    He scored on a sick move to give the Flames a 3-2 victory. He appeared in 19 regular season games with the Flames posting a plus-six rating helping the club earn a post-season berth for the first time in six years.

    With star defenceman and captain Mark Giordano gone for the season with a torn biceps tendon, Schlemko provided a calming influence on the Flames back end. He also suited up for all 11 of Calgary’s post-season games posting an assist and a plus-one rating.

    Between the Coyotes, Stars and Flames, Schlemko appeared in 44 regular season games last season posting one goal, three assists and a plus-one rating. He is reliable on the back end, and the Flames would be wise to resign him. If the Flames believe they will have depth on defence, they could convert Schlemko into a forward. He has play making skills that would allow his to flourish at that position.

    Schlemko can still contribute at the NHL level, and hopefully he will get another contract with some team in the show. If he does get cycled out, he would depart on a high note.

Valkyries eye up playoffs

Julene Friesen runs to daylight for the Valkyries

    The Saskatoon Valkyries are heading into the Western Women’s Canadian Football League playoffs on a high note.

    On Sunday in Winnipeg, the Valkyries closed the regular season dumping the Manitoba Fearless 36-15. Saskatoon finished at 3-1, while Manitoba closed out at 0-4. Valkyries running back Julene Friesen had one of the biggest plays of the contest scoring on a 49-yard romp.

    The Valkyries finished second in the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference to the 3-1 Regina Riot. The Valkyries and Riot split their two head-to-head meetings, but the Riot held the standings tiebreaker outscoring the Valkyries 68-37 in their two regular season tilts.

    Regina closed the regular season by dumping the Wolfpack in Winnipeg 47-3. The Wolfpack finished off at 2-2.

    After a bye week, the WWCFL Prairie Conference semifinal games are slated for June 21. The Valkyries will host the Wolfpack, while the Riot host the Fearless. The start times for those matches are still to be announced.

    On June 13 at 7 p.m., the Valkyries are hosting a fundraising cabaret at the #38 Anavets – Army, Navy and Airforce Veterans club. It is an 18+ event. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased from any Valkyries player.

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

Repeat not in cards for Huskies

Huskies forward Kandace Cook inspired with her heart and determination.

    Winning a championship is hard and repeating as champ is even harder.
    The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team learned how true that statement is. Their 2014-15 campaign officially came to an end on Saturday, when they were swept out of the Canada West playoffs by the U of Calgary Dinos. The Dinos claimed a best-of-three quarter-final series 2-0 thanks to a 5-1 victory on Friday and a 3-2 win on Saturday in Calgary.
    The Dogs season wrapped up about a month earlier than it did a year ago, when they won their first Canada West title and a bronze medal at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament. The medal win at nationals was also a first for the program.
    Entering the 2014-15 season, the Huskies returned a large number of players from that championship squad. Even with the returnees, the majority of pre-season predictions had them finishing around third in the conference. As far as the team went, hopes were high that the accomplishments from 2013-14 could be matched or improved upon.
    The Huskies built an 11-3-2 record to sit first overall in Canada West heading into the Christmas break. They started the second semester getting swept by the Dinos in Calgary dropping two games by a combined score of 9-3.
    The players on the U of S squad admitted they weren't very good in those outings. The result seemed to set a tone for the semester, as those setbacks were the start of a seven-game skid.
    Over the final five regular season games, the Huskies showed signs of coming out of their funk posting three wins to finish at 14-10-4 good for fifth overall in Canada West. Their confidence appeared to have returned heading into the post season.

Huskies defensive forward Chelsey Sundby was a heart and soul player.

    Just 61 seconds into Game 1 of their quarter-final series with the Dinos, Janelle Parent scored to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. Erika Mitschke scored on a power play just under six minutes late to increase the Dinos' lead to 2-0.
    Parent added her second of the game in the second, and Bronwyn Stevens and Iya Gavrilova potted singles to give the host a 5-0 lead at the 4:43 mark of the third.
    Following the fifth goal, the Huskies pulled starting netminder Cassidy Hendricks, who stopped 25 of 30 shots fired her way. Jerrica Waltz turned aside all five shots she faced in relief.
    Carissa Fischer made 24 saves in goal for the Dinos and her bid for a shutout was stopped thanks to a third period goal by Huskies defender Kira Bannatyne in the 5-1 final.
    In Game 2 on Saturday, Jenna Smith put the Dinos up 1-0 in the first, but standout sophomore Kaitlin Willoughby potted the equalizer for the Huskies to knot things up at 1-1. Gavrilova put the Dinos up 2-1 before the second period ended, and Smith added her second of the contest early in the third to put the hosts up 3-1.
    Canada West first team all-star defender Julia Flinton scored with under a minute to play in the third to pull the Huskies to within 3-2. The Dogs couldn't net the equalizer in the final seconds.
    Hendricks made 26 saves in the loss, while Fischer made 17 saves in the win.
    A lack of scoring depth proved ultimately to be the biggest thing that hurt the Huskies in the second semester. Forward Rachel Johnson was lost with a knee injury during a Jan. 16 home contest at the Rutherford Rink, where the Huskies dropped a 1-0 decision to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Rookie forward Chelsea Wilson left the team due to family reasons having last played in a 5-2 road loss to the Dinos on Jan. 10.
    When those two players were playing in the first semester, the Huskies had an easier time creating offence. After they left, the Huskies became essentially a one-line team offensively relying on the forward unit of Willoughby, fifth-year forward Kandace Cook and Marley Ervine for goals.
    As a whole, the Huskies scored 58 goals over their 28 game regular season, which ranked sixth in the eight team Canada West. The graduation of Cami Wooster, who was the captain of the Canada West title team, also was a big blow when it came to offensive production, as she led that club with 16 goals and 31 points.

Defender Julia Flinton was a first team Canada West all-star.

    Besides the difficulties with putting the puck in the net, the Huskies also went through a lot of stretches in the second semester where they had trouble breaking out of their own zone, when opponents were in hard on the forecheck.
    When next season rolls around, the Huskies will be without Cook and fifth-year forward Chelsey Sundby due to graduation. Cook had a breakout year offensively with career highs in goals (13) and points (22). Sundby, who is more of a defensive forward, picked up a career high five goals this season and matched her career high in points with seven.
    Both were heart and soul members of the team, whose compete level was always high game in and game out. They will be missed going forward.
    The Huskies will return a key base of players, but they need to find recruits at forward to help them on the offensive end of the rink. They can build around players like Willoughby, who had 10 goals and 16 assists for a team high 26 points. It is possible players currently on the roster could have breakout seasons in 2015-16 with another year of experience under their belts.
    While the way the 2014-15 campaign finished was far from what the Huskies envisioned, the returning players should still shoot for the bar that was set in the 2013-14 Canada West title season. The first CIS title for women's hockey was awarded in 1998, and since that time, the Huskies have only won one conference title.
    When the 2014 Canada West title win happened, it was really special for all those involved. The players that continue to wear the Huskies jersey in the future should strive to one day experience that same feeling and maybe one day exceed that with a first national title win.

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

Underdog hockey Huskies far from finished

Goaltender Ryan Holfeld makes a paddle save for the Huskies.

    They might be on the road to open the post-season, but it wouldn't be a shocker if both University of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey teams were back at the ancient Rutherford Rink next week hoping a rust break doesn't disrupt practice.
    Both Huskies teams are in Calgary to open the Canada West playoffs in respective best-of-three quarter-final series. The Huskies men's team, who were 10-15-3 in the regular season, battles the Mount Royal University Cougars (17-10-1). The Huskies women's team, who were 14-10-4 in the regular season, takes on the U of Calgary Dinos (14-9-5).
    Game 1 of each series is set Friday, Game 2 follows Saturday, and any Game 3s, if necessary, will be held Sunday.
    During the regular season, similar themes emerged from both Huskies squads. Both had struggles putting the puck into the net, but strong goaltending and defence always made victory possible each time they hit the ice.
    In the men's Canada West playoffs, the team that succeeds will be the one the shakes off the rust the quickest. At the Winter Universiade that recently wrapped up in Granada, Spain, Canada's men's team, which won a bronze medal, was made up entirely of players from Canada West. Due to that fact, the Canada West men's league has gone through three off weeks between games.
    As a result, any positive momentum up swings or slumps that were suffered as the regular season came to a close are now pretty much irrelevant. The biggest challenge the coaching staffs on each squad had was keeping the players engaged at practice as much as possible as the off time dragged on.
   A team can only practise for so long before you pretty much have to have a game. It is just human nature.
The Cougars claimed three of four regular season encounters against the Huskies. Two of those Cougars wins were by a one-goal margins, and both came at Mount Royal.
   The Huskies have platooned goaltenders Ryan Holfeld and Jordon Cooke throughout the regular season. Holfeld had a 2.42 goals against average and a .922 save percentage, while Cooke had a 3.13 goals against average and a .905 save percentage. Both also had one shutout each.
   The Dogs won't go wrong with whoever they put in goal. As far as intangibles go, it would be nice if they give Holfeld the nod to start and carry the load in the series. The fifth-year veteran is playing the final games of his Canadian Interuniversity Sport career, and the likelihood is high he will go out playing in spectacular fashion.
   In his final regular season start back Jan. 29, Holfeld, who is in law school, was absolutely magical making 48 saves in regulation and two overtime periods and turning away five of six shooters in a tiebreaking shootout in a 2-1 setback to the U of Alberta Golden Bears. It might have been the best individual performance seen this season at the Rutherford Rink.

Josh Roach speeds up ice for the Huskies.

   While they haven't scored a lot, the Huskies do have enough offence to get the job done in a short best-of-three series. Fifth-year forward Craig McCallum is their most dangerous offensive player having led the team in scoring with 12 goals and 14 assists. Second-year forward Josh Roach has become a key set-up man finishing second in team scoring with six goals and 16 assists.
    Cody Cartier led the Cougars in scoring with 14 goals and a Canada West best 25 assists. Dalyn Flette and Cam Lanigan split time in goal for Mount Royal. Flette had a 2.36 goals against average and a .924 save percentage, while Lanigan had a 2.54 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.
    On the women's side, the Huskies closed the regular season winning three of their last five games. That included wrapping up the regular campaign with a 2-1 victory over the U of Regina Cougars last Saturday at the Rutherford Rink.
    Over that stretch, the Huskies started to play a lot more sound in their overall team game. That was a key aspect that allowed them to win the Canada West title a year ago, and helped them sit first in Canada West conference going into the semester break. They dropped to fifth in Canada West after starting the second semester on a seven-game losing streak.
    Cassidy Hendricks had starred in goal all season starting 26 of 28 regular season games posting a 2.21 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and four shutouts. She has built a reputation as being a money netminder in key games in her three seasons with the team.
    The Huskies also return arguably their best player in offensive defender Julia Flinton, who helped Canada's women's team in a silver medal at the Winter Universiade. The smooth skating Flinton had five goals and nine assists in 23 regular season games with the Huskies.
    Standout sophomore Kaitlin Willoughby led the Huskies in scoring with 10 goals and 16 assists, while most team's best defensive forwards and defenders night in and night out. She finished sixth in scoring in the conference.
    Fifth-year forward Kandace Cook had her best season with the Huskies picking up career highs with 13 goals and 22 points. Her nine assists was the second highest total she posted in that statistical category in her career.
    The biggest story coming out of the Dinos camp was the fact they won't have Canadian hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser in their lineup after having season-ending foot surgery on Wednesday.

Kaitlin Willoughby zips up ice for the Huskies.

    The Dinos will still have Russian Olympic team members Iya Gavrilova and Alexandra Vafina in the fold. Gavrilova finished second in conference scoring with 21 goals and 16 assists in 23 games. Vafina played just seven games with the Dinos picking up one goal and one assist. Both helped Russia's women's team win gold at the Winter Universiade.
    Sophomore forward Janelle Parent was second in Dinos team scoring with 13 goals and 15 assists. Hayley Dowling had the majority of the starts in goal for the Dinos posting a 2.18 goals against average, a .912 save percentage and two shutouts.
    The two clubs slip their four regular season contests, with each side hold court on home ice. Wickenheiser played in all those matches.
    The Huskies seven-game skid to start the second semester began with two consecutive losses to the Dinos in Calgary by a combined score of 9-3. While those setback started a down stretch, the Dogs could possibly start a memorable playoff run with a series win in Calgary.
    Going into the series, it was visible the Huskies had their focus and confidence back, and those could be intangibles that help push them through the first round.
    One worry the Huskies have that they can't control is numbers. They have exactly 18 healthy skaters and two healthy goals, which will allow them to dress a full roster. If they encounter any more injuries, that will force them to skate with a short bench.
    Both Huskies hockey teams face big challenges, but they are ones that can be overcome.

Blades give Nogier spectacular homecoming

Nelson Nogier gets honoured by the Blades.

    It felt like Nelson Nogier jersey retirement night on Wednesday at the Sasktel Centre.
    The former Blades defenceman, who spent two-and-a-half seasons with the team, appeared in his first game at the Sasktel Centre since becoming a member of the Red Deer Rebels. Shortly before this season's Christmas break, the Blades dealt Nogier and 18-year-old right-winger Austin Adamson to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 17-year-old winger Mason McCarty, a first round selection in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft and a second round selection in the 2015 Bantam Draft.
    In his time with the Blades, Nogier was the poster boy team player, who was huge in representing the club in the community. He was also the WHL's scholastic player of the year last season.
    Before Wednesday's game, Nogier, who an NHL Entry Draft selection of the Winnipeg Jets, was honoured at centre ice. He was presented with his old game jersey in a glass case, an amazing looking framed action photo and he took the ceremonial faceoff against Blades captain and friend Brett Stovin. Nogier's father, Pat, dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff.
    The Blades also gave away 2,500 Nelson Nogier bobblehead dolls to the 4,479 spectators in attendance. Nogier's Rebels took the contest 4-3 on the strength of two late third-period goals.
    The Blades are rebuilding under a new owner Mike Priestner, and Wednesday's pre-game festivities were really first class. While hockey does have a business side to it, it is still nice a show a former player, who made all the right moves and carried himself well, that his time with the team was appreciated. That also sends a good message to any player looking to join the Blades that they will be appreciated and treated with respect, if they put in an honest effort with the team.
    Of course, Nogier is my young cousin and there was a large family presence at Wednesday's game. It is safe to say we were all pretty impressed with the pre-game festivities. My young cousin was pretty humbled by what took place.
    Overall, that was a pretty cool night, and it was too bad the game itself couldn't have ended in a tie.

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

Huskies turning the corner?

An army of U of R Cougars try to stop Kandace Cook of the U of S Huskies.

    The smiles and the good-natured personalities were back.
    The players on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team are starting to look more and more like themselves. After starting the second semester with seven straight losses, the Huskies have won three of their final five regular season contests entering the Canada West Conference playoffs.
    The Huskies closed regular season splitting a home-and-home series with the U of Regina Cougars. The Cougars took Friday's encounter 5-4 after a tiebreaking shootout at the Co-operators Centre in Regina. The Huskies rebounded taking Saturday's encounter at the ancient Rutherford Rink on the U of Saskatchewan campus 2-1.
    After the contest, it was pretty obvious the defending Canada West champs had the spring back in their steps. To put things simply, they looked like themselves.
    The positive vibes on the weekend started during Friday's loss. While the Cougars took the win, the Huskies did a lot of good things and could have stolen a victory on the road.
    The Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Carleen Meszaros and Kylie Gavelin. From the point, the Kandace Cook show took over.
    Before the first period ended, Cook, who is playing with a broken finger, scored to pull the Huskies to within 2-1. The fifth-year forward scored twice on the power play in the second period to put the visitors up 3-2. Individually, she was putting on arguably the best individual performance seen by a player on the Huskies women's team this season.

The Huskies celebrate a Kaitlin Willoughby equalizer in Regina on Friday.

    While the Cougars were holding a 24-10 edge in the shots on goal department after 40 minutes, the Huskies didn't appear to be in trouble holding a one-goal edge. That changed in the third.
    The hosts pushed back in a huge way, and the Huskies were pinned in their own zone for large parts of the third. The Cougars outshot the Huskies 17-5 in the frame and went ahead 4-3 on goals by Stephanie Sawchuk and Gavelin's second tally of the contest.
    It didn't appear the Huskies would get a chance to pick up the equalizer until the Cougars made an error late in the third. With 3.5 seconds to play in the third, the hosts iced the puck at a point in time they didn't really need to.
    On the offensive zone faceoff, the Huskies perfectly executed a play they had been working on for some time. Cook won a draw back to second-year standout Kaitlin Willoughby, who blasted home the equalizer to tie things up 4-4.
    The Huskies controlled play for the majority of the four-on-four and three-on-three overtime periods. They had a number of chances to net the winning goal. The best one came when feisty forward Marley Ervine wasn't able to find defender Hanna McGillivray, who was open for a backdoor pass during the three-on-three session.
    Cougars forward Kylee Kupper scored the only goal in the tie-breaking shootout in session's seventh round to win the contest for the hosts.
    Cassidy Hendricks made 39 saves over 70 minutes for the Huskies. Toni Ross turned away 17 shots over 70 minutes in goal for the Cougars.
    On Saturday in Saskatoon, fifth-year forward Chelsey Sundby scored in the final seconds of the first to put the Huskies up 1-0. On a power play at the 4:52 mark of the second, Ervine knocked home a loose puck near the Cougars goal to put the Huskies up 2-0. Cook and Willoughby picked up assists on the play.
    Before the second ended, Meghan Sherven scored for the Cougars to cut the Huskies lead to 2-1, but that score would hold up as the final outcome.

Jerrica Waltz makes a save for the Huskies.

    In her second start, rookie Jerrica Waltz picked up her first career win for the Huskies making 28 saves in a solid performance. Jennifer Schmidt turned away 23 shots in goal for the Cougars.
    As far as team play and executing systems went, the Huskies had arguably their best outing in those departments on Saturday. Their forecheck proved to be really effect in the third.
    With a 14-10-4 record, the Huskies also edged the 15-11-2 Cougars for fifth overall in Canada West. The Huskies topped the Cougars by four points in the standings due to having a 10-6 edge in regulation wins. Regulations wins are worth three points as opposed to two points in the Canada West women's standings this season.
    After Saturday's victory over the Cougars, the Huskies began to turn their sights towards the Canada West playoffs. They will face the 14-9-5 U of Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three quarter-final series. Game 1 is set for this coming Saturday in Calgary.

Dream Wedding Contest goes to Smuk and Vause

Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause, centre, watch a Huskies game.

    It might go down likely as a Valentine's Day that may never be topped for Cody Smuk and Stephanie Vause.
    On Saturday in Saskatoon, Smuk, a former member of the Huskies men's hockey team, and Vause, a former member of the Huskies track and field team, found out they won a Dream Wedding Contest, which was organized by Crystal MacLeod of RSVP Event Design. MacLeod started the contest after her fiancé died of cancer.
    Smuk has been battling cancer since May of last year. He is currently undergoing 43 weeks of chemotherapy treatment. He proposed to Vause in late December, and she said, "Yes."
    The total package won is valued at $28,000, and the value is going up as more companies add contributions.
    Global News in Saskatoon did a great story on this contest, which is right here.

Hockey Huskies capture Universiade medals

Craig McCallum in action for the Huskies.

    A few shiny medals might make their rounds at various practices at the Rutherford Rink this week.
    A total of five players and one coach from the Huskies hockey teams were part of the Canadian squads at the 2015 Winter Universiade held in Granada, Spain.
    Defender Julia Flinton was part of Canada's women's team that won a silver medal. On Thursday, Canada fell 3-0 in the gold medal game to Russia.
    On the men's side, goaltender Ryan Holfeld, forward Craig McCallum, and defencemen Matt Delahey and Kendall McFaull helped Canada win bronze. Canada's men's team was guided by Huskies men's head coach Dave Adolph. Canada dumped the Czech Republic 6-2 in Saturday's bronze medal contest.
    The women's team was made up of players throughout Canadian Interuniversity Sport. The men's team was made up of players just from the Canada West Conference.
    With players away in Spain, the regular season for the Canada West Conference in men's hockey concluded on Jan. 30.
    The Huskies return to action this coming Friday when they travel to Calgary to take on the Mount Royal Cougars in Game 1 of a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final playoff series.

Nogier homecoming on Wednesday

Nelson Nogier when he was with the Blades.

    The Saskatoon Blades are rolling out the red carpet for local product Nelson Nogier, who is a former member of the Blades.
    Nogier, who is an 18-year-old defenceman, spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Blades. Shortly before this season's Christmas break, the Blades dealt Nogier and 18-year-old right-winger Austin Adamson to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 17-year-old winger Mason McCarty, a first round selection in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft and a second round selection in the 2015 Bantam Draft.
    The Rebels visit Saskatoon on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match against the Blades at the Sasktel Centre. The contest will mark Nogier's first game back in Saskatoon since the trade.
    In connection with the return, the Blades are giving away 2,500 Nelson Nogier bobblehead dolls to those in attendance. The doll shows Nogier in his old #55 Blades jersey.
    As a lot of people know, Nogier is one my young cousins, so I find the promotion cool. I never thought I would see the day a bobblehead doll would be made of a member of my family.

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

Defensive “Ds” key for Dogs

Brooke Mutch controls the puck for the Huskies.

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

Alyssa Dobler has played 94 straight games for the Huskies.

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

Ridley hits another milestone

Bob Ridley calls a Tigers game at The Arena.

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

Farewell to Beily's

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

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

Thud: Huskies limp into nationals as hosts

Jordan Nowakowski of the Huskies tips home a point.

   It was not the way the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's volleyball team envisioned heading to nationals as hosts.
   Sitting with a 12-8 record going into their final four regular season games, the Huskies appeared to be sitting as a lock to make the playoffs in the always tough Canada West playoffs. Four losses later, the Huskies are sitting on the outside looking in as far as the Canada West post-season is concerned.
   When you are hosting a Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament, at a minimum you want to qualify for the playoffs in your conference. You never want to go in through the back door thanks to having the host berth.
   Consistency has been a struggle for the Huskies all season. They have the ability to beat the best teams in Canada. Back on Jan. 9, the Dogs looked impressive downing the 19-5 Brandon University Bobcats 3-1.
   The Huskies are also not good enough to pull out wins, if they are not firing on all cylinders. If you aren't at your best in the Canada West conference, you will lose. That is the bottom line.
   The season-ending skid for the U of S started in Langley, B.C. The Huskies dropped two games to the Trinity West University Spartans. The Spartans finished second overall in Canada West with a 20-4 record, so those games would be a big measuring stick test for the Huskies.
   Trinity Western took the first encounter 3-1. In the second match on Jan. 31, the Huskies took the first two sets. The Spartans rallied for a 3-2 victory.
   Those results shouldn't have caused any worry, as the Spartans are an elite club. It appeared the Huskies were close to playoff form.
   Finishing the campaign with a pair of losses at the Physical Activity Complex at the U of S to the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack was particularly disappointing.
   On Friday, the Wolfpack, who were playing for their post-season lives, swept the Huskies 3-0 by scores of 30-28, 27-25 and 28-26. All of those sets were marathons, but the Huskies weren't able to summon up the will to pull any of those frames out.
   With both clubs sitting with 12-11 records, Saturday's encounter became for all intents and purposes a playoff game. It was also a spectacularly played match that gave local fans a glimpse of what they could expect when the U of S hosts the CIS championship tournament from Feb. 26-28.
   The Wolfpack took the first set 26-24, but the Huskies rebounded claiming the second and third sets 27-25 and 25-15. The victory in the second set had to be very encouraging as the Huskies found a way to pull out a close frame.
   The urgency on the Wolfpack's side increased. They took the fourth set 25-20 to set up a fifth and deciding set. The final set was a marathon, which saw the Huskies survive a handful of match points before falling 19-17.

Troy Wiebe sets for the Huskies.

   Thompson Rivers' players stormed off their bench running in circles and hugging each other after the 3-2 victory. The players from the school located in Kamloops, B.C., improved to 13-11 and made the Canada West playoffs thanks to an impressive eight-game winning streak. The Wolfpack should be given top marks for their run and will likely be a problem opponent in the post-season.
   The mood surrounding the Huskies, who finished at 12-12, was one of huge disappointment. They will have the next couple of weekends off before returning to action at nationals likely as the eighth seed in the eight-team event.
   On the plus side, the Huskies will be well rested. Also, there isn't a lot of scrutiny around CIS volleyball. The Huskies aren't going to face a whole pile of criticism like the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL did when they were swept out of the first run of the playoffs as Memorial Cup hosts in 2013.
   When it comes time to play the CIS men's volleyball championships, the fact the Huskies missed the post-season won't be on the mind of the players and staff on the team or the fans that come out to support them.
   With strong fifth-year outside hitters like Paul Thomson and Matthew Busse, the Huskies are always a threat to go on a run of winning it all with a series of upset victories. Zak Rempel and Troy Wiebe both provide strength at the setter position, and the Huskies have enough talent at the other positions to get the job done.
   On the other side, teams that advance through their conference playoffs to quality for nationals are more battled hardened. Post-season victories also have the ability to bond teams that much closer together.
   Besides having to face battle hardened opponents, the Huskies head to nationals on the downer of four straight setbacks. The combination of those two facts doesn't inspire confidence.

Roll ends at two for Huskies women's hockey team

Huskies forward Marley Ervine scoots past a Pronghorns defender. 

   The U of S Huskies women's hockey team's first roll of the second semester was a short one lasting two games.
   On Friday night in Lethbridge, the Huskies won their second in a row rallying from a 2-1 deficit to pull out a 3-2 victory over the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns, who dwell in the basement of the Canada West Conference.
   Captain Paige Anakaer picked up the Huskies first goal, while Kandace Cook and Marley Ervine scored power-play goals in the third to pull out the victory. Ervine netted the winner at the 8:24 mark of the third, and Cook's equalizer was her team-leading 10^th tally of the season. Cassidy Hendricks made 47 saves to earn the win in goal.
   Delaney Duchek and Chelsea Minor replied with singles for the Pronghorns. Crystal Patterson made 32 saves taking the loss in goal.
   The two teams combined for 28 minutes in penalties in the third period of Friday's contest.
   On Saturday, the host Pronghorns downed the Huskies 2-1. Sadie Lenstra gave the Pronghorns a 1-0 lead in the second period, but fifth-year veteran Chelsey Sundby netted a short-handed marker for the Huskies to even the score at 1-1 early in the third. Cora Place picked up the winner for the U of L with 2:07 to play in the third.
   Patterson made 45 stops to earn the win in goal for the Pronghorns (5-21). Hendricks turned away 36 shots taking the loss in goal for the Huskies.
   The Huskies still sit fifth in the eight-team Canada West Conference with a 13-10-3 record. Since returning from the Christmas Break, the Huskies have won two out of 10 contests.
   The losses have piled up due to the team's struggles offensively. The Huskies 52 goals scored during the regular season is fewest among the six teams heading to the playoffs in Canada West.
   The Dogs have been playing with 17 skaters, which is one short of the full complement of 18. They are short staffed due to an injury to forward Rachel Johnson and forward Chelsea Wilson leaving the club due to family reasons. The Huskies are also without star defender Julia Flinton, who is playing for Canada in the 2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain.
   As the intensity of the opposition has increased and the battles to win games have become that much tougher, one has to wonder how much the Huskies miss their captain from a season ago in Cami Wooster. She was a unique talent who brought a lengthy list of positives to the game including a natural offensive ability you either had or didn't have. That ability would allow her to score on a one-on-three rush.
   You just don't replace that type of player, whose absence is more noticeable when it becomes that much harder to win games. She could put the team on her back and make things happen. Everybody also loved her in that dressing room, so that makes Wooster's absence an even bigger void.
   As the regular season and post-season concludes, Wooster's graduation might ultimately be too much for the Huskies to overcome in the present time.
   The Huskies close the regular season with a home-and-home series against their provincial rivals the U of Regina Cougars, who sit sixth overall in Canada West with a 14-10-2 record. The Dogs sit two points ahead of the Cougars in the standings due to winning nine contests in regulation to better the six wins posted by the Cougars. Regulation wins in women's hockey are worth three points in the standings.
   The two teams meet this coming Friday at 7 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina and this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. at the ancient Rutherford Rink.

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

Great night for Smuker

Cody Smuk drops the ceremonial faceoff at Friday's Huskies game.

   For one night, the rusting deficiencies of the Rutherford Rink were forgotten.
   The 85-year-old facility on the University of Saskatchewan campus was the warmest place to be.
   On Friday night, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team hosted their long-time rivals the University of Alberta Golden Bears to close the regular season in a match that celebrated the rink's birthday during a vintage night promotion.
   The bigger thing everyone was focused on was the fact the game would be a fundraiser for Marty's Men, which is the really for life team for alumnus Cody Smuk. Smuk has been battling cancer since May of last year.
   He had gone through five days of chemotherapy treatments to deal with cancer in his lung before Friday's contest rolled around. As a result, there was some uncertainty if he would be able to attend the game himself.
   There shouldn't have been any doubts. Smuk was there and received a loud and warm standing ovation when he dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff. That was followed by first the Golden Bears lining up, so they could all shake his hand. The host Huskies then followed suit, and some of those handshakes turned into heartfelt hugs with former teammates.
   In seeing Smuk, you could tell he lost a little bit of weight, but it was clear he had some extra jump in his step, when he was at the game. He seemed to be energized by the positive vibes.
After the game, he spent just over an hour visiting with former teammates and friends, and it was inspiring to see how positive and upbeat he was.
   Over the course of his cancer battle, he also developed into a top rate public speaker, when it comes to dealing with cancer related issues. On his Twitter account, he has been retweeting posts that contained stories of the testicular cancer battles U of Lethbridge Pronghorns goaltender Dylan Tait and equipment manager and athletic therapist Brennan Mahon are going through.
   Smuk originally had testicular cancer and tests show he is clear of that form of the disease.
   The only thing that didn't happen on Friday night was the fact the Huskies couldn't pull out a victory.

Cody Smuk shakes hands with the Huskies players.

Playing in front of largest crowd of the season at the Rutherford Rink, which included the school's pep band, the Huskies fell behind 4-0. They tried to rally late, but the Golden Bears skated away with a 4-2 victory.
   Kruise Reddick, T.J. Foster, Johnny Lazo and Jordan Hickmott netted singles for the Golden Bears, while Luke Siemens made 24 saves to earn the win in goal.
   Sean Aschim and Michael Sofillas responded with singles for the Huskies, while Jordon Cooke made 39 stops suffering the loss in goal.
   The Golden Bears finished the regular season first overall in the Canada West Conference with a 24-3-1 record and have a bye into the semifinal round of the conference playoffs.
   The Huskies finished sixth in the conference with a 10-15-3 mark. They will travel to Calgary to face the Mount Royal University Cougars (17-10-1) in a best-of-three quarter-final series slated to start on Feb. 20.
   As far as events on Friday went, the highlight was seeing Smuk with a big smile on his face. During the game itself, $2,300 was raised for Marty's Men. By Saturday, $3,500 has been raised.
   Those looking to donate to the Relay for Life team can do so right here.

Holfeld valiant in final home stand

Ryan Holfeld makes a stop for the Huskies.

   Ryan Holfeld almost pulled off a Miikka Kiprusoff type victory.
   With the Huskies locked into playoff all their games in the 2015 post-season on the road, Holfeld, the team's fifth-year goaltender, made his final home start on Thursday at the Rutherford Rink, when the Huskies hosted the Golden Bears in the first match of a two-game set. The LeRoy, Sask., product made 48 saves through regulation and two overtime periods as the Huskies and Golden Bears went to a tiebreaking shootout locked in a 1-1 draw.
   In the shootout, Holfeld turned away the first four Alberta shooters before being beaten by Reddick. The Golden Bears took the tiebreaking session 1-0 and the game 2-1.
   Holfeld was the reason the Huskies got to a tiebreaking shootout. At the other end, Golden Bears netminder Kurtis Mucha made 21 saves over 70 minutes and stopped all five shooters he faced in the shootout.
   Hickmott gave the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead in the second, but Jesse Ross picked up the equalizer for the Huskies just under three minutes later to make the score 1-1.
From there, Holfeld did whatever he could to keep the Golden Bears off the scoreboard. In overtime, the Huskies had a number of chances to steal the victory, which included a pair of breakaway chances. The hosts couldn't find the back of the net to win the game.
   Holfeld finished the season with an impressive .922 save percentage and a stellar 2.42 goals against average. The Huskies, who have 12 first year players on their roster, struggled with scoring all season, and as a result, Holfeld only had a 5-8-1 record on the season.
   Cooke also had strong numbers posting a .905 save percentage and a 3.13 goals against average. Due to the team's lack of scoring, he had a 5-9 record on the year.
   The Huskies couldn't ask for any more out of their goaltenders in the regular season. It is too bad they couldn't pull out a few more wins for the puck stoppers.

Cook slams down gorilla

Kandace Cook played OT hero for the Huskies on Saturday.

   It definitely wasn't an overstatement to say the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women's team slammed down a big gorilla that was on their collective backs.
   The Huskies took a seven-game losing streak into their match against the U of Alberta Pandas on Saturday in Edmonton. Before the skid, the Huskies were sitting first overall in the Canada West Conference. They dropped to fifth due to the slide, while the Pandas jumped into first.
   Locked into a 1-1 draw heading into a second five minute overtime period to be played three skaters versus three skaters, fifth-year forward Kandace Cook slammed the gorilla to the ground. Just 27 seconds into the frame, the fearless Cook popped home her ninth tally of the season to give the Huskies a 2-1 victory. Linemate Kaitlin Willoughby picked up the assist.
   In the second period, Cook set up Willoughby to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Hannah Olenyk scored for the Pandas in the third to tie things up at 1-1.
   Cassidy Hendricks made 32 saves to earn the win in goal for the Huskies (12-9-3). Lindsey Post turned away 18 shots taking the loss for the Pandas (17-6-1) in goal.
   Due to injuries and defender Julia Flinton's departure to play in the 2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, Spain, the Huskies played with 17 skaters, which is one short of the regular number of 18.
   On Friday night in Edmonton, the Pandas downed the Huskies 4-1. Lauren Zary gave the Huskies an early 1-0 lead with a power-play goal.
   Olenyk, Alison Campbell, Deanna Morin and Gillian Altheim had singles for the Pandas.
   Hendricks turned away 21 of 24 shots taking the loss in goal for the Huskies. Post made 10 saves picking up the win for the Pandas.
   The Huskies travel to Lethbridge this Friday and Saturday to face the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

Young duo shines for Stars

Nara Elia in action for the Saskatoon Stars.

   Nara Elia and Sophia Shirley might be one of the best kept secrets in the Saskatoon sports scene.
   The two 15-year-old forwards with the Saskatoon Stars team are the top two scorers in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League. Elia tops the scoring race with 20 goals and 15 assists, while Shirley is second with 21 goals and 13 assists. The linemates have powered the Stars to top spot in the league at 22-2, and they were key factor in the Stars winning the female division of the prestigious Mac's Midget Tournament in Calgary.
   The Stars posted an easy sweep of the struggling Notre Dame Hounds at the Agriplace Arena by scores of 8-1 and 7-0 on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Saskatoon rolled its lines in those two contests, and Elia and Shirley were far ahead of everyone else on the ice. They also seemed to know where each other was on the ice making numerous creative plays.
   Watching the duo on the ice, you almost can't believe they will still play two more full seasons together at the midget AAA level before moving to the post-secondary ranks. With Elia and Shirley on the ice, the Stars will take part in a lot of big games this season and in the two campaigns that will follow.

Blades make youngsters happy

   From the unexpected file, members of my family have been sending a number of thank-you messages to the Saskatoon Blades.
   My cousin Jeff Chomitzky, who was a single father, passed away recently and was only about a couple of months in working with the maintenance crew with the Sasktel Centre, which is the Blades' home rink. Roger Vaillancourt, who is a family friend, wanted to take Jeff's two young sons, Braden, 11, and Blake, 9, to see the Bridge City Bunch play.
   In what was put together in less than a couple of days, Braden and Blake became Blades for a day during the team's 4-0 home win over the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday. They got to read out the team's starting lineup and stand on the bench for the national anthem. The experience was definitely a big highlight for the two.
   The Blades put together a wonderful little documentary video which can be viewed here.

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