T-birds upset Golden Bears

UBC to face Huskies in Canada West final in Saskatoon

Thunderbirds G Rylan Toth stoned the Golden Bears. 

    A veteran from two Memorial Cup tournaments did in the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
    On Sunday before 1,408 spectators at the Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton, Alta., third-year netminder Rylan Toth made 40 saves to back his University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to a 2-1 victory over the host Golden Bears in a deciding Game 3 of a Canada West semifinal series.

    With the win, the Thunderbirds take the best-of-three set 2-1 in a monumental upset.

    The Golden Bears finished first in the Canada West Conference in the regular season with a 23-5 record and were rated fourth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. They had won the last three straight Canada West titles and the David Johnston University Cup as U Sports national champions in 2018.

    The Thunderbirds were fifth in Canada West with a 9-14-4-1 record. They upset the Mount Royal University Cougars 2-1 in a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series to set up the semifinal series with the Golden Bears.

    Mount Royal was fourth in Canada West with an 18-8-0-2 record.

    On Friday, UBC posted a 3-2 overtime victory over U of A in Game 1 of that Canada West semifinal. Toth made 51 saves in that surprising outcome.

    The Golden Bears rebounded on Saturday taking Game 2 of the series by a convincing 6-1 final.

    That set the stage for Sunday’s series deciding Game 3. In that encounter, Golden Bears forward Steven Owre scored in the opening frame to give the host side a 1-0 lead.

    With 5:17 remaining in the second period, Thunderbirds third-year forward Austin Glover scored to put his squad on even terms at 1-1.

    Just 2:18 into the third period, third-year forward Tyler Sandhu tallied to put the Thunderbirds up 2-1. The visitors held tough to ensure that score would be the final outcome.

    The Golden Bears outshot the Thunderbirds 21-6 in the third and 41-19 over the entirety of the contest.

    Matt Berlin turned away 17 shots to take the setback in goal for the Golden Bears.

Tyler Sandhu scored the upset series winner for the Thunderbirds.

    Toth 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.

    Before joining UBC, the 23-year-old Saskatoon product played three seasons in the WHL from 2015 to 2017 with the Red Deer Rebels and Seattle Thunderbirds.

    Toth was the Rebels starting goaltender when they hosted the 2016 CHL championship tournament – the Memorial Cup. He backed the Rebels into that year’s WHL Eastern Conference Championship series, where they fell to the eventual WHL champion Brandon Wheat Kings.

    In the Memorial Cup, Toth backstopped the Rebels into the semifinal contest, where they fell 3-1 to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

    Following that season, Toth was traded to Seattle for his overage campaign. He helped Seattle win the WHL title in the 2016-17 campaign on a roster that contained star centre Mathew Barzal, who is now a member of the NHL’s New York Islanders, and defenceman Ethan Bear, who is a member of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.

    Toth played in the 2017 Memorial Cup in Windsor, Ont., where Seattle bowed out with an 0-3 record.

    Having shocked the Golden Bears, the UBC Thunderbirds advance to the best-of-three Canada West Championship series to face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

    The Huskies finished second in Canada West with a 22-4-2 record and are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. U of S won all four head-to-head regular season encounters with UBC.

    The Huskies will host all three games of the Canada West title series. Game 1 is slated for this coming Friday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place. 
    Game 2 follows this coming Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis, and if necessary, a series-deciding Game 3 is set for this coming Sunday at 7 p.m. at Merlis.

    U of S last won the Canada West title in 2016. UBC has never won the Canada West crown in men’s hockey.

    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.

Focht on verge of becoming Rebels all-time leading scorer

Lauren Focht is on the cusp of the Rebels all-time scoring record.

    Regina Rebels co-captain Lauren Focht captured a major team record and is on the cusp of getting another.

    On Saturday at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, Focht collected a goal and an assist as her Rebels blanked the visiting Saskatoon Stars 4-0 in a Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season game. With her tally, the skilled forward, who turned 18-years-old in January, became the Rebels all-time leader in career regular season goals.

    Focht had 64 career regular season goals at the end of that contest to put herself one clear of the total of 63 posted by former Regina career goals leader Kennedy Bobyck, who played for the Rebels from 2014 to 2017.

    Allee Gerrard, Emma DeCorby and Tavia Terry all had singles for the Rebels on Saturday. Terry tallied into an empty net.

    Payton Schlamp made 26 saves to earn her fourth shutout of the campaign for the Rebels.

    Kaitlyn Cadrain turned away 34-of-37 shots to take the setback in goal for the Stars (12-13-3).

    On Sunday at the Co-operators Centre, Focht had a goal and an assist as the Rebels blanked the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats 5-0 in another SFMAAAHL regular season clash.

    The win allowed the Rebels to lock up first place in the SFMAAAHL with a 24-1-1 record. The Wildcats fell to 19-6-1 and are guaranteed to finish second.

    Alexis Petford had a goal and three assists for the Rebels. Neena Brick had a pair of goals and an assist for Regina. Shaelyn Myers had a single for the host side.

Lauren Focht is the Rebels all-time leader in career goals.

    Chantel Weller made 23 saves to pick up her fifth shutout win of the season for the Rebels.
    Cheyenne Jamieson turned away 27 shots to take the setback in goal for the Wildcats.

    With her performance over the Rebels last two games, Focht has 65 goals and 55 assists for 120 points in 101 career regular season games. She is tied for second on the Rebels all-time regular season scoring list with Bobyck.

    Bobyck had 63 goals and 57 assists for 120 points in 80 career games with the Rebels.

    Focht needs one more point to equal Emma Waldenberger as the Rebels all-time leading scorer in regular season play and two points to sit alone as the Rebels all-time leading scorer.

    Waldenberger piled up 60 goals and 61 assists for 121 points playing in 109 career regular season games with the Rebels from 2010 to 2014.

    Focht, who is a Regina product, has committed to play for the University of Regina Cougars women’s hockey team in the fall. Waldenberger played five seasons for the Cougars from 2014 to 2019.

    On Tuesday, Focht will have her first chance to become the Rebels all-time leading scorer, when they travel to Weyburn to face the 5-21-2 Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings at 7:30 p.m. at Crescent Point Place.

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

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Stars’ Fiala realizes dream with Hockey Canada camp invite

Skilled forward to compete for spot on women’s under-18 team

Joelle Fiala will try to crack Canada’s under-18 women’s team.

    Joelle Fiala wasn’t sure if Hockey Canada would come calling.

    Since joining the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team at the start of the 2015-16 season, Fiala regularly watched two to three of her teammates get called away to a national team camp. This year, Fiala received her first ever invite to Hockey Canada camp.

    The 16-year-old skilled forward was one of 43 players chosen to attend the selection camp for Canada’s under-18 women’s national team. The under-18 camp starts this coming Monday and runs through to Aug. 11 in Calgary, Alta.

    “This has been ultimately my goal throughout my whole entire hockey career,” said Fiala. “Ever since I started playing hockey, I wanted to make Team Canada and play in the Olympics or at worlds.

    “For me to have this opportunity is pretty amazing. It is everything that I worked for, so hopefully, I can just do my best in everything and wish for the best.

Joelle Fiala has piled up the points offensively for the Stars.

    “All I can ask for is for me to do my best, and then after that, it is out of my hands.”

    Fiala will be joined at the under-18 camp by Stars teammate in 17-year-old forward Grace Shirley. Shirley was a member of Canada’s under-18 team last season, when Canada won a bronze medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia.

    “I wouldn’t want to go there with anyone else,” said Fiala about Shirley. “She’s pretty awesome. It is exciting to be able to experience it not only myself, but to have a friend there as well.”

    Wapella product Allison Hayhurst, who is a 17-year-old defender from the Melville Prairie Fire, rounds out the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League representation at Hockey Canada’s under-18 camp. 
    The camp also includes 17-year-old forward Kennedy Bobyck, who played three seasons from 2014 to 2017 with her hometown Regina Rebels. Bobyck played for the Calgary, Alta., based Edge School Mountaineers female prep team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League last season.

Stars C Joelle Fiala, left, battles for the puck in the offensive zone.

    The Under-18 camp is part of the Team Canada Summer Showcase that began Thursday and runs through to Aug. 11 in Calgary. The selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team stars Friday and runs through to Aug. 11.

    Stars alumnae Sophie Shirley, who is a 19-year-old forward and Grace’s older sister, will attend the National Development Team camp. The elder Shirley played last season with the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

    Plenty product Jaycee Gebhard, who is a 21-year-old forward and another Stars alumnae, attends the National Development Team camp after spending two seasons with Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks in Moon, Pennsylvania.

Joelle Fiala helped the Stars win two SFMAAAHL titles.

    Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, is already at the Summer Showcase with 19 other players that are training as part of the U Sports all-star team. The U Sports camp, which operations under the Hockey Canada umbrella, runs for the entire duration of the Summer Showcase.

    Fiala expects the under-18 camp to be tough both mentally and physically.

    “I know that I have competed against some of the girls that will be there,” said Fiala, who stands 5-foot-6. “I know that I just have to do my best and play my game and work hard and hopefully, that will pay off.”

    In three complete seasons with the Stars, Fiala has appeared in 84 regular season games piling up 36 goals and 59 assists for 95 points. Last season, she recorded 18 goals and 22 assists appearing in all 28 of the Stars regular season games.

Joelle Fiala celebrates scoring a key playoff goal for the Stars.

    She helped the Stars finish first in the entire SFMAAAHL for a fourth straight year with a 24-3-1 record. In the playoffs, the Stars won the SFMAAAHL title for the third time in four years and advanced to the championship game of the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament in Bridgewater, N.S.
    In the Esso Cup title game held last April, the Stars fell 2-1 to the Alberta based St. Albert Slash, who claimed the national title for a second straight year.

    Fiala began turning heads in her rookie year with the Stars in 2015-16 netting six goals and 14 assists appearing in all of the club’s 28 regular season games. Due to have a late December birthday, Fiala was 13-years-old for sizable chunk of that campaign.
    The Stars won their second SFMAAAHL championship that season and finish fourth at the Esso Cup in Weyburn, Sask.

Joelle Fiala (#27) netted playoff goals for the Stars as a rookie in 2015-16.

    “That year was a really big learning year,” said Fiala, who has committed to join the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team for the 2019-20 campaign. “It just kind of set me up for the years to come with maturity and what I have to learn.”

    The skilled forward admits she pretty much grew up in hockey rinks. After watching her father, Eddie, play in men’s leagues, her older sister, Jordan, play some minor hockey and her older brother, Evan, play minor hockey, Joelle decided she wanted to play to have fun with a team like Eddie and Evan were having.

    Joelle’s younger sister, Jocelyn, also took up the game and is currently a standout bantam aged player.

    Last season, Evan was the overage captain of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Evan encouraged Joelle’s big national team dreams. 

Joelle Fiala comes from a family that is deeply connected to hockey.

    Joelle said Evan told her to play like she was on one of those big national teams and like it was her last game as opposed to where she is now.

    “Their game is kind of implemented into my game,” said Joelle. “I think our little sister, Jocy, has the best of it, because she gets to see even more hockey than all of us did.

    “It is pretty cool that we can all share that together.”

    Joelle said her hero is Emily Clark, who is a member of Canada’s senior national team program and also a family friend. Clark, who is a power forward, helped Canada win silver at the Winter Olympics last February in PyeongChang, South Korea.

    Clark helped out with a Stars practice last season and was on hand at the Agriplace Arena last March to watch the Stars win their third SFMAAAHL title.

Joelle Fiala, right, looks up to Emily Clark, left, as a role model.

    “Ever since I’ve known of or met Emily (Clark), she has always been a huge role model in my life,” said Fiala. “I’ve always looked up to her not only as the amazing hockey player that she is but the even more extraordinary person that she is.

    “That is the kind of person I strive to be as a person and as a hockey player. She is definitely a huge role model in my life.”

    The 43 players at the under-18 camp will be split into two teams and participate in practices, intrasquad games, off-ice training, fitness testing and classroom sessions. Following the camp, the 43 players will be cut down to make up a team that will play the United States under-18 team in a three-game series running from Aug. 16-19 in Calgary.

    When everything wraps up, Fiala hopes to earn a roster spot for when the Canadian team heads to the upcoming Under-18 Women’s World Championship, which runs Jan. 6-13, 2019 in Obihiro, Japan.

Joelle Fiala aims to impress at her first Hockey Canada camp.

    “It would be obviously everything that I had hoped for,” said Fiala. “It is still a long way until that will happen.

    “I just have to focus on where I am right now and be in the present and work hard so that I can get the reward in the end.”

    The 41 players at the National Development Team camp will be split into two teams. Starting on Monday, those two teams will participate in a series of intrasquad games against each other, Japan’s national women’s team and the U Sports all-star team. Those games run through to Aug. 11.

    Following those games, the 41 players at the National Development Team camp will be cut down to one team to face the United States in a three-game series that will run Aug. 16 to 19 in Calgary.

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

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