Regnier, fellow P.A. connections power Huskies to Canada West title

Ethan Regnier takes a lap with the Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy.

Not so long ago, Ethan Regnier believed that his opportunities to score big goals in the U Sports post-season had flown by the wayside.

The Prince Albert product had been playing with the Mount Royal University Cougars Men’s Hockey Team. He decided that direction in life at that time wasn’t for him after his second season with the team wrapped up after the 2022-23 campaign. He left Calgary and returned to Saskatchewan playing senior hockey closer to home with the Rosthern Wheat Kings in 2023-24.

After Regnier left the Cougars, Brandin Cote, who is the head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, came calling. The two were part of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos together from 2018 to 2020 with Regnier playing forward and Cote serving as an assistant coach.

Regnier elected to join the Huskies. Last Sunday, Regnier found himself playing centre for the Dogs against the visiting Cougars in a series deciding Game 3 of the Canada West Conference Championship Series at Merlis Belsher Place on the U of S campus.

With 5:55 remaining in the third period, Regnier, who is a Prince Albert Minor Hockey product, potted a key insurance goal to give the Huskies a 2-0 advantage. The Huskies would go on to post a 3-0 victory before a record tying attendance of 3,013 spectators at their state of the art home rink.

This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Raiders’ grad Kosior is cool with school

Landon Kosior in action for the Huskies in February of 2024.

Landon Kosior is in the post-season groove.

The graduate of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders is looking forward to his second go in the playoffs in the U Sports ranks skating on the blue-line of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Men’s Hockey Team. The Huskies topped the Canada West Conference regular season standings with a 23-5 record and will host the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three conference semifinal series.

Games 1 and 2 will go Friday and Saturday respectively with a 7 p.m. start time on each night at Merlis Belsher Place. If necessary, a series-deciding Game 3 is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. at Merlis. The Thunderbirds finished fourth overall in Canada West with an 18-8-0-2 mark.

“Coming into the year just with the guys that we were bringing back, we kind of knew that we should have a pretty good team,” said Kosior, who stands 6-feet and weighs 190 pounds. “I think it has gone just as we had hoped.

“That being said, the playoffs are coming up. That is the main goal of the year is to win a championship, so the real season starts now.”

This story of mine appeared in the Prince Albert Daily Herald. To read the full article, feel free to click right here.

Blog hiatus time has come again

A picture of myself on the ice surface after the Warriors WHL title win.

“I’m out of here, and I hope everyone has a happy Canada Day!”

At first, that was pretty much all I wanted to write for this post. I was going to leave a quick message that I was taking a break for the rest of July from producing content for this blog, and then I was just going to take off. I thought short and sweet would be good to do the job.

Since the world started to return to action in earnest about midway through 2021 from the shutdowns due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world, it has become common to take July off when it comes to producing content for this blog.

Actually back in 2021, I took June and July off from producing content for this blog due to the fact it kept me on social media lines more than I wanted to be. It seemed at that time there was only toxic content on social media.

Now, taking a break in July has become the annual reprieve from producing content about the sports world. Of course, my focus is on the high level amateur circuits like the WHL, CJFL, WWCFL and U Sports.

With all the cuts in Canada’s media landscape, most of the country’s sports world doesn’t get covered outside the NHL, the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, Canada’s three MLS teams, the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 

Riece Kack celebrates a sack for the Hilltops on Oct. 29, 2023.

When it comes to covering Canada’s sports world, there is always something going on that deserves to be covered.

For me, it feels like you have to take your moments to disconnect yourself from all of that to get a break.

Last year when I took this break, I said I wasn’t going to do any side projects just to get a real break and that the only work commitments I planned to take care of are the ones with the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. That didn’t go as planned.

Following the 2023 WHL Playoffs, I had a tonne of photos to edit and archive from the games I covered. The backlog came from the fact the Saskatoon Blades started the post-season playing back-to-back seven game series. 

The first series was against Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats and the travel and the frequency of games over the first two rounds put me behind.

Combined with doing the things I regularly do, I finished archiving those photos pretty much days before the 2023-24 WHL campaign started.

During the 2024 WHL Playoffs, I was pretty maniacal ensuring photos got done. The only outstanding photos I have on my plate to finish off are from the Saskatoon Valkyries 36-21 WWCFL championship win over the host Regina Riot at Leibel Field on June 23.

The Warriors celebrate their WHL title win on May 15.

With how busy I’ve barely done any workouts since March. I haven’t gone on a long ride with my mountain bike since summer of 2022. Physically, I feel out of shape, and I am starting to get a pot belly, which is a first for me in my life.

I do have a special look back feature project coming up due for the middle of September, and I am still planning on how I will get that done. 

Also, I have to do my annual spring clean up with my car and a few other projects around the house that I need to get to that seem to be always there.

Actually to put it bluntly, I continued to hear continually over the past 12 months that I should be doing something else opposed to what I was actually doing at that time. 

If I was doing work in one spot, I should be doing work in another spot or taking care of something at home. I’ve accepted that is just how the way life is, and you have to be you not matter what.

The 2023-24 sports season was fun for me. The Saskatoon Hilltops winning their 23^rd CJFL title in November of 2023, the Moose Jaw Warriors winning their first WHL title in May and the Valkyries claiming their ninth WWCFL title including the last four consecutive in a row are the highlights.

The Valkyries feel the joy of winning the WWCFL title on June 23.

When the Warriors clinched WHL title at home on May 15 with a 4-2 win over the Portland Winterhawks in Game 4 of the WHL Championship Series, I have to give props to the 4,732 spectators that packed the Moose Jaw Events Centre, which is also known as “The Hanger,” for that game. When final seconds of that contest elapsed, the noise in the building was so loud I temporarily lost my hearing for a short time.

The first post-game scrum was with Warriors star captain Denton Mateychuk, and I didn’t hear a word he said. I fired in a couple of questions, and I could see he was giving a response. I only learned of his answers afterwards when I played the audio back in writing that game story.

I should also add I really enjoyed and cherished every moment I was in the rink covering the U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship tournament at Merlis Belsher Place in March for The Canadian Press and this blog. I got to see a lot of old friends I hadn’t seen in some time.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies athletics program did an outstanding job hosting the tournament, and I hope they get to host it again. It felt like old times and great to be writing about the U of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team more frequently again. Life after the COVID-19 pandemic has pulled me away from that spot.

I was super impressed with the Concordia University Stingers Women’s Hockey Team that would go on to win the U Sports title. I enjoyed the mix of skill and physicality that team has. Everyone with the Stingers was a pleasure to deal with, and you develop a soft spot in your heart for them.

The Huskies veteran players picture at U Sports nationals in March.

Anyways with those nuggets noted, it is time to sign off. I am sure August will roll around lightning fast, so I’ll see you all back on this blog then.

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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Huskies face monster test in Stingers to start nationals

Drever’s presence give Dogs shot at major upset

The Huskies aim to enjoy some good moments hosting nationals.

Camryn Drever and her University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team will never back down from a challenge.

They face a big one in the quarter-final round at the U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship tournament, which runs Thursday through to Sunday at Merlis Belsher Place. The eighth seeded Huskies will take on the top seeded Concordia University Stingers as the feature game at 7 p.m. on Thursday night at Merlis.

“I think we just have to come out strong and play our game,” said Drever, who is playing out her fifth and final year of U Sports eligibility. “When we shy away from doing the things that we’re really good at is when teams kind of take advantage of that.

“I think we just have to come out with a good forecheck and hopefully pop one first would be ideal for us. We just have to come out and do our things and run line by line, and I think we will be OK.”

The Huskies finished fourth in Canada West Conference with a 19-7-2 mark and fell in a best-of-three conference quarter-final series in a series deciding Game 3 to the U of Calgary Dinos 2-0. The Stingers posted a perfect 25-0 regular season record and captured the Reseau du Sport Etudiant du Quebec title with a 4-2 post-season mark.

Concordia University has also appeared in the title game of the last two U Sports Championship tournaments. In 2022 in Charlottetown, P.E.I., the Stingers blanked the Nipissing University Lakers 4-0 to capture the Golden Path Trophy in the championship final.

Camryn Drever is a second team all-Canadian all-star.

Before downing the Lakers, Concordia blanked the Huskies 2-0 in a semifinal match, where Drever came up with 37 saves in the setback. The Huskies rebounded to blank the University of New Brunswick Reds 2-0 in the bronze medal game.

At last year’s tournament held in Montreal, the Stingers dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker in overtime to the eighth seeded Mount Royal University Cougars.

During the 2023-24 regular season with the Huskies, Drever posted a 15-4-2 record, a 1.33 goals against average, a .954 save percentage and five shutouts. She was named the player of the year and goaltender of the year for the Canada West. On Wednesday night, Drever was named a second team all-Canadian all-star.

Huskies head coach Steve Kook has a tonne of faith that Drever can give the host side a chance to get past the Stingers.

“You see the firepower these teams bring, I think it is a comfort having Cam (Drever) back there,” said Kook. “We’ve asked Cam to be a stalwart for our program over the last three years.

“We’ll ask her to do it one more time for three days.”

Forward Emilie Lussier had a head turning rookie year for the Stingers topping the team in regular season scoring with 34 points coming off 18 goals and 16 assists. She was named a second team all-Canadian all-star and was named to the U Sports all-rookie team.

Sophie Lalor breaks into the offensive zone for the Huskies.

A pair of third year forwards in Emilie Lavoie and Jessymaude Drapeau each recorded 27 points for the Stingers in the regular season. Lavoie collected her 27 points on 15 goals and 12 assists, while Drapeau piled up her 27 points on 11 goals and 16 assists.

Stingers head coach Julie Chu said the experience her side gained in their previous two trips to the U Sports Championship tournament helps, but she added each season writes its own story.

“I think like everything we build off what we accomplished in the past,” said Chu, who was named the U Sports coach of the year. “For those players that lived that, they are going to build off of it.

“For those players that lived the loss last year, they are going to build off of that. Those that weren’t a part of our program are going to build of their experiences. I think for us the great thing is when you have a veteran crew that has experienced nationals at least know what is the rhythm of going to a hotel (and) being surrounded by other incredible teams and athletes.

“Like anything, this is our new team. That was really important to us in training camp is to make sure we weren’t stuck in last year and make sure we weren’t stuck in the previous years. (It is) what are we going to do this year with this group that is different.”

Fifth-year forward Sophie Lalor led the Huskies in regular season scoring with 22 points coming off 12 goals and 10 assists. Fifth-year forward Kara Kondrat was second in team scoring with 18 points coming six goals and 12 assists.

Third-year forward Mallory Dyer recorded 10 goals during the regular season for the Huskies. Defender Isabella Pozzi, who is in her fifth year, topped the Huskies in defence scoring in the regular season with 13 points coming off four goals and nine assists.

Kara Kondrat finished second in team scoring for the Huskies.

When the Huskies moved into Merlis Belsher Place for the start of the 2018-19 campaign, they wanted to host a U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship tournament. Kook said his players are as ready as they will ever be.

“This was our vision when we first opened the place,” said Kook, who team was off for 24 days heading into Thursday’s quarter-final. “This would be a perfect hosting spot for a national championship.

“It doesn’t always work. You try to get timely bids for when your team is right and you have a veteran squad. It is fortunate for us that it worked out this way.

“For us, we just excited to host the country and be able to show off the building. Like I said, I think this building is perfect for hosting events just like this.”

Drever, who helped the St. Albert Slash win two Esso Cup titles as national under-18 AAA female hockey champions in 2017 and 2018, wants to finish her time with the Huskies on a high note. The Edmonton product did add that no matter what happens at nationals she will always reflect fondly on her time with the Huskies.

“I get emotional thinking about it,” said Drever. “It has been like a heck of a six years.

“There have been lots of ups and downs and just trusting the process I think has been the biggest thing for me. Just to kind of see it all come together and to end off hosting nationals is a pretty incredible feeling.

Isabella Pozzi controls the back end for the Huskies.

“There are really no words to kind of capture the last six years and all the memories in the dressing room and road trips and everything. It has just been like a phenomenal six years. I couldn’t thank the coaching staff and the team and Huskie Athletics enough for the last six years.”

NOTE – I put together an advancer piece on the U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship tournament for The Canadian Press. That story can be found by clicking right here.

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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Lalor hits milestone, Huskies win sixth straight

Sophie Lalor scored her 10th goal of the regular season on Saturday.

Sophie Lalor became a member of “Club 10.”

On Saturday night, Lalor became the first member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team to hit the 10-goal plateau in regular season play in four years. The fourth-year winger scored the Huskies first goal in a 2-1 U Sports regular season victory over the visiting MacEwan University Griffins before 450 spectators are Merlis Belsher Place.

The win was the sixth straight for the Huskies, who are rated 10^th in the U Sports Top 10 Rankings.

Lalor netted her milestone goal with a power-play marker at the 11:18 mark of the first period, which gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the contest. With the tally, Lalor finished the night having recorded 10 goals and eight assists to go with a plus-eight rating in the plus-minus department appearing in all of the Huskies 22 regular season games.

The Penticton, B.C., product’s 10 goals and 18 points are career highs. Her eight assists equals a career high set back in the 2019-20 season.

Before Lalor hit the 10-goal mark, the last Huskies player to score 10-or-more goals in one regular season was heart-and-soul forward Bailee Bourassa back in the 2019-20 campaign. In 2019-20, Bourassa appeared in all of the Huskies 28 regular season games recording 12 goals, seven assists and a plus-five rating.

Offensive-defender Isabella Pozzi, who is in her fifth season of U Sports eligibilty, picked up the lone assist on Lalor’s power-play goal against the Griffins. With the helper, Pozzi now has career highs in goals (four), assists (eight) and points (12) this season to go along with a plus-six rating.

The Huskies outshot the Griffins 18-7 in the opening 20 minutes, but the visitors managed to send the contest into the first intermission locked in a 1-1 draw. At the 14:41 mark of the first period, forward Joie Simon netted the equalizer for the Griffins with rookie defender Ali Macaulay picking up the lone assist on the play.

Sophie Lalor has career highs in goals (10) and points (18).

The teams played through a fairly even second period with the Huskies holding a 12-11 edge in shots on goal for the frame.

At the 9:13 mark of the third, Huskies third-year winger Kelsey Hall potted her seventh goal of the season that held up as the winner in the Huskies 2-1 victory. The tally was Hall’s third game winner of the campaign.

On the season, Hall has career highs in goals (seven), assists (six) and points (13) to go with a plus-four rating appearing in all the Huskies 22 regular season games.

Rookie forward Ava Bergman picked up the lone assist on Hall’s goal. The helper was Bergman’s first career regular season point in U Sports play. She has appeared in six regular season contests for the Huskies in the current campaign.

Colby Wilson made 20 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies. Brianna Sank turned away 34 shots to take the setback in goal for the Griffins.

With the win, the Huskies improve to 16-4-1-1 to sit fourth in the Canada West Conference. The lowest they can finish in the Canada West standings is fourth, which means they will have home ice advantage for at least one series in the conference playoffs. The Huskies will host the U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship Tournament from March 14 to 17 at Merlis Belsher Place.

The Huskies sit two standings points behind the defending U Sports champion Mount Royal University Cougars (18-4) for third in the conference and four standings points back of the U of Alberta Pandas (18-2-1-1) for second in the conference. The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds top the Canada West standings with a 20-1-1-2 mark.

The Griffins fell to 3-20-1 with the loss and sit last in the nine-team Canada West.

Isabella Pozzi picked up an assist on Saturday.

The Huskies return to action on Friday when they travel to Edmonton to take on the Pandas (7 p.m. local time, Clare Drake Arena).

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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Huskies good enough when they need to be in 3-0 win

Drever makes 30 saves in victory over Cougars

Goalie Camryn Drever dives on a loose puck during a net scramble.

Some good moments and a stellar outing by star netminder Camryn Drever allowed the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team to overcome some holiday season rust.

On Friday playing before 511 spectators at Merlis Belsher Place, the Huskies blanked their provincial rivals the University of Regina Cougars 3-0 in the first U Sports regular season contest for both sides since returning from their respective Christmas breaks. Drever made 30 saves to pick up her 12^th career U Sports regular season shutout.

The fifth-year’s performance allowed the Huskies to overcome a determined Cougars side that carried play for a good two thirds of the contest.

Camryn Drever made 30 saves to pick up a shutout win on Friday.

“It wasn’t a very good game for us,” said Huskies head coach Steve Kook, whose team improved to 11-4-1-1. “It was a good thing that Cam was on her game tonight.

“We fought the puck the whole night. The plays were there. We just didn’t pull the trigger.

“We were lucky that we got a couple early, and I thought that we played the right way for about eight or nine minutes there. We took some stupid penalties – undisciplined stuff that we didn’t need to. We almost killed ourselves there tonight.”

The two sides started out Friday’s game playing fairly even. The Huskies, who are rated 10^th in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, appeared to break things open scoring two goals 73 seconds apart inside the final four minutes of the opening frame.

Mallory Dyer scored the Huskies first goal on Friday.

With 3:58 remaining in the first, Huskies third-year centre Mallory Dyer potted her sixth goal of the season to give the host side a 1-0 lead. Positioned at the right side of the Cougars net, Dyer got her stick on a rebound from a shot taken by linemate Kara Kondrat and quickly popped the puck into an empty cage.

Just 73 seconds later, the Cougars turned the puck over in their own zone. The puck came to Huskies rookie defender Jacquelyne Chief, who wired home her second goal of the campaign to put the Huskies up 2-0.

When it seemed the Huskies had all the momentum after Chief’s goal, the Cougars found another gear. The visitors closed out the first period with a flurry of five shots to hold a 12-8 edge in shots on goal after 20 minutes.

Jacquelyne Chief had the Huskies second goal on Friday.

With 10.1 seconds remaining in the first, Drever made a key glove save off Cougars winger Lauren Focht to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.

“I think it is tough maybe coming back from the break,” said Huskies third-year centre Desmarais. “It was our first game we got under our belt.

“It was a little rough off the start, but I think we got our legs under us just jumping back into it.”

The Cougars controlled play throughout the second period holding a 16-10 edge in shots on goal for the frame, which was a total that seemed to flatter the host side.

The Huskies had a huge chance to expand their lead, when star fifth-year centre Kennedy Brown, who is the squad’s captain, had a short-handed breakaway. Brown was denied by Cougars standout netminder Arden Kliewer.

Lauren Focht had a big first period chance to score for the Cougars.

A short time later, the Cougars had a huge chance to crack on to the scoreboard. Winger Makena Kushniruk centred the puck from behind the Huskies goal to linemate Paige Hubbard, who was positioned right in front of the home side’s net. Hubbard quickly fired a shot on goal, but the puck was swallowed up by Drever.

“Most of the first and just about all of the second, it was the Cam (Drever) show,” said Kook. “The thing about Cam’s game that is so good is that they get one (shot), but they don’t often get a second or a third.

“When we’re fighting the puck, it is important that Cam doesn’t give them that second or third, and that is what she does so well.”

Makena Kushniruk controls the puck in the offensive zone.

The Huskies proceeded to play a fairly strong shutdown style third period, where they outshot the Cougars 6-2. One of the two Cougars chances came on a Hubbard breakaway late in the frame, but Drever stoned the fourth-year winger keeping the visitors off the scoreboard.

Kondrat finished out the game’s scoring firing the puck into an empty net with 1:45 remaining in the third to round out the 3-0 win for the host side.

“I think we kind of noticed, yeah, that we did a little bit better in the third,” said Huskies fourth-year centre Kate Ball. “(It was) a rough start, but at least we got the win.”

Kara Kondrat had a goal and an assist for the Huskies.

Desmarais said her squad started to focus on playing more of a shutdown game in the third due to holding a two-goal advantage for most of the frame before Kondrat added her empty-net tally.

“I know when we are up in the third we like to focus on getting the pucks deep and getting fresh legs out there,” said Desmarais. “I think rather than getting a bunch of pucks on net like we want to in the first and second I think focused on getting the puck deep.”

Kliewer turned away 21-of-23 shots to take the setback in net for the Cougars, who fell to 5-12-1-1.

The Huskies and Cougars will go at it again on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Brandt Centre in Regina.

The Huskies begin to celebrate their win on Friday.

“I think moving forward it will be a little bit better now,” said Desmarais. “We had to get that one out of the way.”

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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Thunderbirds slip past Huskies 2-1 after tiebreaking shootout

Kara Kondrat, left, makes a pass in the offensive zone.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team went stride for stride with the top team in the Canada West Conference but just couldn’t get the win.

On Friday night at Merlis Belsher place, the Huskies played the Canada West leading University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to a 1-1 draw through regulation and a three-on-three overtime period forcing the U Sports regular season contest to go to a tiebreaking shootout. In the shootout, Thunderbirds standout right-winger Chanreet Bassi scored the only goal in the tiebreaking session coming in the fourth round to give her side a 2-1 overall victory in the game played in front of 300 spectators.

Elise Hugens made 24 saves for 65 minutes for the Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds, who are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 Rankings, improved to 11-0-1-1 with the win. The Huskies, who are rated 10 in the U Sports Top 10 Rankings, saw their record move to 8-3-1-1.

“It was as advertised,” said Huskies head coach Steve Kook. “It was physical.

“It was fast. I thought we played the right way. We were trying to get pressure, and I thought we did that.

“I thought our young ‘D’ played well again against a team that put a lot of pressure on our D-zone. Our kill did a heck of a job.”

Camryn Drever made 37 saves over 65 minutes for the Huskies.

The two sides played a fairly structured and tight checking game. Through the structure, both sides would have momentum surges that were turned away by the goalies on each side.

Huskies all-world netminder Camryn Drever made 37 saves through regulation and overtime, and she turned away three-of-four shooters in the shootout. She turned away shots that came in on goal off deflections and somehow found pucks that came in through screens in front of the net.

Thunderbirds netminder Elise Hugens made 24 saves through regulation and overtime, and she turned away all four shooters she faced in the shootout. She made her fair share of difficult saves too.

Mackenzie Kordic scored in regulation for the Thunderbirds.

The two sides played through a scoreless tie over the first 40 minutes of the contest.

Just 34 seconds into the third, the Thunderbirds broke though on the scoreboard as second-year right-winger Mackenzie Kordic potted her 10th goal of the season. Kordic drove down the right wing, cut to the right faceoff dot and snapped a shot past Drever to give the Thunderbirds a 1-0 edge.

The lead didn’t last as the Huskies pulled even at 1-1 just over six minutes later. While working on the power play, Huskies left-winger Sophie Lalor fed a pass to defender Isabella Pozzi. Pozzi one-timed a rocket shot to the top left corner of the Thunderbirds net for the equalizer.

Isabella Pozzi scored on the power play in regulation for the Huskies.

The Huskies went 1-for-5 on the power play in the contest, while the Thunderbirds failed to score on five power-play opportunities.

Kook said Drever was outstanding on Friday night, and he was impressed with his team’s work on the penalty kill. The bench boss said his netminder is driven to stop everything.

“Cam (Drever) red all of those cross ice and even that one that went the other way for the one-timer,” said Kook. “Cam feels bad about the loss right now.

“Her and the kill were the stars of the game for us.”

Sophie Lalor fires a shot on goal for the Huskies.

With standout veteran defender Brooklyn Stevely out due to injury, the Huskies went with a younger look on defence. Rookies Jacquelyne Chief and Makenna Stevens dressed as one pair.

Sophomore Shelby Williamson and third-year McKenna Bolger made up another defensive pair. Pozzi, who is in her fifth year, and Kendra Zuchotzki, who is in her third year, were the veteran pair on the back end.

Kook is showing faith in the youngsters too. When the Thunderbirds went on a power play in overtime, Chief was sent out to start the penalty kill on the four-on-three situation.

“I think for me, my nerves definitely like come up a bit,” said Chief. “When we’re like in overtime, it is like, ‘OK, go kill.’

Huskies D Jacquelyne Chief, left, battles UBC LW Cassidy Rhodes.

“I’m like, ‘You want me out there?’ It is kind of a surprise. I feel like since they have that trust in me I just have to live up to it.

“I think I do my part.”

The Thunderbirds had scoring chances, but the Huskies were able to come away with a successful kill.

After the kill, the Huskies got momentum. Near the end of the overtime frame, Lalor and Pozzi both had prime scoring chances, but they were turned away by Hugens.

Huskies third-year centre Mallory Dyer had a chance in close for a buzzer beater, but she drove the puck over top of the net.

Jasper Desmarais circles in the offensive zone with the puck.

In the shootout, Bassi put on a few fakes in her approach to the net before firing home the winner.

The two sides go at it again on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place. Kook said he offered encouragement to his squad looking ahead to Saturday’s encounter.

“I said we played the right way,” said Kook. “Our job right now is to make sure that we get our nutrition and do the right things, so that we are ready to go tomorrow.

The Thunderbirds celebrate their shootout victory.

“That is the beauty of this league. You get another kick at it. We played the right way.

“If we do this again tomorrow, I’d be happy with our effort.”

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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Huskies will be strong hosts for U Sports women’s nationals

Dogs fall 2-1 in OT to Pandas in glimpse of the future

The Huskies take the ice for their game on Saturday.

Believe it or not, it is possible in the world of sports to play well and lose.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Hockey Team lived out that notion on Saturday night in a U Sports regular season contest at Merlis Belsher Place. The Huskies took on the University of Alberta Pandas, who are always in contention for Canada West Conference and U Sports championship titles.

The Huskies led 1-0 thanks to a second period goal from right-winger Kelsey Hall, and they took that advantage well into the third period. With 6:23 remaining in the third, centre Allison Reich potted the equalizer for the Pandas that evened the score at 1-1. Pandas captain Izzy Lajoie knocked home the winner 2:36 into overtime to give the visitors a 2-1 victory in a game played before 350 spectators.

Captain Izzy Lajoie scored the OT winner for the Pandas.

The Pandas improved to 8-2 with the win, while the Huskies record moved to 7-2-1.

In defeat, the Huskies showed they are worthy of being the host team for this season’s U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship Tournament, which runs March 14 to 17, 2024 at Merlis Belsher Place. At that event, the Huskies will face teams that are the same caliber as the Pandas.

No matter who you cheer for, Saturday’s clash between the Huskies and Pandas will be the types of games you will see U Sports nationals. That means ticket buyers are going to see a lot of great hockey at that championship tourney.

The Huskies and Pandas entered their encounter on Saturday after the two side met one night earlier where U of S pulled out a 2-0 victory at Merlis Belsher Place. In that clash on Friday, Huskies all-world netminder Camryn Drever made 35 saves to pick up her 11^th career shutout in regular season play.

The Pandas celebrate their OT win on Saturday.

Due to the fact the Pandas came out on the wrong side of the scoreboard on Friday, it was safe to think they would come out with a big push at the start of Saturday’s clash. The Huskies were the ones that came flying out of the gate.

After the first 6:03 of the opening frame, the Huskies recorded the game’s first eight shots on goal. They also had the Pandas pinned in their own zone for much of that time.

Shortly after that first surge, the Huskies looked like they were about to get the game’s first goal. Pandas second year netminder Misty Rey had troubles playing the puck in her own end, and a panic scramble ensued around the U of A net that kept the puck out of the goal.

Rey and the Pandas proceeded to settle down after that near mishap and worked their way back into the game. After the first period, the game was scoreless with the Huskies holding an 11-9 edge in shots on goal.

Kelsey Hall gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the second period.

When two good teams are playing each other, there are going to be momentum swings. While the coaching staffs on both sides would be making adjustments in the first intermission, the coaches on both sides had to be OK with the scoreless tie.

At the 8:19 mark of the second, the Huskies broke through on the scoreboard, when Hall put home a shot to the top right corner of the net on a rush down the left wing. Defender Shelby Williamson picked up an assist on the play.

The Huskies proceeded to control the majority of the play from that point in time until the end of the frame. The Pandas had stretches were they got trapped in their own zone.

Misty Rey stopped 29 shots in goal for the Pandas.

The hosts continued to hold an edge in play for the first 14 minutes of the third.

The Pandas gained traction thanks to a positive bounce break that resulted in Reich’s equalizer. As the visitors started to apply pressure in the U of S zone, the puck to a strange bounce off the boards behind the Huskies net right to Reich, who was alone in close at the right side of the U of S goal.

Reich popped home the equalizer, which was her first goal of the campaign, to even the score at 1-1. From that point, the Pandas had extra life and controlled play for the rest of the frame.

Hall did have a chance to put the Huskies back out in front with a drive from the right slot only to be denied by Rey.

Camryn Drever makes one of her 28 saves for the Huskies.

The two sides would head into a three-versus-three overtime period. In overtime, the Pandas converted a difficult play to get the winner on Drever.

Pandas centre Natalie Kieser had the puck at the left boards in the Huskies zone. She floated a pass to the front of the U of S net and Lajoie ended up deflecting that pass out of the air into the Huskies net to win the game.

Usually to get a goal past Drever, teams are going to have to convert a difficult or special type of scoring play. That was what the Pandas did to obtain victory.

Drever turned away 28 shots to take the extra time setback in goal for the Huskies. Rey stopped 29 shot to pick up the win in net for the Pandas.

Isabella Pozzi is the Huskies steady fifth-year defender.

The Huskies now head on the road to face the U of Calgary Dinos in Calgary this coming Friday.

The Pandas return home this coming Friday to host the defending U Sports champion Mount Royal University Cougars.

Besides being a worthy host for the U Sports championship tournament, the Huskies are contenders to with the Canada West Conference title. They made the Canada West Conference championship series in 2022 falling to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

The Huskies proceeded to capture a bronze medal at the U Sports Championship Tournament held that year in Charlottetown, P.E.I. They still have a large number of veterans that were part of that post-season run in 2022. 

Fifth-year winger Kara Kondrat plays with poise and control.

That includes steady fifth-year players in winger Kara Kondrat and defender Isabella Pozzi. 

The Huskies have been without fifth-year forward Kennedy Brown due to injury so far this season, and Brown has developed a history of coming up clutch in post-season games.

Of course, the Pandas and Cougars will be considered contenders for the Canada West title too. At the moment, the 10-1-1 Thunderbirds have to be the clear favourites to win the Canada West championship for a third straight season.

The Thunderbirds have outscored their opposition 59-16, and their roster currently contains the top eight scorers in the conference.

The Huskies will have a say in how the 2023-24 campaign plays out.

Still, the Huskies are a battle tested bunch. They play with some pretty good poise and togetherness. The Huskies will play a role in determining how the 2023-24 campaign ultimately unfolds.

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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Lunch bucket effort lifts Huskies past Thunderbirds 4-2

The Huskies celebrate a third period goal from Abby Shirley.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey showed they can win gaining three yards in a cloud of dust.

On Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place, the Huskies brought out their steel toed boots and work gloves to down the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 4-2 in a U Sports regular season clash played before 538 spectators.

The Huskies got two of their tallies from the gritty area in front of the net. Another tally was a smart point shot that found its way through a screen.

The effort allowed the Huskies to win their fourth straight improving to 6-1-2, while the Thunderbirds fell to 6-3.

Jordyn Holmes scored the winning goal for the Huskies.

While the Huskies goals were more of the gritty type tallies, the two sides got up and down the ice quite well after a bit of a slow start over the first 10 minutes.

During the first 10-minutes Thunderbirds offensive-defender Hannah Koroll likely had the best scoring chance going coast-to-coast on a rush only to be turned away Huskies third-year netminder Camryn Drever.

The teams hit another gear in the final 10-minutes of the opening frame. The Huskies were denied by Thunderbirds netminder Elise Hugens on two solid chances that included a slot drive from Huskies captain Bailee Bourassa and close in chance by left-winger Sophie Lalor.

The Huskies held a 10-9 edge in shots on goal after the opening 20 minutes.

Sophie Gaskell had the Thunderbirds first goal on Friday.

Just 81 seconds into the second period, the Thunderbirds got on the scoreboard first when rookie defender Sophia Gaskell floated home a point shot through a screen that deflected off the post of the Huskies goal into the net for a 1-0 lead.

The Huskies evened things up at 1-1 just over five minutes later when third-year defender Isabella Pozzi slipped a point shot through a screen into the Thunderbirds net. The tally was Pozzi’s first career U Sports goal.

U of S proceeded to catch a break at the 11:23 mark of the second, when Thunderbirds left-winger Grace Elliott and Thunderbirds defender Rylind MacKinnon received minor penalties for a head hit and bodychecking respectively.

Isabella Pozzi scored her first career U Sports goal on Friday.

On the ensuing two-person advantage, Huskies third-year centre Kennedy Brown shoveled home a power-play goal during a net scramble in front of the Thunderbirds net to put the host side up 2-1.

The Thunderbirds proceeded to respond just over two minutes later working on a power play of their own, when right-winger Mackenzie Kordic potted her third of the season to even things up at 2-2.

The Huskies were able to go into the second intermission with the lead. With 3:31 remaining in the second period, gritty right-winger Jordyn Holmes banged in a goal from the front of the UBC net to give the host side a 3-2 advantage.

Holmes picked up an assist on Pozzi’s goal to finish the contest with two points.

At the 5:54 mark of the third, the Huskies potted a key insurance goal on a rare four-versus-three power play. 

The Thunderbirds celebrate a goal from Mackenzie Kordic.

Bourassa and centre Kate Ball teamed to set up Abby Shirley in the left slot, who drove home her fourth of the season to increase the Huskies edge to 4-2.

From that point in the game, Drever slammed the door in the Huskies net. She made 29 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Huskies.

The Edmonton product, who helped the St. Albert Slash win two Esso Cups as national female under-18 AAA champions in 2017 and 2018, has had a strong start this season for the Huskies. In her seven starts, Drever has a 5-1-1 record, 1.42 goals against average, a .943 save percentage and one shutout.

Captain Bailee Bourassa had an assist for the Huskies on Friday.

Elise Hugens turned away 27 shots to take the setback in net for the Thunderbirds, who are rated ninth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings. Left-winger Ireland Perrott picked up assists on both UBC goals.

The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

NOTES – After the entire 2020-21 U Sports hockey season was lost due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world, the Huskies and Thunderbirds iced kind of younger teams compared to when they last met in the Canada West Conference playoffs in February of 2020, when the Thunderbirds swept a best-of-three quarter-final series 2-0 with two overtime wins.

Kennedy Brown scored the Huskies second goal on Friday.

The Huskies have one fifth-year player and one fourth-year player. The Thunderbirds have one fifth-year player and four fourth-year players.

In the 2019-20 campaign, the Huskies had eight fifth-year players and four fourth-year players, while the Thunderbirds had three fifth-year players and five fourth-year players.

Following Friday’s game, both teams lined up on their respective blue-lines and saluted the crowd at Merlis Belsher Place. After that salute, the Thunderbirds left the ice and the Huskies did their traditional end of game salute to the crowd at centre ice.

The Thunderbirds roster contained third-year centre Joelle Fiala, who made a homecoming to Merlis Belsher Place. Fiala was playing at Merlis since last suiting up with the Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team helping them win a Western regional playdown series in April of 2019.

The Huskies celebrate their win over the Thunderbirds.

The Clavet, Sask., product played two seasons in the NCAA Division I ranks with the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team from 2019 to 2021. She joined the Thunderbirds after Robert Morris University folded both its men’s and women’s hockey teams following the 2020-21 campaign.

Fiala is still the eighth all-time leading scorer in the history of the Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey league piling up 47 goals and 83 assists in 112 regular season games from 2015 to 2019. She is the Stars career leader in regular season assists.

Toth holds Huskies men’s team at bay

Rylan Toth backstopped the Thunderbirds to victory on Friday.

University of British Columbia men’s hockey team netminder Rylan Toth slammed the door on the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

On Friday at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, B.C., Toth made 24 saves that included turning away a first period penalty shot to backstop the Thunderbirds to a 4-1 victory before 750 spectators.

Toth, who is from Saskatoon, helped the Thunderbirds, who are rated fourth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, improve to 7-1-1, while the Huskies, who are rated second in the U Sports Top 10 rankings, fell to 7-2.

The Huskies won their first seven straight games before dropping their last two outings.

Just 65 seconds into the contest, Toth turned away Huskies forward Zane Franklin on a penalty shot.

Fourth-year forward Tyler Sandhu gave the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead in the first period, but Huskies first-year forward Dawson Holt evened the score at 1-1 with a power-play goal going into the first intermission.

Matt Revel, Cyle McNabb and Scott Atkinson netted singles in the second to pace the Thunderbirds to their 4-1 victory. Atkinson’s tally came short-handed.

Roddy Ross turned away 25 shots to take the setback in goal for the Huskies.

The two sides go at it again in Vancouver on Saturday.

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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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.