Rookie forward brings clutch playoff history
from Weyburn
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| Bailee Bourassa, left, smiles after scoring for the Huskies. |
When Bailee Bourassa joined the University of Saskatchewan
Huskies women’s hockey team, she came with a playoff pedigree.
The 18-year-old rookie forward will always be remembered in
her hometown of Weyburn, Sask., for scoring the winning goal in the
championship game of the 2014 Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship
tournament. Her tally helped her hometown Weyburn Gold Wings top the Edmonton
Thunder 2-1 at the Gateway Ice Centre in Stoney Creek, Ont.
With that goal, Bourassa cemented herself with hometown hero
status by helping deliver a national championship to her community.
“That was probably one of the best experiences of my entire
life,” said Bourassa. “It was one of the best teams I have ever been a part of.
“The girls were great. That was one of my best years of
hockey. It was just an unreal experience being there and like how big of a deal
it actually was.
“Being the underdogs to come out on top was just an awesome
feeling.”
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| Bailee Bourassa circles past a couple of defenders in the offensive zone. |
As a rookie with the Huskies, Bourassa has experienced the
typical learning curve that comes with joining the U Sports level. She also
exited the regular season on a high.
On Saturday night at the ancient Rutherford Rink, Bourassa
wired home a setup from fifth-year defender Alyssa Dobler on the power-play
shortly before the midway point of the second period in a match against the U
of Lethbridge Pronghorns. The goal gave the Huskies a 2-0 edge that ultimately
held up as the final outcome in a contest that closed the regular season for
both sides.
In that one moment, Bourassa displayed the scoring prowess
that allowed her to net 21 goals and nine assists in 26 regular season games
with the Gold Wings in her final midget AAA campaign in 2015-16.
“It felt awesome, because our line was kind of on a dry
streak,” said Bourassa, who stands 5-foot-8. “We finally put one in there, and
it felt really good.”
During her rookie campaign, Bourassa appeared in 25 regular
season games with the Huskies netting four goals and five assists.
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| Bailee Bourassa bursts into the offensive zone for the Huskies. |
In the 12
games the Huskies played since returning from the Christmas break, Bourassa found
the back of the net three times and collected a couple of helpers.
While adjusting to the university game, Bourassa quickly
found a high comfort level with the Huskies.
“I love it so far,” said Bourassa. “All the girls are
awesome, and they are welcoming.
“That was one thing I was kind of nervous about was like
meeting new people. Honestly, I don’t think this could have been a better group
of girls to be with.”
In four seasons in the midget AAA ranks, Bourassa appeared
in 107 regular season games with the Gold Wings piling up 40 goals and 43
assists.
She was even more prolific in the playoffs picking up 19 goals and 10
assists in 35 career Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League post-season
games. When she came to the Huskies, she knew she wasn’t going to step in and
be the standout right away.
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| Bailee Bourassa looks for a shooting lane. |
“It is definitely different, because you go from being one
of the top players to like having to start at the bottom and work yourself back
up,” said Bourassa. “It has been a really good experience so far, and I am
enjoying it.”
Now Bourassa will get her first taste of post-season action
at the post-secondary level. The Huskies (15-10-3) finished fourth in the
Canada West conference and will host their provincial rivals the U of Regina
Cougars (14-13-1) in a best-of-three first round series. Game 1 is set for
Friday at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.
In that clash, Bourassa will be trying to score on former
Gold Wings teammate in Cougars netminder Jane Kish. Kish, who is also from
Weyburn, turned away 29 shots for the Gold Wings in their 2014 Esso Cup championship
game win.
Bourassa is expecting her first her first university playoff
series to be a battle.
“I think that it is going to be a fairly even matched
series,” said Bourassa. “Our games against them all year were pretty tight.
“It is going to be whoever works harder is going to win the
game.”
On Saturday against the Pronghorns, the Huskies went up 1-0
in the first period when star forward Kaitlin Willoughby converted a beauty
setup pass from linemate Courtney Cormack. The tally gave Willoughby a new
career high for goals in a season at 11. She recorded 10 goals in each of her
first three seasons with the Huskies.
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| The Huskies celebrate their win over the Pronghorns. |
Fifth-year veteran goalie Cassidy Hendricks started the game
between the pipes for the Huskies and turned away three shots in one period of
work. She was the goalie of record when she was pulled before the start of the
second period and picked up her 57
th career regular season win. The
North Vancouver product is the Huskies all-time career leader in victories and
is third all-time in the Canada West conference in career wins.
Jasey Book played the final two frames in relief for the
Huskies and stopped all 10 shots she faced.
Alicia Anderson was stellar in goal for the Pronghorns turning
away 40 shots to keep her side in the game. The Pronghorns finished last in
Canada West with a 4-21-3 record.
When the Huskies and Cougars clash in the playoffs, it will
be their first meeting in the post-season since the 2014 Canada West
championship series. The Huskies won that best-of-three series, when Willoughby
scored the winner in double overtime to give the U of S a 2-1 victory in a
series deciding Game 3.
Huskies men’s team eliminates Pronghorns
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| Wyatt Johnson scored twice on Saturday for the Huskies. |
The U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team ended the
regular season by helping end the post-season hopes of the U of Lethbridge
Pronghorns in Lethbridge.
Powered by a goal and two assist performance from defenceman
Tyler Borstmayer, the Huskies slipped past the Pronghorns 5-4. The Huskies
built a 3-0 lead and never trailed in the contest despite a spirited Pronghorns
comeback attempt.
Wyatt Johnson scored twice for the Huskies, while Jaimen
Yakubowski and Michael Sofillas had singles. Daniel Wapple made 29 saves to
pick up the win in goal for the Dogs, who finished the regular season topping
the Canada West standings with a 21-5-2 mark.
Jay Merkley scored twice for the Pronghorns, who received
singles from Justin Valentino and Ryan Chynoweth. Garret Hughson turned away 24
shots to take the loss in the U of L goal.
With the setback, the Pronghorns finished seventh in Canada
West with an 11-14-3 record. U of L was officially eliminated from the playoff
picture, when the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds downed the Mount
Royal University Cougars 2-1 on Saturday night in Calgary.
The Thunderbirds improved to 12-13-3 and passed the
Pronghorns for sixth place and the final playoff berth in Canada West. UBC
opens the Canada West playoffs taking on the U of Calgary Dinos (18-9-1) in a
best-of-three first round series in Calgary.
The Huskies have a bye into the semifinal round of the
Canada West post-season thanks to their first place finish.
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