Huskies women’s hoopsters aim for more post-season glory

Head coach Lisa Thomaidis, left, and her Huskies continue to impress.

    It has become a special late February to the middle of March tradition in the sports scene of Saskatoon.

    Guided by head coach Lisa Thomaidis, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team is winning games in the post-season, and they will make a serious push for a Canada West Conference title and a U Sports national title. It seems like every generation that plays for the Huskies is hard working, talented and extremely likable.

    Fans can take the current generation of players to heart like group that won the program’s first U Sports national title in the 2015-16 campaign headed by fifth-years Laura Dally, Dalyce Emmerson, Kelsey Trulsrud and Taja Keujer. The same goes for the generations of players that came before the national title win under Thomaidis’s watch.

    Last year, the Huskies were supposed to take a step back due to having a younger squad with the turnover of the fifth-years that powered the team’s first national championship win. After posting a 15-5 record in the regular season in 2016-17, the Huskies won a second straight Canada West title, which wasn’t expected by most observers outside of the program.

    This season, the Huskies 17-3 regular season record was good enough to ensure the team was the seeded second in the Canada West playoffs. The Huskies are also rated seventh in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.

    In a best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series against the University of Winnipeg Wesmen held at U of S’s Physical Activity Complex, the Huskies took Game 1 last Thursday 76-58 but were given a slight scare after the Wesmen took Game 2 a day later 93-85.

Guard Sabine Dukate (#5) can do it all for the Huskies.

    In a series deciding Game 3 last Saturday, the Huskies showed the scare was minimal. They jumped out to a 28-14 lead after the first quarter and stormed to a 52-29 edge by halftime. The Huskies cruised to a 97-64 victory.

    Third-year guard Sabine Dukate, who is the only remaining starter from the national championship team, hit 6-of-11 shots from three-point range to lead the Huskies with 21 points. Star sophomore post Summer Masikewich added 17 points to aid the host side.

    Third-year guard Megan Ahlstrom and fifth-year forward Megan Lindquist chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively. Standout sophomore point guard Libby Epoch dished out eight assists to round out a strong night from the starting five.

    Third-year guard Maya Olynyk came off the bench to pitch in 12 points for the Huskies. Rookie post Kyla Shand and sophomore guard Kelsey Lalor added eight and seven points respectively play reserve roles as well for the host side.

    Teams that go far in the post-season usually get key contributions from everyone at different times, and the Huskies seemed to get contributions from everyone they dressed to prevail by a convincing margin in an elimination game.

    It is believed the win was the 400^th overall victory for Thomaidis as head coach of the Huskies in matches against U Sports opponents. The Huskies have won five Canada West titles with Thomaidis as head coach.

    In players like Dukate, Epoch, Masikewich, Lalor, Ahlstrom and Shand, the Huskies have a core that is going to be good for two to three more seasons.

Kelsey Lalor (#12) is one of the many stellar young players on the Huskies.

    While the Huskies core is young, the future is now for this team as well.

    Their next task is to get past the Trinity Western University Spartans in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series. The Spartans will provide a big test finishing the regular season with a 16-4 record, and they are rated ninth in the U Sports Top 10 rankings.

    Game 1 of that series is set for this coming Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Physical Activity Complex on the U of S campus. The Huskies and Spartans split their two regular season meetings.

    If the Huskies win that series, they will advance to the Canada West title game for a fifth straight year and earn a berth at U Sports nationals for a fifth straight year.

    Odds are high that the Huskies will add to what is becoming a storied playoff legacy.

Playoff opponents set for Huskies hockey teams

The Dinos and Huskies men’s hockey teams will meet in the playoffs.

    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey teams found out who their respective playoff foes will be over the weekend.

    Both Huskies squads earned byes to host best-of-three Canada West semifinal series thanks to respective second place finishes in the conference standings.

    On the men’s side, the Huskies, who were 20-7-1 in the regular season, will take on the U of Calgary Dinos, who had a 12-13-3 regular season record to finish fifth in Canada West. The Dinos forfeited their first six games in October due to using an ineligible player, which they self-disclosed as an error on their part.

    The Huskies took three out of the four head-to-head meetings with the Dinos, and none of those results came via forfeit.

    Game 1 of the series between the Huskies and Dinos is set for Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the ancient Rutherford Rink. Game 2 will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Rutherford, and if necessary, Game 3 is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Rutherford.

The T-birds and Huskies women’s hockey team will meet in the playoffs.

    The Huskies women’s hockey team will battle the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series in what should be a heated rivalry type encounter. This will mark the third time in the last five years the Huskies and Thunderbirds have met in the post-season.

    The Huskies posted a 19-7-2 record for 58 points in the standings to sit second in Canada West, while the Thunderbirds recorded a 19-5-4 record for 56 points in the standings to sit third in Canada West.

    In the Canada West women’s hockey standings, teams earn three points for regulation wins, two points for extra time wins and one point for extra time losses. The Huskies earned their 58 points on 18 regulation wins, one extra time win and two extra time losses. The Thunderbirds earned their 56 points on 14 regulation wins, five extra time wins and four extra time setbacks.

    Game 1 between the Huskies and Thunderbirds is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink. Game 2 is slated for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Rutherford, and if necessary, Game 3 will be held on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Rutherford.

    The winners of the Canada West semifinals will advance to their respective best-of-three Canada West Conference championship series and earn berths in their respective U Sports national champion tournaments.

Kustra delivers OT win in Edmonton to Blades

Jake Kustra had the overtime winner for the Blades on Monday night.

    Jake Kustra ensured his Saskatoon Blades concluded their four-game road trip on a winning note and with a winning record.

    On Monday night in Edmonton, the 18-year-old defenceman scored at the 1:37 mark of overtime on a beauty setup pass by overage winger Braylon Shmyr to lift the Blades to a 3-2 victory over the host Oil Kings in a WHL regular season match before 9,913 spectators at Rogers Place. The tally was Kustra’s fourth goal and second game-winner of the season.

    Shmyr scored late in the third period and centre Chase Wouters tallied at the 7:20 mark of the third to give the Blades a 2-0 lead.

    The Oil Kings received singles from Kobe Mohr at the 11:58 mark of the third and Trey Fix-Wolansky at the 16:44 mark of the third to force a 2-2 tie and send the contest to overtime. That set the stage for Kustra to come through with his heroics.

    Nolan Maier turned away 13 shots to pick up his 22^nd win of the season in goal for the Blades.

    Todd Scott turned away 18-of-20 shots starting in goal for the Oil Kings. He was forced to leave the game after being injured trying to stop Wouters’ goal. Josh Dechaine turned away two-of-three shots in relief for the Oil Kings, who saw their record move to 18-33-6-2.

    The Blades won three out of the four games on their road trip. They improved to 31-27-2-1 to hold the second wildcard spot in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with an eight-point edge over the Prince Albert Raiders (23-25-9-2). The Raiders have two games in hand on the Blades.

    Saskatoon is two points behind the Brandon Wheat Kings (31-23-3-2) for the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. The Wheat Kings have two games in hand on the Blades.

    The Blades have 11 games remaining on their regular season schedule, and they will play seven of those games at home. They return to action taking on the Memorial Cup hosting Regina Pats at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre on Friday.

    A fundraising effort is underway to have Blades play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk sing the national anthem before that encounter with the Pats. Funds being raised will be donated to the Saskatchewan Red Cross to support Pink Day, which is set for February 28, and the anti-bullying initiatives backed by that program. Anyone looking to support that cause can do so by clicking 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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Huskies start running with next generation

Summer Masikewich is one of the Huskies bright young players.

    Lisa Thomaidis can already see the light at the end of the tunnel for her young team.

    The veteran head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team knows her squad this season is much different than the one that claimed a U Sports national title in March. Last season, the Huskies hit the court with a veteran roster that included four key players in their fifth and final years of eligibility in Dalyce Emmerson, Laura Dally, Kelsey Trulsrud and Taya Keujer.

    This season, the Huskies take the court with a roster that contains six players in their first years of eligibility. On Friday at the Physical Activity Complex, they dropped their regular season home opener 66-63 to the University of Winnipeg Wesmen, who have three players in their fifth year of eligibility, two players in their fourth year of eligibility and no rookies.

    The Huskies were scrappy, and you got a glimpse of their potential, but the Wesmen’s experience showed through.

    In defeat, Thomaidis found a number positives to build on against a foe that likes to press on defence and pointed out her side isn’t too far off from being really good again.

Libby Epoch is turning heads as a rookie.

    “I didn’t think we did a terrible job handling their pressure,” said Thomaidis. “I thought we did a good job with that.

    “It was just a matter finishing. We had a number of open looks that we couldn’t knock down. We missed a number of free throws.

    “We had our opportunities. The game was right there in hand.”

    If the Huskies had shot just a little better of a percentage from the free-throw line, they would won Friday’s encounter with the Wesmen. U of S went 20-of-32 from the charity stripe, and that small detail played a big factor in the end result.

    During the setback, the Huskies, who fell to 1-2, still received strong outings from a number of players. Third-year guard Sascha Lichtenwald led the Dogs with 17 points and came up with three steals.

    Rookies Summer Masikewich and Libby Epoch, who both played for Canada’s under-18 women’s basketball team, showed they are ready for the university level chipping in 14 and 12 points respectively. They looked like they were just scratching the surface of their potential.

    Second-year point guard Sabine Dukate was playing her first game after returning from injury, and she did show some rust. Dukate, who is from Latvia, was a standout last season, and you can expect it won’t take her long to return to top form.

    Fourth-year guard Antoinette Miller led the way for the Wesmen, who improved to 3-0, with 26 points and seven rebounds.

Sascha Lichtenwald topped the Huskies with 17 points on Friday.

    “She (Miller) was great tonight,” said Thomaidis. “She made a lot happen for them.

    “She scored a lot at the rim. She got high percentage shots. We need to do a better job of taking care of her.”

    Overall, Thomaidis knew her team would experience some bumps.

    “It was kind of what I expected,” she said. “Having said that, the game was right there for the taking. We weren’t able to finish it off.

    “Hopefully, we have a better effort tomorrow and better efficiency in terms of finishing around the hoop.”

    The Huskies and Wesmen go at it again at 6:15 p.m. at the Physical Activity Complex.

Forbes back in the fold

Matt Forbes nails a three for the Huskies.

    Welcome back Matt Forbes.

    The U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team missed you.

    In Friday’s 76-68 regular season win over the U of Winnipeg Wesmen at the PAC, Forbes showed how important an experienced big man can be. He didn’t led the way statistically but had sound numbers scoring 13 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. With Forbes on the court, the Huskies seemed to be a little more settled in their overall team game improving to 2-1.

    Originally, Forbes was supposed to play out his fifth year of eligibility last season, but he was sidelined for the whole campaign after suffering a foot injury in the Huskies first pre-season game. Without Forbes, the Huskies posted an 8-12 regular season record and missed the playoffs.

    In 2014-15 with Forbes in the lineup, the Huskies finished with a 15-5 regular season record, made it to the Canada West championship game falling to U of Victoria Vikes 70-67 and made an appearance at nationals.

    While Forbes often faces forwards who are bigger than his 6-foot-6 and 235-pound frame, he wins the physical battle inside on a regular basis. Unlike most big men, Forbes can also stretch the defence due to his ability to hit the three-point shot. He nailed two baskets from beyond the arch on Friday.

    Forbes’s presence on the floor helps take pressure off the rest of his teammates and allows them to take advantage of more favourable one-on-one match ups.

Matt Forbes (#13) organizes a post-game huddle for the Huskies.

    Against the Wesmen, sophomore guard Chan De Ciman led the way with 21 points. Fourth-year forward Shane Osayande netted 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while point guard Alex Unruh chipped in 14 points.

    Rookie guard Narcisse Ambanza led the Wesmen with 23 points as they dropped to 2-1.

The Huskies and Wesmen face each other again at 8 p.m. at the PAC.

    With Forbes back in the fold, the Huskies chances of winning on any single night got a whole lot better.

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

Roll reaches 15 for Huskies

 Riley Humbert drives with the ball for the Huskies.

   It almost feels like an annual expectation.
    The calendar is going to turn to March and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's basketball team will once again be part of the monthly playoff madness.
    The Huskies punched their ticket to the Canada West Final Four for the seventh time in 10 years sweeping the U of Winnipeg Wesmen in a best-of-three quarter-final series 2-0 at the Physical Activity Complex. U of S claimed a 71-47 victory on Friday and a 73-57 triumph on Saturday thanks to a nice fourth-quarter surge.
    After starting the season at 4-3, the defending Canada West champs are currently riding a 15-game winning streak including action in the regular season and playoffs. During the run, they playing a well-rounded game, where everyone is finding ways to contribute to the success.
    While the Huskies have been a powerhouse team, there have been a lot of times in the past where they would tend to rely on fourth-year star post Dalyce Emmerson.
    Actually, the joke with anyone around the team was that when things go bad just pass the ball to Dalyce, and she will score. To her credit, Emmerson, who stands 6-foot-3, is one of those once in a generation talents, and it seemed like she would always score no matter what defence she faced. It almost seemed senseless not to get her the ball.
    She is huge at pulling down rebounds on either end of the court. With having someone as good as Emmerson on your side, you do develop a danger of relying on her too much, even if your team is loaded with other good players.

Dalyce Emmerson goes for two for the Huskies.

    At the start of the season, Emmerson was hampered by some nagging injuries, but she was still able to play. When she wasn't at 100 per cent, the other players on the Huskies stepped up to help carry the load.
    That continued to be evident during the sweep of the Wesmen. Emmerson, who is healthy, was a factor in those victories, but she wasn't the dominant force. The Huskies, who were 17-3 in the regular season, had their biggest contributions offensively come from their guards.
    In Friday's 71-47 victory, fourth-year guard Kelsey Trulsrud led the way with 21 points, and she also pulled down nine rebounds. Third-year guard Desarae Hogberg came off the bench to finish second in team scoring with 10 points.
    Emmerson was still part of the action leading the club with 16 rebounds, but she only had to attempt six shots from the floor thanks to the other contributions. She made four of those shots and finished with eight points.
    In Saturday's 73-57 win, fifth-year guard Riley Humbert fired down three-point shots like she was a secret character in the 1990s video game NBA Jam. She nailed a remarkable 8-of-11 shots from beyond the arc and led the Huskies with 24 points. Fourth-year guard Laura Dally and Trulsrud added 14 and 12 points respectively.
    Emmerson topped the Huskies with 13 rebounds, while chipping in five points and three assists.
    In the series clinching win, the Huskies pushed out to about a 10-point lead on a few occasions, but the Wesmen, who were 14-6 in the regular season, would force a tie score hitting a number of three-point shots of their own. The contest was tied 29-29 at halftime, and the Huskies held just a 52-48 edge after three quarters.
    When things got tough in past seasons, the ball would go inside to Emmerson to force a momentum change. On Saturday night, the Huskies guards responded with big shots to regain the upper hand.
    The host started the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run to go up 61-48 and cruised to the win from there.
    Entering the series, the Wesmen came in riding an eight-game winning streak of their own, so they were a formidable foe.

Kelsey Trulsrud controls play for the Huskies.

    The Huskies ball movement offensively and the success they had scoring outside and inside kept the visitors off balance. The players also benefit from the fact they are guided by head coach Lisa Thomaidis and assistants Jacqueline Lavallee, Alison Fairbrother and Jill Humbert, who together are one of the top three staffs if not the best staff in the women's game in Canada. 
    Going forward into the Canada West Final Four, the Huskies will be tough to beat. They could end up hosting the Canada West Final Four set for March 6-7, if the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds get upset by the U of Regina Cougars in a best-of-three quarter-final series this coming weekend. U of S got its series in early to lessen the scheduling stress due to hosting the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's volleyball championship next weekend at the Physical Activity Complex.
    The Huskies will also soon start encountering single-elimination game type situations, which always makes playoff basketball compelling and unpredictable. With that said, all they have to do is win five more straight games to win the first ever CIS title in the history of the program.
    In all reality, the Huskies are now a short distance away from accomplishing the one goal that has eluded them. Achieving that goal would make for a sweet finish.
    NOTE -- Guard Kaylee Halvorson was sitting on the Huskies bench supporting the team in her street clothes on the weekend. Halvorson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee just over a year ago.
    Her venture along the comeback trail has been plagued by a few setbacks. With that in mind, it was encouraging to see her with the team. Halvorson, who stands 5-foot-11, had been part of Canada's national team program, and her injury prevented anyone from seeing how good she could be.
    She still has three years of eligibility remaining to play with the Huskies.

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