Huskies Men's Hockey Team Secures Crucial Wins Over Golden Bears
As the playoff season approaches, University of Saskatchewan Huskies teams are intensifying their efforts to secure post-season berths. The men's hockey squad delivered an impressive performance with back-to-back victories against the Alberta Golden Bears at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon on Friday and Saturday.
Dominant Performance on Home Ice
The Huskies men's team demonstrated their offensive prowess with a 7-4 victory in the first game, highlighted by Carter Stebbings' remarkable hat trick. Additional goals came from Cole Jordan, Rhett Rhinehart, Connor Roulette, and Dawson Holt, while goaltender Nolan Maier made 24 saves on 28 shots.
The following night saw an even more comprehensive 6-2 win, with six different Saskatchewan players finding the back of the net. Logan Bairos, Liam Keeler, Ethan Regnier, Chase Bertholet, Josh Pillar, and Holt all contributed to the scoring effort, while Maier stopped 18 of 20 shots faced.
Despite these victories improving their record to 16-4-2, the Huskies men's team actually dropped to third place in the competitive Canada West East Division standings, highlighting the tight nature of the conference race.
Women's Hockey Team Splits Road Series
The Huskies women's hockey team faced a challenging road series against the Alberta Pandas, ultimately splitting the two games with both contests requiring shootouts to determine the outcome.
Friday's game saw a defensive battle that remained scoreless through two periods before Jayde Cadieux broke the deadlock for Saskatchewan. However, Alberta managed to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, forcing overtime and eventually a shootout that favored the hometown Pandas.
Saturday presented a different challenge as the Huskies found themselves down 2-0 entering the third period. Cadieux scored a short-handed goal early in the period, followed by Peppi Virtanen's tying goal approximately ten minutes later. Once again, the game proceeded to overtime and a shootout, but this time the Huskies emerged victorious.
Goaltending duties were shared between Clara Juca, who made 27 saves on 28 shots in the first game, and Colby Wilson, who stopped 19 of 21 shots in the second contest. These results improved the women's team's record to 7-9-2-4 and moved them up one spot to third place in the Canada West East Division standings.
Basketball Teams Show Contrasting Fortunes
While hockey dominated the weekend action, Huskies basketball teams also saw significant competition. The women's basketball squad continued their remarkable undefeated streak with two victories over the visiting Calgary Dinos, improving their perfect record to 16-0.
This achievement makes them the only undefeated team in Canada West and solidifies their position atop the conference standings. The previously undefeated Regina Cougars suffered their first loss of the season to the Pandas, dropping to a 15-1 record and clearing the path for the Huskies' dominance.
Individual performances stood out, with Ella Murphy Wiebe recording a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds in Friday's 63-44 victory. Saturday's 77-46 win saw Tea DeMong and Wiebe sharing scoring honors with 18 points each.
Unfortunately, the men's basketball team experienced a more challenging weekend, dropping both games to the Calgary Dinos. The Huskies fell 85-66 in the first contest and 95-74 in the second, highlighting the competitive nature of Canada West basketball.
Playoff Implications and Looking Ahead
These results carry significant implications as teams position themselves for the upcoming playoffs. The men's hockey team's victories strengthen their post-season credentials, while the women's hockey team's split demonstrates their resilience on the road.
The women's basketball team's continued dominance establishes them as serious contenders for conference and potentially national honors. As the regular season progresses, all Huskies teams will be looking to build momentum and secure favorable playoff positioning in their respective Canada West divisions.
