KADE GATES

Over the past two weekends both the men and women’s hockey teams managed two wins and two losses each.

On Nov. 7 at Rutherford Rink, the men’s Huskies hockey team fell to the eighth ranked Mount Royal University Cougars they hosted by a score of 4–1. The Cougars led 2–0 after two periods on goals from Tyler Eskesen and Connor Collett. Cutting the lead to one, the Huskies got on the board with Josh Roach’s shorthanded goal scored at 12:11. Late in the third, the Cougars sealed the game when Tyler Jewitt scored on the power play to make it 3–1 and an empty netter would make it a 4–1 final.

The following evening, the teams were back on the ice but with a much different result as the Dogs hammered the Cougars 6–3. Michael Sofillas scored for the Huskies late in the first to steal momentum as they headed into the intermission. An early Cougars power play resulted in a goal by Cody Cartier to tie it at one. The Huskies responded with two quick goals by the eight minute mark to make it 3–1.

A second Cartier power play goal made it 3–2 with 10 minutes remaining in the second. Late in the period, the Huskies again stole momentum this time with a Connor Cox shorthanded marker with under three minutes left. Craig McCallum and Jesse Ross scored in the third and the Cougars’ Cartier finished his hat trick to make the final 6–3.

For the women’s team, the Huskies took on the Cougars on their home turf in Calgary on Nov. 7. The Huskies used goals from Marley Ervine and Rachel Johnson to build a 2–0 lead by the midway point of the third. Cougars Tanika Dawson closed the gap to one with 12 minutes to go but the Huskies held strong. With 44 seconds to go, Kaitlin Willoughby was rewarded with an empty net goal and a 3–1 win.

Next evening, the teams were back at it with an entertaining ending on the bill. The Huskies got early goals from Julia Flinton and Chelsey Sundby to take a 2–0 lead into the first intermission. A second period goal from the Cougars’ Sarah Weninger made it 2–1. The Cougars kept on coming and were rewarded with a goal to tie it at two midway through the third. The game was far from over though as neither the rest of the third period or the first overtime would solve this one. In overtime number two, Flinton slammed the door shut on a Cougars comeback when she took a Sundby pass and put it top shelf to give the Huskies the overtime victory.

The Huskies men dropped a game to the hosting University of Regina Cougars 3–1 on Nov. 14. Troy Hunter got the ball rolling early as he banged home his own rebound 2:49 in to make it 1–0 for Regina. Tipping home a Brody Luhning point shot, Brock Appleyard got his second point of the evening and first goal 6:55 into the second. The Cougars added more insurance in the third when Tyler Henry scored on a two on one to make it 3–0. Midway through the third, the Huskies’ moment of glory came when they broke up Cougars goalie Lucas Gore’s shutout bid. Huskies’ goalie Ryan Holfeld sprung Cameron Blair on a break and Blair beat Gore to make the final score 3–1 Cougars.

Back in Saskatoon at Rutherford Rink, the provincial rivalry was renewed. The Huskies got on the board first on a goal from McCallum. It looked as though the Huskies would lead after two periods, but the Cougars scored with only two seconds remaining in the second period to tie it at one. Miguel Pereira wristed a shot in on goal that deflected of Jordan Cooke’s pad and into the back of the net. Overtime proved fruitless and the game went to a shootout where Huskie forward Parker Thomas scored and the Cougars’ Cody Fowlie couldn’t keep the game alive as he hit the post, sealing the Huskies’ victory.

The Huskie women were back in action against their provincial rivals the Regina Cougars on Nov. 14 at Rutherford Rink. The Cougars blew a 2–0 lead when Willoughby and Flinton scored in the second and third respectively to send the game to overtime. Emma Waldenberger prevented the Huskies from completing the comeback as she scored early on  in overtime to win the game for the Cougars.

The next evening in Regina, overtime would again be neccessary as they were tied at 0–0. Triston Riemer of the Cougars passed it up to Kylee Kupper who sent it across to Kylie Gavelin who went five hole to beat Cassidy Hendricks and give the Cougars a 1–0 overtime victory. The Cougars outshot the Huskies 37–27 but neither team separated themselves from the other and neither team could convert on their power play opportunities with the teams going a combined zero for 13 with the man advantage.

Both teams will look to move up the standings with the weekend games against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. The men will be on the road on Nov. 21 and 22 while the women will be at home to take on the Pronghorns. All games go at 7 p.m.