The Rundown - Week 2
For those who skipped last week, the format of The Rundown has changed based on the efforts given by the schools when it comes to marketing themselves and their players.I'm not the marketing department for any school or the Canada West conference. If you want this to change, you know where to direct your displeasure.
Thunderbirds goals: none
Thunderbirds assists: none
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (16/18)
Cougars goals: Athena Hauck (2), Sydney Benko (1)
Cougars assists: Breanna Comte (2), Alexandria Spence (1), Aliya Jomha (3), Summer Fomradas (2)
Cougars netminder: Kaitlyn Ross (29/29)
Result: 2-0 victory for Mount Royal over UBC.
SATURDAY: It's rare for UBC to lose on home ice, but Mount Royal looks like a solid team from top to bottom this season. Seeing these two clash again on Saturday has me looking forward to playoffs already! Again, I wish I could show you why, but I'm not doing UBC's work for them. If you're not happy with the recaps, tell your athletic department to meet me halfway.
Thunderbirds goals: Grace Elliott (2), Jaylyn Morris (2), Jaylyn Morris (3)
Thunderbirds assists: Jaylyn Morris (1), Annalise Wong (3), Grace Elliott (2), Jacquelyn Fleming (2), Kailee Peppler (1), Grace Elliott (3)
Thunderbirds netminders: Kayla McDougall (5/9) through 40:00; Elise Hugens (5/5) through 18:16
Cougars goals: Aliya Johma (2), Gabby Lindsay (1), Lyndsey Janes (1), Aliya Jomha (3)
Cougars assists: Allee Gerrard (1), Sydney Benko (2), Aliya Jomha (4), Gabby Lindsay (1), Ava Metzger (1), Sydney Benko (3)
Cougars netminder: Kaitlyn Ross (31/34)
Result: 4-3 victory for Mount Royal over UBC.
Griffins goals: Ashton Bender (1)
Griffins assists: Tess Collier (1), Jennifer Andrash (1)
Griffins netminder: Lindsey Johnson (20/21) in 65:00 and 4/6 in the shootout
Griffins shootout scorers: Sydney Jack
Cougars goals: Lauren Focht (1)
Cougars assists: Julianne Girardin (1)
Cougars netminder: Arden Kliewer (13/14) in 65:00 and 5/6 in the shootout
Cougars shootout scorers: Paige Hubbard, Pippy Pritchard
Result: 2-1 shootout victory for Regina over MacEwan.
SATURDAY: Following a heartbreaking loss the night before, the MacEwan Griffins looked to regroup against the undefeated Regina Cougars on Saturday. For as even as these two teams played on Friday, one had to hope the result of the night before wouldn't linger in the minds of the Griffins as they prepared for Saturday. Once more, there are no highlights from the Griffins, so if you want to see better recaps for your team, speak to your athletic department sooner rather than later.
Griffins goals: Tess Collier (1), Allee Isley (1)
Griffins assists: Joie Simon (1), Rian Santos (1), Kori Paterson (1), Ali Macauley (1)
Griffins netminder: Brianna Sank (16/18) in 65:00 and 4/5 in the shootout
Griffins shootout scorers: Sydney Jack, Sydney Jack
Cougars goals: Jordyn Balis (1), Paige Hubbard (1)
Cougars assists: Lauren Focht (2), Kaylee Dyer (1), Makena Kushniruk (1)
Cougars netminder: Lexi Peace (13/15) in 65:00 and 3/5 in the shootout
Cougars shootout scorers: Paige Hubbard
Result: 3-2 shootout victory for MacEwan over Regina.
Huskies goals: Kendra Zuchotzki (1)
Huskies assists: Bronwyn Boucher (1), Julianna Herman (1)
Huskies netminder: Clara Juca (25/27)
Dinos goals: Kate Wagner (1), Jess Martens (1), Sydney Mercier (1), Sophia Zuck (1)
Dinos assists: Brooklyn Anderson (1), Kyla Mitenko (2), Rebecca Clarke (1), Caitlyn Perlinger (1)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (28/29)
Result: 4-1 victory for Calgary over Saskatchewan.
SATURDAY: When things aren't going well, it seems every little mistake ends up in the back of one's net. The Huskies have that kind of luck right now, and they were looking to turn it around on Saturday. The Dinos, meanwhile, were looking to double the number of wins they had on the season with a sweep of the Huskies, so I was expecting another entertaining game. Don't look for highlights, though, because we both know there aren't any to be found.
Huskies goals: Kaylee Hill (1)
Huskies assists: Paris Oleksyn (1), Bronwyn Boucher (2)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (24/26)
Dinos goals: Brooklyn Anderson (3), Brooklyn Anderson (4), Brooklyn Anderson (5)
Dinos assists: Kyla Mitenko (3), Kyla Mitenko (4)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (23/24)
Result: 3-1 victory for Calgary over Saskatchewan.
Bisons goals: none
Bisons assists: none
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (20/21)
Pandas goals: Maia Ehmann (3)
Pandas assists: Holly Magnus (2)
Pandas netminder: Grace Glover (19/19)
Result: 1-0 victory for Alberta over Manitoba.
SATURDAY: Manitoba was looking for the split, but the Pandas were proving impossible to score on as they has pitched three-straight shutouts to open the season. The Bisons would have to dent twine at least once, but likely a few more times, if they hoped to earn that split while Alberta was aiming for the sweep. Highlights? Nope.
Bisons goals: Jessica Haner (1), Norah Collins (1), Kelsey Huibers (1), Norah Collins (2)
Bisons assists: Sophia Anderson (1), Sadie Keller (1), Ashley Keller (1), Rachel Gottfried (1), Camryn Gillis (1), Norah Collins (1), Camille Enns (1) Emily Shippam (1)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (19/21)
Pandas goals: Jadynn Morden (1), Ryann Perrett (1)
Pandas assists: Madison Willan (1), Payton Laumbach (1)
Pandas netminder: Misty Rey (18/22)
Result: 4-2 victory for Manitoba over Alberta.
| School | Record | Points | GF | GA | Streak | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Royal | 4-0-0-0 | 8 | 12 | 3 | W4 | @ CAL |
| Regina | 2-0-1-1 | 7 | 6 | 4 | L1 | vs MAN |
| Alberta | 3-1-0-0 | 6 | 9 | 4 | L1 | @ SAS |
| Calgary | 2-1-0-1 | 5 | 12 | 10 | W2 | vs MRU |
| UBC | 1-2-1-0 | 4 | 11 | 11 | L2 | @ TWU |
| MacEwan | 1-2-0-1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | W1 | BYE |
| Manitoba | 1-1-0-0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | W1 | @ REG |
| Saskatchewan | 0-3-0-1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | L4 | vs ALB |
| Trinity Western | 0-2-0-0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | L2 | vs UBC |
Honour Roll
I'm adding this new feature to every edition of The Rundown I post where I highlight the best performances from the weekend's games. It won't always be the top scorer or the best goalie, but I'll have a reason for who gets picked each week. This week's Honour Roll candidate is Mount Royal Cougars forward Aliya Jomha!She's often forgotten in the conversation where consistent scoring is discussed, but Jomha plays a very smart, very responsible two-way game where she often is helping in the defensive zone before tearing down the ice to set up a goal or score one herself. She had ten goals and 26 points two seasons ago followed by a four-goal, 21-point season last year, and she's already one-third of the way to that total after four games as she sits with three goals and four assists in helping Mount Royal start the season 4-0-0 that included a pair of wins over UBC where she had two goals and two assists.
Jomha may not end up atop the scoring leaderboard this season, but she will be among the leaders because she plays the game the right way: she gives everything she has at both ends of the ice while never taking a shift off. A big weekend in Vancouver doesn't go unnoticed, though, and that's how Aliya Jomha had her name added to the Honour Roll this week!
It's Simple Math: Part One
Statistics in Canada West are always something I urge teams to review before submitting them. One mistake can skew an entire season for some players, and it really shouldn't be hard to get things right. After all, most of the statistics that are tracked by Canada West are can be totalled by counting.That being said, what exactly was going on in UBC's Saturday game?
It's Simple Math: Part Two
Maybe goaltending statistics are harder to track than other stats, but I believe it should be pretty easy to reconcile saves made in a game with the number of shots on net. In Friday's game between Calgary and Saskatchewan, Calgary scored two empty-net goals en route to their 4-1 victory. Of course, there would be no shots recorded against the goaltender, so total shots faced by the goaltender that night would be X-2 with X representing total shots on net.Saskatchewan's statistics people are still struggling this season.
Pro Camps
The six PWHL teams submitted their rosters for training camps on Thursday, and I went looking for Canada West talent on those rosters. There is one team who invited a couple of Canada West products, so we might be forced to cheer for Toronto if both players make the roster. Former Saskatchewan Huskies forward Kaitlin Willoughby was invited to camp again this season, and she'll be joined by former UBC Thunderbirds defender Rylind MacKinnon for the Toronto camp!Both Lindsey Post (NY) and Alex Poznikoff (MTL) have moved on from the professional hockey life they sought, it seems, but both players saw action last year and I'm happy they did. They were incredible players at the Canada West level, and here's hoping the new chapters they're writing bring them as much joy as their hockey careers did!
Pro Signing
On Friday, the Calgary Dinos announced that goaltender Gabriella Durante had left the team to make her way over to Italy to play hockey. I had spoken about this last week, but the Dinos also gave a little more information about where she was going on their tweet about Durante's departure as Gabriella will be in Turin, Italy for the foreseeable future!Real Torino returned to the Italian Women's Hockey League for the first time since since 2014-15, and there's a lot to be excited about for that city as they'll host the 2025 FISU Universiade Games from January 13-23, 2025 while also having a professional women's hockey team for the first time since 2018-19. Only two players on Real Torino's roster at this moment are over the age of 18 - American defender Maleah Gillette and Ukrainian forward Antonina Rohanova - while four players are aged 16 or under. Durante will be the veteran goalie for Real Torino the moment she lands there, and she'll likely do some coaching in practices with her experience!
I want to wish the best of luck in Turin for Gabriella, and here's hoping that her Olympic dream is realized!
The Last Word
If you had told me that you had picked the two Cougars team to be leading the divisions two weeks into the season, I wouldn't have believed you. Mount Royal would be a pick I could believe, but Regina may be surprising everyone with their play early in this season. We'll see if Regina can beat a Manitoba team who just handed Alberta its first loss of the season next week when they host the Bisons, but Regina earning seven of eight points early this season is a huge help in their efforts to make the playoffs!Regina didn't earn their first win until October 21 last season, and they hit the seven-point mark on November 10 when they earned their fourth win of the season. Clearly, the changes being made under interim head coach Brandy West-McMaster are working for the Cougars, and we'll see where they are when they finish next weekend's set against Manitoba as they head into their bye week.
With the new divisional format that Canada West moved to this season, two of Regina, Alberta, Manitoba, MacEwan, and Saskatchewan will miss the playoffs. With Saskatchewan's start, they're going to have to pick up the pace in their next few games if they want to make a push while Manitoba and MacEwan will sort themselves out as the season progresses. Seeing Regina take seven points from Saskatchewan and MacEwan means they're sitting in a good spot, and it should have Regina Cougars fans invigorated as they look forward!
If there is a disclaimer on this, though, it's that Canada West might be the toughest conference in U SPORTS women's hockey as anyone can beat anyone else on any given night, so the Cougars will need to be ready anytime they take the ice. Thus far, they've shown a readiness not seen in the Cougars of recent, and that bodes well if they want to play in late February!
To everyone, enjoy your long weekends, be grateful for the great hockey, and have yourselves a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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