The Rundown - Week 3

As Week Three of the Canada West season gets underway, one team still hadn't been defeated, two teams hadn't recorded a regulation loss, and one team still had no points. Depending on this week's results, the Canada West playoff picture may be forming very early as to who may participate and who may not, but there's still a ton of time for teams that are looking to climb the standings. Early wins are proving important, however, and they will help in the final standings at the end of the season. So who did the winning this week? Would we see movement in the standings? Let's find out on The Rundown!

FRIDAY: The Calgary Dinos will be pinned to the top of The Rundown for every game they play at home because they produce highlight reels. They're promoting their athletes, so I'll help them out. Wanna know how your favorite team can appear here? Speak to your athletic department about making highlight reels! That's all it takes!

With their crosstown rivals visiting, the Dinos were hosting the undefeated Cougars this week. Mount Royal was coming off a big weekend with a sweep over UBC so they were playing well. The Dinos were looking to build on their sweep of the Huskies, so we were in for a treat! Scout Anderson drew the start for the Cougars while Amelia Awad was in the Dinos' crease for this one!

This game had great pace to start, but shots came at a premium as Mount Royal recorded the only puck on net in the first five minutes of the game. That would change quickly, though, when Madelynne Nafziger's point shot found room through Anderson after eluding the traffic and screen in front, and Calgary jumped ahead 1-0 at 5:38 mark on Nafziger's first Canada West goal! Both teams continued to be stingy when it came to allowing shots as the period progressed, and both teams would be unsuccessful on power-plays including a four-minute advantage for MRU. At the end of 20 minutes, Calgary held the 1-0 lead despite Mount Royal holding a 6-5 edge in shots.

Calgary would boost that lead to two goals early in the second period. On a two-on-two, Jolie Nafziger dropped the puck to Brette Kerley after crossing inside the Mount Royal blueline, and Kerley's shot got past Anderson at the 4:41 mark to make it a 2-0 game! Again, the defensive play from both sides was on display as the clocked ticked down, but a series of penalties in the middle of the frame didn't help the Dinos after they earned power-plays off them. The period would come to a close with the Dinos still up 2-0 and holding a 12-10 lead in shots.

Knowing they had to erase a two-goal deficit, the Cougars brought the offence in the third period. Despite the push, Awad stood tall and the Dinos' defence was quick to clear and move pucks. The Cougars would get one back with Anderson on the bench, however, as Lyndsey Janes spotted Lydia Butz wide-open on the far post thanks to having the extra player, and Butz would bury the puck behind Awad at 17:44 to make it a 2-1 game! That would be as close as the Cougars got on this night, though, as Brooklyn Anderson added her conference-leading sixth goal into an empty cage, and the Calgary Dinos skated to the 3-2 victory!

Amelia Awad picked up her third win of the season after stopping 21 shots while Scout Anderson suffered the loss on a 14-save night.

Highlights of this game are below thanks to the Dinos!

SATURDAY: The series would flip to Flames Community Arena for the Saturday game as the Dinos visited the Cougars, but there won't be a recap because the 2023 National Champions can't seem to get anyone to learn how to make highlight reels. Yes, they did them at one time, but that's fallen to the wayside. I guess having all those players go off and play professionally means nothing to them when it comes to finding those same opportunities for their current athletes? Speak to your athletic department if you want to see a recap like the one above!

Cougars goals: Jordyn Hutt (1), Lyndsey Janes (2)
Cougars assists: Lydia Butz (1), Ava Metzger (2), Alexandria Spence (2)
Cougars netminder: Kaitlyn Ross (17/18)

Dinos goals: Caitlyn Perlinger (2)
Dinos assists: Solana Copper (1), Brette Kerley (2)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (17/19)

Result: 2-1 victory for Mount Royal over Calgary.

FRIDAY: It's an interesting thing to see a school like Trinity Western make a highlight reel for one sport, but not any other. There were multiple games this weekend, yet only women's soccer got a highlight reel of their Friday night game. Of course, the Trinity Western women's hockey account on Twitter hasn't posted anything since October 2023 and the official Trinity Western Spartans Twitter account didn't even mention hockey for the men or women this weekend. That's simply baffling, but that's the reality of university sports in western Canada. Speak to your athletic department if you want things to get better.

Spartans goals: none
Spartans assists: none
Spartans netminder: Kate Fawcett (24/25)

Thunderbirds goals: Vanessa Schaefer (1)
Thunderbirds assists: Makenzie McCallum (3)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (14/14)

Result: 1-0 victory for UBC over Trinity Western.

SATURDAY: We already know UBC isn't making highlight reels for its team this season, so there's no sense in wasting column inches complaining about it. Speak to your athletic department, Thunderbirds, if you want this to change.

Thunderbirds goals: Grace Elliott (3), Mackenzie Kordic (2), Vanessa Schaefer (2), Makenzie McCallum (1)
Thunderbirds assists: Jaylyn Morris (2), Madisyn Wiebe (1), Sierra LaPlante (1), Makenzie McCallum (4), Chanreet Bassi (3), Jaylyn Morris (3)
Thunderbirds netminder: Mya Lucifora (19/20)

Spartans goals: Jordyn Matthews (1)
Spartans assists: Casey Ditner (1), Kara Yackel (1)
Spartans netminder: Kate Fawcett (33/37)

Result: 4-1 victory for UBC over Trinity Western.

FRIDAY: The Huskies continue to produce features on their YouTube channel, but loading up highlight reels is an impossible task. Speak to your athletic department, Huskies, if you want this to change. I can't force anyone to do anything.

Huskies goals: Bronwyn Boucher (2)
Huskies assists: McKenna Bolger (1), Kendra Zuchotzki (3)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (17/19)

Pandas goals: Madison Willan (1), Ryann Perrett (2)
Pandas assists: Natalie Kieser (1), Brooklyn Tews (1), Allison Reich (1), Maia Ehmann (1)
Pandas netminder: Grace Glover (21/22)

Result: 2-1 victory for Alberta over Saskatchewan.

SATURDAY: Nothing changed overnight when it comes to highlight reels, so there won't be a recap here from Saskatoon. If it doesn't mean anything to anyone, so be it. Maybe just give me a heads-up rather than trying to promote the women who play this game? I mean, this game featured an incredible comeback and an 11-round shootout that had all sorts of skill shown. Why does it seem like no one cares?

Huskies goals: Jayde Cadieux (1), Sara Kendall (1), Sara Kendall (2)
Huskies assists: Jaiyana Nurani (1), Taylor Wilkinson (1), Taylor Wilkinson, Jasper Desmarais
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (28/31) over 65:00 and 8/11 in the shootout
Huskies shootout scorers: Brooklyn Stevely, Kahlen Wisener

Pandas goals: Jadynn Morden (2), Jadynn Morden (3), Hayleigh Craig (1)
Pandas assists: Maia Ehmann (2), Sara Kazeil (4), Maia Ehmann (3)
Pandas netminder: Mackenzie Dojahn (18/21) over 65:00 plus 9/11 in the shootout
Pandas shootout scorers: Payton Laumbach, Payton Laumbach, Payton Laumbach

Result: 4-3 shootout victory for Alberta over Saskatchewan.

FRIDAY: A team hasn't lost in regulation time that's leading the division with a pile of players who are stepping up their games, and the Regina Cougars have opted not to show off their women's hockey program. I'm not sure what it will take to get anyone to show they give a damn, but I implore the Cougars to speak to their athletic department. The best kept secret in women's hockey this season will remain that way until something changes.

Cougars goals: Paige Hubbard (2), Makena Kushniruk (1)
Cougars assists: Makena Kushniruk (2), Trinity Grove (1), Jordyn Blais (1)
Cougars netminder: Arden Kliewer (34/36) in 65:00 and 3/3 in the shootout
Cougars shootout scorers: Makena Kushniruk

Bisons goals: Aimee Patrick (1), Dana Goertzen (2)
Bisons assists: Camille Enns (1), Ali Staples (1), Julia Bird (1), Aimee Patrick (1)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (33/35) in 65:00 and 1/2 in the shooutout
Bisons shootout scorers: none

Result: 3-2 shootout victory for Regina over Manitoba.

SATURDAY: With no highlights to show, let's just keep this moving.

Cougars goals: Paige Hubbard (3), Meg Farmer (1)
Cougars assists: Shaylee Scraba (1)
Cougars netminder: Natalie Williamson (26/26)

Bisons goals: none
Bisons assists: none
Bisons netminder: Paige Fischer (26/28)

Result: 2-0 victory for Regina over Manitoba.

No, I'm not doing the stupid East and West Divisions on the standings board. One conference, nine teams, let's see who is best.

CANADA WEST WOMEN'S HOCKEY

School	Record	Points	GF	GA	Streak	Next
Regina	4-0-1-1	11	10	6	W2	BYE
Mount Royal	5-1-0-0	10	15	7	W1	vs SAS
Alberta	5-1-0-0	10	15	7	W2	vs UBC
UBC	3-2-1-0	8	16	12	W2	@ ALB
Calgary	3-2-0-1	7	16	13	L1	@ TWU
Manitoba	1-2-0-1	3	6	7	L2	vs MAC
MacEwan	1-2-0-1	3	3	10	W1	@ MAN
Saskatchewan	0-4-0-2	2	7	15	L6	@ MRU
Trinity Western	0-4-0-0	0	1	11	L4	vs CAL

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 Alberta Pandas forward Payton Laumbach!

I'm sure we all remember the 2007 World Junior Championship semifinal game between Canada and the US where Jonathan Toews scored three times in the shootout to help Canada advance to the gold medal game. The stakes weren't as high in her game, but we may have our own version of Toews in Canada West as Payton Laumbach scored three times in the shootout to help Alberta down Saskatchewan. It isn't often we see a shootout hat trick in any league, so Laumbach's feat on Saturday night is one for the ages!

The irony of her completing this feat is that those three goals represent the first three shootout goals she has scored in Canada West. In her previous four seasons, Laumbach was 0/1 on shootouts, so it's not like she was running through a case of bad luck. She rarely was chosen for shots, it seems, as the Pandas looked to other players. That feeling might change after Laumbach scored three times on Wilson to put her career shootout success rate for goals at 75%! That kind of effort gets you noticed here, that's how Payton Laumbach added her name to the Honour Roll!

A Physical Brand of Hockey

I'm not saying that teams should be taking penalties, but would it surprise you that the Mount Royal Cougars, Regina Cougars, Alberta Pandas, UBC Thunderbirds, and Calgary Dinos lead Canada West in penalty minutes, and they're all holding playoff spots right now?

If there's a reputation that Canada West has across the rest of the country, it's that teams from the west play physical, are often big and fast, and they go to the net hard. The five teams mentioned above haven't had a problem playing that way this season, and one has to wonder if it will catch up to any of them as the season progresses. After all, the teams with the best power-plays also have a pretty good track record in Canada West, so taking needless penalties may eventually bite a team in the rear end.

Let me be clear: I'm not saying that taking penalties will result in wins, but I am saying that the teams who play into that repuation of tough, physical hockey seem to have more success than less early in this season. I'll keep an eye on this trend as we move forward.

Special Teams

While some teams have played more than others, it's hard not to look at the team who is leading the conference in power-play efficiency and understand why they're in a position they're in. The Alberta Pandas always had a solid power-play under Howie Draper, and his return to the bench this season has them clicking with the advantage again. They're a solid 7/19 with the extra player right now, nearly doubling the number of goals scored by both Mount Royal and Saskatchewan while on the advantage.

On the flip side, the top-two teams in the conference are where they are because they kill penalties well. Defence wins championships, as we've been told, and the Mount Royal Cougars are an impressive 32/33 in kills while down a player. Similarly, Regina is right behind them with 28/31 kills being successful as these are the only two teams above 90% in penalty-kill efficiency early in the season.

Winning the special teams battles will always bring success. The top-three teams in Canada West are proof of that early this season.

Don't Believe The Hype

With U SPORTS forcing Top-Ten lists onto anyone who wants to believe them, I have a bag of salt you need to take if you're reading those lists. None of the calculations make sense as I have demonstrated yet again, so buying into these rankings is akin to buying stock in Enron or Worldcom. It's worthless.

Until people start voting on these rankings once again, we need to stop giving them any sort of belief that they're right. Concordia beat McGill twice this weekend in their first games while Montreal and Bishop's split their games. Arguably, Bishop's was the better team down the stretch last season and should be ranked accordingly, but Montreal's point total in the algorithm will almost always be higher due to their history. With Mount Royal splitting its weekend, Waterloo dropping a game to Brock, and Saint Mary's losing twice, all three teams dropping in the top-ten should be expected.

Have fun in celebrating a top-ten placement if you get it, but these rankings mean nothing because every ranking is determined by a calculation rather than by true comparisons. Until there's a human aspect reintroduced into the rankings where teams in different conferences can be compared, these rankings are like the calculations used to make them: random numbers.

The Last Word

Since joining Canada West for the 2021-22 season, the Trinity Western Spartans have scored 132 goals while giving up 227 goals. That's not a great differential, but they have made the playoffs once. I'm not certain if that's something to build upon, but they need something to build on for this season as they are struggling mightily to find the back of the net.

The Spartans scored their first goal on Saturday as Jordyn Matthews dented twine on the power-play, but that's their only marker to date after 240 minutes of play. In 2021-22, the Spartans scored just two goals in four games in October en route to scoring just 24 that season as they finished last in the conference. As you can see, they're not doing much better this season with two games against Calgary remaining on the October schedule.

As we know, last year's leading goal-scorer and overall scorer Brooklyn Anderson is now playing for the Calgary Dinos while both Kate Klassen and Chelsea Debusschere used up their eligibilities, so there are some key pieces missing. That being said, I expected more than one goal out of this program in their first four games with Olivia Leier, Kara Yackel, and Chloe Reid still skating for them.

Trinity Western sits seven points back of the Calgary Dinos for the final playoff spot in Canada West's West Division. I'm not certain they'll be able to make that deficit up despite having 24 games to do so. With Mount Royal, UBC, and Calgary all having solid starts to the season, falling behind early in the standings for the Spartans may prove insurmountable down the stretch. My hope is that they can figure out how to fill the net with pucks and get back into the race sooner than later because Spartans fans deserve a playoff race like they got two seasons ago. Hockey's more fun when one is in the race.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!