The Rundown - Week 12
Things got back to normal this week as eight teams were in action while the MacEwan Griffins got a little time to relax. A couple of home-and-home series were part of the fun this weekend, and we got to see two of the top teams square off despite both of them missing players due to another major tournament happening. Playoff positioning also was up for grabs for a few teams, so there was lots to play for on this first full week of hockey action in Janaury. Let's take a look at the results from those games today on The Rundown!
FRIDAY: We'll get things started in the Alberta capital as the Calgary Dinos headed north on Highway 2 to meet the Pandas. Alberta has seem locked in since the break ended as they are looking for deep playoff run while the Dinos need some points if they want to skate in late February. Taking a few points off the Pandas would be a good way to show everyone they can be a threat, but the Pandas could potentially clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a pair of wins. I'd love to show you the action from this game, but Alberta has used the entire season to do nothing to promote its players so here's the scoring summary.
Pandas goals: Abby Soyko (4), Abby Soyko (5)
Pandas assists: Natalie Kieser (7), Raegan Yewdall (3), Taylor Anker (7), Madison Willan (9)
Pandas netminder: Misty Rey (12/13)
Dinos goals: Josie McLeod (3)
Dinos assists: Caitlyn Perlinger (5), April Klarenbach (4)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (18/20)
Result: 2-1 victory for Alberta over Calgary.
SATURDAY: This weekend series head to the south end of Highway 2 as the back half of the home-and-home was played in Calgary. The Dinos need some scoring punch, but they are missing Sydney Mercier who is playing in Italy (more on that later) so someone needs to step up to break this 2025 winless streak. Alberta was looking to come in and play another controlled game as they looked to clinch a playoff spot, so it was all business. Grace Glover was in net for the visitors while Amelia Awad was back between the pipes for the Dinos.
Both teams looked to establish a lead early in this game, but the netminders and defences were holding strong through the first ten minutes. Things changed in the latter half if the frame when Brooklyn Anderson got slashed while on a breakaway, and she was sent to center ice for a penalty shot. Anderson came in on the left side and snapped a quick shot through the wickets of Glover, and Calgary had a 1-0 lead at the 12:38 mark.
That lead lasted all of 1:52 as Holly Magnus circled off the half-boards to the high slot where she fired a shot on net past traffic in front for the goal, and it was a 1-1 game. Calgary would retake the lead late in the period, though, when Makenna Schafer's pass to Rebecca Clarke across the crease was returned to her, and she potted her first Canada West goal into the open cage at 16:46 for the 2-1 Calgary. That's the score with which we'd go into the break as the Pandas held an 8-6 edge in shots.
The second period saw Calgary find chances, but Alberta capitalized on their chances. Ryann Perrett circled out from behind the net and threw a puck on net that went high on Awad and found room, tying the game at 9:03. The Pandas would take the lead while on a power-play as a goalmouth scramble saw the puck settle on Madison Willan's stick, and she made no mistake in denting twine with 3:51 remaining as Alberta grabbed the 3-2 lead. That score would take us into the second break, but the teams evened things out with 14 shots apiece.
Seven minutes into the third period, an offensive zone faceoff won by the Pandas came to Kallie Clouston as she came off the right wing, and her shot from the slot beat Awad on the glove side for the power-play marker and a 4-2 lead at 7:02. From there, Alberta was all about limiting chances and keeping the puck out of danger zones. With 1:45 remaining, Jadynn Morden iced this game with an empty-net goal as the Alberta Pandas downed the Calgary Dinos by a 5-2 score. Grace Glover picked up her ninth win with a 16-save night while Amelia Awad was on the wrong end of the score in this game.
Again, the Calgary Dinos' athletics team deserves some major kudos as they continue to excel compared to everyone else. Clips on social media, fanastic Dinos-produced segments, and highlight reels like the one below are why the Dinos deserve some major kudos!
FRIDAY: The all-Saskatchewan series kicked off in Saskatoon on Friday as the Huskies were hosting the Regina Cougars. Regina was looking to hold onto their second-place standing with wins this weekend while the Huskies still had a mathematical chance to make the playoffs, but they were going to need a lot of help. They could help themselves with wins over their provincial rivals, but the Cougars wouldn't make it easy. No highlights because the Huskies seem to enjoy playing in anonimity, so here's the scoring summary.
Huskies goals: Shelby Williamson (1), Bronwyn Boucher (5), Avery Gottselig (1)
Huskies assists: McKenna Bolger (3), Brooklyn Stevely (2), Brooklyn Stevely (3), Ashlee Wolfe (1), Hallie Franklin (1)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (32/33)
Cougars goals: Megan Long (3)
Cougars assists: Lauren Focht (3), Makena Kushniruk (3)
Cougars netminder: Arden Kliewer (13/16)
Result: 3-1 victory for Saskatchewan over Regina.
SATURDAY: Just as the Alberta series went, the Saskatchewan series headed south down Highway 11 as the Regina Cougars hosted the back half of the home-and-home series. The Huskies scored a big win one night earlier, and they were looking to build on that win. The Cougars, meanwhile, wanted to find their form once again after dropping the first game they played in 2025. Like their provincial rivals, Regina gies zero effort in promoting its program and players, so here's the scoring summary.
Cougars goals: Trinity Grove (2), Megan Long (4), Megan Long (5), Shaylee Scraba (3)
Cougars assists: Jules Stokes (5), Olivia Leggett (2), Trinity Grove (4), Lauren Focht (4), Kaylee Dyer (4), Paige Hubbard (3), Jordyn Blais (3)
Cougars netminder: Natalie Williamson (19/20)
Huskies goals: Avery Gottselig (2)
Huskies assists: Kaysah Nurani (2), Jaiyana Nurani (3)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (29/33)
Result: 4-1 victory for Regina over Saskatchewan.
FRIDAY: Normally, this would be a matchup that I'd have circled on the calendar, but with all of Sophia Gaskell, Aliya Jomha, Alex Spence, and Kaitlyn Ross playing in Italy, there were some significant pieces missing from these lineups. That being said, I hoped that we'd still get some incredible games as two of the best teams in Canadian university hockey met in Calgary. The Cougars could catch and pass UBC with a sweep this weekend while the Thunderbirds looked to more space between the two teams. Mount Royal insists on not giving any highlights of their team, though, so we're stuck with the scoring summary for this game.
Cougars goals: none
Cougars assists: none
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (20/25)
Thunderbirds goals: Grace Elliott (13), Chanreet Bassi (6), Madisyn Wiebe (1), Chanreet Bassi (7), Annalise Wong (3)
Thunderbirds assists: Ashton Thorpe (6), Meadow Carman (5), Kailee Peppler (8), Kasundra Betinol (9), Makenzie McCallum (8), Annalise Wong (9), Jaylyn Morris (7), Jacquelyn Fleming (6), Grace Elliott (16)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (21/21)
Result: 5-0 victory for UBC over Mount Royal.
SATURDAY: It wouold be hard for any team to overcome losing their starting netminder, leading scorer, and one of the best defensive defenders, but Mount Royal needed a bigger effort from those who were on the ice this weekend if they hoped to split with UBC. The Thunderbirds certainly miss Sophia Gaskell's presence, but it seemed UBC was able to overcome her absence on Friday. Would we see a closer game or different results on Saturday? With no highlights, you can imagine what happened from the scoring summary.
Cougars goals: Gabby Lindsay (2)
Cougars assists: Lyndsey Janes (3)
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (15/19)
Thunderbirds goals: Mackenzie Kordic (7), Mya Healey (1), Grace Elliott (14), Mackenzie Kordic (8), Grace Elliott (15)
Thunderbirds assists: Meadow Carman (6), Karine Sandilands (6), Kasundra Betinol (10), Chanreet Bassi (13)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (37/38)
Result: 5-1 victory for UBC over Mount Royal.
FRIDAY: The Manitoba Bisons headed as far west as they could go for their first games of 2025 as the Trinity Western Spartans played host to this series. Manitoba was looking to pass Regina this weekend, so they needed wins. Trinity Western was looking to hold off Calgary while solidifying a playoff spot. Both teams came in with motivation for success, so who would find it? You don't get credit for only doing half the work, Spartans, so here's the scoring summary.
Spartans goals: Charlotte Swanton (4)
Spartans assists: Reilley Kellner (2), Kasey Ditner (8)
Spartans netminder: Kate Fawcett (25/28)
Bisons goals: Louise Fergusson (2), Aimee Patrick (6), Camryn Gillis (3), Julia Bird (4)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (5), Hanna Bailey (2), Brenna Nicol (2), Rachel Gottfried (2)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (23/24)
Result: 4-1 victory for Manitoba over Trinity Western.
SATURDAY: Manitoba has a sweep on their minds while Trinity Western was looking for the split after dropping Friday's contest. If this series is a potential first-round Canada West playoff preview, fans from both sides should be keeping an eye on the key performers this weekend. Manitoba got some good efforts out of players in the first game, and Trinity Western need a pushback in the second game. Again, the Spartans seem to think only their highlights are important, so here's the scoring summary of this game.
Spartans goals: Olivia Leier (3), Kyra McDonald (5)
Spartans assists: Kara Yackel (5), Ella Boon (4), Jordyn Matthews (3)
Spartans shootout scorers: Kara Yackel
Spartans netminders: Mabel Maltais (4/6) in 10:04; Olivia Davidson (31/31) in 54:56
Bisons goals: Aimee Patrick (7), Kylie Lesuk (2)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (6), Julia Bird (4)
Bisons shootout scorers: none Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (27/29)
Result: 3-2 shootout victory for Trinity Western 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.
Megan was always considered a cornerstone of a maturing Regina defence, but she wasn't seen as an offensive dynamo who drove the play from the blue line. This season has been a breakout for Megan as she has recorded the most points in her career since her days with the Edmonton Pandas AAA program, and her five goals are five more than she scored in any of her previous three seasons with the Cougars. Her offensive outburst now has her sitting second in team scoring for the Cougars, and her five goals - three of which came this weekend - have her second in team goal scoring!
While I'm not saying that Megan Long needs to change her game in any way, her offensive outburst this weekend now has her at career-highs for goals and points, and there are still games to be played. Megan's been a key part of the Regina blue line for four seasons, but her offensive side of the game this season has made her a key player for the Cougars. Afte a big weekend where she jumped into the offence, that's how Megan Long adds her name to the list!
In the other division, Calgary's two losses to Alberta didn't help their chances, but it also means that the Dinos have eight games left for a potential 16 points in the standings. UBC's wins over Mount Royal officially put them 21 points ahead, so Alberta's win over Calgary on Friday night actually clinched a playoff spot for the Thunderbirds.
As we get closer towards the end of the season, teams will see their magic numbers for clinching playoff spots decrease. The next team looking at a potential clinching situation is Mout Royal who can clinch next weekend with a win over MacEwan. If Manitoba can beat Saskatchewan twice next weekend and Regina wins both games against Alberta, those two teams can clinch a playoff spot as well bye virtue of tie-breaker rules.
In short, we could know as many as five playoff-bound teams by next Sunday morning. All that's left after that are seedings.
Canada led 3-0 through one period and 10-0 after two periods, so they clearly got stronger as the game progressed. Jomha scored a pair of goals - 3:35 into the second period and 11:22 into the third period - while Mercier had an assist as Ross picked up the seven-save shutout. Spence and Gaskell combined for six shots on net, but didn't hit the scoresheet in a game where Canada simply overwhelmed their opponents, outshooting Chinese Taipei by an 84-7 mark.
Other winners at the women's hockey event included a 20-0 win for Slovakia over Great Britain where Slovakia outshot the Brits by a 71-5 margin, and Sunday's early game saw Czechia beat the US by a 6-3 score as Czechia outshot the Americans by a 34-13 mark. In the later Sunday game, Japan met Kazakhstan, and Team Japan held a 4-0 lead over Kazakhstan at the time of publishing.
Canada and Great Britain tangle tomorrow, but I suspect that will be a one-sided game for the Canadians once more. That's not to say that the British women won't give it their all, but the Canadians may be a little more polished than their counterparts. Unfortunately, there is no TV coverage whatsoever for the women's event until they reach the semifinal stage, so I encourage everyone to hit this site for information on how Canada is doing in Torino.
And because I'm not against the Canadian men defending their gold medal either, they opened with an 11-0 win over Korea. Calgary Dinos forward Colson Gengenbach recorded a hat trick in the win as they now get set for a battle Czechia later today. Again, no TV coverage, so stick with the website above for details on Canada's progress!
As it stands, there are two uncommitted players on Canada's roster in goaltender Marilou Grenier and defender Rosalie Breton. If any U SPORTS coaches are looking to add a great player to their rosters, I suggest brushing up on your French as these two Quebec-born players are still looking at options. I'd assume that the RSEQ schools have a shot, but these are two players every coach should covet!
There was a member of one Canada West team who was on the team, though, as Saskatchewan Huskies goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen was part of the team, so there is a U18 World Championship gold medal coming back to Canada West! And while she's not a "kid", big kudos go out to former Saksatchewan Huskies play-by-play broadcaster and current U SPORTS National Championship broadcaster Daniella Ponticelli for her calls of the Canada and US games throughout this tournament. Alongside Cheryl Pounder, I thought the entire coverage, including in-studio analysts Laura Diakun, Sami Jo Small, and Megan Bozek, was excellent!
Well done, Daniella, on your incredible career, and it always tickles me when I say, "I used to work less than six feet away from her!"
With the Dinos on a bye week this week, they need UBC to help them by beating the Trinity Western Spartans. From there, they need to go in and sweep Trinity Western on January 24 and 25 if they want ay chance at playing for a playoff spot. Calgary, as noted, has eight games remaining and they sit six points back of Trinity Western.
I know Josh Gosling said they're in second gear, but they need to start every game after their bye week in fourth gear and leave it all on the ice. Otherwise, these playoff races may be settled before the calendar flips to February, and no one wants to be playing games that don't matter. It's going to take a big effort, but the Dinos need to play playoff hockey for the next eight games as it's as close to "win or go home" as they can get.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
FRIDAY: We'll get things started in the Alberta capital as the Calgary Dinos headed north on Highway 2 to meet the Pandas. Alberta has seem locked in since the break ended as they are looking for deep playoff run while the Dinos need some points if they want to skate in late February. Taking a few points off the Pandas would be a good way to show everyone they can be a threat, but the Pandas could potentially clinch a playoff spot this weekend with a pair of wins. I'd love to show you the action from this game, but Alberta has used the entire season to do nothing to promote its players so here's the scoring summary.
Pandas goals: Abby Soyko (4), Abby Soyko (5)
Pandas assists: Natalie Kieser (7), Raegan Yewdall (3), Taylor Anker (7), Madison Willan (9)
Pandas netminder: Misty Rey (12/13)
Dinos goals: Josie McLeod (3)
Dinos assists: Caitlyn Perlinger (5), April Klarenbach (4)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (18/20)
Result: 2-1 victory for Alberta over Calgary.
SATURDAY: This weekend series head to the south end of Highway 2 as the back half of the home-and-home was played in Calgary. The Dinos need some scoring punch, but they are missing Sydney Mercier who is playing in Italy (more on that later) so someone needs to step up to break this 2025 winless streak. Alberta was looking to come in and play another controlled game as they looked to clinch a playoff spot, so it was all business. Grace Glover was in net for the visitors while Amelia Awad was back between the pipes for the Dinos.
Both teams looked to establish a lead early in this game, but the netminders and defences were holding strong through the first ten minutes. Things changed in the latter half if the frame when Brooklyn Anderson got slashed while on a breakaway, and she was sent to center ice for a penalty shot. Anderson came in on the left side and snapped a quick shot through the wickets of Glover, and Calgary had a 1-0 lead at the 12:38 mark.
That lead lasted all of 1:52 as Holly Magnus circled off the half-boards to the high slot where she fired a shot on net past traffic in front for the goal, and it was a 1-1 game. Calgary would retake the lead late in the period, though, when Makenna Schafer's pass to Rebecca Clarke across the crease was returned to her, and she potted her first Canada West goal into the open cage at 16:46 for the 2-1 Calgary. That's the score with which we'd go into the break as the Pandas held an 8-6 edge in shots.
The second period saw Calgary find chances, but Alberta capitalized on their chances. Ryann Perrett circled out from behind the net and threw a puck on net that went high on Awad and found room, tying the game at 9:03. The Pandas would take the lead while on a power-play as a goalmouth scramble saw the puck settle on Madison Willan's stick, and she made no mistake in denting twine with 3:51 remaining as Alberta grabbed the 3-2 lead. That score would take us into the second break, but the teams evened things out with 14 shots apiece.
Seven minutes into the third period, an offensive zone faceoff won by the Pandas came to Kallie Clouston as she came off the right wing, and her shot from the slot beat Awad on the glove side for the power-play marker and a 4-2 lead at 7:02. From there, Alberta was all about limiting chances and keeping the puck out of danger zones. With 1:45 remaining, Jadynn Morden iced this game with an empty-net goal as the Alberta Pandas downed the Calgary Dinos by a 5-2 score. Grace Glover picked up her ninth win with a 16-save night while Amelia Awad was on the wrong end of the score in this game.
Again, the Calgary Dinos' athletics team deserves some major kudos as they continue to excel compared to everyone else. Clips on social media, fanastic Dinos-produced segments, and highlight reels like the one below are why the Dinos deserve some major kudos!
FRIDAY: The all-Saskatchewan series kicked off in Saskatoon on Friday as the Huskies were hosting the Regina Cougars. Regina was looking to hold onto their second-place standing with wins this weekend while the Huskies still had a mathematical chance to make the playoffs, but they were going to need a lot of help. They could help themselves with wins over their provincial rivals, but the Cougars wouldn't make it easy. No highlights because the Huskies seem to enjoy playing in anonimity, so here's the scoring summary.
Huskies goals: Shelby Williamson (1), Bronwyn Boucher (5), Avery Gottselig (1)
Huskies assists: McKenna Bolger (3), Brooklyn Stevely (2), Brooklyn Stevely (3), Ashlee Wolfe (1), Hallie Franklin (1)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (32/33)
Cougars goals: Megan Long (3)
Cougars assists: Lauren Focht (3), Makena Kushniruk (3)
Cougars netminder: Arden Kliewer (13/16)
Result: 3-1 victory for Saskatchewan over Regina.
SATURDAY: Just as the Alberta series went, the Saskatchewan series headed south down Highway 11 as the Regina Cougars hosted the back half of the home-and-home series. The Huskies scored a big win one night earlier, and they were looking to build on that win. The Cougars, meanwhile, wanted to find their form once again after dropping the first game they played in 2025. Like their provincial rivals, Regina gies zero effort in promoting its program and players, so here's the scoring summary.
Cougars goals: Trinity Grove (2), Megan Long (4), Megan Long (5), Shaylee Scraba (3)
Cougars assists: Jules Stokes (5), Olivia Leggett (2), Trinity Grove (4), Lauren Focht (4), Kaylee Dyer (4), Paige Hubbard (3), Jordyn Blais (3)
Cougars netminder: Natalie Williamson (19/20)
Huskies goals: Avery Gottselig (2)
Huskies assists: Kaysah Nurani (2), Jaiyana Nurani (3)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (29/33)
Result: 4-1 victory for Regina over Saskatchewan.
FRIDAY: Normally, this would be a matchup that I'd have circled on the calendar, but with all of Sophia Gaskell, Aliya Jomha, Alex Spence, and Kaitlyn Ross playing in Italy, there were some significant pieces missing from these lineups. That being said, I hoped that we'd still get some incredible games as two of the best teams in Canadian university hockey met in Calgary. The Cougars could catch and pass UBC with a sweep this weekend while the Thunderbirds looked to more space between the two teams. Mount Royal insists on not giving any highlights of their team, though, so we're stuck with the scoring summary for this game.
Cougars goals: none
Cougars assists: none
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (20/25)
Thunderbirds goals: Grace Elliott (13), Chanreet Bassi (6), Madisyn Wiebe (1), Chanreet Bassi (7), Annalise Wong (3)
Thunderbirds assists: Ashton Thorpe (6), Meadow Carman (5), Kailee Peppler (8), Kasundra Betinol (9), Makenzie McCallum (8), Annalise Wong (9), Jaylyn Morris (7), Jacquelyn Fleming (6), Grace Elliott (16)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (21/21)
Result: 5-0 victory for UBC over Mount Royal.
SATURDAY: It wouold be hard for any team to overcome losing their starting netminder, leading scorer, and one of the best defensive defenders, but Mount Royal needed a bigger effort from those who were on the ice this weekend if they hoped to split with UBC. The Thunderbirds certainly miss Sophia Gaskell's presence, but it seemed UBC was able to overcome her absence on Friday. Would we see a closer game or different results on Saturday? With no highlights, you can imagine what happened from the scoring summary.
Cougars goals: Gabby Lindsay (2)
Cougars assists: Lyndsey Janes (3)
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (15/19)
Thunderbirds goals: Mackenzie Kordic (7), Mya Healey (1), Grace Elliott (14), Mackenzie Kordic (8), Grace Elliott (15)
Thunderbirds assists: Meadow Carman (6), Karine Sandilands (6), Kasundra Betinol (10), Chanreet Bassi (13)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (37/38)
Result: 5-1 victory for UBC over Mount Royal.
FRIDAY: The Manitoba Bisons headed as far west as they could go for their first games of 2025 as the Trinity Western Spartans played host to this series. Manitoba was looking to pass Regina this weekend, so they needed wins. Trinity Western was looking to hold off Calgary while solidifying a playoff spot. Both teams came in with motivation for success, so who would find it? You don't get credit for only doing half the work, Spartans, so here's the scoring summary.
Spartans goals: Charlotte Swanton (4)
Spartans assists: Reilley Kellner (2), Kasey Ditner (8)
Spartans netminder: Kate Fawcett (25/28)
Bisons goals: Louise Fergusson (2), Aimee Patrick (6), Camryn Gillis (3), Julia Bird (4)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (5), Hanna Bailey (2), Brenna Nicol (2), Rachel Gottfried (2)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (23/24)
Result: 4-1 victory for Manitoba over Trinity Western.
SATURDAY: Manitoba has a sweep on their minds while Trinity Western was looking for the split after dropping Friday's contest. If this series is a potential first-round Canada West playoff preview, fans from both sides should be keeping an eye on the key performers this weekend. Manitoba got some good efforts out of players in the first game, and Trinity Western need a pushback in the second game. Again, the Spartans seem to think only their highlights are important, so here's the scoring summary of this game.
Spartans goals: Olivia Leier (3), Kyra McDonald (5)
Spartans assists: Kara Yackel (5), Ella Boon (4), Jordyn Matthews (3)
Spartans shootout scorers: Kara Yackel
Spartans netminders: Mabel Maltais (4/6) in 10:04; Olivia Davidson (31/31) in 54:56
Bisons goals: Aimee Patrick (7), Kylie Lesuk (2)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (6), Julia Bird (4)
Bisons shootout scorers: none Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (27/29)
Result: 3-2 shootout victory for Trinity Western 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.
School | Record | Points | GF | GA | Streak | Next |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UBC | 15-2-2-1 | 35 | 72 | 27 | W6 | @ TWU |
Alberta | 12-3-4-1 | 33 | 54 | 23 | W5 | @ REG |
Mount Royal | 11-4-2-3 | 29 | 49 | 36 | L2 | @ MAC |
Manitoba | 8-6-2-2 | 22 | 41 | 41 | L1 | vs SAS |
Regina | 5-5-4-4 | 22 | 32 | 34 | W1 | vs ALB |
Trinity Western | 8-10-2-0 | 20 | 39 | 39 | W1 | vs UBC |
Calgary | 5-12-1-2 | 14 | 37 | 54 | L8 | BYE |
Saskatchewan | 2-11-1-4 | 10 | 22 | 45 | L1 | @ MAN |
MacEwan | 0-13-2-3 | 7 | 13 | 60 | L4 | vs MRU |
Honour Roll
Each week on The Rundown, 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 a player who is known for her solid defensive play than her goal scoring abilities, but Megan Long's three-goal weekend for the Regina Cougars puts her on the Honour Roll!Megan was always considered a cornerstone of a maturing Regina defence, but she wasn't seen as an offensive dynamo who drove the play from the blue line. This season has been a breakout for Megan as she has recorded the most points in her career since her days with the Edmonton Pandas AAA program, and her five goals are five more than she scored in any of her previous three seasons with the Cougars. Her offensive outburst now has her sitting second in team scoring for the Cougars, and her five goals - three of which came this weekend - have her second in team goal scoring!
While I'm not saying that Megan Long needs to change her game in any way, her offensive outburst this weekend now has her at career-highs for goals and points, and there are still games to be played. Megan's been a key part of the Regina blue line for four seasons, but her offensive side of the game this season has made her a key player for the Cougars. Afte a big weekend where she jumped into the offence, that's how Megan Long adds her name to the list!
First Two In
Alberta's two wins over the Calgary Dinos officially made them the first team in Canada West to clinch a playoff spot, but it also helped UBC clinch a playoff spot as well. While Canada West hasn't bothered to update their standings with this information because apparently math is hard, Alberta's two wins put them 23 points ahead of Saskatchewan with Saskatchewan having ten games remaining for a possible 20 points. Needless to say, the math works out that Saskatchewan can't catch Alberta in any scenario, so Alberta is officially in the Canada West playoffs.In the other division, Calgary's two losses to Alberta didn't help their chances, but it also means that the Dinos have eight games left for a potential 16 points in the standings. UBC's wins over Mount Royal officially put them 21 points ahead, so Alberta's win over Calgary on Friday night actually clinched a playoff spot for the Thunderbirds.
As we get closer towards the end of the season, teams will see their magic numbers for clinching playoff spots decrease. The next team looking at a potential clinching situation is Mout Royal who can clinch next weekend with a win over MacEwan. If Manitoba can beat Saskatchewan twice next weekend and Regina wins both games against Alberta, those two teams can clinch a playoff spot as well bye virtue of tie-breaker rules.
In short, we could know as many as five playoff-bound teams by next Sunday morning. All that's left after that are seedings.
The Italian Job
The 2025 FISU Games began in Torino, Italy this week, and, as mentioned, all of UBC's Sophia Gaskell, Calgary's Sydney Mercer, and Mount Royal's trio of Aliya Jomha, Alex Spence, and Kaitlyn Ross are playing for Team Canada at the event. The first game for the Canadian women was against Chinese Taipei yesterday, and things seemed to go pretty well for Canada in a 16-0 victory.Canada led 3-0 through one period and 10-0 after two periods, so they clearly got stronger as the game progressed. Jomha scored a pair of goals - 3:35 into the second period and 11:22 into the third period - while Mercier had an assist as Ross picked up the seven-save shutout. Spence and Gaskell combined for six shots on net, but didn't hit the scoresheet in a game where Canada simply overwhelmed their opponents, outshooting Chinese Taipei by an 84-7 mark.
Other winners at the women's hockey event included a 20-0 win for Slovakia over Great Britain where Slovakia outshot the Brits by a 71-5 margin, and Sunday's early game saw Czechia beat the US by a 6-3 score as Czechia outshot the Americans by a 34-13 mark. In the later Sunday game, Japan met Kazakhstan, and Team Japan held a 4-0 lead over Kazakhstan at the time of publishing.
Canada and Great Britain tangle tomorrow, but I suspect that will be a one-sided game for the Canadians once more. That's not to say that the British women won't give it their all, but the Canadians may be a little more polished than their counterparts. Unfortunately, there is no TV coverage whatsoever for the women's event until they reach the semifinal stage, so I encourage everyone to hit this site for information on how Canada is doing in Torino.
And because I'm not against the Canadian men defending their gold medal either, they opened with an 11-0 win over Korea. Calgary Dinos forward Colson Gengenbach recorded a hat trick in the win as they now get set for a battle Czechia later today. Again, no TV coverage, so stick with the website above for details on Canada's progress!
The Kids Are Alright
Congratulations to Canada's U18 National Team who came away with a gold medal in today's final in Vantaa, Finland! I'm not here to bemoan the lack of U SPORTS commitments because these women are the best of the best we have to offer at the U18 level, and it's clear that they earned the right to be called "the best" with their gold medal victory over the US today!As it stands, there are two uncommitted players on Canada's roster in goaltender Marilou Grenier and defender Rosalie Breton. If any U SPORTS coaches are looking to add a great player to their rosters, I suggest brushing up on your French as these two Quebec-born players are still looking at options. I'd assume that the RSEQ schools have a shot, but these are two players every coach should covet!
There was a member of one Canada West team who was on the team, though, as Saskatchewan Huskies goaltending coach Sheldon Goertzen was part of the team, so there is a U18 World Championship gold medal coming back to Canada West! And while she's not a "kid", big kudos go out to former Saksatchewan Huskies play-by-play broadcaster and current U SPORTS National Championship broadcaster Daniella Ponticelli for her calls of the Canada and US games throughout this tournament. Alongside Cheryl Pounder, I thought the entire coverage, including in-studio analysts Laura Diakun, Sami Jo Small, and Megan Bozek, was excellent!
Well done, Daniella, on your incredible career, and it always tickles me when I say, "I used to work less than six feet away from her!"
The Last Word
"We just need to elevate our level," Dinos head coach Josh Gosling said following Saturday's game. "At the end of the day right now, we're playing in second gear. We've got to find fourth, and we've got to find it quickly."With the Dinos on a bye week this week, they need UBC to help them by beating the Trinity Western Spartans. From there, they need to go in and sweep Trinity Western on January 24 and 25 if they want ay chance at playing for a playoff spot. Calgary, as noted, has eight games remaining and they sit six points back of Trinity Western.
I know Josh Gosling said they're in second gear, but they need to start every game after their bye week in fourth gear and leave it all on the ice. Otherwise, these playoff races may be settled before the calendar flips to February, and no one wants to be playing games that don't matter. It's going to take a big effort, but the Dinos need to play playoff hockey for the next eight games as it's as close to "win or go home" as they can get.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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