The Rundown - Week 4

It's had to believe that some teams will have played more than one-quarter of their seasons after this week, but that's how Canada West hockey works. With the UBC Thunderbirds taking a week off to prepare for next week's games, the remaining eight teams trying to hunt down the conference leaders were in action as games were played in three of the four provinces. We even had Calgary and Alberta tangle on CBC as six of nine Canada West cities had games played in those rinks. Who won, who lost, and who had solid weekends? Let's find out on this week's edition of The Rundown!

FRIDAY: You may be wondering why I always start The Rundown with the Calgary Dinos. It's my reward for them actually making highlight reels and posting them to YouTube. If you want your team to be top billing on the The Rundown, start asking your school's athletics department to give the same the effort that the Dinos' athletics department does. I'm grateful they do this and it helps me have a little fun rather than writing boring scoring recaps, so they've earned this spot all season long. Want that to change? Make highlight reels.

The fact that they're leading the East Division and battling their longtime rivals in the Pandas this week also helps as they looked to keep the good times rolling. Alberta, meanwhile, was looking to erase a two-game losing streak and start a winning streak of their own over their interprovincial rivals as they hunt down UBC in the standings!


Pandas goals: Annie King (1)
Pandas assists: Abby Soyko (2)
Pandas netminder: Grace Glover (27/29)

Dinos goals: Hannah Reagh (2), April Klarenbach (2)
Dinos assists: Evelyn Lawrence (3), Alex Spence (3), Jada Johns (3), Evelyn Lawrence (4)
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (23/24)

Result: 2-1 victory for Calgary over Alberta.

SATURDAY: After the Dinos pushed their home record to 3-1-0 on the season with a win over the Pandas, they took their show on the road to Edmonton for the back-half of the two-game set. The Dinos were looking for the sweep to stay ahead of the pack of teams chansing them, but the Pandas also play well at home where they are 2-0-0. After uncharacteristically dropping a third-straight game, the Pandas were looking for a big effort for their CBC debut on Saturday which can be watched here if you'd like to watch this game.

Dinos goals: none
Dinos assists: none
Dinos netminder: Maisie Cope (28/30)

Pandas goals: Holly Magnus (1), Sara Kazeil (2), Annie King (2)
Pandas assists: Jadynn Morden (2), Ryann Perrett (2), Natalie Kieser (2)
Pandas netminder: Mackenzie Dojahn (20/20)

Result: 3-0 victory for Alberta over Calgary.

FRIDAY: We'll jump to the other rink in Calgary as the Mount Royal Cougars welcomed the Manitoba Bisons back to Calgary where they played the week before. Manitoba went 0-2 against the Dinos, so they were looking to even out that City-of-Calgary record with a solid weekend over the Cougars. Mount Royal was looking to keep pace with their crosstown rivals in the standings, so they had their sights set on a sweep at home to push their winning streak to five games!

Bisons goals: Sara Harbus (1), Norah Collins (1)
Bisons assists: Louise Fergusson (2), Aimee Patrick (2), Aimee Patrick (3), Brenna Nicol (3)
Bisons netminder: Cypress Classen (19/22)

Cougars goals: Keyana Bert (1), Allee Gerrard (1), Summer Fomradas (1)
Cougars assists: Abigail Borbandy (1), Kaia Borbandy (1), Allee Gerrard (4)
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (16/18)

Result: 3-2 overtime victory for Mount Royal over Manitoba.

SATURDAY: After a tightly-contested game one night earlier, both the Cougars and Bisons reconvened for the second game where both sides wanted to keep the defensive play sharp, but continue to press for goals. The Bisons needed more than a single point for this weekend's efforts if they wanted to stay in the race, but the Cougars weren't going to be interested in helping them.

Bisons goals: none
Bisons assists: none
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (18/20)

Cougars goals: Kiana McNinch (1), Allee Gerrard (2), Keyana Bert (2), Julia Duke (3)
Cougars assists: Sydney Benko (2), Breanne Comte (1), Jori Hansen-Young (3), Lyvia Butz (2), Jerzey Watteyne (1)
Cougars netminder: Scout Anderson (21/21)

Result: 4-0 victory for Mount Royal over Manitoba.

FRIDAY: For the first time in a long time, the MacEwan Griffins and the Trinity Western Spartans would compete as interdivisional rivals! Trinity Western had recorded all four of their wins in extra time, but they didn't care how they won as long as they won. MacEwan entered the weekend with the same number of regulation wins as Trinity Western - zero - but they needed to find the back of the net in Langley if they hoped to change that number.

Griffins goals: none
Griffins assists: none
Griffins netminder: Taya Currie (25/30)

Spartans goals: Kyra McDonald (2), Kyra McDonald (3), Chayce Kullman (1), Keelyn Pisani (1), Kailey Ledoux (2)
Spartans assists: Chloe Reid (2), Jordyn Matthews (1), Sadie Isfeld (2), Kara Yackel (2), Presleigh Giesbrecht (3), Olivia Leier (1)
Spartans netminders: Kate Fawcett (29/29)

Result: 5-0 victory for Trinity Western over MacEwan.

SATURDAY: It goes without saying that no team likes to have a big number put up on them, so I expected the MacEwan Griffins to come into Saturday's game with a little fire in their skates. Of course, Trinity Western isn't going to let MacEwan fill their net without a solid effort of their own, so this game had all the makings of being a solid battle in the trenches as both teams finished off their weekend set.

Griffins goals: Claire Hobbs (1), Sydney Jack (1)
Griffins assists: Marley Howes (1), Robin Short (2)
Griffins netminder: Lindsey Johnson (36/37)

Spartans goals: Kara Yackel (3)
Spartans assists: Sadie Isfeld (3), Chayce Kullman (1)
Spartans netminders: Olivia Davidson (19/21)

Result: 2-1 victory for MacEwan over Trinity Western.

FRIDAY: Somehow, the two games played in the easternmost cities this week were the last games to get going on both days, but the Saskatchewan Huskies headed south to Regina for a date with the Cougars on Friday. One point separated these two teams in the standings, so this series could have a big effect on how they finish in the standings at the end of the series. Of course, there's bragging rights and pride on the line whenever these two interprovincial rivals square off for a weekend series, so this series should be a beauty!

Huskies goals: Peppi Virtanen (1)
Huskies assists: Kahlen Wisener (2)
Huskies netminder: Emma Backman (17/17) in 63:12

Cougars goals: none
Cougars assists: none
Cougars netminder: Natalie Williamson (20/21) in 63:12

Result: 1-0 overtime victory for Saskatchewan over Regina.

SATURDAY: The Huskies returned home having drawn first blood in the Battle of the Rectangular Province. With the overtime win, these teams were officially tied in the standings, so Saturday's game would push one of them ahead of the other. Regina wouldn't be happy going into enemy territory having been shutout on home ice, so I expected a good push from Regina in the second game. Saskatchewan, after starting the season 0-1-2 on home ice, wanted to pick up a big win at Merlis Belsher Place and wrap up a series sweep over their rivals.

Huskies goals: Bronwyn Boucher (2)
Huskies assists: Kendra Zuchotzki (2), Sara Kendall (2)
Huskies netminder: Colby Wilson (19/23)

Cougars goals: Felicia An (1), Quinn McLaren (1), Kaitlyn Gilroy (1), Kaitlyn Gilroy (2)
Cougars assists: Kaylee Dyer (1), Quinn McLaren
Cougars netminder: Amy Swayze (24/25)

Result: 4-1 victory for Regina over Saskatchewan.

Don't even ask about divisions. I'm not interested in that setup. It's one conference, nine teams, and we'll see who is best in the west.

CANADA WEST WOMEN'S HOCKEY

School	Record	Points	GF	GA	Streak	Next
UBC	6-0-0-0	12	18	5	W6	@ REG
Mount Royal	4-2-2-0	12	17	10	W5	BYE
Calgary	5-3-0-0	10	15	12	L1	vs MAC
Trinity Western	1-3-4-0	10	20	16	L1	@ ALB
Alberta	3-3-0-2	8	16	17	W1	vs TWU
Regina	2-1-1-2	8	12	8	W1	vs UBC
Saskatchewan	1-2-1-2	6	8	13	L1	@ MAN
Manitoba	0-3-1-2	4	9	20	L5	vs SAS
MacEwan	1-6-0-1	3	7	21	W1	@ CAL

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. I don't usually pick two players, but his week's Honour Roll candidates are players who had yet to see the ice in games this season before jumping in and helping their teams to big wins. They didn't do it by scoring, but were unbeatable in their creases. This week's Honour Roll candidates are Saskatchewan's Emma Backman and Alberta's Mackenzie Dojahn who both pitched shutouts in their first starts!

With the Huskies having three netminders, battling for ice time will be difficult. Both Colby Wilson and Clara Juca are solid netminders, but Emma Backman played well in a lot of tough games last season for a rebuilding Saskatchewan team. Fast-forward to this season where the competition for time in the crease is tough, but Backman practices hard and shows up ready to play every day. That kind of preparation had her set for the start in Regina where she stonewalled the Cougars through 60 minutes before teammate Peppi Virtanen finally ended the game in overtime. Backman made 17 saves behind a solid Huskies defence to blank Regina on Friday through 63 minutes of play, and that's how Emma Backman adds her name to the list!

Out in Edmonton, the Pandas have the same predicament where both Grace Glover and Misty Rey have been holding the fort for now, but Mackenzie Dojahn was an impressive 4-0-0 last season with two shutouts. Clearly, Dojahn can play, but her ice time has been limited so far this season. On Saturday, Dojahn got the nod against one of the East Division's best teams and she put on a show, stopping 20 shots behind a very stingy Alberta defence. A handful of Dojahn saves were of the "how did she stop that?" variety, and her first shutout this season and third shutout in five games in her Canada West career is how Mackenzie Dojahn adds her name to the list!

Again, I normally don't pick two players for the Homour Roll, but both Emma Backman and Mackenzie Dojahn come to practice and work hard, hit the gym and put their reps in, show up in the classroom and keep their GPAs high, and they stay ready for the next time their names are called. Both of them got that opportunity this weekend, and both showed up in a big way to help their team pick up points while allowing their opposition nothing. That's how Saskatchewan's Emma Backman and Alberta's Mackenzie Dojahn make the list!

Temporary Housing

Announced on the Pandas' website earlier this week, visitors to Clare Drake Arena - "the arena where dreams go to die" - will get a one-season reprieve from that situation as the Pandas and Golden Bears announced that they'll play the 2026-27 season at the Silent Ice Center in Nisku while Clare Drake Arena undergoes maintenance. For those wondering, the Silent Ice Center sits 30 minutes south of Clare Drake Arena and the university if one follows the Calgary Trail south.

As the release states, "Silent Ice Center features two NHL-sized ice surfaces, with the primary rink holding 1,800 spectators, and includes loge seats, sky boxes, and four private suites" and it will also serve as the practice facility for both the Pandas and Golden Bears. It marks the first time in 66 years that University of Alberta hockey will play outside of Clare Drake Arena, so the new venue has big shoes to fill.

The Pandas and Golden Bears will look to make the Silent Ice Center in Nisku as unfriendly for visiting teams while the legendary Clare Drake Arena undergoes a facelift starting in the spring of 2026.

Three-Point System Needed?

We're one month into the season, and it seems pretty clear that the parity in the conference is making two-point wins almost moot. I say that because the ideal situation would be a three-point system where regulation wins earn teams three points and extra-time wins earn teams two points in the standings. You might be asking how this would make the standings look of we moved to that system, so here are those details up to this point in the season.

UBC - 6-0-0-0 = 18 points
Mount Royal - 4-2-2-0 = 16 points
Calgary - 5-3-0-0 = 15 points
Alberta - 3-3-0-2 = 11 points
Trinity Western - 1-3-4-0 = 11 points
Regina - 2-1-1-2 = 10 points
Saskatchewan - 1-2-1-2 = 7 points
MacEwan - 1-6-0-1 = 4 points
Manitoba - 0-3-1-2 = 4 points

Tiebreakers would be broken by the number of regulation wins that a team has earned as one of the criteria rather than lumping all of the wins togather. As you can see, Alberta is rewarded for winning in regulation time as compared to Trinity Western who has more total wins, but needed four of those in extra time. Winning in 60 minutes should be worth more than winning in 65 minutes, so it might serve Canada West well to go back to this scenario. At the very least, the three-point system rewards teams who win in regulation time.

Power Outage

After this weekend's games, there isn't a single team that's above 16% on its power-play success rate. Trinity Western has been the most successful with six goals on 36 power-play opportunities, but having no teams that score at a 20% rate means that most games feature a lot of oh-fer power-play units. That's not where this conference should be when it has as many elite scorers as it boasts.

I have made the case over and over that special teams are important, but it seems that the defence is outshining the offence in this conference right now. That always seems to be the case early in the season, so it's not something to be overly-worried about at this point. We'll see if things start getting better as more video work is done as the season progresses, but some work is needed.

The one number that four teams should worry about are their single-digit power-play success rates. Regina, Manitoba, Alberta, and MacEwan all sit below 10% right now, and three of four of those teams are the lowest-scoring teams in the conference. Special teams matter when it comes to taking pressure off even-strength scoring, so I'd be planning some extra power-play time in practices this week.

Better With Four?

On the flip side, that also means that penalty killers are doing their jobs well. As it stands, all nine teams are above 85% success in killing off penalties their teams take, so this is a testament to the stingy defences seen across this conference. I'm not suggesting that teams opt to play five-on-four in the defensive zone, but the penalty-killing units on all nine teams are doing a heck of job so far!

Scary Night Of Fun

CBC Sports will feature the Halloween game between the Saskatchewan Huskies and Manitoba Bisons next week which should be good background fodder if you're handing out candy to costumed tykes that night. I'll be doing the same for the kids in HBIC HQ's neighbourhood, so I won't be in attendance that night. Perhaps I'll make the trek down to the rink on Saturday.

I'm not sure how many people or kids are planning on going to the scheduled games on Halloween night, but my hope is that all the teams have some indoor candy gathering set up for kids of all ages who attend the games. If Canada West teams want the community to support them, they need to be part of the community. Give people a smile by scanning their tickets and handing them some candy on the way in. It might pay off bigger than one expects!

The Last Word

I get that neither Canada West nor the athletics departments for the nine teams are funding any efforts for social media outside of what is required by Canada West's rules. The fact that those rules state that regular-season recaps of games aren't even required is a big reason why I feel like giving up on this entire ruse and letting the awareness for this conference die. After all, if they don't care, why should I?

I look down south and there are scoring plays on virtually all social media channels, there's chatter about the game on those social media channels, and there are highlights from each game made by those schools' athletics departments. This isn't a hard thing to do, but it requires an active social media presence. All of the Canada West teams have a presence on Instagram, but more and more are abandoning the likes of Twitter and Facebook while channels like Bluesky and YouTube aren't even being touched. Having one social media outlet is the antithesis of brand reach and brand awareness.

I know that there are at least a dozen teams at each school that want the same exposure for its athletes when it comes to what is being described, but it seems like this won't change anytime soon. So I ask you, readers, if you're coming here for Canada West women's hockey news and I am not associated with any teams or the conference, how much information are you missing? Were you aware that the Regina Cougars, for example, played their Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Friday? Did you even know the Cougars had a game like that?

I try to bring all the news and information across about what's happening in Canada West women's hockey, but I'm an outsider. I apologize if I miss something, but things get missed when teams only post on one social media channel. Maybe that works if you only follow Canada West teams on Instagram, but I suspect that most people follow other accounts as well. As such, the brand reach and brand awareness of most teams is pretty small across western Canada.

As Oscar Wilde said, "There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." Indeed.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!