One would expect the home team, having last change and the comforts of their home arena, to be fired up to be playing in front of their fans, but it seems the Bisons forgot to set the alarm clock based on how they started this game. The ice seemed tilted towards the Bisons' end for the entire first period as the Dinos dominated virtually every aspect of the game. The highlight for the Dinos came late in the period as Elizabeth Lang found Sara Craven in the slot who one-touched a pass down to Delaney Frey who was cutting across the goal crease, and Frey tucked home the puck around Schubert's pad to put Calgary up 1-0 at 16:22! At the end of the first period, Calgary held the one-goal lead and a decisive 13-2 advantage in shots.
The second period was better for Manitoba if one just based the game on shot totals, but the truth is that Calgary imposed its will once again in this period. While Manitoba was more engaged for periods of time, the sixth-ranked team in the nation in the Dinos showed why they're ranked in the U SPORTS Top-Ten. Calgary would double their goal total past the midway point of the period when Sage Desjardins won possession behind the net and centered the puck to a wide-open Holly Reuther who outwaited Schubert as she carried the puck across the front of the net, sliding it past the sprawled netminder at 13:28 of the frame to put Calgary up 2-0! Manitoba had a few chances, but they simply weren't generating enough shots. After 40 minutes, Calgary led 2-0 in goals and 21-6 in shots.
The third period saw the Bisons come out with a little urgency, and it paid off early. Chloe Snaith threw a centering pass into the slot from the left half-boards, and Samantha Sichkaruk lifted Holly Reuther's stick to be able to chip the puck up and past the blocker and pad of Durante just 1:20 into the frame for her first Canada West goal! Manitoba continued to press for goals as the period wore on, but the Dinos used solid defensive zone play plus a few key saves from Durante to keep Manitoba trailing by a goal. With Schubert on the bench and the extra attacker for the Bisons, Taylor Beck would record her first goal of the season with 59 seconds to play to ice the game as the Calgary Dinos got past the Manitoba Bisons by the 3-1 score! Gabrielle Durante has a rather quiet night in stopping just eight shots for her second win of the season while Amanda Schubert likely deserved a better fate after turning aside 24 shots.
Highlights of this game are below!
SATURDAY: With their playoff hopes fading quickly, Saturday's game became a must-win for Manitoba if they hoped to catch one of UBC, Lethbridge, or Regina for a playoff spot. Calgary, meanwhile, was looking to wrap up a weekend sweep and send Manitoba to its fourth-straight loss. Gabriella Durante was back in the net for Calgary while the Bisons switched things up by starting Erin Fargey in this game.
Whatever was said the night before or prior to this game saw a massive shift in the two teams as the Bisons came out like the rink was on fire while the Dinos were caught on their heels by this new aggression from the home team. Manitoba came at the Dinos in waves in the opening half of the period, and it paid off just past the midpoint. Chloe Snaith chipped a puck in deep where Molly Kunnas picked it up and centered to a pinching Megan Neduzak who went low to the far side past the pad of Durante at 12:05 to give Manitoba its first lead of the weekend at 1-0! The Dinos wouldn't leave the ice empty-handed, though, as they would strike on the power-play late in the period. Sara Craven's shot from the point was kicked out by Erin Fargey to the far side, but it went directly to the blade of the stick held by Annaliese Meier and Meier buried the rebound before Fargey could recover at 17:30 to make it a 1-1 game! That score would carry into the intermission with Manitoba holding a 5-3 edge in shots.
Calgary snapped awake in the second period as they showed why they're the sixth-ranked team in the nation as they generated scoring chances and found their offence once again. The only problem was that Erin Fargey was giving nothing up. At the other end, Manitoba was finding shooting lanes and looking for rebounds, but Gabriella Durante was equal to the task. The game remained tied 1-1 through two periods with the teams tied 11-11 in shots.
The teams would trade chances in the third period through the opening portion of the period, but a pair of penalties 58 seconds apart in the middle of the period put the Dinos at a serious disadvantage. Following a timeout by the Bisons, they came out and executed on the 5-on-3 power-play as Lauren Warkentin got the puck down low to Jordy Zacharias, and the Manitoba captain walked out and fired a shot high inside the post that Durante had little chance to stop as the Bisons went up 2-1 at 13:06! Calgary pushed for the equalizer over the last seven minutes of play, including pulling Durante for six attackers, but the Bisons withstood the attack to secure the 2-1 victory over the Dinos! Erin Fargey stopped 15 shots for her third win of the season while Gabriella Durante stopped 17 shots in the loss.
Highlights of this game are below!
Playing at Clare Drake Arena is always a tough endeavour because of how the Pandas play at home, and the first period was no different on this night as Zoe de Beauville was tested early and often by Alberta. The good news is that both de Beauville and the Cougars defence was able to weather the storm in the opening frame as they escaped unscathed. At the other end, Halle Oswald wasn't all that busy, but made the saves when she was called upon. Through 20 minutes, the game remained tied at 0-0 despite Alberta holding a 13-3 edge in shots. As a side note, it took me about five minutes of watching this game to figure out that Alex Poznikoff wasn't in the lineup for the Pandas. With her having the night off, perhaps the Cougars could take advantage?
If they were going to, they let the opportunity slip away early in the second period as Alberta's deadly power-play went to work. Cayle Dillon's pinpoint pass through traffic from the right point to the back post was on the mark as Kennedy Ganser just had to get her blade on the puck, and she did that at 2:54 for the power-play goal and the 1-0 lead for the Pandas! The remainder of the period was much like the first period with the shot total heavily skewed in favour of the Pandas, but they'd get nothing else past de Beauville as the Cougars were hanging tough. After two periods, the 1-0 lead stood in favour of the Pandas, and they held a 23-6 lead in shots.
Alberta would use another early power-play in the third period to double their lead. Autumn MacDougall threw a sharp-angle shot that de Beauville got a piece of, but the bouncing puck landed by the near post where Madison Willan banged it home at 5:41 for another power-play goal and a 2-0 Pandas lead! The Cougars would up their game as they looked for a pair of goals to tie the game, and they'd find one late. Anna Purschke, on a great individual effort, raced past Abby Benning and got a low shot away inside the left circle that got under Oswald's left pad at 16:30 to make it a 2-1 game! With 1:25 remaining, de Beauville went to the bench for the extra attacker, but Cayle Dillon would ice this game with the empty-netter with 49 seconds to play. At the final horn, the Alberta Pandas downed the Mount Royal Cougars by a 3-1 score! Halle Oswald made ten saves for her seventh win of the campaign while Zoe de Beauville was good on 25 shots in a losing effort.
Highlights of this one are below!
Much like the Friday night game, the Saturday game saw the Pandas aggressive early as they found shooting lanes through to Ross, but the MRU netminder wasn't letting anything by. It would take a power-play seven minutes into this game for the 0-0 score to be broken, and the Pandas would be the team to do it. Autumn MacDougall's shot from the sharp angle appeared to be going over the net, but Kennedy Ganser got her stick on it as she was being knocked down and deflected back towards the ice where Madison Willan banked the puck into the net off Ross for the power-play marker and the 1-0 Alberta lead at 7:55! It looked like Mount Royal may escape the period down juts a goal, but Anna Purschke fanned on a pass in own zone allowing Regan Wright to corral the puck and snap a shot that went high over the Cougars goal, but the carom off the glass came out to Isabelle Lajoie who tapped it home after Ross was caught out of position to put the Pandas up 2-0 at 17:10. The end of 20 minutes, Alberta held the two-goal lead and an 11-6 advantage in shots.
The second period saw both tighten the defence a few notches as shots and scoring chances were down, but the teams still went up and down the ice. Midway through the period, Alex Gowie had the puck behind the Mount Royal goal line and drew the defenders to her as she looked for Danielle Hardy for a pass, but spotted Payton Laumbach coming off the bench into the slot, hit the rookie with the pass, and Laumbach went inside the post on the glove side with a great shot at 11:35 to put the Pandas up 3-0! That goal would spell the end of the night for Ross as she was replaced by Cassie Shokar in the Mount Royal net as head coach Scott Rivett looked for a spark. There wasn't much to be found in terms of sparks, however, as that would be the only goal of the period as Mount Royal faced a serious task of digging out of a 3-0 hole they found themselves in while Alberta held the edge in shots 20-11.
The third period was a shutdown period for the Pandas as they held a three-goal lead and just needed to manage the win for their ninth-straight victory. They did just that as well, outshooting the Cougars 8-6 in the period, but surrendering no real dangerous chances as the Pandas kept everything to the outside and Chamberlin smothered anything near her. When the final horn sounded, Alberta celebrated a 3-0 victory over Mount Royal. Kirsten Chamberlin was perfect on 17 shots as she recorded her fourth shutout and seventh win of the season while Kaitlyn Ross took the loss in her 31:35 of work after making 13 stops. For the record, Cassie Shokar played 28:25 in this game, stopping all 12 shots she faced.
Highlights of this game are below!
Early in the second period after two Lethbridge defenders got themselves crossed up, Salyn stripped the last Lethbridge defender of the puck before she could get it corralled, and Salyn fired a low shot inside the glove-side post that beat Anderson at 2:34 to put the Huskies up 2-0! Things settled down after that goal, but Saskatchewan was the more aggressive team through the remainder of the period as they doubled up the Pronghorns in shots. After two periods, Saskatchewan led 1-0 and held an 18-7 advantage in shots.
The third period was played a little rougher as there were seven minor penalties handed out in this frame. Despite the parade to the box, there was only power-play goal, but it wasn't the first goal scored in the period. Behind the Lethbridge goal line, Emily Upgang centered to Bailee Bourassa who got a quick shot off that Anderson got a piece of, not enough of, as the puck trickled behind her and across the line at 9:34 to make it a 3-0 game for the Huskies. However, 1:19 later while on the power-play, the Pronghorns would cut into that lead when Kyra Greig made a great pass from behind the net that went through the crease to the backdoor where Mila Verbicky fired it past Vance to make it a 3-1 game at 10:53! The Huskies, however, would limit further chances through the final nine minutes as they closed out a 3-1 win on Play For A Cure Night! Jessica Vance picked up her eighth win of the season with an 11-save night while Alicia Anderson suffered the loss after stopping 23 shots.
Highlights of this game are below!
SATURDAY: Lethbridge's slide in 2020 from the last week of November continued on Friday, so they needed to end the losing streak in a hurry. Saskatchewan, meanwhile, was stockpiling points as they looked to continue to build towards the Canada West playoffs. Alicia Anderson was sent out to the crease for Lethbridge while Camryn Drever took to the nets for Saskatchewan.
The first period of this game saw Saskatchewan use a couple of power-play opportunities to put pucks on net, but nothing got past Anderson. A late power-play for the Pronghorns allowed them to test Drever, but she was equal to the task as well. 20 minutes went into the books as a 0-0 tie, but with Saskatchewan leading 11-6 in shots.
The second period continued as the first period went as a couple of Lethbridge penalties allowed Saskatchewan to get its offence rolling, and it would finally strike midway through the frame. Emma Nutter's shot from the right point got into Anderson through a screen, and the scrum saw the puck poked out to the left circle where Abby Shirley swooped in and buried the loose puck at 10:10 for the power-play goal and the 1-0 Huskies lead! That would be the only goal witnessed in the period as Drever continued with her clean sheet while Anderson bounced back after the Huskies goal. Through 40 minutes, Saskatchewan held one-goal lead and 21-11 advantage in shots.
The final period saw the two teams continue their perceived stalemate had it not been for the power-play goal in the middle frame. Lethbridge, sensing defeat, opted to pull Anderson with 37 seconds left, but Bailee Bourassa would deposit the puck in the yawning cage 18 seconds later as the Saskatchewan Huskies skated to the 2-0 victory over the Lethbridge Pronghorns. Camryn Drever made 16 saves for her second shutout and third win of the season while Alicia Anderson deserved a better fate after stopping 27 of 28 shots she faced.
Highlights of this game are below!
I'll say this upfront: the referees were busy on this night with 15 power-play opportunities handed out between the two teams and UBC receiving 11 of those 15 chances. Unfortunately, they went 0-for-3 in the first period as Kish was solid in keeping the UBC score at zero. Regina had a couple of chances, but they couldn't capitalize either. Through one period, it was 0-0 with UBC leading 11-3 in shots.
The second period saw the stalemate continue as the two netminders were stopping everything sent their ways. Five minor penalties to the Cougars gave the T-Birds all sorts of chances to break the deadlock, but Jane Kish was making all sorts of saves and her defence did a good job at limiting second chances. Through two periods of play, the 0-0 score held strong while UBC was way out in front in shots at a 22-8 count.
The third period seemed like this chess match of move-countermove would continue through the night, but we'd finally see a goal just before the midway point of the period! And not on a power-play either! Jordan Kulbida picked up a loose puck just inside the UBC blue line on the right wing as UBC failed to clear the puck, and she danced past a defender down to the inside of the right face-off circle and fired a high shot to the blocker side that Micklash couldn't stop as Regina grabbed the 1-0 lead on the great individual effort! The penalty troubles for Regina would continue in the latter half of the frame as UBC worked feverishly to find the equalizer, but the Cougars would survive despite a late flurry of action around their net to capture the 1-0 win over the Thunderbirds. Jane Kish was outstanding on this night as she stopped 34 shots for her fourth shutout and eighth win of the season while Tory Micklash likely deserved a better fate after stopping 13 shots in the loss. As a side note, UBC went 0-for-11 on the power-play in this game while Regina was 0-for-4 with the advantage.
Highlights of this game are below! And don't be fooled by the graphic at the start - Alberta did not play UBC. I can assure you that Regina is the team in white in this highlight package.
SATURDAY: In a stunning contrast to Friday's game, the whistles were away in this game and the two teams played a fairly even game. Regina, with a win, would move into a tie for points with UBC and likely get itself into a playoff spot depending on other results. UBC had to find the back of the net in this game if they were to hold off the Cougars, so would the increased even-strength play benefit them? Jane Kish was back in the net for Regina as she looked to continue her hot play while Tory Micklash got the call for the T-Birds once again.
The first period, as stated, was very evenly-played. An early power-play for the Thunderbirds was killed, and coincidental minors midway through the period were the only splashes of ink on the score sheet as Kish and Micklash looked sharp once again. Through one period, the 0-0 score held while UBC held a 5-4 edge in shots.
The second period continued on with the teams trading decent scoring chances at either end, but a broken play at the midway point of the period broke the deadlock. Regina's Jordan Kulbida looked to fire a shot in, but it hit UBC defender Kennesha Miswaggon and bounced into the slot where Chelsea Hallson backhanded a shot that appeared to hit a UBC stick in front of Micklash and go up and over the netminder on the stick side before she could react, and Regina had the 1-0 at 9:55! The last ten minutes of the period were played just as the first ten minutes were, minus any further goals, as the two teams continued their chess match through to the end of the frame. After 40 minutes, the Cougars led 1-0 and held an 11-9 advantage in shots.
The third period saw these two teams swinging for the fences as UBC looked to tie the game while Regina looked to end it, but the goaltenders were more than content to keep the two teams separated by just a goal. Paige Hubbard, however, seemed to end the hopes of a comeback with her empty-net goal at 18:22, but UBC continued with six attackers as they pressed for a goal - any goal at this point - to end the weekend shutout. Unfortunately, Jordan Kulbida would be the only goal-scorer in the final 1:38 as she buried the empty-netter to give Regina the 3-0 win over UBC! Jane Kish was excellent in her crease once again as she recorded her fifth shutout and ninth win of the season while Tory Micklash stopped 15 shots on a night where surrendering just one goal was the difference.
Highlights of this game are below!
| School | Record | Points | GF | GA | Streak | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | 13-5-1-1 | 42 | 46 | 30 | L1 | @ SAS |
| Alberta | 13-6-1-0 | 41 | 57 | 23 | W9 | @ LET |
| Saskatchewan | 10-6-1-3 | 35 | 36 | 30 | W2 | vs CAL |
| Mount Royal | 9-10-1-0 | 29 | 29 | 28 | L2 | @ REG |
| Regina | 6-10-4-0 | 26 | 35 | 42 | W4 | vs MRU |
| British Columbia | 7-9-1-3 | 26 | 28 | 40 | L8 | @ MAN |
| Lethbridge | 6-10-1-3 | 23 | 35 | 51 | L6 | vs ALB |
| Manitoba | 5-13-1-1 | 18 | 21 | 43 | W1 | vs UBC |
The Last Word
It's always interesting when there's an "upset" in Canada West women's hockey. I get that Calgary was rolling and should have steamrolled Manitoba in both games, but I've been saying it a lot on Canada West hockey broadcasts and on here - this conference is so difficult to win because the level of talent in Canada West is so good. Yes, Calgary was playing good hockey and, on paper, they should have beaten a younger, inexperienced Manitoba team. However, the Bisons raised their compete level and added the scoring of a couple of veteran players, and the end result was a split for the two teams as each parted with three points. For those keeping track at home, Manitoba is now responsible for two of the five regulation losses by the Dinos, so the old adage remains true: anyone can beat anyone on any given day in this conference.Alberta holds the current longest win streak in Canada West this season, and they'll play a Lethbridge team that would have no luck if they didn't have bad luck. Whatever is happening to the Pronghorns needs to be cured, fixed, and repaired because their free-fall through the standings now has them on the outside looking in, and that's not where they wanted to be this late in the season. Facing Alberta, the task gets no easier whatsoever, so Lethbridge will need to be at their best if they hope to end Alberta's win streak and try to prevent Manitoba from inching closer.
If the Huskies can get some help from their provincial rivals in Regina while winning a game or two over the Dinos, the Huskies may be able to wind down the season nicely and comfortably in third-place with their final six games against teams that are lower than them in the standings. While nothing is guaranteed as mentioned above regarding the Dinos, if Saskatchewan can pull down all six points this weekend, they would put immense pressure on the Dinos in their final six games in the battle for second-place and the first-round bye in the playoffs. You know that both of these teams will come out motivated with that reality hanging over this weekend series, so expect some fireworks and highlights from this Calgary-Saskatchewan series this weekend.
Mount Royal is going to try and stop Regina's rise up the standings as the two Cougars squads meet in Regina. Mount Royal has played .500 hockey all season long, splitting weekends before winning two and then losing two, but they'll need a sweep if they want to hold off Regina. A pair of regulation wins for Regina would move them into fourth-place ahead of MRU as their rather incredible run continues, so there's playoff positioning on the line in Regina this weekend. Could we see both Cougars teams host playoff games this year? Mathematically, it's possible.
Finally, if there's one number you should know, it's 125:16. That's how long that the UBC Thunderbirds have gone without scoring a goal. Of course, it pales in comparison to the 300+ minutes the Bisons racked up during their can't-buy-a-goal month, but it's quite stunning to know that Manitoba's shutout streak started with UBC shutting them out twice on October 25 and 26. Perhaps the Bisons are looking to return the favor in helping to extend the T-Birds' current woes? In any case, Manitoba needs wins to try and grab a playoff spot over the last four weeks of the season while UBC is trying to hold off the Bisons from overtaking them. It won't happen in one weekend with Manitoba eight points back of the Thunderbirds, but chopping six points off that total is a goal for the Bisons and a problem for the T-Birds. The only thing that matters for both teams? Win.
And just for fun before I get out of here for another week, Manitoba has been shutout eight times this year while UBC has been blanked seven times as they've both carried triple-digit times for shutout streaks this season. Alberta's and Regina's goaltenders should be sending thank-you cards to these two teams as they each have four shutouts recorded against Manitoba and UBC while Mount Royal has three shutouts. The only team that hasn't blanked Manitoba or UBC this year? The Lethbridge Pronghorns.
The goaltender who should credit not only her team in helping her post great stats, but credit the Bisons and Thunderbirds at the end of the season for her great numbers as well? Regina's Jane Kish. Kish is 5-0-0, has stopped 131 of 133 shots against for a .985 save percentage in those five games, a 0.39 GAA in those five contests, and four shutouts against these two teams this season. The last time either of these two teams put a puck past Kish into the back of the net was on October 19 in a 3-2 shootout win by the Cougars over the Thunderbirds. Those are simply staggering numbers by the Regina netminder.
That's all for this week. Make sure you tune into Canada West TV for all the action this upcoming weekend as the playoff picture will likely get a little clearer in the Canada West Conference. Even better, get down to your nearest Canada West rink and cheer these ladies on!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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