The Rundown - Week 7
These two teams got things started by playing some good defensive hockey as neither goaltender faced many tests. A power-play for the T-Birds yieldeed nothing, and TWU used that momentum to push their offence. That paid off when Amy Potomak's long wrister from the left side went up high on Hugens where she couldn't squeeze it, and the rebound popped out to Jordyn Matthews - not credited with an assist on this play, might I add - who tried to go low right-side that Hugens stopped, but Olivia Leier was standing in the slot to bury the second rebound for the TWU goal at 14:59! UBC would get a late power-play, but that too would be stopped as the Spartans took the 1-0 lead into the break despite UBC leading 6-5 in shots.
UBC began to exert its force on the game as they kept the Spartans to the outside throughout the majority of the second period. The two teams would trade very short power-plays, but it would be Rylind MacKinnon who broke the goose egg for the Thunderbirds three minutes after killing off one of those short power-plays when she beat Maltais to make it 1-1 at the 14:18 mark. Kennesha Miswaggon would double the number of UBC goals 2:59 later when her laser found room last Maltais, and the T-Birds were up 2-1 after 40 minutes while holding a 15-7 advantage in shots.
The defensive game continued in the third period as the Spartans pressed for the equalizer, and they'd get it when Potomak circled the net to the left side before spotting a pinching Chelsea Debusschere in the slot, and her one-timer dented twine at the 7:47 mark to make it a 2-2 game! The two teams would push for a lead, but the defences and goalies weren't interested in going home early on this night. What should be noted is that Rylind MacKinnon was flagged for tripping with eight seconds left to send Trinity Western to the power-play that, when the final horn sounded, would carry over to free hockey as we were off to overtime!
As I said, that power-play would carry over and it was key in the outcome as the Spartans, working the 4-on-3 power-play, saw Potomak feed Mackenzie Mayo for a one-timer that Hugens stopped, but the rebound came out to Jordyn Matthews who was stopped by a lunging Hugens only to get a second chance with the backhander where she lit the lamp! Matthews' game-winner was the difference as the Trinity Western Spartans downed the UBC Thunderbirds 3-2 in overtime! Mabel Maltais picked up her fourth win of the season with a 20-save effort in 60:30 of work while Elise Hugens suffered the loss despite stopping 12 shots on the night.
The very one-sided highlight package, produced by the Trinity Western Spartans, are below. If you're a UBC fan, skip the highlights and head to the next recap because your team's goals aren't included.
The UBC Thunderbirds weren't waiting around in this game as Sophia Gaskell got things started just 84 seconds into the game as the T-Birds grabbed the early lead. The Thunderbirds would continue their intense pressure throughout the period, and they'd be rewarded with a second goal as Chanreet Bassi dented twine on the power-play at 12:23 to make it a 2-0 game. Again, UBC was unrelenting, but the Spartans withstood the barrage through the remaining seven minutes to get to the break. UBC held the two-goal lead thanks to their 14-3 shot advantage.
The middle frame was far different thanks to a parade to the penalty box by both teams. UBC took an early penalty, and the Spartans capitalized when Kate Klassen found the back of the net on the power-play at 1:48 to make it 2-1. UBC's Mia Bierd would make it 3-1 at 8:36 during a rare time in the period where neither team was playing with an advantage, but UBC would take another ill-advised penalty as Neisha Germann sniped a power-play goal at 15:12 to make it a 3-2 game. A late two-player advantage for UBC would be unsuccessful, but the Thunderbirds still held the lead through 40 minutes at 3-2 and the lead in shots at 23-5! No, that's not a typo.
Trinity Western came out with a renewed sense of purpose in the third period as they upped their tempo. The pace seemed to favour the Thunderbirds, but the Spartans weren't going away. They'd find what they were searching for at 15:37 when Mackenzie Mayo's shot found room past Stuart for the equalizer at 3-3! The teams would play to the horn without any further goals, and that means we were off to overtime with the shots in favour of UBC at 30-12!
A cross-checking penalty in overtime to Trinity Western would be the break that UBC needed. Despite using 1:54 of that power-play time, the Thunderbirds would finally end this game at 2:42 when Hannah Koroll picked the pocket of a TWU defender, deked Maltais a couple of times, and slid the puck into the yawning cage for the overtime winner, and the UBC Thunderbirds scored the 4-3 overtime victory over the Trinity Western Spartans! Kate Stuart earned her fourth win with a nine-save night while Mabel Maltais likely deserved a better fate than an overtime loss after making 28 saves in 62:42 of work.
Highlights don't matter to UBC. Their teams win, and they post nothing to show of their incredible athletes. Why, UBC?
The first goal came just 96 seconds into this one off a play that no one expects, but the end result was a Sydney Benko goal just 1:36 into the game. Here's the video courtesy of the Regina Cougars.
Benko takes advantage of a funny bounce off the stanchion behind the net to score the easy wraparound marker past Williamson who clearly was not expecting that result, but Mount Royal would take the 1-0 lead. Regina would rally to tie the game, though, as Jadyn Kushniruk, standing on the doorstep, tipped home Olivia Leggett's blast from the point at 7:01, and it was a 1-1 game. The remainder of the period was played pretty evenly between these two squads despite the difference in points in the standings, and the 1-1 game would carry into the second period with the teams tied at 11 shots.
A power-play before the water had frozen at 11 seconds put the Mount Royal Cougars up a player, and they'd use that advantage quickly when Courtney Kollman one-timed a feed from Tatum Amy past Williamson at the 29-second markto give MRU the 2-1 lead. That lead would become 3-1 when Amy set up Alex Spence for her first Canada West goal exactly three minutes later at 3:29. Things would settle down after that as both teams began playing a little defence to thwart the opposition's attack, but it also meant that we'd go 16:31 without a goal as Mount Royal went into the second intermission with the two-goal lead and a 19-17 edge in shots.
A penalty with seven seconds remaining in the middle frame meant that Regina started a player down, and that didn't bode well for the home side as Athena Hauck cashed in the power-play goal just 29 seconds into this period to make it a 4-1 game for MRU. Despite having close to six minutes of power-play time in the period, the Regina Cougars simply couldn't crack the Mount Royal defence in the third period. The horn would sound with no other goals scored as the Mount Royal Cougars defeated the Regina Cougars by a 4-1 score. Kaitlyn Ross stopped 18 shots for her eighth win of the season while Natalie Williamson stopped 23 shots in the loss.
Regina likes to post social media clips of their individual goals. They don't like posting a highlight reel from the game or individual goals from the other team. Because they played Mount Royal and both of these teams are "Cougars" teams, we're not wasting an opportunity for funny hockey commercials. Here's another from Geico Insurance!
SATURDAY: Mount Royal was looking to continue its winning streak by closing out the sweep of Regina. Regina, as we know, needs points to stay in the race for the playoffs, but they'll have to score more than one goal. Cassie Shokar got the start for Mount Royal on Saturday while Regina responded with Arden Kliewer in their crease.
To say that the Cougars dominated this game wouldn't really give you an idea about anything, but it's hard not to see the difference in these two teams. Mount Royal scored 3:19 in when Tatum Amy, in the slot, one-timed a feed from Courtney Kollman behind the net. MRU simply controlled the pace all period long by keeping the puck in Regina's end of the ice. They would only score the one goal, but that 1-0 lead would carry into the second period with Mount Royal leading 12-3 in shots.
The shooting gallery continued in the second period as Mount Royal didn't let up. They'd finally get something past Kliewer when Mackenzie Butz hammered home a shot on the power-play at 12:27 to make it 2-0. 49 seconds after that, Kaylee Dyer was the recipient of another weird carom off the back boards when the puck came out to her at the bottom of the right circle, and she snapped hom a shot before Shokar could get into position to make it a 2-1 contest! Regina was benefitting from Kliewer being on her game as Moutn Royal held the 2-1 lead after 40 minutes even though they were outshooting the home side by a 26-7 margin. Not a typo!
The third period was like the previous two where MRU simply dictated the play, and they'd get an insurance marker early when Kollman fed Lyndsey Janes in the slot, and she buried it to make it 3-1 at 3:47. From there, Mount Royal continued to press despite leading as they proved that the best defence is a good offence. When the final horn sounded, the Mount Royal Cougars stood as the winning cats as they downed the Regina Cougars 3-1! Cassie Shokar made 12 saves for her second win of the season while Arden Kliewer likely deserved a better fate after making 36 stops in this game.
The word "Cougars" is an ancient Swedish term for "no highlights", but its connotation has changed in modern times to mean "funny commercial". Here's a coach talking about why his team failed to win tonight. I wanna hear one of these cliches used in a real scrum!
MacEwan came out in this game focused and determined as they started the game with all sorts of offensive pressure. That pressure would be relieved when MacEwan was called for a penalty, and the Huskies made them pay when Kelsey Hall notched a power-play goal at 6:44 to put the Huskies ahead 1-0. MacEwan didn't let up, though, as they continued to fire pucks from all areas of the offensive zone on Wilson. They'd finally break through with 50 seconds to play in the frame as Rebecca Thiessen dented twine, and we'd go into the break with the game tied at 1-1 despite MacEwan's 18-7 lead in shots.
The second period was much more Saskatchewan-like as the shots were kept to a minumum while the Huskies found goals. Kennedy Brown made it 2-1 in favour of the Huskies as she converted a Jayde Cadieux feed at 10:58 before Paris Oleksyn dented twine at 17:55 to make it 3-1 in a period in which both teams recorded just four shots apiece. Despite MacEwan trying to replicate their solid first period, it was Saskatchewan holding the two-goal lead heading to the third period despite MacEwan having the 22-11 advantage in pucks-on-net.
Saskatchewan continued their control of the game in the final frame. Kate Ball put them up 4-1 with her goal at 5:05, and Kendra Zuchotzki wired home another goal at 9:04 to make it 5-1. A late effort allowed Joie Simon to score a shorthanded marker at 18:55 for the Griffins, but it was simply too late for a comeback as the Huskies skated to the 5-2 victory over the Griffins on this night. Colby Wilson picked up her third win of the season after a 23-save effort while Brianna Sank took the loss on a 12-save night.
Again, no highlight reel made by the Huskies as usual, but I can show you what it was like for the Griffins once the Huskies started skating.
SATURDAY:After overpowering the Huskies in the first period on Friday, it seemed that MacEwan took their foot off the gas pedal. They'd need to play the full 60 minutes if they were going to earn a win against Saskatchewan. The Huskies, for their part, showed some solid scoring once they loked down the defensive side of the puck, so they were looking to continue that play. Brianna Sank had the start for the Griffins once again while Camryn Drever was guarding the net for the Huskies.
Saskatchewan came out in this second game and dictated a lot of the play in the opening period. They were helped due to MacEwan taking three minor penalties, and the third one cast MacEwan as Kennedy Brown dented twine at 15:06 to give the Huskies the 1-0 lead. MacEwan needed a reset to get their game back on track, so the 1-0 lead held into the break with the Huskies leading 11-4 in shots.
Saskatchewan was simply on another level on this night as the three power-plays awarded to MacEwan saw virtually no shots reach Drever. The two power-plays that the Huskies did get went by unsuccessfully, but there was a lot of the period played with just nine players on the ice. Despite this, Saskatchewan still found ways to get shots on Sank, but there would be no lamps lit in the second period as the 1-0 score stood through 40 minutes with Saskatchewan out in front 21-8 in shots. Not a typo.
The final period was a master class in defensive play from the home side as Saskatchewan allowed just two recorded shots on Drever as they kept MacEwan from getting any good looks in the offensive zone. Because of this defensive play, the defence had a relatively quiet night in helping keep the crease clear as the Huskies skated to the 1-0 victory over the Griffins! Camryn Drever recorded her first shutout with the 10-save night while Brianna Sank suffered the loss in a 28-save performance.
The only highlight needed is the wall that the Huskies put up. It looked like this. Nothing's getting through that wall.
This game was a bit of a showcase for one player in particular as Alli Borrow was on her game tonight. The Dinos' forward scored at 16:48 of the first period, 8:56 of the second period, and capped off her hat trick at 4:50 of the third period to lead the Dinos to a 3-0 lead through 44:50 of play. Elizabeth Lang would add one more goal just for good measure at 12:08, but the damage was done with the Borrow hat trick as Durante took care of anything sent her way. When the horn sounded, the Calgary Dinos earned the 4-0 victory! Gabriella Durante picked up her third shutout and fourth win of the season with a 23-save clean sheet on this night!
Calgary, who had been one of the more reliable schools when it came to highlights, apparently decided to send their highlight reels to the same fate as their school teams' namesake because all highlights from every game they ever made are gone. Erased. Extinct. Not even a fossil record. What gives, Calgary? Why would you do this?
SATURDAY: Calgary opened a bit of a gap over the bottom three teams in the conference with their win on Friday, and they were looking to add to that pain for those three teams with a sweep this weekend of the Fluffy Cows. Gabriella Durante was back in the Calgary net to try and complete the sweep!
Calgary was thoroughly outplayed for nearly 30 minutes in this game, falling behind 4-0 against a team they had shutout one night earlier. They began chipping away, though, as Elizabeth Lang one-timed a feed from Sydney Mercier home on the power-play at 10:11 to make it a 4-1 game. The Dinos couldn't get any closer through 40 minutes, so they had a pile of work to do in the final frame.
36 seconds into the third period, Elizabeth Lang fired a laser from the high slot that went high on the blocker side to make it 4-2. Just before the midway point of the period, Alli Borrow dropped a pass to Josie McLeod, and the rookie Dinos forward sniped a shot stick-side to make 4-3 at 9:09. Could the comeback happen? That answer is a resounding yes as Calgary pulled Durante for the extra attacker and it paid off! Elizabeth Lang won a puck battle behind the net and shoveled it into the slot where Sydney Mercier unleashed a backhander that beat the netminder with 42 seconds remaining, and we were tied at 4-4! It was off to overtime to find a winner!
Despite the incredible comeback, a penalty would do the Dinos in on this night as they gave up the power-play goal in overtime to suffer the extra-time loss. Gabriella Durante made 28 saves in the overtime loss while playing 61:54 in this game.
This comeback reminded me of that scene in Jurassic Park in the jeep. You know the one where Jeff Goldblum keeps saying "Must go faster". Goldblum, of course, got away. Barely.
| School | Record | Points | GF | GA | Streak | Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Royal | 10-1-0-1 | 21 | 41 | 20 | W4 | @ SAS |
| UBC | 7-1-2-2 | 20 | 42 | 21 | W1 | vs ALB |
| Alberta | 8-3-1-0 | 18 | 33 | 18 | W6 | @ UBC |
| Saskatchewan | 5-3-2-2 | 16 | 23 | 17 | W4 | vs MRU |
| Trinity Western | 4-5-2-1 | 13 | 29 | 31 | W1 | @ CAL |
| Calgary | 3-6-2-1 | 10 | 23 | 30 | L1 | vs TWU |
| Manitoba | 3-8-1-0 | 8 | 25 | 44 | W1 | @ MAC |
| MacEwan | 2-8-1-1 | 7 | 16 | 33 | L3 | vs MAN |
| Regina | 2-9-0-1 | 5 | 17 | 35 | L7 | BYE |
Shot Quality Matters
If you're the Regina Cougars, you head into the break having scored three-or-more goals this season just once. That was the opening game of the season, so it's been seven weeks since you scored three times in any game. To make matters worse, the Cougars haven't scored more than twice since October 22. While it's not quite 2021-22 Trinity Western levels of being unable to light lamps, it's certainly closer than any team wants to be.The catch here is that Regina needs to get second opportunities when they're presented by getting to the net. As it stands, two of Regina's top-five shot leaders are defenders, so pucks are getting through to goalies when they tee them up. Point shots are, by definition, a low percentage shot in terms of scoring. That means there needs to be some help whether it be a screen, a deflection, some traffic, or players heading to the net to chip home rebounds. Having two defenders hammer through a combined 45 shots is a good percentage of shots making it to the net. There just has to be someone there to clear up the second chances.
What isn't happening are second-chance opportunities - rebounds, caroms, loose pucks - and deflections. The Cougars certainly generate shots - they have 312 of them this season which is more than Alberta, MacEwan, the Fluffy Cows, and Trinity Western. Getting a few gritty goals would go a long way in helping their cause, so let's see if they make adjustments during their bye week because they're going to need a big push in the second-half of the season.
Whose Player Is That?
There have been four hat tricks scored this season in the first seven weeks of play. Three of those have come against the Fluffy Cows with two happening in the last two weeks. The combined scores in those three games where the Fluffy Cows allowed those hat tricks? 15-1. Ouch. Is this a defensive system breakdown or players simply trying to do to much?Based on the 44 goals surrendered in 12 games - the most given up in the conference - this would appear to be a larger problem than just a few players missing assignments. if defence wins championships... I'll let you finish this sentence.
Top Ten Watch
UBC was in at #2 this week. Mount Royal held firm at #7 with them being on the bye. Alberta is at #9. Concordia finally fell out of #1, landing at #3 while the team with the best record in any conference at the time of publishing on Tuesday is #1 as UNB sits atop the mountain at 9-1.Next week will likely see UBC drop with their loss to TWU, but there will still be a top-ten battle between the Thunderbirds and Alberta Pandas if you're looking for a game to pique your interest as two teams in one of the last year's semifinals will finally meet. The other semifinal will also be played next weekend as the U SPORTS bronze medallists in Saskatchewan will host a team they upset in the playoffs in the Mount Royal Cougars. Depending on what happens in these games, we could see some movement in both the Canada West standings and the U SPORTS Top Ten thanks to Canada West competition!
The Last Word
Mount Royal players occupy four of the top-five scoring leader spots with only Trinity Western's Amy Potomak breaking up the MRU party. Last year's leading scorer, UBC's Chanreet Bassi, had 22 points in 19 games where as this year's leading scorer is MRU's Tatum Amy who has 21 points in 12 games. Bassi led the league with 15 assists; Amy has already tied her total with 15 assists in 12 games.Autumn MacDougall had 31 points in 2019-20 when Canada West teams last played 28 games. It would appear Amy is going to eclipse that total. Iya Gavrilova had 43 points in 2015-16; Tatum Amy is on pace for 49 points right now. While no one is expecting Amy to continue her torrid scoring pace, 49 points would be the highest point total since Alberta's Tarin Podloski scored 61 in 2008-09. Hayley Wickenheiser's best season was 43 points in 2012-13.
I'm not saying that you need to abandon your local team to cheer for Mount Royal, but Tatum Amy is quietly having a heckuva year. We've known she's an exceptional player since starring for the Yellowhead Chiefs in Manitoba, but this might be a special year for the Cougars' captain. If you want to see one of Canada West's best players in person, find out where Mount Royal is playing and get your butt in a seat! Head coach Scott Rivett has assembled an incredible team, and he has one of the best leaders and players in the conference leading the way!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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