The Rundown - Week 15

If teams are serious about making the playoffs or securing quarterfinal byes or home-ice advantage in the quarterfinals, this was the weekend where all of that could happen. With four games remaining for most teams, there was still a tiny amount of wiggle room where positioning could be pushed to next week, but the results from this week would dictate how next plays out. In saying that, let's find out who is in, who is out, and who is playing for next week's exciting finish on this week's edition of The Rundown!

FRIDAY: The Saskatchewan Huskies arrived in Calgary holding a one-point edge in the race for the final East Division playoff spot, so they looked to keep the momentum rolling. The Calgary Dinos welcomed the Huskies to their barn as they sat four points back of Mount Royal, but hold the tie-breaker between the two teams. They also were in the hunt for points as this weekend could prove to be vital in helping Calgary win the East Division. Needless to say, this was a big weekend for both teams when it came to determining where each finishes!


Huskies goals: Jacquelyne Chief (1), Avery Gottselig (2), Peppi Virtanen (6), Kahlen Wisener (7), Kahlen Wisener (8), Paris Oleksyn (4)
Huskies assists: McKenna Bolger (8), Peppi Virtanen (5), Jayde Cadieux (10)
Huskies shootout scorers: none
Huskies netminders: Clara Juca (26/32) in 65:00 plus 2/3 shootout attempts

Dinos goals: Evelyn Lawrence (6), Brooklin Fry (2), Kyla Mitenko (2), Josie McLeod (4), Jess Martens (8), Brooklyn Anderson (8)
Dinos assists: Alex Spence (12), Sydney Mercier (6), Caitlyn Perlinger (8), Hannah Reagh (3), Sydney Mercier (7), Brooklyn Anderson (8), Kyla Mitenko (6), Alex Spence (13), Brooklyn Anderson (9)
Dinos shootout scorers: Brooklyn Anderson
Dinos netminder: Amelia Awad (28/34) in 65:00 plus 3/3 shootout attempts

Result: 7-6 shootout victory for Calgary over Saskatchewan.

SATURDAY: I can't imagine either coach was thrilled about giving up six goals, but the Huskies held a 5-3 lead with 13 minutes to play and a 6-5 lead with 90 seconds to play. I imagine head coach Steve Kook will be running drills about locking down leads this week, but there were still points on the line on Saturday as these two teams met again on Saturday. Would we see another "next goal wins" game?


Huskies goals: Jessica Anderson (2), Jayde Cadieux (5), Kahlen Wisener (9)
Huskies assists: Paris Oleksyn (6), Paris Oleksyn (7)
Huskies netminders: Colby Wilson (20/20)

Dinos goals: none
Dinos assists: none
Dinos netminder: Alyssa Barrette (24/26)

Result: 3-0 victory for Saskatchewan over Calgary.

FRIDAY: Last year's Canada West finalists were in Vancouver to battle, but Alberta was looking to take points off the UBC Thunderbirds this weekend to help them lock down home-ice advantage as the second-place team in the West Division. UBC was looking to play a clean game with no injuries as they locked down the quarterfinal bye a long time ago, so could the Pandas take a bite out of the Thunderbirds this weekend to help their playoff cause?

Pandas goals: none
Pandas assists: none
Pandas netminders: Mackenzie Dojahn (23/26)

Thunderbirds goals: Meadow Carmen (1), Ilona Markova (2), Mia Bierd (6)
Thunderbirds assists: Presley Zinger (7), Sophia Gaskell (2), Jacquelyn Fleming (8), Hanna Perrier (6)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (17/17)

Result: 3-0 victory for UBC over Alberta.

SATURDAY: It's hard to argue that UBC won't be the favorite in any series they play in the Canada West playoffs after they recorded their 25th win of the season on Friday. That's something to worry about a few weeks from Saturday, though, as they looked to close out another sweep this season. Alberta, though, still needed points, as they looked to get closer to securing second-place in the West Division!

Pandas goals: Jadynn Morden (7)
Pandas assists: Hayleigh Craig (8), Brayden Stewart (3)
Pandas netminders: Misty Rey (32/34)

Thunderbirds goals: Ashton Thorpe (4), Hanna Perrier (6)
Thunderbirds assists: Grace Elliott (13), Jacquelyn Fleming (9), Presley Zinger (8)
Thunderbirds netminder: Elise Hugens (17/18)

Result: 2-1 victory for UBC over Alberta.

FRIDAY: Manitoba headed west to Regina where the Bisons and Cougars were both playing for their playoff lives. Manitoba went into the weekend needing points to keep pace with Saskatchewan and to potentially leap past them. Regina's assignment was simple: win to stay in the race. This weekend series would determine whether one or both teams would remain in the playoff race in the East Division.

Bisons goals: Hanna Bailey (3), Jessie Haner (3)
Bisons assists: Julia Bilous (4), Brenna Nicol (6), Aimee Patrick (12)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (12/12)

Cougars goals: none
Cougars assists: none
Cougars netminders: Amy Swayze (31/32)

Result: 2-0 victory for Manitoba over Regina.

SATURDAY: It had to be disappointing for Regina to see a good effort come out on the wrong side of the scoreboard on Friday, but that's how the puck bounces sometimes. They could cause Manitoba some serious grief with a win on Saturday, so they had to be ready to go. For Manitoba, the assignment didn't change: earn as many points as possible. A weekend sweep would be a boost for their playoff hopes!

Bisons goals: Sadie Keller (4), Julia Bilous (1), Norah Collins (9), Aimee Patrick (9), Sara Harbus (3), Sara Harbus (4)
Bisons assists: Aimee Patrick (13), Louise Fergusson (7), Sophia Heidinger (1), Aimee Patrick (14), Sophia Heidinger (2), Sophia Heidinger (3), Hanna Bailey (8)
Bisons netminder: Emily Shippam (18/19)

Cougars goals: Pippy Pritchard (4)
Cougars assists: Quinn McLaren (5)
Cougars netminders: Amy Swayze (20/26)

Result: 6-1 victory for Manitoba over Regina.

FRIDAY: The Trinity Western Spartans hopped the mountains and headed north for a two-game set with the MacEwan Griffins. The Spartans needed points to try and catch the Alberta Pandas as they still had a shot at hosting a quarterfinal series for the first time in their history. MacEwan had a chance to ruin those plans and begrudgingly help their crosstown rivals. In saying that, no one likes the role of spoiler, but the Griffins had a shot to ruin playoff dreams.

Spartans goals: Presleigh Giesbrecht (6), Sadie Isfeld (3), Kelsey Ledoux (1), Kara Yackel (8)
Spartans assists: Sadie Isfeld (8), Kyra Anderson (4), Maisie Kozak (2), Kasey Ditner (8), Kyra McDonald (10)
Spartans netminders: Kate Fawcett (25/25)

Griffins goals: none
Griffins assists: none
Griffins netminder: Mikayla Christmann (25/28)

Result: 4-0 victory for Trinity Western over MacEwan.

SATURDAY: Nothing changed in the storylines from Friday to Saturday. The Spartans were looking for the sweep to help their cause while the Griffins were looking to throw a monkeywrench into those plans. Perhaps more importantly for the Griffins, they were looking for more than the one goal they had scored in their past four games.

Spartans goals: Kailey Ledoux (5), Kailey Ledoux (6), Olivia Leier (2), Kara Yackel (9), Sadie Isfeld (4)
Spartans assists: Sadie Isfeld (9), Kyra McDonald (11), Chloe Reid (11), Kasey Ditner (9), Kailey Ledoux (1), Chayce Kullman (5)
Spartans netminders: Kate Fawcett (17/19)

Griffins goals: Rian Santos (2), Allee Isley (3)
Griffins assists: Claire Hobbs (5), Sydney Olsen (3), Kali MacDonald (3), Kori Paterson (2)
Griffins netminder: Lindsey Johnson (31/35)

Result: 5-2 victory for Trinity Western over MacEwan.

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	24-2-2-0	52	85	24	W8	BYE
Mount Royal	12-6-6-2	38	64	43	L3	@ SAS
Calgary	13-6-4-4	36	64	53	L1	@ MAN
Manitoba	9-9-2-6	28	63	63	W3	vs CAL
Saskatchewan	7-9-4-6	28	47	59	W1	vs MRU
Trinity Western	7-12-6-1	27	62	60	W2	vs REG
Alberta	8-9-2-7	27	51	60	L3	@ MAC
Regina	4-14-4-4	20	38	67	L2	@ TWU
MacEwan	3-19-2-2	12	25	70	L5	vs ALB

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. The Trinity Western Spartans knew the stakes going into their games against MacEwan, and one player decided to push her team higher with her play with four points in the two wins and solid defensive play all weekend. Her effort was a big part of why they're in second-place right now as Trinity Western Spartans rookie defender Sadie Isfeld had a solid weekend in adding her name to the Honour Roll!

Isfeld had been having a quiet start to 2026 with just two points in her previous six games as the Spartans went on a bit of slide, but she picked up her game this weekend in earning the primary assist on the first Spartans goal in both games, and helped her team to victory by adding a goal later in the game. Her entire 13 points this season have come at five-on-five, and they certainly needed her this weekend as they finished the week in second-place in the West!

Isfeld doubled her goal total this weekend with her two goals, and half of her points this season have come against MacEwan as she now has seven points in six games against the Griffins. The former Delta Hockey Academy defender was known for her offence as much as her defence, and she's continued that strong play this season on the Spartans' blue line. Her four points also pushed to the top of the rookie scoring race in Canada West, and that can't be overlooked either. That kind of performance puts Sadie Isfeld on the Honour Roll!

Olympic Updates

Things didn't start well for Scott Rivett and Team Czechia as the Czechs tangled with the highly-favoured Americans in their first game. Team USA took a 3-0 lead four minutes into the second period before Czechia finally got on the board inside the eight-minute mark, but that would be the only goal scored by the Czechs on February 5 as USA defeats Czechia 5-1 in the opening games for both teams.

The Czechs were back on the ice the very next day as they squared off against Switzerland, and it seemed like things were going to right themselves as Czechia led 3-1 with 14 minutes to play. However, cue the Swiss comeback as they scored twice in 7:07 to make it 3-3, and this game would need extra time. The overtime period solved nothing, so it was off to the skills competition where Switzerland's Ivana Rey would eventually cap off the shootout with her goal, sending Czechia to an 0-1-0-1 record in their first two games.

Czechia will play Finland today as they look for their first win of the event, so we'll keep an eye on how the Mount Royal head coach helps the Czechs down the stretch as the Czechs look to build momentum!

UBC's Vanessa Schaefer, wearing #53 for Switzerland, did not record a point against Czechia, and she finished the game with a -1 rating in 11:10 of ice time. Switzerland's second game was a 4-0 loss to Canada so Schaefer had no points there, finishing that game with a -1 rating in 9:44 of ice time. Switzerland meets Team USA on Monday, and they'll need a monster effort if they want to improve on their 0-1-1-0 record. They do have two points with that shootout win over Czechia, though, and sit in third-place in the Group A standings.

Former Calgary Dinos goaltender Gabriella Durante got the nod for Italy today as they battled Sweden. Sweden would beat Durante once in the first period, but they captialized on mistakes and their well-balanced attack to take a 4-1 lead through 40 minutes. When the finla horn sounded, Sweden captured a 6-1 win over Italy where Durante made 41 saves. Unfortunately, she drops to 0-1 in the event, but Italy is still in the mix for a medal-round appearance as they're 1-1-0-0 and tied with three teams at three points in the standings. Italy will meet Japan in a critical game tomorrow when it comes to points, so we'll see if Durante and her teammates can bounce back!

The West Playoff Picture

UBC has the bye next week, but also earned the privilege of resting as they'll have two weeks to let bumps and bruises heal while they get set for the West Division semifinal. UBC won't have to worry about traveling as they earned home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs by finishing as the best team in the Canada West standings.

The Trinity Western Spartans caught and passed the Alberta Pandas this weekend thanks to holding the tie-breaker over the Pandas. Trinity Western simply needs to match what Alberta does next week in terms of points in the standings, and they'll host a playoff series for the first time in their Canada West history. If they earn less points against Regina than Alberta earns in their series, Trinity Western will travel to Calgary as the crossover team into the East Division.

If the Alberta Pandas are to play at home in the West Division quarterfinal, the Pandas have to earn more points than Spartans. They do not hold the tie-breaker, so Alberta will be aiming for a sweep over MacEwan in their final series of the season, and hope that Regina can defeat Trinity Western in one or both games. There is no alternative - Alberta either earns more points than Trinity Western or they'll start their playoff run in Calgary against the Dinos or Cougars.

The East Playoff Picture

Nothing is settled yet in the East Division as we have two races still going. The Mount Royal Cougars have a two-point lead over the Calgary Dinos going into the final weekend, and the Cougars will need to be ahead of the Dinos by at least one point when next weekend ends if they want the quarterfinal bye. The Dinos hold the tie-breaker, so the Cougars need to aim for a sweep when they head to Saskatoon against the Huskies. If they're tied, the Cougars will host the East Division quarterfinal against the West crossover team.

Calgary will need a little help as they travel to Manitoba to battle the Bisons. The Dinos need to win at least one of the two games to potentially tie the Cougars, and it would serve them well to sweep the Bisons if they want to put all the pressure on the Cougars. The Dinos will be cheering for the Huskies to cause the Cougars some headaches, but if they cannot catch the Cougars the Dinos will host the East Division quarterfinal against the West crossover team.

As you may have seen in the standing above, the Manitoba Bisons now sit ahead of the Saskatchewan Huskies thanks to the tie-breaker, so the Bisons have to match whatever the Huskies do next weekend at minimum. The Bisons won't be content with allowing the Calgary Dinos to push them around on home ice, but the Dinos are 4-0 against the Bisons this season. The asterisk on that statistic is that these two teams last played on November 22, so we'll see which side is ready. If they can match or exceed Saskatchewan's point total next weekend, they'll go to Edmonton or Langley as the East's crossover team.

Like Alberta, the Saskatchewan Huskies have to earn more points than Bisons next weekend as the Bisons hold the tie-breaker over the Huskies. The Huskies are 1-2-1 against the Mount Royal Cougars this season, but are 0-1-1 at home against the Alberta Cats. The Huskies are going to hope the Dinos can sweep the Bisons, but the Huskies need to take care of business as well as they need to outearn the Bisons in standings points next weekend. If they can, they'll go to Edmonton or Langley as the East's crossover team. If they don't, they miss the playoffs entirely. Clearly, the stakes are high for the Huskies.

The Last Word

It's the last weekend of the season next week, and there are three legitimate playoff races that still have yet to be decided. There's a Canada West coach and player competing for Olympic medals. The Olympic Games are still going. Next weekend is shaping up to be the biggest weekend in Canada West this season, and we still have playoffs to come! How can you not be excited over all of this?

You know what I'll be watching next weekend. How about you?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!