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The University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team are champions once again.
The Huskies defeated the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 3-1 Saturday at Merlis Belsher Place to sweep the Canada West Finals and claim the program’s 11th Dr. W.G. Hardy Trophy.
Head coach Dave Adolph now claims six Canada West titles, but felt this win carried extra significance being the first win at the dogs’ new rink.
“We’ve had two pretty special years here,” Adolph said. “We’ve played well here since our first game. It’s pretty special to win at home.”
A sold-out crowd of 2,667 people, the largest yet at Merlis Belsher Place, jammed inside the arena to watch it happen, creating an electric atmosphere for the team since moving from Rutherford Rink ahead of last season.
“I think it’s something that’s just getting started,” Adolph said of the home advantage at Merlis Belsher Place.
“This is going to be a pretty good place to play for a lot of players over the next number of years.”
The team poses with the championship banner after winning the program’s first Canada West title in four years. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)
Levi Cable powered the Huskies to the victory with two power play goals, including the game winner. The fifth-year player — along with fellow graduating players Kohl Bauml, Andrew Johnson, Logan McVeigh — played in five straight Canada West Finals, winning a championship in 2016 as a rookie and ending his home career with Saturday’s win.
“Going into this year that’s all we wanted,” Cable said following the game.
“This was our goal… I’m glad my last game was here in front of these guys.”
Huskies goaltender Taran Kozun, the Canada West goaltender and player of the year, felt his team’s uptempo start to the game was the difference.
“We were mentally ready to play today,” Kozun said. “Yesterday we had a good start and then we kind of tailed off towards the end of the game, and tonight we were making sure it was our night.”
Carson Stadnyk started the scoring by picking up his own rebound on a rush up the ice and slotting it over the left pad of T-Birds goalie, and Saskatoon native, Rylan Toth 7:33 into the game.
The Huskies persistent effort in the first period was rewarded further as Levi Cable cleaned up a three-on-one rush at the side of the net after Collin Shirley whiffed on his shot attempt for a 2-0 lead after the first period.
Saskatchewan looked to extend its lead at the end of the second period, but the referees called a goal back after Jeff Faith was seen pushing a UBC defenceman into the net, obstructing Toth from making the save.
The disallowed goal still proved to be good fortune for the Huskies as UBC was given an unsportsmanlike penalty for arguing the call before the goal was taken back.
Levi Cable wasted little time scoring his second goal on the ensuing power play, banging in a rebound from a Layne Young shot.
After a scrum sent a crowd of players to the penalty box in the third period, UBC managed to break Kozun’s shutout bid with a long-range short from Jake Kryski that deflected off of Huskies defenceman Sam Ruopp and in to end the scoring.
Huskie players celebrate the win moments after the final buzzer at Merlis Belsher Place. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)
Kozun joked after the game that nothing beats the feeling of winning.
“Every time you get to win, it doesn’t matter if I’m playing cards against my grandma or playing hockey our here, I always want to win,” he said. “And if I don’t get to win I get pretty upset.”
A team other than Alberta or Saskatchewan hasn’t won the Canada West since the Calgary Dinos in the 1996.
Saskatchewan started the year without a win in its first four games. The Huskies have lost just once since October, including an on-going 15-game winning streak.
Saskatchewan and UBC rest for a week before traveling to Halifax for the 2020 University Cup. They join host team Acadia as the first three finalists of the eight-team tournament.