Huskies battle Ontario champs for berth in U Sports hockey final
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies face a bit of a mirror image today when they meet the host Western University Mustangs in their U Sports women’s hockey national semifinal.
Game-time is 6 p.m. (4 p.m. Sask.) in London, Ont.
“I think they play a real similar game to us,” said U of S head coach Steve Kook, whose team advanced to the semifinal round with a 3-2 win over the Atlantic University Sport champion Saint Mary ’s Huskies on Thursday.
“They’re not overly big. They’re fairly quick. Their goaltender played pretty good (Thursday night against Concordia). Does that sound like us?”
A berth in the national final is on the line with their U Sports semifinal matchup.
Saskatchewan is seeded No. 7 for the U Sports national women’s hockey championship.
No. 3 Western is the Ontario University Sport champion.
“Put it this way, I don’t dislike (the matchup),” said Kook.
“They don’t spend a whole lot of time in their D -zone. From what we watched on video, pucks get out of their D-zone as quick as they can. I told some of the girls, ‘It’s like we’re doing drills and rep’ing each other. That’s what it’s going to be like.’ ”
Western — which won its one and only U Sports women’s hockey championship in 2015 — captured the McCaw Cup and OUA title with a 3-0 win over the Queen’s Gaels. The Mustangs finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak for a 17-5-2 record before sweeping each of their first two playoff series on their way to the OUA final.
They’re undefeated with a 6-0 record in the post-season.
Western averages 2.5 goals per game offensively while giving up an average of 1.66.
April Clark led the team with 12 goals and 22 points during the regular season.
Rookie Carmen Lasis emerged as the team’s starting goalie, posting a 13-4-0 regular season record, 1.48 goals-against-average and .940 save percentage.
“I think it’s going to be a good matchup in the semis,” said Huskies forward Kennedy Harris, who scored the game-winning goal against Saint Mary’s in the U Sports quarter-final Thursday.