FINAL, HERE THEY COME
Huskies advance with OT victory
Extra time.
Extra stressful.
Extra special.
A win by the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Saturday night was anything but ordinary.
When Carson Stadnyk netted the winner at 1:17 of the second overtime period, it not only gave the Hockey Dogs a Canada West men’s hockey semifinal series win over the visiting University of Calgary Dinos — it also automatically qualified them for the upcoming University Cup national championship, yet again.
Thanks to Stadnyk’s double- OT heroics, Saskatchewan edged Calgary 5-4 Saturday before 1,647 fans at Merlis Belsher Place to sweep their best-of-three series.
“We just got the one extra bounce — it was us — and we couldn’t be any happier right now,” said Stadnyk, whose shot snuck past a screened Dinos goalie Matt Greenfield on his blocker side to put an end to a marathon roller-coaster which saw Saskatchewan build up a commanding 4-1 lead midway through the second period, only to see that three-goal lead eventually evaporate into the MBP air.
“It’s never over,” offered U of S head coach Dave Adolph, who admits he was ready to settle in for a potentially long night.
“The fact that we scored right away (in the second OT), you don’t expect that. I thought it might go another period. Tip your hat to University of Calgary. That’s a really good team. I don’t know if there’s anybody who’s as physical and greasy as they are. That’s a team that is pretty worthy of probably playing in a national championship.”
Jeff Faith, Donovan Neuls, Collin Shirley and Jared Dmytriw had scored earlier in the game for Saskatchewan.
“When we were up by three, they worked their way back and made a comeback, that was pretty tough on us,” admitted Stadnyk. “We just said we have to do what we do best and we have to watch their top players — they have a lot of top players over there — and our guys who had that responsibility did their job and we just came out lucky and we’re just happy we’re moving on.”
Saskatoon product Kaden Elder, Dane Gibson, Tim Vanstone and Ryan Gagnon, with the equalizer at 11:00 of the third period, replied for Calgary, which outshot Saskatchewan 33-31.
“That’s the way hockey goes,” said Adolph. “I’m glad we’re on the right end of it.
“Sports aren’t fair. It doesn’t matter what sport you’re coaching or participating in, the further you go, there’s a good chance it’s not going to work out your way. We’ve been on that cliff for, what, 17 years now? You have to get there to have a chance and that’s what I say every year. We’ve got an opportunity to go (to nationals) again.”
Taran Kozun made 29 saves for the win.
It was Stadnyk who also helped eliminate the Dinos two years ago when he scored the game-winner with 24 seconds left in regulation before Levi Cable added an empty-netter for a 3-1 win.
“That,” said Adolph, “was the first thing that the guys said, that it was Stadnyk who scored it two years ago in Rutherford.
“All the time, I predicted it (the series) was going three. There are ice bags everywhere. I think both teams got absolutely punished here. I really respect Mark Howell’s as a coach and I really respect the Dinos as a program. I just hope we always finish on the winning side. That one could have gone either way tonight.”
Saskatchewan now awaits the winner of the other Canada West semifinal series between the host Alberta Golden Bears and University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. That series was tied up at one game apiece with Game 3 going Sunday night.
“You don’t know how big the semi’s are,” stressed Adolph. “You get a chance to go to a national championship with two teams going from the Canada West. Your whole year is spent trying to have that opportunity to go to nationals.
“Next week is gravy. It’s not about seeding. It doesn’t matter who’s No. 1 or No. 6. There are eight good teams. I can’t wait to get there.”
We just got the one extra bounce — it was us — and we couldn’t be any happier right now.