Defending champions suffer first-round playoff exit

Canada West champions one year; first-round playoff exit the next.

Such is the fickle nature of university sport, especially in the extremely tough Canada West conference.

The defending conference champion University of Saskatchewan Huskies found that out the hard way this season in women’s hockey.

Saskatchewan got swept by the Calgary Dinos in their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series to lose the first round of playoffs on the weekend in Calgary.

That resulted in an abrupt end to the season for the reigning champion Huskies and their fifth-year graduating players Kandace Cook and Chelsey Sundby.

“We haven’t had a repeat winner in 9 or 10 years now (in the Canada West),” U of S coach Steve Kook said Sunday. “It’s just so hard. It’s just tough. UBC won it the year before and Calgary prior to that. Manitoba won it (three years ago) and missed the playoffs the next year.”

After the Dinos took the opening game 5-1, the Huskies battled back in hopes of extending the series and their playoffs. Despite their efforts, the Huskies dropped a 3-2 decision Saturday to be officially eliminated.

Kaitlin Willoughby and Julia Flinton, whose power-play goal came in the final minute of play on a 6-on-4 with the goalie pulled, scored for Saskatchewan, which trailed 1-0 and 2-1 by periods. Calgary out-shot Saskatchewan 29-19 as Huskies goalie Cassidy Hendricks made 26 saves.

The Huskies went 1-for-4 on the power play. The Dinos were 0-for-4.

“When we move from our barn (Rutherford) to big ice, it’s such an adjustment,” said Kook. “Our compete was not there, not in terms of effort but in terms of engaging. Calgary is used to the bigger ice surface and they’re skilled. Those two Russians are incredible.”

The Dinos were without Hayley Wickenheiser, who is out for the season after undergoing foot surgery.

MEN’S HOCKEY

In Canada West men’s hockey playoffs, the Saskatchewan Huskies forced a deciding third game in their best-of-three series with the Mount Royal Cougars. The final result was not available at press time Sunday.

On Saturday, rookie Michael Sofillas scored with just 29 seconds left in regulation to extend the series with a 4-3 victory. The Huskies were able to keep the puck in the Cougars’ zone and Sofilas spun around in the slot, closer to the blue line than the net, and fired a shot that eluded Mount Royal netminder Cam Lanigan.

Jesse Ross, who drove hard to the net to roof a backhander, Connor Cox and Zak Stebner scored earlier to give the Huskies a 3-1 lead despite being out-shot 14-5 in the opening frame.

The Dogs dominated the second period yet had nothing to show for it after Cox was denied a sure goal with a toe-save by Lanigan on a penalty shot. A goal by Craig McCallum was initially signalled in and later disallowed following a discussion by the officials, who deemed that the net came off before the puck went in.

On Friday, the Dogs dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to the Cougars in OT after Matt Brown scored on a wraparound just 38 seconds in, although the Huskies unsuccessfully argued that the net had come off. Saskatchewan out-shot Mount Royal 32-28, including a 14-3 advantage in the third period, which saw Sean Aschim score the only goal to tie the game and send it into OT.

Fifth-year goalie Ryan Holfeld started both games for the Huskies.