Courtesy of host organizing committee / Photo credit Josh Schaefer
SASKATOON (CIS) – Derek Hulak scored on a breakaway with
two minutes and two seconds remaining in regulation to lift the
fifth-seeded and tournament host University of Saskatchewan Huskies
past the No. 2 Acadia Axemen 3-2 in the second game of Pool B at
the CIS men’s hockey championship in front of 8,104 delighted
fans at Credit Union Centre, Friday night.
With the win, Saskatchewan (1-0) ties Windsor (1-0) atop the Pool B
standings. The Huskies and the Lancers, who beat Acadia (0-2) 4-2
on Thursday, will square off on Saturday at 7 p.m. Saskatchewan
Time, live on Sportsnet 360, with the winner advancing to the
championship final on Sunday.
The Huskies were skating in their first game in 26 days after
being eliminated in the first round of the Canada West playoffs by
UBC on Feb. 23.
Hulak, the reigning Canada West player of the year and scoring
champion with 48 points in 28 league games, corralled team captain
Brennan Bosch’s pass in the neutral zone and came in down the
left wing, cut hard to the middle, evaded the poke of goaltender
Evan Mosher and slide the puck into the open cage sending the
pro-Huskie crowd into euphoria.
“This one definitely ranks up there,” said Hulak, when
asked to rate how this goal compares to others he has scored in his
career.
The Axemen, who came into the tourney as Atlantic conference
champs, pulled their goalie with 1:50 remaining in the game but
were unable to get the equalizer. A late hooking penalty against
Brett Thompson with 1:08 left sealed Acadia’s fate.
It was a back and forth affair with both teams losing one goal
leads through the first 40 minutes of play.
Acadia opened the scoring on a power play goal at 3:40 of the
first period when Liam Heelis, the CIS player of the year, scored
his second marker of the tournament. Heelis received the puck at
the top of the left face-off circle and stick handled his way to
the slot before beating Huskie netminder Ryan Holfeld on the glove
side.
Saskatchewan answered less than two minutes later when Cody Smuk
finished off a great play from Bosch. Bosch stole the puck behind
the Axemen’s net and brought it out to the top of the crease
and laid a drop pass for Smuk, who fired the puck past Mosher.
The Huskies took their first lead of the contest midway through the
first period on a power play goal from Bosch. Hulak circled the
Axemen’s zone and found Bosch in the high slot, whose wrist
show found its way through a screen and into the back of the
net.
With four minutes to go in the second frame, Leo Jenner made it 2-2
after finishing off a great individual play from Heelis. Heelis
dangled his way through the Huskie defensive corps to create a 2-1
rush before making a perfect saucer pass to Jenner, who buried the
one-timer.
The Huskies win sets up a semi-final scenario for their game
against Windsor Saturday night.
The loss officially eliminated the Axemen, who finish the
tournament 0-2.
“The outcome wasn’t what we wanted,” said Heelis.
“The guys battled hard and we have unbelievable group of guys
in our change room. It was definitely a learning experience for all
of us here.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys... it’s
arguably the best group of guys I’ve ever coached,”
said Darren Burns, head coach of Acadia.
Both goalies made key saves to keep the game close. Holfeld
finished the contest with 26 saves in the winning effort, while
Mosher made 27.
Hulak was named player of the game for the Huskies, while
Thompson earned the honour for the Axemen.
The PotashCorp University Cup presented by Co-op resumes Saturday
at 2 p.m. Saskatchewan Time with the final game of Pool A between
the top-ranked Alberta Golden Bears and the No. 4 McGill Redmen.
The winner will play Saskatchewan or Windsor for the CIS banner on
Sunday.
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST PERIOD
1. ACA Liam Heelis (2) (Brett Thompson, Chris Owens), 3:40
PP
2. SSK Cody Smuk (1) (Andrew Bailey), 5:29
3. SSK Brennan Bosch (1) (Derek Hulak), 9:50 PP
PENALTIES:
Hobbs (SSK) interference, 2:32;
Hulak (SSK) roughing, 6:00;
Gibbons (ACA) interference, 7:50;
Jenner (ACA) high sticking, 9:13;
Heelis (ACA) holding, 11:19;
Gibbons (ACA) boarding, 12:24;
McCallum (SSK) hooking, 13:35.
SECOND PERIOD
4. ACA Leo Jenner (1) (Liam Heelis, Brett Thompson), 15:58
PENALTIES:
Dulle (SSK) high sticking, 1:03;
Cazzola (ACA) slashing, 7:36;
Thompson (ACA) tripping, 13:41;
Cazzola (ACA) high sticking, 19:52.
THIRD PERIOD
5. SSK Derek Hulak (1) (Brennan Bosch), 17:58
PENALTIES:
Heelis (ACA) checking from behind, 10-minute misconduct,
2:17;
McDonald (SSK) tripping, 14:23;
Thompson ACA) hooking, 18:52.
GOALS (by period)
SSK 2-0-1: 3
ACA 1-1-0: 2
SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
SSK 6-11-11: 28
ACA 9-11-10: 30
POWER PLAY:
SSK 1-9
ACA 1-5
GOALTENDERS
SSK – Ryan Holfeld (W, 1-0, 30 shots, 28 saves, 2 GA,
60:00)
ACA – Evan Mosher (L, 0-2, 28 shots, 25 saves, 3 GA,
59:21)
ACA – Empty net (0 GA, 0:39)
PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
SSK: Derek Hulak
ACA: Brett Thompson
REFEREES: Nathan Wieler, Scott Ferguson
LINESMEN: Mike Roberts, Sean Dufour
ATTENDANCE: 8104
START: 7:10
END: 9:20
LENGTH: 2:10
POOL STANDINGS, SCHEDULE & RESULTS (LOCAL TIME)
Pool A standings (after 2 of 3 games)
GP | W | L | OTL | Win % | GF | GA | PTS | |
Alberta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
McGill | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Carleton | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
Pool B standings (after 2 of 3 games)
GP | W | L | OTL | Win % | GF | GA | PTS | |
Saskatchewan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Windsor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Acadia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.000 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
Thursday, March 20
13:00 Pool A #1: Alberta 3, Carleton 2
19:00 Pool B #1: Windsor 4, Acadia 2
Friday, March 21
13:00 Pool A #2: McGill 3, Carleton 2
19:00 Pool B #2: Saskatchewan 3, Acadia 2
Saturday, March 22
14:00 Pool A #3: No. 1 Alberta vs. No. 4 McGill (Sportsnet
360 & www.CIS-SIC.tv)
19:00 Pool B #3: No. 3 Windsor vs. No. 5 Saskatchewan (Sportsnet
360 & www.CIS-SIC.tv)
Sunday, March 23
13:30 Final (Sportsnet & www.CIS-SIC.tv)
* The webcasts of the 3 televised games will be on pay-per-view basis.
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
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