Courtesy: Wray Morrison

By Wray Morrison

Welcome back fans

Crowds can return to Huskies events on campus

Feb 1, 2022 | 3:33 PM

Timing is everything.

The announcement that spectators will once again be able to attend Huskies’ sporting events on the U of S campus couldn’t come at a better time for the U of S women’s hockey team and its fans.

The Huskies will host the MacEwan Griffins on Friday night at 7 p.m. and on Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

There are plenty of story lines. Bailee Bourassa will be recognized for her contributions to the program prior to Saturday’s game. The graduating forward from Weyburn is one of three players with 8 points in 16 games so far this season.

“Bailee is a full-time nurse, working at RUH, taking her Masters program, and is also captain of our women’s hockey program,” said head coach Steve Kook.

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“It takes a special person to be one of those, let alone three at the same time.”

Bourassa scored two goals in the Huskies’ last game, which was a 3-0 win over the Pandas in Edmonton on Jan. 22.

The Huskies are tied with UBC with 20 points in the Canada West standings, two points back of second-place Manitoba.

Mount Royal leads the conference with 24 points. Mount Royal and UBC have six games remaining, while the Huskies and Bisons have four contests left in the regular season.

As for the Griffins, they are 6 and 8 on the season, and have scored just 18 goals in 14 games.

“They’re a bigger team, they play way more physical than we do. We’re going to have use pucks in open spaces” said Kook.

Griffins head coach Lindsay McAlpine is no stranger to championship hockey. McApline played her CIS hockey at the University of Alberta, and helped the Pandas win national championships in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Kook is on the cusp of a coaching milestone. One more win, and he will be at the 200 mark of his career.

“I didn’t know we are anywhere near a milestone,” said Kook, who took over in the 2005-06 season as head coach.

His career highlight to date was being behind the bench for the 2014 Canada West championship. The Huskies defeated the Regina Cougars in a best of three series, with every game going to extra time.

With Rutherford Rink packed for all three games, Kook said he remembered thinking, “This is huge for the province of Saskatchewan.”

As for reaching the 200-win mark Kook said a milestone for him will be when they win a national championship.

Friday night’s game is the Huskies’ annual Play For The Cure Night.

This season’s “champ” is seven-year-old Rhodes McNairn, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at five years of age.

Haven Kids’ House was chosen as the charity to support this year.

Game jerseys and other items will be auctioned off throughout the course of the night. Details are available at the Huskies women’s hockey team twitter @HuskiesWHKY.