Huskies goaltender Colby Wilson, pictured in November 2022, recorded her first U Sports shootout win in net on Jan. 7, 2023 at Merlis Belsher Place. (Mike Still/Huskie Athletics)

By Daniella Ponticelli

400TH GAME FOR HEAD COACH STEVE KOOK

Wilson saves Huskies sweep in shootout win over Spartans

Jan 7, 2023 | 11:34 PM

Saturday’s rematch between the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the Trinity Western Spartans delivered on the drama with a shootout finish in Saskatoon.

Fresh off a 2-1 win Friday, the Huskies opened scoring 12:15 into the second period off a power play marker from Kendra Zuchotzki.

“We were struggling to get control of the puck, but it was a good cross-ice pass from Kate Ball,” said Zuchotzki, who unleashed a powerful shot through the five-hole to beat Spartans goaltender Kate Fawcett.

Trinity Western didn’t stay down long, capitalizing on their second power play opportunity less than five minutes later.

Saskatoon product McKenzie Mayo, who registered a power play assist Friday, got the goal. She was helped by Olivia Leier and former Huskie Chelsea Debusschere.

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The 1-1 tie lasted through regulation and two five-minute overtime periods.

In that time, the Spartans staved off a five-minute major that saw Kyra McDonald ejected for an egregious check from behind to Isabella Pozzi in the third period. The Saskatchewan defenseman was healthy enough to return to play shortly after.

The Huskies then successfully handled a four-on-three penalty kill in the first overtime. Overall, Saskatchewan went two for three on the PK and one for five on the power play.

Through 70 minutes, Fawcett made 21 saves while Huskies netminder Colby Wilson turned away 32.

Shootout a first for Wilson

Without a goal in double overtime, the game went to a shootout — a first for the Huskies since their post-pandemic return and a U Sports first for Wilson.

“It was neck and neck for the entire game, so it was super fun,” she said.

Up first was Huskies fourth-year Sophie Lalor, who has plenty of shootout experience from her first two years with the team.

“I had been trying to shoot glove on (Fawcett) all night, and she has a really good glove, so I was like, ‘I gotta go blocker this time.’ Low blocker, right above the pad,” she said.

Lalor even got a stamp of approval from Huskies goaltender Cameron Drever, who was on the bench, before heading out.

And so, as planned, Lalor beat Fawcett for the first goal of the shootout.

After that, Wilson stopped a shot from Brooklyn Anderson. Then, Huskies second-year Kelsey Hall missed her attempt just right of the net, followed by a second Saskatchewan save against a shot from Amy Potomak.

Finally, the Huskie who opened scoring was looked at to take it home.

“When Steve (Kook) called my name to be the third shooter, I was like, ‘oh no’,” Zuchotzki said.

Like Lalor, the first-year had a plan. Thankfully, it didn’t work.

“I was going to go fake forehand, backhand, back to forehand,” she said. “I kind of fanned on it, but it went through her five-hole and it was in, so okay, I’ll take it.”

Saskatchewan earned the 2-1 shootout win, improving their record to 12-5-3, and sweeping the Spartans for the first-time in U Sports history.

The character win was extra sweet for Wilson, who recalled her last shootout in net being the final game of her Grade 12 year. That one resulted in a loss.

“It was nice to redeem myself a little bit,” Wilson said with a laugh.

There was also a sense of déjà vu as Wilson recorded her first U Sports start in the first-ever meeting between the Huskies and Spartans in Langley, BC on Nov. 5, 2021.

A scoreless tie in that game sent it into double overtime, where Spartans’ forward Neisha Germann got the game winner on a power play — also marking Trinity Western’s first U Sports win.

“It definitely was a little bit of flashback moments today. Like same team, same goalie, same players for the most part,” Wilson said.

“And this time I was just not going to let them win it.”

Wilson is now poised to get the next four starts for the Huskies as Drever heads to the 2023 World University Games for Team Canada in Lake Placid, New York. Pozzi will also don the Maple Leaf in the tournament that starts Jan. 11.

Huskies women will head to Vancouver on Thursday to face Canada West frontrunners, the UBC Thunderbirds.

Puck drop is 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13 and 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14.

Huskies head coach Steve Kook leading a team practice in Calgary on Dec. 2, 2022. (Daniella Ponticelli/HuskieFAN)

Major Milestone for Huskies Head Coach

Kook coached his 400th Canada West game on Saturday.

He started with Huskie Athletics for the 2005-06 season and since then has earned the U Sports Women’s Hockey Coach of the Year award twice.

He guided the women’s hockey team to their first-ever Canada West Championship in 2013-14 and U Sports bronze medal in 2021-22.