University of Saskatchewan Huskies take on the Mount Royal University Cougars for game three of the first round of the Canada West playoffs at Flames Community Arena in Calgary (Wray Morrison/HuskieFAN)

By Ben Tompkins

Final Four Bound

Jaxan Kaluski plays overtime hero as Huskies beat Cougars in quarter-final action

Feb 19, 2023 | 7:18 PM

The University of Saskatchewan Huskie men’s hockey team has beaten the Mount Royal University Cougars 2-1 in their three-game, quarter-final series.

The Huskies outlasted the Cougars 3-2 in overtime, in Calgary, at the Flames Community Arena on Sunday (Feb. 19), to punch their ticket into the Canada West Final Four.

Jaxan Kaluski had the overtime winner, courtesy of an assist off the post from Jared Dmytriw, just 3:36 into the extra frame.

“I felt like it was coming all night,” said Kaluski. “Me, Jared (Dmytriw) and Vince (Loschiavo), we fought hard all night, and Jared, he ripped one off the post there and then it landed right in my lap, and luckily, I just closed my eyes and shot and the game was over.”

There were four goals in the first 14:45 of the game, which included one from Justin Ball and one from Liam Keeler, for Saskatchewan, while Riley Sawchuk had both for MRU.

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Huskie goaltender, Roddy Ross made 25 saves on the afternoon, playing every minute of this first-round series.

“He’s a stud and kept us in it all night,” Kaluski said about Ross. “They’re a potent offence and it doesn’t take much for them to score, so it was awesome that Roddy was able to keep us in it and give us a fighting chance, and luckily, we got it done.”

And while Saskatchewan had lost all four meetings against these same Cougars in the regular season, being outscored 20-4, they were able to overcome that adversity and won when it mattered most.

“It’s just pure excitement,” Kaluski added when HuskieFAN asked how he was feeling. “Honestly, I’m so proud of our guys, it took everybody, we were gassed, we were giving it everything we had and we just couldn’t be more excited for next week.”

The U of S will now face the league-best University of Calgary Dinos next weekend, at Father David Bauer Arena, in another best-of-three series.

“Calgary hasn’t lost in a long time, but they’re due,” said head coach Brandin Cote. “I think they have a really good all-around team, they’ve got some guys that can score, they play heavy, they play physical, and their d-core is really solid. We’re gonna have to manage the puck just as well or better than we did against Mount Royal tonight, and it’s going to be a hard-nosed, physical battle.”

“Rest is going to be important here, they’re obviously going to be the more rested team but with that sometimes comes a little bit of rust, so you never know. I think we’re in a good headspace right now, we’re gonna go back home, we’re gonna get reset and then get back here again on Wednesday to get ready for Thursday.”

The Huskies went 1-3 against the Dinos this season, which included two, tight 3-2 losses in Saskatoon.

Despite Calgary having a record-breaking year, program-wise, in both wins (25) and points (50), and currently riding a 23-game win streak, the Dogs are confident in their abilities.

“Belief is a wonderful thing,” Cote said. “When you get guys pulling on the same rope, it is all the cliche stuff, but it really is the truth, and so I’m just really proud of our guys.”

All three games (if necessary), will start at 8 p.m. (Saskatchewan time), with game one on Thursday (Feb. 23), game two on Friday (Feb. 24), and game three on Saturday (Feb. 25).

Meanwhile, the U of A Golden Bears will host the UBC Thunderbirds, in the other final-four matchup.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8