Chantz Petruic tallied a goal and four assists to lead the Huskies to a 7-2 win over the MacEwan Griffins on January 20. Photo: Liam Richards/Electric Umbrella

By Ryan Flaherty

Four straight wins

Huskies thump Griffins again to sweep season series

Jan 20, 2024 | 9:11 PM

The Huskies men’s hockey team is still undefeated in 2024 after beating the MacEwan Griffins 7-2 on Saturday for their fourth straight win coming out of the holiday break.

Saskatchewan’s third consecutive blowout victory secured a sweep of both the weekend series in Edmonton and the four-game season series against the Griffins. The Dogs outscored MacEwan 25-5 over the four games and 17-2 this weekend thanks to a 10-0 win one night earlier.

Third-year forward Chantz Petruic led the way on this night with a goal and four assists for his first five-point game since the 2019-20 season, when the then-Yorkton Terrier led the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with 109 points en route to being named the league’s most valuable player.

Cole Jordan got the scoring started less than five minutes in, walking into the slot and wiring a wrist shot past Griffins netminder Ashton Abel, who was pulled on Friday after allowing the first five Huskies goals.

MacEwan managed to generate a few scoring chances as the first period wore on but Jordan Kooy, making his third straight start for Saskatchewan, turned aside every shot he faced. Then with under two minutes left in the frame, Liam Keeler converted on a Huskies power play to double the advantage.

Listen: Offensive Coordinator Jeremy Long

Long time assistant, Jeremy Long, gets a football program promotion.

Apr 18, 2024

2024 U Sports women's hockey

More demand for women's sport on campus

Mar 25, 2024

Camryn Drever among Huskie Graduating players

T-Birds defeat Huskies in consolation final

Mar 17, 2024

That’s when things got ugly. Moments after Keeler’s goal, Griffins forward Carter Chorney hammered Huskies defenceman Parker Gavlas into the boards, crumpling him to the ice. Chorney received a five-minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct, and Gavlas was helped off the ice putting no weight on his right leg. Fortunately for Saskatchewan, he would later return to the game.

The Huskies made the Griffins pay for the penalty with Landon Kosior scoring his second goal in as many nights before the end of the frame, and added a second on the major advantage on Cade Hayes’ fifth goal of the season early in the second period.

With the game fully in control, the Dogs continued to pad their advantage. Jeff Faith and Chantz Petruic scored to push the lead to six, chasing Abel from the net in favour of backup Thomas Davis. Shortly thereafter, in a bit of poetic justice, Gavlas converted a Petruic feed for his first career Huskies goal. The Saskatoon native is in his second season with the program and first since returning after a year playing for Red Deer Polytechnic in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.

The Griffins finally broke through late in the second on a five-on-three advantage as Jordan Taupert spoiled Kooy’s bid for a third straight clean sheet. The third-year goaltender saw his shutout streak end at 157:11. Taupert’s goal also ended an incredible run of 27 straight goals for the Huskies without allowing one, going back to January 6 against Regina.

The Huskies let their foot off the gas somewhat in the third and MacEwan would get a bit closer with just over a minute remaining on a power play goal by Loeden Schauffler, but that was all they could muster. The Griffins have now lost nine straight games and cling to the final Canada West playoff spot with a record of 6-17-1

Saskatchewan finished the night 2/4 on the power play (albeit with three power play goals), while MacEwan went 2/7. The Huskies outshot the Griffins 36-24 on the night.

With the victory, the Huskies improve to 15-5 on the season and pull within two points of the idle Alberta Golden Bears, who just so happen to be their next opponent. The Huskies also have two games in hand on both Alberta and the Mount Royal Cougars, who are four points ahead and will host Saskatchewan in two weeks.

Game one of the two-game series between archrivals Saskatchewan and Alberta is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday at Merlis Belsher Place, and can be heard on HuskieFAN.

—

Twitter/X: @RFlahertypxp