Photo credit: Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards/Huskie Athletics

By Ryan Flaherty

upset defeat

Spartans stun Huskies in shootout

Feb 6, 2024 | 4:56 PM

Games aren’t won on paper and the Huskies men’s hockey team got a stern reminder of that on Tuesday, falling 2-1 in a shootout to the Trinity Western Spartans to close out their two-game makeup series in Langley, B.C.

Despite entering the game with a 32-point lead over the Spartans in the Canada West standings and having never lost to Trinity Western in their three seasons as conference rivals, the Huskies could only muster a single goal in 65 minutes of action, settling instead for a single point.

“We just didn’t execute. Something was off, I don’t know what it was. I thought (the Spartans) played a very sound game, we dominated them in terms of possession and that kind of stuff but I thought we gave up way too many odd-man rushes, and we were on the wrong side of the puck a lot of the time,” head coach Brandin Cote said.

The unusual circumstances surrounding the game, with the Huskies playing for the fourth time in five days and starting Tuesday’s contest at 9 a.m., certainly presented a challenge. But the Spartans were in the same boat after traveling back from Regina on Sunday to host the two-game set. And early on, the Huskies looked to have their legs, outshooting Trinity Western 19-8 in the first period. However, Cote was quick to note where most of those shots came from.

“They were all from the outside, so (the goalie) saw every single thing that we shot at him for the most part. For whatever reason, we didn’t have enough energy to get inside,” he said.

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“We were tired, so were they. I don’t buy any of the excuses.”

After a scoreless first, the Spartans broke through 34 seconds into the middle frame. At the tail end of a carried over power play, Saskatoon product Jarrett Penner slid a rebound past Roddy Ross to give Trinity Western its first lead against the Huskies in four games this season.

That seemed to give the Spartans an energy boost, while the Huskies appeared to sag. TWU outshot Saskatchewan 12-7 in the period but Ross held the fort, keeping the deficit at one heading to the third.

Midway through the third, the home side handed the Huskies a golden opportunity to get back on even terms when Penner took a run at Keaton Sorensen, hitting the rookie forward up high and pinwheeling him to the ice. Penner received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for checking to the head and the Huskies took advantage on the ensuing power play as Sorensen, who escaped injury on the play, set up Liam Keeler for the equalizer.

However, despite having another 3:30 of power play time at their disposal, the Huskies would settle for the single goal. They continued to pepper the Spartans net with shots but TWU goaltender Leon Sommer turned aside each one. The Huskies outshot the Spartans 24-4 in the third yet the game needed overtime.

Five minutes of three-on-three solved nothing and it was on to the shootout, and after Josh Borynec put Trinity Western ahead in round four, Sommer denied Carter Stebbings, sparking a Spartans celebration. The goaltender finished the day with 52 saves in the victory. Meanwhile, Ross stopped 28 shots in defeat.

The Huskies now sit at 18-6-2 on the season and with the single point move two points ahead of the Alberta Golden Bears in the Canada West playoff race. Saskatchewan is two points behind both the Mount Royal Cougars and Calgary Dinos, who are tied for second place.

The Dogs now have to shake off their disappointment and get ready for their final regular season series, as the Manitoba Bisons will visit Merlis Belsher Place on Friday and Saturday. A sweep will guarantee that the Huskies host at least one playoff series. Whether it’s a quarterfinal or semifinal still remains to be seen.

“We just have to get as much rest as we can. It’s up to the guys to make sure they’re staying hydrated and getting the nutrition they need,” Cote said. “We have two games at home to finish off the year. If we play to our strengths and our game, we should be fine.”

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