Kahlen Wisener's first career U SPORTS goal helped the Huskies secure a 5-3 win over Manitoba to close out the regular season. Photo credit: Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards/Huskie Athletics

By Ryan Flaherty

playoff ready

Huskies wrap up regular season with sweep of Bisons

Feb 10, 2024 | 7:58 PM

The Huskies women’s hockey team is heading into the playoffs on a winning note after completing a season sweep of the Manitoba Bisons with a 5-3 win Saturday in Winnipeg.

Five different players scored and Colby Wilson made 29 saves in the regular season finale as the Dogs wrapped up the campaign with a 19-7-2 record.

“It was good weekend intensity-wise. Both teams were into it. I thought today was little bit calmer than yesterday just in terms of both teams trying to do things that they want to do going into playoffs,” head coach Steve Kook said.

On a night when both teams were already locked into their respective postseason berths, the game had a playoff-like feel. After honouring their graduating players in a pregame ceremony the Bisons grabbed an early advantage on goals by Kate Gregoire and Dana Goertzen just over a minute apart, but Kate Ball got one back for Saskatchewan before the first period was even half over.

The Huskies leveled the score at the 14:51 mark on a milestone moment for one of their youngest players. Winnipeg native Kahlen Wisener, playing in her sixth game of the season, forced a turnover at the Manitoba line then broke in alone and beat Bisons netminder Meagan Relf for her first career Huskies goal.

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“Pretty happy for Kahlen. Not often you get your first goal in your hometown,” Kook said.

Early in the second, the Dogs grabbed the lead on another hustle play as captain Kennedy Brown followed a clearing play down the ice on the penalty kill, stole the puck behind the Manitoba net and stuffed it past a surprised Relf for a shorthanded goal, Saskatchewan’s third of the season. The Bisons would push back, outshooting the Huskies 13-5 in the frame, but Wilson came up with several key saves to preserve the 3-2 advantage heading to the third.

Kara Kondrat provided some insurance with a nifty deflection on a Huskies power play at 7:13 of the third and that turned out to be huge as the Bisons would pull back within one thanks to a goal by Jena Barscello at 13:59.

However, despite pulling Relf for an extra attacker with nearly two minutes to play, Manitoba could not produce a tying goal and Mallory Dyer salted away the victory, sliding her tenth goal of the season into the empty net with 50 seconds left.

Eleven different Huskies found the scoresheet in the win with Kelsey Hall notching two assists for the only multi-point performance of the bunch.

“Everyone chipped in and that’s important going into the playoffs. You get a couple on the power play, you get a shorty, those are all good things,” Kook said.

The Huskies will now head back to Saskatoon and prepare to host the Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal series. Game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday at Merlis Belsher Place. Fans who can’t make it to the rink can catch all the playoff action on huskiefan.ca and the free HuskieFAN app.

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