Holt turns in four-point game
It was domination of a provincial rival. The Huskie men’s hockey team opened the 2024-25 season with an easy 7-1 win over the Regina Cougars at Merlis Belsher Place on Friday night. Saskatchewan had a 3-0 lead before the mid-way point of the first period. Ben Tkachuk scored on the Huskies’ first shot of the contest. Cade Hayes and Raphael Pelletier put pucks behind Jackson Fellner at the 6:10 and 9:48 mark of the opening frame.
With the score 4-0 early in the second period, Saskatchewan struck on the power play. With Blake Heward in the penalty box for slashing, veteran Dawson Holt buried the Huskies’ fifth goal at the 3:30 mark. With 4:33 left in the middle frame, the Cougars did find the net as Steven Kesslering scored for the visitors. The game turned chippy late in the second period as the Huskies took three roughing and one kneeing penalty while the Cougars were penalized for twice for roughing.
Carter Stebbings and Chantz Petruic rounded out the scoring with third period goals for the Huskies. Holt finished with 1 goal and 3 assists, while Petruic notched a pair of goals. Five Saskatchewan players had a multi-point game. Newcomer Trevor Wong, who joined the Huskies from the Saskatoon Blades, had an assist. Goaltender Roddy Ross made 12 of his 24 stops in the first period for the win.
The Cougars host the Huskies in the second game of the series on Saturday night at the Co-operaters Centre in Regina. The game can be hard on the free HuskieFAN app starting at 7:00 PM.