The Huskies settled for a single point in their first game of the 2024-25 season. Photo courtesy Huskie Athletics/Electric Umbrella/Liam Richards

By Ryan Flaherty

cats come back

Huskies open season with overtime loss

Oct 4, 2024 | 11:01 PM

The Huskies women’s hockey team had a chance to kick off the 2024-25 season with a win over its biggest rival but in the end had to settle for a single point in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Regina Cougars at Co-operators Arena on Friday.

A power play goal by Kahlen Wisener early in the second period put the Huskies in position to leave the Queen City with a win but a strong third period push by the Cougars proved to be too much as Shaylee Scraba tied the game with 7:30 to play and Kaylee Dyer netted the winner 3:37 into three-on-three overtime.

“”I thought the first (period) was a pretty typical first game of the regular season even though we’ve had six preseason games. It’s a different feel when you get to the regular season,” head coach Steve Kook said. “A little jumpy, we were trying to do to much, flying by pucks. In the second I thought we settled down and played well and then I just thought the third was very inconsistent.”

The opening twenty minutes had all the trappings of a season opener, with both teams struggling to find consistency with the puck. Regina had the better scoring chances, outshooting Saskatchewan 11-4 in the frame, but fourth-year goaltender Colby Wilson stopped every puck fired her way.

The Cougars got into penalty trouble to start the second, taking back-to-back minors, and on the second power play Wisener capitalized with the help of some puck luck as her centering pass from beside the net banked off a Cougar defender and past goaltender Natalie Williamson. The Huskies power play finished the night with a goal on six opportunities, while their penalty kill stymied all five Regina chances.

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The Dogs’ inconsistency re-emerged in the third period though, and shortly after a Regina penalty expired the Cougars swarmed the Saskatchewan net and the puck popped free for Shaylee Scraba, whose turnaround shot from the left faceoff circle beat Huskies netminder Colby Wilson upstairs to tie the game.

Regina continued to press and if not for Wilson’s efforts, the Cougars could have finished things off in regulation. But despite a furious push that included a power play chance with less than two and a half minutes left, it was off to overtime.

“I thought Colby Wilson played good. She held us in there. There were a couple of times with defensive zone breakdowns where we got extended and Colby kicked out a couple of really great saves for us,” Kook said.

The Dogs opened the extra session with some puck possession and a couple of chances but once again the Cougars had an answer and after a board battle in the Huskies zone, Lauren Focht pulled the puck off the wall and skated in alone on goal. Wilson denied Focht and stopped a rebound but Dyer was positioned perfectly to pounce on the third opportunity from just outside the crease, sliding the puck into the open side of the net to lift the Cougars to victory.

The win snaps an eight-game home losing skid against Saskatchewan for the Cougars, who hadn’t beaten their provincial rivals at Co-operators Arena since January 12, 2019. Regina outshot the Huskies 36-26 on the night.

The familiar foes will face off again on Saturday, this time in Saskatoon. Game time is 7 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.