Steve Kook's office on Tuesday morning

By Wray Morrison

Listen: Coach's Show with Steve Kook

Wrapping up 2024

Dec 3, 2024 | 3:23 PM

The holiday spirit is alive and well with the Huskie women’s hockey team. Head coach Steve Kook arrived at his Merlis Belsher Place office on Tuesday to find his television, chair, desk, computer monitor, keyboard, mouse and even shoes gift wrapped. Kook joked that his team had seven skates before the end of the month and that he would locate the culprits. “I’ll find out”, he said.

Light-hearted moments are welcome following a challenging 16 games of the 2024-25 season. The Huskies did post back-to-back wins over MacEwan in Edmonton on November 29^th and 30^th, however those were the first two victories of the year. “It felt good to finally get rewarded for your efforts”, Kook said. He was impressed with the character his team showed in a 1-0 overtime win last Friday.

Saskatchewan held the Griffins at bay on Friday, despite being short-handed on three separate occasions. “I thought that the calls weren’t great, the PK did a heck of a job that night”, said Kook. 3^rd-year Huskie, Jayde Cadieux, not only scored the overtime winner on Friday but a shorthanded goal in a 3-0 win on Saturday. “Jayde is one of the players we need to rely on offense. The way that she protected puck, skated with it and where she took shots from…she’s got more confidence.”

Injuries have taken a toll on the team in the first half of the season with scorers Sara Kendall and Taylor Wilkinson among those that have missed playing time. Newcomers Sarah and Kasah Nurani, Aeryn Flanagan and Avery Gottselig have been given more ice time as a result. “They’ve been learning on the fly”, Kook said. “They are good on the puck, it’s just what they do away from the puck.”

4^th-year goaltender Colby Wilson has played in 11 of the 16 games so far this season. Emma Backman, who is in her second season has played in three, while first-year keeper, Clara Juca, dressed for two. When asked if he would have liked to see more balance in goalie playing time Kook said “I would have liked to have spread it out a little more. We needed someone to step up and say, ‘I’m going to take the next one coach.’ That’s what we’ve been waiting for.”

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The Huskies are now in the middle of a 41-day holiday break with the next conference game scheduled for January 10^th against the Regina Cougars at Merlis Belsher Place. With 12 regular season games remaining, Saskatchewan sits nine points back of Manitoba for the final playoff spot in the east division. There are four head-to-head matchups with the Bisons left on the schedule. “The numbers are making my brain swim”, Kook joked. “We know where we are in the standings. We know we are going to be chasing everybody, so points matter every game.”

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wray.morrison@pattisonmedia.com

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