Huskies sweep Cougars for second straight title

Mar 7, 2026 | 11:42 PM

The Huskie men’s hockey team will go to the 2026 University Cup as Canada West conference champions following a 4-2 win over the Mount Royal Cougars in game two of the best-of-three league final at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary on Saturday night. USask is the first school in Canada West conference history to go 6-0 through the postseason on the way to a league title.

Goaltender Nolan Maier, who made 33 saves in Friday’s 5-0 shutout win in the series opener, was stellar again on Saturday night turning aside 28 Mount Royal shots. Maier, who joined the Huskies in January, went on a 6 and 0 run during the Canada West playoffs and was named series MVP.

Saskatchewan jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on Dawson Holt’s second of the playoffs, 4:38 in to the game. The fifth-year forward tapped in a pass Connor Roulette for his second of the playoffs. Holt then factored in to USask’s second goal later in the period. While driving to the net, Holt was able to make a highlight reel pass to Carter Stebbings and it was 2-0.

Roulette, who led the conference in rookie scoring in the regular season, lifted Saskatchewan to a 3-0 advantage at 6:21 of the middle frame on a long lead pass from Chantz Petruic. Chase Bertholet rounded out the the Saskatchewan scoring with an unassisted marker at 15:29. Ethan Buenaventura replaced Mount Royal starting goaltender Shane Farkas after 40 minutes of play.

The Cougars cut in to the Huskie lead at 11:14 of the third period when MRU veteran Josh Tarzwell put a puck past Maier ending a series stretch of over 111 minutes of shutout hockey for the USask goaltender. Moments later USask forward Josh Pillar was given a misconduct, putting MRU on a five minute power play. Mount Royal defender Clay Hanus scored his first of the series on the power play to cut Saskatchewan’s lead to 4-2 at 12:51 of the thrid period, however the Huskies held the Cougars at bay for the rest of the game.