Spartans edge Huskies

This time the home side didn’t need more than 60 minutes as McKenzie Mayo beat Camryn Drever with a shot from the high slot with just 1:08 left in the third period. The second-year defender’s first career U SPORTS goal would stand as the difference.

“I didn’t think we had any sort of sustained pressure or flow,” Huskies head coach Steve Kook said. “We had a hard time keeping repeat shifts. There was a lot of power plays and a lot of penalties tonight so it was hard to get any five-on-five play and get any rhythm that way.”

After a somewhat tentative first period that saw neither team find the net, the Huskies opened the scoring 6:28 into the second. Mallory Dyer grabbed a loose puck in the corner, skated out front and slid a backhand through the legs of Spartans goaltender Mabel Maltais for her first goal of the season.

The Dogs controlled play throughout much of the middle frame but failed to capitalize on a series of power play chances including a pair of five-on-three advantages. USask finished then night 0/8 on the power play.

“You get one or two on those power plays and it’s a different story in the third and you’re playing a different way than just trying to create some scoring chances in the third,” Kook said.

Then with less than two minutes left in the period, the Spartans pounced on a lucky bounce. A dump-in from the neutral zone was covered by Drever, but the Huskies goaltender didn’t notice the puck trickle out from under her glove and Kyra McDonald outraced a defender and swept it past Drever for the equalizer.

The third period played out fairly evenly until Mayo scored the go-ahead goal.

The Spartans open the season with a win and for the first time in their young Canada West history, have a record above the .500 mark at 1-0. The Huskies will look to earn a split when the two teams meet again on Saturday night at the Langley Event Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm local time.

by Wray Morrison

Spartans edge Huskies

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