The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's hockey team celebrates a 2-0 win in Game 2 of the semifinal series at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, B.C., on Feb. 25, 2023. (Daniella Ponticelli/HuskieFAN)
Lalor scores 2, Drever saves 34

Huskies bite back with shutout win to force semifinal Game 3

Feb 26, 2023 | 1:23 AM

Consider it redemption for Camryn Drever.

After making 49 saves in a 1-0 semifinal defeat to the No. 1-ranked UBC Friday, Drever turned away 34 for a shutout win in Game 2 Saturday night.

The fourth-year goaltender now has 83 saves on 84 shots through the semifinal series in Vancouver, so far.

“We’ve gotten better since the first game and obviously tonight we came out hard,” Drever said.

“Our D zone was definitely better, just breaking out, clearing pucks and clearing bodies in front.”

Through her four starts in the 2023 postseason, Drever has made 135 saves — the most of any Canada West netminder —and allowed five.

UBC second-year goaltender Elise Hugens turned away 15 shots in her second start of playoffs, for a total of 24 saves through two games.

The fifth-ranked Huskies came out strong through a scoreless opening frame, keeping shots on goal tied at four through the first 20 minutes.

While special teams were nullified Friday, the Huskies power play unit came to play in Game 2.

Fourth-year forward Sophie Lalor waited patiently for a pass from rookie Taylor Wilkinson, helped by Sara Kendall, to fire one past Hugens 15:55 in the second.

With a 1-0 lead into the third, Lalor nabbed her second power play marker of the night, helped by Isabella Pozzi and Brooklyn Stevely for their third assists of the playoffs 11:12 into the final frame.

After the game, Lalor gave credit to Huskies assistant coach Nolan Horbach for his pre-scouting work to ready the power play lines against UBC.

“We struggled yesterday with their pressure on the breakout, but we just really pulled it all together today,” Lalor said.

“Izzy, Brooklyn, Tayor and Sara, everyone, was just working together perfectly.”

Saskatchewan is two for five on the power play through two games against the Thunderbirds, after their four opportunities Saturday.

The Huskies penalty kill stayed perfect, again, going three for three in Game 2. The PK unit is seven for seven through the semifinal series.

Saskatchewan’s 2-0 win victory Saturday snapped a 13-game win streak for the Thunderbirds, and pierced their perfect home record this season.

It also marks the first Huskies win at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre since Jan. 25, 2020, and denied the T-Birds a third-consecutive playoff sweep over Saskatchewan.

The Huskies and Thunderbirds will return for the deciding Game 3 Sunday at 5 p.m. CST.

Saskatchewan last played a Game 3 in their home quarter-final series against the Mount Royal University Cougars on Feb. 17, 2019. The Huskies bookended the weekend with wins to move on to the semifinals, where they were swept by the University of Alberta Pandas in Edmonton.

The other 2023 Canada West semifinal will be also be decided in a Game 3 Sunday at 3 p.m. CST out of Edmonton.

The second-ranked Pandas tied the series at home Saturday against the third-ranked MRU Cougars. Out of the four semifinalists, Mount Royal is the only school to not have won a conference championship.

Both Canada West semifinal winners earn berths to the national U Sports Women’s Hockey Championship in Montreal, Que. on March 16-19.

The higher-seed finalist will host the best-of-three Canada West championship March 3-5.

Listen to all live and archived Huskies women’s hockey games on the HuskieFAN app and at huskiefan.ca.

daniella.ponticelli@pattison.media.ca

Twitter: @dponticelliTV

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