The number one ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies continued to roll as they extended their undefeated streak to nine games with a 2-0 win and a 3-3 tie over the visiting University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. The three-point weekend improves Saskatchewans overall record to 14-3-3 and lifted its Canada West Hockey conference record to 7-2-3. The Huskies now sit atop the conference standings as they hold a five-point lead over the second place University of Regina Cougars in the conferences Great Plains Division.
In other conference play on the weekend of November 11th-12th, the University of Manitoba Bisons extended their winning streak to three games with a series sweep over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in Vancouver. The Bisons opened the series with a 4-0 shutout as Krister Toews made 35 saves to register his first shutout of the season and Darren McCutcheon scored a goal and two assists to pace the Manitoba offence as the Bisons claimed their first series sweep of the season with 6-3 win in the second game. With the two wins, the Bisons have now won four of their last five games and improved their record in conference play to 5-6-1, moving to within one point of second place Regina.
Regina was only able to earn a single point in its series against the University of Calgary Dinos. After skating to a 3-3 overtime tie in the series opener at Calgary, the Dinos took a 4-1 win as Wade Davis led the way with two goals and an assist.
Canada West Hockey MVP, Dean Beuker continues to lead the Saskatchewan attack as the Huskie right winger added another four points to his conference leading total with three goals and an assist against Lethbridge. In Fridays 2-0 victory, he scored both goals, netting the winning goal with a first period shorthanded goal and sealed the win with an empty net goal with 16 seconds remaining. Saturday saw Beuker score an unassisted goal to break a 1-1 tie and he then assisted on defenceman Stephen Manns game tying goal at 15:11 of the third period.
The four point series gives Beuker a conference leading 23 points as he tops Canada West Hockey in both goals and assists with 10-13-23 in 12 games. Overall, he has scored 15-21-36 in 20 games to top the conference in all three offensive categories. Manns goal was his ninth point of the season. The Huskies blueliner leads Canada West Hockey defencemen in scoring with 4-5-9 in 12 games.
Jeff Harvey and Thomas Vicars continue their solid netminding in the Saskatchewan goal as the duo has combined to allow only 24 goals in the Huskies 12 conference games. Harvey made 29 saves to register his second shutout of the season in the 2-0 win over Lethbridge and Vicars made 24 saves in the 3-3 tie with the Pronghorns. Harveys 1.82 goals-against average places him second in the conference goaltending statistics behind Alberta freshman Blake Grenier, who leads Canada West Hockey with a 1.47 GAA. Vicars is third with a 2.11 GAA.
Fifth-year senior Charlie Mattersdorfer accounted for two of Lethbridges three goals against Saskatchewan as he scored twice on the powerplay. All three of the Pronghorns goals came on special teams, as Chad Rideout also scored with the man advantage. Lethbridge was 3-11 on the powerplay while Saskatchewan went 2-12.
In Calgary, the homestanding Dinos rallied from a 3-1 deficit entering the third period to earn a 3-3 tie in Fridays series opener. Down by two after 40 minutes of play, the Dinos evened the score only two minutes into the final frame. Colin McRae started the comeback at 1:17 and Tyrel Lucas completed it at 2:02. Regina skated to the 3-1 lead on goals by Chad Anderson, Josh Garbutt (PPG) and Caine Pearpoint, while Andre Blanchette got the Dinos on the scoreboard. Garbutt, who leads the Cougars in scoring and is seventh in the conference scoring race with 6-6-12, also had an assist for a two-point game. Garbutts 12 points have come in only seven games.
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