Two college hockey titans will do battle in Saskatoon starting Friday as the Huskies host the UBC Thunderbirds in the Canada-West Semi-Finals.
“I think it’s just going to come down to the fine details of who executes better with their game plan, and it’s going to be an exciting series,” said Huskies head coach Brandin Cote
Cote says he expected to meet UBC at some point in the playoffs, given the way the standings were shaping up late in the season.
This weekend will mark the first time since 2020 that the Huskies and Thunderbirds will face off in the post season. That year, it was for a Canada-West title. It was also the last time the Huskies won the conference championship.
But after some early playoff exits over the last few years, there is plenty of motivation to take care of business, especially after last season’s heartbreaking overtime loss in the first round against Alberta.
“It left a sour taste in our mouths. I thought we had a solid year. it was a crappy way to end it, and you know, this year we’re hungrier than ever. We’ve put ourselves in a good spot” said Chantz Petruic, the Huskies' top scorer this season and a Canada-West All-star.
“Our group has learned from those experiences. We are taking those successes we’ve had and building upon that. So that will for sure provide motivation” said Cote.
The huskies are loaded with three conference All-Stars, some former Saskatoon Blades, and few former NHL draft picks, including Josh Pillar, who was drafted in the fourth round by Minnesota in 2021, and goaltender Roddy Ross, who was chosen in the sixth round by the Flyers in 2019. Ross also posted the best Goals Against Average in the conference this season.
But while awards are nice, Ross says a championship is the goal.
“Enjoyed it, celebrated it for the day, and then now I’m onto the next. I’m ready for this weekend like all the other guys are. We are all excited,” said Ross.
It was a shootout win at UBC earlier this season that helped the Huskies inch closer to clinching home-ice advantage in the playoffs. The message in practice this week has been to stay focused and approach this series like any other.
“We just know how important this game is. But it’s business as usual. We’re not going to overthink it or anything. We’ve had a great season, and we got great players on our team. So we just gotta stick to our game and play the way we have been all year,” said Huskies defenseman Landon Kosior.
Game one of the best-of-three conference semi-final series is Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place.
