Game Information
 
Date: Satuday, Nov. 23
Time: 7:00
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue: Merlis Belsher Place
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the Action: Tickets
 
SASKATOON – Following the first half of their home and home, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team will return to the Bridge City as they square off against the Regina Cougars at Merlis Belsher Place.
 
Saskatchewan will take on their provincial rivals for the first time this season this weekend, in a rivalry that has been particularly one-sided over the past number of years. The Huskies have won their last twelve games against the Cougars and have not fallen to their counterparts to the south since Feb. 13, 2016.
 
The Dogs have been especially dominant on home ice against the Cougars, having not lost to the program in Saskatoon in over 2,100 days with the last loss coming on Nov. 21, 2013.
 
Saskatchewan enters the weekend as winners of four consecutive games and seven of their last eight, after taking care of the visiting Manitoba Bisons last weekend at Merlis Belsher Place. The Huskies recorded 4-1 and 6-3 victories over the Bisons to move to 7-3-2 on the season.
 
Meanwhile, Regina, who is 2-9-1 this year, sits at the bottom of the Canada West with five points on the season. The Cougars were swept on the road last weekend, falling 4-2 and 9-0 to the Alberta Golden Bears. Regina held the defending conference champions tight on Friday night, trailing by a goal entering the third but Alberta scored 32 seconds into the period to take a two-goal lead, helping them to the win.
 
The matchup will mark the last time Saskatchewan takes the ice at Merlis Belsher Place in the calendar year, as the team will close out 2019 on the road in Calgary with a pair of games against the Mount Royal Cougars.
 
10 Things
 
1: Saskatchewan is 15-1-0 over the last five years in conference play against Regina. 
 
2: Jared Dmytriw was named the Huskies Blue Cross Athlete of the Week for his tremendous performance last weekend in the sweep over Manitoba, recording six points over the two games.
 
3: Dmytriw is averaging two points-per-game over his last four, as he will take the ice on Friday night riding a four-game point streak with three goals and five assists during the stretch. The first-year forward is fourth in rookie scoring with his 10 points this season.
 
4: Five Huskies skaters are already at the double-digit point mark through twelve games this season, with Carson Stadnyk, Layne Young, Levi Cable, Donovan Neuls and Dmytriw all sitting at 10 points on the year.
 
5: Neuls enters the weekend on a six-game point streak, which is tied for longest in the Canada West this season. Neuls has three goals and six assists amidst the stretch.
 
6: Two of Neuls three goals this season have come shorthanded, which leads the conference.
 
7: The Huskies are undefeated when outshooting opponents (5-0-0), leading after the first period (5-0-0) and leading after two periods (6-0-0).
 
8: Carter Folk, whose seven goals in 2019-20 is tied for the team lead, has scored on 33.8 per cent of his shots on goals this season.
 
9: The Cougars have struggled on the man-advantage this season, scoring on just 3/42 powerplay opportunities (7.4%). In comparison, the Huskies have found the back of the net on 13/59 chances with the extra-skater (22.0%).
 
10: Cougars forward Tyler Kreklewich is the lone Regina skater with a plus/minus higher than -1. Kreklewich had yet to finish a game as a negative player prior to the team's 9-0 loss in Alberta, where he was -2.
 
Scouting the Cougars
 
Regina, who have finished eighth in the conference in four straight seasons, are chasing after their first playoff appearance since 2012-13. The Cougars have not won a playoff game since 2008-09 when they swept the Bisons in the conference quarter-finals before falling to the Golden Bears in semi-final action.
 
Tristan Frei leads Regina with four goals and three assists this season. Frei has tallied two of the three Cougars powerplay goals and is second on the team with 24 penalty minutes. Frei, who registered 12 points in 2019-20, enters the weekend with five points in his last five games.
 
Forward Connor Chaulik has already surpassed his career-high in points with six through 12 games. The second-year skater had two goals and two assists in his rookie year in 2018-19.Goaltender Brandon Holtby has been the most successful netminder this season for the Cougars. Holtby holds a 2.86 goals-against average to go along with his .915 save percentage in seven games played this season. Holtby recorded both of Regina's wins this season, as he sports a 2-4-0 record. The former Dauphin King has already surpassed his single season career high in wins, after going 1-2-0 in 2018-19 and 0-2-0 in 2017-18 with the Cougars.