SASKATOON – Jenna Merk's shootout winner allowed the University of Regina women's hockey team to squeak out a 3-2 shootout win over the Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday, Nov. 22 at Merlis Belsher Place.
In a back-and-forth affair between the provincial rivals, it was the visiting Cougars who took care of business in enemy territory.
Jordan Kulbida and Tamara McVannel each recorded their third goal of the season in the win for Regina. Shaelyn Vallotton put up a pair of helpers, while Kaitlyn Crowe added her fourth assist of the season.
Bailee Bourassa got the Huskies on the board early in the first period and provided the equalizer on the powerplay with less than five minutes remaining in the third, allowing the Huskies to pick up a single point.
Brooklyn Haubrich and
Emily Upgang each recorded assists in the game for Saskatchewan.
Cougars netminder Jane Kish recorded her fourth win in her last five starts, with a 31 save performance for the visitors.
Camryn Drever, who got her second consecutive start between the pipes for the Huskies, turned aside 16 of 18 shots she faced on the night.
Regina improves to 3-7-3-0 with the win; meanwhile, Saskatchewan falls to 5-4-1-3 on the season.
It was the Huskies who struck first early in the first period. Kish turned the puck over behind her own net and Saskatchewan took advantage. Haubrich spotted Bourassa in the slot, who made no mistake putting her shot over the glove of the Cougars netminder to give the Huskies the 1-0 lead.
Saskatchewan dominated the opening period of play, outshooting Regina 9-2 in the first 20 minutes.
However, the Cougars got the equalizer just 4:31 into the second period. Kulbida entered the zone streaking down the right-wing and ripped her wrister bar down and in overtop the shoulder of Drever to tie the game up at one goal apiece.
Regina took a 2-1 lead 41 seconds into the third period, as McVannel's powerplay goal was able to beat Drever short side.
However, with the Huskies pressing for the equalizer, it was none other than Bourassa to step up in the third period. The Weyburn, SK native fired home her fourth goal of the season to tie the game up at two goals apiece.
With 40 seconds remaining in the third and the Cougars pressing, the puck came to Jaycee Magwood in the slot, but Drever stood tall and made her biggest stop of the evening, to send the game to overtime.
Despite both clubs having pressing opportunities to find twine in overtime, ten minutes of sudden-death solved nothing, sending the game to a shootout.
After Kulbida scored on the first shootout attempt, it was up to Bourassa to keep the Huskies alive after neither of the previous Saskatchewan skaters was able to beat Kish, and the forward did exactly that with a filthy move on Kish to knot the shootout up at one goal apiece. But on the next attempt, Merk, who briefly lost control of the puck, was able to corral it and elevate over Drever's outstretched pad to give her club the win on the road.
The Huskies and Cougars will do battle once again tomorrow night, as they each trek south on Highway 7 to Regina to conclude home-and-home in the provincial capital at the Co-operators Arena on Saturday night.
