SASKATOON, Sask. - The U SPORTS No. 2-ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies secured a home-ice advantage for playoffs after claiming the top seed in the Canada West following their 4-2 win Saturday night (Feb. 15) and a weekend sweep of the Manitoba Bisons. 

After Friday night's defeat, the Bisons would open the scoring Saturday night with an early goal, deflected by Andre Sutter off Jonny Hooker's attempt on the net from high in the slot. The goal would be the Bisons first and only lead of the weekend. 

Despite the Bisons being the first on the board, the Huskies continued to put third-year goaltender Ross Hawryluk to the test, putting up 11 shots (to 3) in the first. 

In the final minute of the first, Mac Gross got a hold of the puck at the blue line following a wide shot and quickly got the puck to Vince Loschiavo down low, who fired off a cross-ice pass to Chantz Petruic. Petruic would capitalize on the one-timer opportunity and even out the game before heading down the tunnel at the end of the first twenty. 

After returning to the ice, the game remained in a deadlock for the first half of the period until following a thrilling end-to-end-to-end rush that concluded in another cross-ice pass from Vince Loschiavo to Chantz Petruic for his twentieth goal of the season. 

The two teams continued to play a fast-paced back-and-forth game, and with just under three minutes remaining in the second, fifth-year Captain Justin Ball got the puck up to Carter Stebbings at Manitoba's blue line. Carter Stebbings and Ethan Regnier headed into the Bisons end 2-on-1, resulting in Stebbings finding the back of the net to give the Huskies a two-goal lead.

Despite the deficit, the Bisons came into the third with high intensity. Michael King would close the gap for the Bisons at 4:54, bringing them within a goal's reach of the Huskies. 

Neither team showed any sign of letting up, putting up a combined 22 shots in the third. 

The Bisons continued in pursuit of the Huskies until Ethan Regnier got his stick on a long wavering pass in the neutral zone between Bisons players and found Jerret Penner in the slot, who was able to restore the two-goal lead and seal the deal for the Dogs.

The Huskies will now head to a bye week through the opening round of the playoffs and await the winner of the UBC Thunderbirds and MacEwan Griffins opening round series next weekend. The Dogs will host the winner in a  best-of-three series February 28-March 2, 2025 at Merlis Belsher Place. Playoff ticket packs are available now at HuskieTickets.com!