WHKY | Dinos force game three

SASKATOON – A goal 22 seconds in set the tone in Game 2 as the University of Calgary Dinos women’s hockey team defeated the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 2-0 and forced a decisive game in their Canada West quarter-final series.

After playing from behind for 57 minutes in the series opener, the Dinos broke through early and relied on a strong defensive effort to extend their season. Gabriella Durante made 28 saves for a shutout and her first playoff win. 

“This feels pretty unreal. This was a do-or-die game and we came to play,” said fifth-year Calgary forward Elizabeth Lang. “I don’t know how Gabby made some of those saves she did. Everything starts with her and the defence, we cannot do what we do as forwards without them.” 

The Dinos’ top line was held off the scoreboard in the series opener, but the trio of Courtney Kollman, Lang, and Sydney Mercier got it started on Saturday. 

A breakout pass by Kollman sprung her linemates, with Lang then finding Mercier up the middle. The initial shot was stopped by Camryn Drever, but the puck trickled back out, hit Mercier, and snuck through the Saskatchewan goaltender.

Scoring chances were limited before the Huskies started to generate some momentum in the later stages of the second period. Durante was kept busy, making 10 saves during the middle frame, and got support from defenders Kate Wagner and Emma Tait who cleared the puck during two frantic sequences with the home team closing in.

Despite the mounting pressure in their own end, a successful power play gave the Dinos some breathing room. Brooklin Fry carried the play into the zone and set up Lang in the left faceoff circle. That shot was turned away, but Fry continued driving to the net and tapped the rebound past Drever. 

“That was a desperate crew out there. They were diving in front of pucks and did what they needed to do to stay in the series,” said Huskies head coach Steve Kook. “We needed a little more of that desperation on the offensive side. The pucks were there, we just couldn’t get to them.”

Durante remained calm in her crease through the third period and shut it down as Saskatchewan brought out an extra attacker in the final two minutes.

“We have learned to play with resilience,” stated Lang. “We talk about having gas and never giving up. We want to go out there tomorrow and, when the game is over, know we left it all out there.”

The final game of the conference quarter-finals will be played on Sunday, with a 2 p.m. CST puck drop at Merlis Belsher Place.