Huskies’ Vance elated to be back playing hockey again

Netminder makes 31 stops for second shutout of season

Jessica Vance has played to her star reputation since joining the Huskies.

    Jessica Vance is happy to finally have her old hockey life back.

    After being out of the game for two seasons, the 20-year-old Prince Albert, Sask., product made her fifth start in goal in the current campaign for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team at the ancient Rutherford Rink on Saturday. She came up with another spectacular performance making 31 saves to help the Huskies post a 2-0 shutout win against the visiting Mount Royal University Cougars in a U Sports clash.

    In her five starts, Vance, who stands 5-foot-7, has posted a 3-2 record, a 1.41 goals against average, a .945 save percentage and two shutouts.

    She has displayed the form that made her one of the all-time greatest goalies in the history of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League, when she played for the Prince Albert Northern Bears.  

Goalie Jessica Vance holds off the pressure from the Cougars.

    Playing for the Bears from 2010 to 2015, Vance posted a 48-36 record, a 2.27 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 91 career regular season games. Her 48 wins, 16 shutouts and 91 games played are all SFMAAAHL career regular season records.

    “It is pretty nice being back,” said Vance. “I forgot how much fun it was.

    “It was just so much fun just playing the sport I love. I just feel like I am right back in it.”

    After exhausting her midget AAA eligibility, Vance committed to play for the U of Manitoba Bisons women’s hockey team, but she was forced to sit out the 2015-16 campaign as a medical redshirt after suffering a major leg injury playing competitive softball in the summer of 2015.

Morgan Willoughby (#9) celebrates a goal with Jessica Vance.

    Vance dressed for one game as a backup goalie very early last season for the Bisons before electing to play closer to home. Due to dressing for that one game, she wasn’t eligible to play for the Huskies until Nov. 1 of this year.

    On Nov. 10 in Vancouver, B.C., Vance made her Huskies debut getting the start against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who are a powerhouse in the Canada West Conference. She made 33 saves to pick up a 2-0 shutout victory.

    “I was nervous definitely,” said Vance, who started her academic studies at the U of S in January. “It was good. I think after the first period I kind of realized that I know what to do and that I should just stay in there.

    “It was a pretty big win. I think that was really what I needed to get that first win out of the way and to get the nerves out of the way. It was good.”

    Huskies head coach Steve Kook said he only started to get to work with Vance this season after taking a professional year leave up absence from the U of Saskatchewan in the 2016-17 campaign. He was impressed with how Vance just stayed calm no matter what life threw at her, which is a key characteristic for a goalie.

Courtney Cormack had the Huskies first goal on Saturday.

    “To me, her demeanour is what sets her apart,” said Kook. “She was just even keel whether she was in the lineup, or whether she was working hard to get back to eligibility. She is no different now than how she was in September still waiting to be eligible.

    “She doesn’t get up or down. That is the impressive part about her.”

    During the first period of Saturday’s win over the Cougars, Kook said Vance made a key kick save on a screen shot that help set the tone for the Huskies in the contest.

    “I think there must have been about four people in front of the net, and I don’t know how she saw it,” said Kook. “That was a game saver.

    “They had hemmed us in a little bit. For us, that was the save that kept us in the game.”

Morgan Willoughby starts a rush up ice for the Huskies.

    The Huskies exited the first period with a 1-0 lead thanks to a gritty goal from third-year forward Courtney Cormack. The Cougars outshot the Huskies 14-11 in the frame, and Vance had to make a few key saves to allow her team to head into the first intermission with the lead.

    After a scoreless second, the Huskies went ahead 2-0 at the 9:30 mark of the third on a gritty goal from third-year defender Morgan Willoughby, who was one of Vance’s teammates with the Bears in Prince Albert.

    The Cougars pulled starting goaltender Emily Severson at that point, who stopped 26-of-28 shot fired her way. Zoe DeBeauville played the rest of the way in the Mount Royal goal in relief, but didn’t face any shots.

    Vance said her team’s persistent effort in the offensive zone proved to be key in the win.

    “I think this game getting to the net really worked for us,” said Vance. “We just had to keep working hard.

    “I think just the hard work and driving to the net kind of made us win today.”

    On Huskies third period goal, captain Kaitlin Willoughby, who is Morgan’s older sister, picked up an assist for her 101^st career regular season point. Kaitlin now sits alone in third spot on the Huskies all-time scoring list with 45 goals and 56 assists in regular season play one point ahead of Cara (Wooster) Muench. Muench recorded 36 goals and 64 assist for 100 points playing three seasons for the Huskies from 2010-2013.

Jessica Vance (#30) celebrates her second shutout victory of the season.

    The Huskies improved to 8-5-1 with Saturday’s win to sit fourth in Canada West, while the Cougars fell to 4-10 to sit last in the eight-team conference.

    After playing four times on the road, Vance was pleased to get her first start at home.

    “I didn’t really know what to expect I guess, because it is a smaller rink,” said Vance. “I definitely like it.

    “It is good to get the first start at home and the first win too. It was a little bit of a tougher game, because there wasn’t always shots coming.

    “There were some breaks. Everything just seemed to be going right. I felt the puck well.”

    The Huskies return to action on Friday, when they travel to Regina to face the U of Regina Cougars (6-7-1).

Cooke on fire for Dogs in win over Cougars

Jordon Cooke had another stellar performance for the Huskies on Saturday.

    Star netminder Jordon Cooke delivered another stellar performance for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team, and it spelled doom for the Mount Royal University Cougars.

    On Saturday at the Flames Community Arena, Cooke made 32 saves and picked up an assist to back the Huskies to a 4-1 victory over the Cougars. The win was the 52^nd of Cooke’s U Sports regular season career with the Huskies moving him to within one victory of Ryan Holfeld for second on the Huskies all-time career list. Holfeld won 53 career regular season games tending goal for the Huskies from 2010 to 2015.

    Cooke’s performance on Saturday allowed him to move into fourth all-time on the Huskies career list for regular season saves. The 24-year-old from Leduc, Alta., has 2,045 career regular season saves, which jumped him past the 2,017 career saves put up by Tomas Vicars for fourth spot on the Huskies career list. Vicars played for the U of S from 2002 to 2006.

    The Cougars exited the first period of Saturday’s clash with a 1-0 lead on a goal from rookie forward Brad Kennedy.

    The Huskies answered back scoring four straight goals in the second period with singles coming from the sticks of Carson Stadnyk, Collin Shirley, Levi Cable and Jesse Forsberg. Fifth-year forward Josh Roach picked up a pair of assists, and Cooke recorded his helper on Cable’s goal.
    Cam Lanigan started in goal for the Cougars and turned away 14-of-18 shots fired his way. Wyatt Hoflin stopped all three shots set his way playing the third period in relief for Mount Royal.

    The Dogs have won their last three in a row to improve to 11-2-1 to sit second in Canada West. The Cougars fell to 6-7-1 to sit fifth in Canada West.

    The Huskies return to action on Friday, when they host the U of Regina Cougars (3-9-1-1) at 7 p.m. at the Rutherford Rink.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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