CALGARY – Former Dino Vanessa Frederick pitched a 16-save shutout in her return to the Olympic Oval while Chelsea Purcell notched the hat trick as the Saskatchewan Huskies improved to 3-0 on the young season with a 5-0 victory over the University of Calgary, spoiling the Dinos' home opener in the first CIS game played in Calgary since February 2002.

BOX SCORE

The loss drops the Dinos to 1-2.

A quick start for the Huskies saw Purcell pot goals on their first two shots of the contest before the first period was even nine minutes old, and the visitors rode their momentum from there.

“I feel like Saskatchewan took the momentum and used their speed to take control of the game. We didn't match up to them,” Dinos head coach Danielle Goyette commented following the loss. “Our goal this season was to make the top four. UBC and Saskatchewan are the kinds of teams that we are going to have to fight with for position. We can't let these games go by.”

The game opened badly for the Dinos' starting goaltender, rookie Jennifer Mallard, who didn't record a single save after being chased by the two early Huskie tallies. The first of those chances was a top shelf snapshot from the high slot off of the faceoff from Chelsea Purcell at 6:14 in the first. The Huskies scored 4-on-4 two minutes later when Purcell's shot found its way through traffic and between the legs of Mallard.

Katie Urness replaced Mallard at the 8:17 mark of the opening period in the Calgary goal. Urness would be solid for the remainder of the first, turning away nine more shots.

Urness stayed solid through a penalty-filled second period which saw the Dinos take 10 minutes in penalties to the Huskies' two. The speed of the Huskies also came out during second 20 as they controlled the offence, outshooting the Dinos 17-2. The lone goal of the frame came from Huskie's forward Terri Baker after she redirected a slapshot from andother former Dino, Megan Frohaug, past Urness.

The Dinos' fortunes improved slightly in the third as they got back onto the shot counter, but not onto the scoresheet. The Huskies would outshoot the Dinos 8-7, scoring twice on a Kristin Bews tip-in along with Purcell's hat trick marker in the final minute.

All told, the Dinos were outshot 36-16 and went 0-8 on the power play, while the Huskies converted on one of their seven advantage situations. Urness stopped 31 of the 34 shots sent her way, while Frederick stopped all 16.

The Dinos get another crack at the Huskies right away, with Saturday's series closer set for a 3 p.m. face-off at Father David Bauer Arena.

“The good thing is that we have a game in less than 24 hours so we can forget about this one and move on,” Goyette added.  “Tomorrow we know what to expect and we just need to show up, play our game and not worry about tonight.”

-UC-