SASKATOON – Kendall McFaull scored 16:27 into the second overtime to lead the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to a 4-3 win over the University of Calgary Dinos in Game 1 of a Canada West semifinal series.
McFaull picked up a loose puck to the right of the Calgary net and squeezed a shot just between goaltender Steven Stanford and the post.
The Huskies will take their 1-0 series lead into Saturday night's Game 2 at 7 p.m. in Rutherford Rink.
Both teams had a flurry of chances in the two extra periods. Saskatchewan's Cam Blair was robbed in close by Stanford in the first overtime with just over six minutes to go. In the second overtime Levi Cable had a great chance at an open net get deflected away by a Dino defender.
The Dinos had their fair share of chances in overtime. Midway through the first Calgary thought they had ended it after a shot ricocheted off a Huskie defender and past Cooke but stayed out after catching a piece of the iron.
In the second overtime Elgin Pearce broke in alone behind the Saskatchewan back line and was sent away empty by a sprawling Jordon Cooke.
Calgary opened the scoring exactly 12 minutes into Game 1. With the Dinos on the man advantage, Dylan Busenius sent a hard shot through a crowd that was deflected by Dylan Walchuk just over the left pad of Jordon Cooke.
The Huskies would respond less than three minutes later on a power-play of their own. After working the puck in the Calgary zone while benefitting from a 5-on-3 advantage, Josh Roach would wind one up from the blue line that got past a screened Steven Stanford at 14:47.
The Huskies would get a packed in crowd at Rutherford Rink on their feet when they took a 2-1 advantage before the first period was out. After Roach's point shot was knocked down in front, Kohl Bauml was the first one to the loose puck and buried it at 18:27.
The Dinos quickly took back momentum when Kevin King walked into the Saskatchewan zone and sent a shot in from just inside the blue line that fooled Cooke and tied things up at two just 35 seconds into the second.
Chris Collins put Calgary in front just 1:10 into the third frame as the Dinos struck early for the second period in a row. Collins redirected in a shot from Busenius at the side of the net.
With the Huskies controlling play for most of the game, the home side would finally break threw again at 13:18 of the third after being held off the scoresheet for nearly two periods. Michael Sofillas got his stick on a Josh Roach point shot, tipping it over the shoulder of Stanford and into the top corner of the net to square the game up at three.
Stanford made 77 saves for Calgary in the overtime loss, while Cooke recorded the win with 34 saves in goal for Saskatchewan.
