Cable Nets OT Winner To Send Men's Hockey To National Semifinal

U SPORTS | James West
U SPORTS | James West

FREDERICTON (U SPORTS) - University of Saskatchewan forward Levi Cable scored 1:01 into overtime to lift the Huskies to a 1-0 win over the York Lions in a quarter-final at the 2017 U SPORTS Cavendish Farms University Cup in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

The second-year forward rushed in on a two-on-one. His shot beat Lions' goaltender Mack Shields five-hole trickling just across the goal line for the win.

University Cup website: www.universitycup.ca 

In last year's University Cup, the Huskies endured two torturous overtime games before being eliminated. That thought was going through the mind of Huskies goalie Jordon Cooke as the teams went into OT 

"Last year in that third OT, it was terrible," he said, of Saskatchewan's  2-1 loss to StFX in the 2016 semifinal. "Losing in OT was one of the worst things ever. I sure didn't want to end that way." 

Cooke faced 24 shots on goal for the win.  

Cable, who had four shots in the game, took the pass off the boards and broke in on the net.  

"It was a nice bounce, gave us a 2-on-1, I shot low glove and it trickled across the line," said the second-year Business majaor. "I was excited, and I had thoughts of losing last year." 

Shields stopped 31 of the 32 shots in the loss.  

"We had a great season, and we don't want to end this way," said Shields, moments after the game. "It is hard right now. We have lots of young guys, and we want to be back here, next year, among the top eight teams in the country."

Huskies coach Dave Adolph knew his team was going to see a tough York squad..  

"There are absolutely no 'gimmies' in a tournament like this," said Adolph. I was thinking of last year, and we seem to have trouble scoring in Atlantic Canada. We knew this was one of the stingiest teams in the OUA , and we are in the west, so we knew it was going to be a close one."

York had 22 minutes in penalties in the game, while Saskatchewan had 18.  

Saskatchewan will face the winner of Thursday's fourth quarter-final between StFX and McGill on Saturday at 4 p.m. AT, live on Sporstnet 360 and SN NOW, while York is eliminated from the tournament.  

SCORING SUMMARY 

FIRST PERIOD 

No scoring  

PENALTIES: 

Forsberg (SSK) goalie interference, 7:47

Milson (YOR) boarding, 12:13

Fransoo (SSK) checking from behind, 10 minute misconduct, 14:48

Petersen (YOR) interference, 15:32

SECOND PERIOD  

No scoring 

PENALTIES: 

Campbell (YOR) boarding, 2:44

Hale (YOR) interference, 6:11 

Gay (SAS) hooking, 13:25 

Hale (YOR) checking from behind, 10 minute misconduct, 16:22

McFaull (SSK) hooking, 17:34 

THIRD PERIOD 

No Scoring  

PENALTIES 

Milson (YOR) slashing, 4:38

1st OVERTIME 

SSK Levi Cable (Jesse Forsberg) 1:01 

PENALTIES: 

None

GOALS (by period)  

SSK 0-0-0-1: 1 

YOR 0-0-0-0: 0  

SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)  

SSK 13-14-4-1: 32 

YOR 7-10-7-0: 24  

POWER PLAY 

SSK 0-6

YOR 0-4  

GOALTENDERS 

YOR – Mack Shields (L, 0-1, 32 shots, 31 saves, 1 GA, 61:01) 

SSK – Jordon Cooke (W, 1-0, 24 shots, 24 saves, 0 GA, 61:01) 

REFEREES: Jonathan Alarie, Stephen Starzomski 

LINESMEN: David Geris, Josh DeYoung 

ADIDAS PLAYERS OF THE GAME  

SSK – Jordon Cooke 

YOR – Mack Shields  

ATTENDANCE: 3,027 

Start: 1:05 

End: 3:26

Length: 2:21 

SCHEDULE & RESULTS (All Times AT)  

Thursday, March 16, 2017 

1:00pm Quarter-final 1: No. 1 Alberta 1, No. 8 Acadia 4

8:00pm Quarter-final 2: No. 4 Queen's 1 vs. No. 5 UNB 5 

Friday, March 17, 2017

1:00pm Quarter-final 3: No. 3 York 0, No. 6 Saskatchewan 1 (OT)

7:00pm Quarter-final 4: No. 2 StFX vs. No. 7 McGill (USPORTS.LIVE)

Saturday, March 18, 2017 

12:00PM Semi-final 1:  Acadia vs. UNB (Sportsnet 360 / SN NOW)

4:00PM Semi-final 2:  Saskatchewan vs. Winner QF 4 (Sportsnet 360 / SN NOW)

Sunday, March 19, 2017

9:30AM Bronze (USPORTS.LIVE)

1:00PM Gold (Sportsnet 360 / SN NOW)