Coldstream’s Cole Sanford (Alberta Golden Bears) and Jessica Vance (Saskatchewan Huskies) are U Sports’ Canada West first stars of the week in hockey after both had impressive performances on the ice last weekend.
Sanford recorded two goals, four assists and seven shots, as the Bears swept Calgary’s Mount Royal Cougars with back-to-back 5-0 wins. The sweep extended their win streak to seven, as they now own a 18-3-1 conference record.
Sanford showed off his play-making ability in Edmonton on Friday, assisting on four of the Bears five goals in their convincing win. Three of his helpers were also primary assists, while also adding three shots and a +3 rating.
The former Medicine Hat Tiger added two goals on Saturday in Calgary, his 10th and 11th of the season, leading the Bears to another shutout win. Through 22 games this season, Sanford sits second in Canada West with 29 points, leading CW with 18 assists.
Sanford and the Bears will look to extend their win streak this weekend, as they travel to Regina to battle the last-place Cougars.
Vance was unbeatable in Saskatchewan’s weekend sweep of Lethbridge. The third-year goaltender made 23 saves in a 1-0 double overtime win on Friday before stopping another 19 shots on Saturday in a 3-0 win. Vance now leads the conference with six shutouts this season and moved into fifth on the conference’s all-time list with 15.
The pair now move forward as the conference nominees for the U SPORTS athletes of the week.
Other North Okanagan U Sports athletes weekend highlights include:
FIRST WIN
Vernon’s Bobby Mitchell picked up his first U Sports women’s basketball win as head coach of the UBC Okanagan Heat.
Coldstream’s Jordan Korol had 17 points and 15 rebounds, Mackenzie Horst of Vernon added three points, and Brianna Falk of Vernon chipped in with a deuce as the Heat won their first game in nearly two years (Feb. 10, 2017), a 60-51 decision over the Grant MacEwan Griffins of Edmonton in the opening game of a weekend doubleheader in Kelowna.
“I’m really happy for the players, they have been working really hard and trusting us and sticking with it and players win games so I’m really proud of them,” said Mitchell. “It was a good team effort and we felt it the whole week. Every player in, whether it was a minute, or 40, everyone came in and contributed.”
The Griffins salvaged a split the next night with a 60-55 victory. Korol had 15 points and 12 boards for UBCO, Falk added seven points.
Regina Cougars defeated the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack 75-52. Megan Rouault of Vernon had 10 points and four rebounds (three offensive) for the Pack.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Vernon’s Michael Rouault and the Thompson River University WolfPack dropped pair of close games with the Regina Cougars.
The Cougars won the opener of a weekend twinbill, 88-87 in overtime. Rouault had 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals for TRU, coming off a TRU Bookstore/McDonald’s Leader of the Pack Player of the Game performance in an 84-77 loss to Regina.
Rouault had 18 points for TRU. He leads the team in rebounds, averaging 7.3 boards per game.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Vernon’s Danny Aspenleider and the UBC Thunderbirds swept the UBCO Heat in a pair of league matches, while Vernon’s Landon Currie and the TRU WolfPack were swept twice by Langley’s Trinity Western Spartans.