Unfinished business remains for Dogs

Some unfinished business may remain unfinished for now.

The University of Saskatchewan hockey Huskies were just 20 minutes away from a possible victory over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns back on Oct. 1, but they may need to play a full 60 minutes, or more, to get a chance at a victory over the same Horns this weekend in Saskatoon.

With the Huskies leading 3-0 after two periods in Lethbridge earlier this month, the Zamboni's hydraulic hose sprung a leak during the second intermission and spilled fluid all over the ice. Because the machine could not be moved off the ice, the game was suspended.

As of now, that contest remains in suspended animation. It looks like it may not be completed this weekend when the same two teams meet again for a Canada West men's hockey series Friday and Saturday, this time in the confines of Credit Union Centre.

It may have to wait until those two teams meet again in Lethbridge come early January.

"All indications, to me, suggest it's going to be in January," U of S head coach Dave Adolph said this week.

"We were hoping it would be this weekend."

When contacted Tuesday night, Canada West convenor Bill Seymour admitted that time was running out if they want to squeeze in the extra period this weekend.

Seymour said he was still waiting for the two universities to get together on this. It was his understanding that athletic directors Basil Hughton and Sandy Slavin were talking, along with Lethbridge coach Greg Gatto and Adolph.

"All I can say is I've been told to kind of wait until they talk," Seymour said. "I don't think it's going to go - I think it's going to be in January - but I haven't heard anything officially.

"If you're going to have it here, you've got to book some extra ice, get referees and all those kind of things. I'm suggesting that they do it on the Friday before the series starts and maybe play it at 6 o'clock and play one period, then start your regular weekend series, but I've just been told by Canada West to just sit and wait on the two schools to give me some feedback.

"All I heard is that it'd be solved by early in the week, but I haven't heard anything. Nothing official."

Saskatchewan plays host to Lethbridge on Friday and Saturday at CUC. Game-time is 7 p.m. both nights.

The high-flying Huskies - led by the likes of Kyle Bortis, Kyle Ross, Derek Hulak, Brennan Bosch, Andrew Bailey, Craig McCallum and Shaun Vey up front - have outscored the opposition 18-8 thus far.

The Pronghorns have been outscored 16-9.

Moving from the cozy and sometimes crazy atmosphere of Rutherford Rink to the humongous CUC should work to the Dogs' favour.

"I would think," said Adolph. "Given the nature of our team, everybody else to adjust to this (Rutherford) rink, just like we do. When you go to a bigger ice surface, our game is more wide open and there's more opportunity to take advantage of the space."