Huskies’ Beuker top gun in the West
By Darren Zary of The StarPhoenix
Unless they start stripping away points from him, University of Saskatchewan Huskies forward Dean Beuker appears to have a lock on the scoring title in Canada West men’s hockey for the third time in four years.
“He’s very deserving,” said U of S coach Dave Adolph, whose team plays host to the University of Regina Cougars tonight to close out the regular season. Game time is 7 p.m. at Rutherford Rink.
Beuker will finish the regular season with 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points. He is 10 points up on Warren McCutcheon and 11 points ahead of Kevin Saurette, both from the Manitoba Bisons, who have completed their regular season.
“It’s a nice honour, but I’ve been here four years and I haven’t got to win a national championship and that was the goal coming here,” Beuker said Friday.
“Everybody always says this, but, in my case, it’s true, I’ve always been playing with great guys: (Derek) Schutz, (Keegan) McAvoy, (Taylor) Wildeman and now (Brent) Twordik.
“It’s not like that’s a hard thing to do.”
Beuker is tied with Acadia’s Kevin Baker and Guelph’s Jesse Pyatt for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport scoring title. Beuker was the CIS scoring champion last season and finished second in his rookie campaign.
He won’t get a chance to win the CIS scoring race outright, however,. He has to sit out tonight after being given a game misconduct Thursday in Regina.
“For what I did and for the reputation I have as a player, not as someone who is disruptive or injuring anyone, I felt I only said what was happening out there,” Beuker said. “It’s very disappointing that it’s the last game of the year and I don’t get to play in front of a hometown crowd on graduates’ day.”
Beuker entered Thursday’s game with a scant 10 penalty minutes.
Beuker is one of four Huskies who will be honoured prior to tonight’s game.
Forward Keegan McAvoy, goalie Thomas Vicars and defenceman Dean Serdachny are also set to graduate following this season.All four have CIS eligibility remaining.
Of the four graduating Huskies, only McAvoy and Vicars will play tonight.
Serdachny is spending the break week in Mexico.
Former Huskies Quinn Sherdahl and Jeremy Rondeau will be on hand to make the pre-game presentations.
dzary@sp.canwest.com
