Huskies on save side with either goalie

By Darren Zary of The StarPhoenix

The hockey Dogs had two top dogs between the pipes this season, but who will have the bigger bite in the playoffs?
That’s one of the big questions facing the University of Saskatchewan Huskies as they play host to the Manitoba Bisons in a best-of-three Canada West conference men’s semi-final at Rutherford Rink.
Rookie Jeff Harvey was named a first team all-star in Canada West. He led the conference with a 2.03 goals-against average and 92.6 save percentage to go along with a 10-3-1 record and two shutouts.
Fourth-year veteran Thomas Vicars posted a respectable 2.58 GAA, 91.5 save-percentage, one shutout and a 7-4-3 record.
Together, Vicars and Harvey gave the Huskies the best 1-2 goaltending punch in the Canada West this season, leading the league with a paltry 2.32 goalsagainst average and sharp 92 per cent save average.
“They both deserve to play,” says head coach Dave Adolph, whose Huskies finished second overall in Canada West with a 17-7-4 record, while Manitoba was 12-13-3.
“At this point, why would I change anything and disrupt what’s going on? Thomas Vicars has not been a slouch. He’s been very deserving of his opportunities.”
Vicars also has a proven track record in playoffs. He was the top goalie a year ago at the Telus University Cup national championship in Edmonton where he posted two shutouts in three games.
He achieved all that despite dislocating his shoulder less than two months earlier.
“It was nice to come back after my injury and play that well at nationals,” Vicars says. “But it’s a new year, a new time. If Jeff plays, or I play or we rotate, it doesn’t really matter to either of us. We just want to win.”
For the most part, the duo has rotated. However, Harvey started both games in an important two-game set against the Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton at the end of January.
Harvey, a former star with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, is ready either way.
“It’s human nature to be competitive as a goaltender. I want to play. I want to be the guy. But Thomas also wants to be that guy and he’s a fourth-year. He did very well last year. He’s got that track record.”
Goaltending may be the least of the Dogs’ worries. They did not finish the regular season on a positive note as they lost to the University of Regina Cougars on home ice.
“We’ve been looking forward to playoffs for pretty much the whole season,” says captain Brent Twordik. “When it all comes down to it nobody really remembers what you did in the regular season, anyway. You have to shine now.
“The bye week helped us out a lot. We’ve got three guys back now who could have possibly been off the roster.
“We’ve got two guys who can stop the puck. One guy has proven last year that he can take us where we want to go; the other guy has proven himself all year long. Either way, we’ll be happy to have that guy in net.”
dzary@sp.canwest.com