SASKATOON, Saskatchewan – Fifth-year goaltender
Raphael Audet (Rimouski, Que.) made 53 saves, but two first-period power-play goals were the difference as the Trinity Western Spartans fell 2-0 to the No. 3 Saskatchewan Huskies Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place.
The loss drops the Spartans to 0-8-1 in Canada West play, while the Huskies improve to 8-1 with their fifth consecutive victory.
Audet stopped 23 shots in the opening period and all 30 he faced over the final two periods to keep TWU within two goals. Saskatchewan finished with a 55-23 advantage in shots, while Nolan Maier made 23 saves for the shutout.
Jaydon Dureau opened the scoring at 9:48 of the first period, and Keaton Sorensen added another power-play goal 47 seconds later, with Rhett Rhinehart earning the assist. Neither team scored over the final 49:25.
First-year defenceman
Riley Joslin (Langley, B.C.) led the Spartans with four shots. Second-year forward
Artem Hrabovetskyi (Kyiv, Ukraine), third-year forwards
Mikhailo Simchuk (Kyiv, Ukraine) and
Connor Farren (Cloverdale, B.C.), and fifth-year defenceman
Zack Whittaker (Victoria, B.C.) each had three.
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Huskies complete their weekend series Saturday, November 7 at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon. Puck drop is set for 5 p.m. (CST) / 3 p.m. (PT), with the game available live on Canada West TV.
AS IT HAPPENED
Saskatchewan generated 25 shots in the opening period, but Audet kept the game scoreless until the Huskies converted consecutive power-play opportunities midway through the frame. Dureau scored his third goal of the season at 9:48, followed by Sorensen's fourth at 10:35. Audet finished the period with 23 saves as Saskatchewan took a 2-0 lead into the intermission. TWU recorded four shots.
The Spartans generated more offence in the second period, putting 12 shots on Maier while allowing 14. TWU received its second power-play opportunity at 2:21 but could not break through. Audet stopped every Saskatchewan shot in the period, keeping the deficit at two heading into the third.
Audet added 16 saves in the final period, while Maier turned aside all seven TWU shots. The Spartans killed Saskatchewan's final power play after a penalty at 3:08, but were unable to find a goal as the Huskies protected their first-period lead.
NOTABLE
- Saskatchewan outshot TWU 55-23, with period totals of 25-4, 14-12 and 16-7.
- The Huskies finished 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Spartans went 0-for-2. TWU took four penalties for eight minutes; Saskatchewan had two penalties for four minutes.
- TWU is now 1-14 all-time against Saskatchewan, with all 15 meetings coming in Canada West regular-season play. The Spartans are 0-9 in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan has won the last five meetings.
- Audet's 53 saves bring his Canada West career total to 1,692 in 48 appearances. He remains second on TWU's career saves list behind Leon Sommer's 1,930.
- Audet holds TWU's single-game saves record with 68, set against Saskatchewan in a 5-4 overtime loss on October 17, 2025. Friday's performance gave him a .964 save percentage.
- The Spartans were shut out for the first time in nine Canada West games this season.
- TWU continued its road trip after 4-1 and 3-2 losses at Manitoba last weekend. Simchuk scored his program-record 25th Canada West career goal in the second game of that series.
- Saskatchewan entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in U SPORTS after winning 6-3 and 3-2 in overtime at UBC last weekend.
- Attendance was 642.
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track and field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes independently in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since joining U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning and holds three Canada Research Chairs. Through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education, TWU offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and adult degree-completion programs that equip leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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