ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Hamish Hazelden finished with a team-high 20 kills – including six in the fifth set – to lead the University of Calgary Dinos to a dramatic 3-2 win over the University of Saskatchewan Saturday night in the Canada West playoffs from Fraser Valley’s UFV Athletic Centre.
Calgary jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before having to hold off a furious rally by the Huskies, ending their season with a 27-25, 25-20, 19-25, 22-25, 15-11 victory.
With the win, the Dinos clinch a spot in the Canada West Final Four, scheduled for next Friday and Saturday, March 18-19, with the host still to be determined.
“I thought we came out and battled really well in the first two sets,” Calgary head coach Rod Durrant said. “They’re a good team – and they fought back hard in three and four. When you get into five, it’s about making plays and execution. I thought our guys stayed composed and executed down the stretch when they needed to.”
Hazelden’s play proved pivotal for the Dinos as he finished with 20 kills on the night – 17 of which came in the first, second and fifth sets.
Erik Godwin also tallied double figures in kills on the night with 11 to go with 10 digs, while Parker Siroishka was named man of the match after racking up nine kills while hitting .400 to go with 10 digs.
Tomas Sorra once again was might efficient in guiding the offence, finishing with a game-high 48 assists.
The Dinos were once again strong at the net defensively, amassing 15 blocks on the night. Lincoln Baines – the national leader in blocks – led the way for Calgary with nine, while Godwin added six and fellow rookie Louis Kunstmann added five to go with seven kills.
Dylan Mortensen finished with a game-high 21 kills to go with 10 digs to lead the way for the Huskies, while Luke Wandzura kept Saskatchewan in it with his incredible play at the net, tallying an impressive 11 blocks on the night.
After a back-and-forth opening frame saw the Huskies take a 21-18 lead late, the Dinos never panicked. Hazelden and Godwin registered back-to-back kills before a block by Baines and Jacob Reid quickly tied things up. Needing extras to decide the opener, Hazelden once again got the momentum rolling in Calgary’s favor before the team finished things off with a block by Kunstmann and Sorra.
No such fireworks would be needed in the second as the Dinos jumped out to a 10-5 lead early and never looked back. Saskatchewan continued to fight, closing the gap to just 20-16 late, but Hazelden used one of his six second-set kills to close things out for the 2-0 lead.
After the Huskies claimed the third, the Dinos nearly were able to bounce back and end things in four. A close set the whole way, Saskatchewan was able to create just enough separation in the final few points to force a fifth set.
The Huskies jumped out to a 4-2 lead early, but Calgary responded nicely and quickly claimed a 6-5 lead of their own after a kill from Hazelden. After tying things up at 7-all, Kunstmann capped a 3-0 run by the Dinos and they would never relinquish the lead again. A kill by Godwin made it 14-9 before a Huskies error clinched the win and the Final Four berth.
Calgary still has one match remaining in pool play, taking on weekend host Trinity Western Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. MT from the Langley Events Centre.
This year’s Final Four field is already determined with TWU, Alberta and Brandon joining the Dinos. The host will be the winner of this weekend’s two pools that has the better regular season record.