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On Tuesday, February 18th, the CASS Huskies hit the ice at the John Rhodes Centre with a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three semi-final series against the St. Mary’s Knights in Sault Ste. Marie High School Hockey League action. Looking to secure their spot in the city championship, the Huskies delivered a commanding 7-1 victory to punch their ticket to the finals.
With first period dominance, the Huskies wasted no time asserting themselves, opening the scoring at 13:51 of the first period. Forward Brody Kleist notched his third goal of the playoffs unassisted, beating Knights goaltender Liam DuBois for the early 1-0 lead. Capitalizing on a power play, Hayden Wells tallied his first postseason goal at 9:16, with Dom Corbett picking up the lone assist.
With momentum fully on their side, CASS extended their lead to 3-0 at 2:12 of the first when Tyler Quenneville netted his first of the playoffs, giving the Huskies a commanding lead heading into the intermission.
In the second. the Knights get on the board and manage to break through Huskies’ netminder Cash Roswell early in the second period. Kiran Juma cut the deficit to 3-1 with his second goal of the playoffs at 8:03, offering St. Mary’s a glimmer of hope. However, CASS quickly regained control, with Kleist scoring his second of the game at 3:41. Assists on the goal were credited to Quenneville and Dawson Merling, restoring the Huskies’ three-goal cushion.
With a third period offensive surge, the Huskies continued their offensive onslaught in the final frame. Dawson Merling struck unassisted at 9:09 for his second goal of the postseason, further cementing CASS’ dominance.
Gabe Stewart then capitalized on a Huskies power play at 5:30, scoring his first playoff goal with assists from Kleist and Wells to make it 6-1. With just 88 seconds remaining in regulation, Noah Smith capped off the commanding win with a power-play marker, his first of the postseason. Mika Chong and Logan McAuley picked up assists on the seventh and final goal of the contest.
Looking forward the Huskies now have their sights on the 2025 City Championships with the resounding 7-1 victory, the CASS Huskies sweep the series 2-0 and advance to the 2025 Sault Ste. Marie High School Hockey League City Championship. They will now await the winner of the other semi-final between the Superior Heights Steelhawks and the Korah Colts, with the Colts currently holding a 1-0 series lead.
The Huskies have proven themselves as a formidable force heading into the finals, showcasing depth in scoring, special teams efficiency, and rock-solid goaltending. As they prepare for their championship showdown, CASS will look to carry this momentum forward in their pursuit of city supremacy.
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