The first battle of Saskatchewan of 2025 has taken place and the Saskatchewan Huskies went toe to toe with the defending Hardy Cup champion Regina Rams on Friday night, but a late surge from the Huskies flipped the outcome in a 22–20 loss for Regina, marking their first loss of the season.
For most of the game, the Rams looked to be gearing up to hand their rivals an loss. Quarterback Noah Pelletier kept the offense moving with 21 completions on 38 attempts for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
He connected with receivers Nicholas Sirleaf and Daniel Wiebe, who each made their mark on the field. Sirleaf hauled in a touchdown and 58 yards, while Wiebe also in a good night with eight catches, 155 yards, and a touchdown of his own.
On the ground, running back Marshall Erichsen lead the Rams run game, pounding out 76 yards on 17 carries.
On the secondary, defensive lineman Anthony Montas Leipert anchored the Rams with 10 total tackles (four solo, six assisted).
Regina lead Saskatchewan at halftime with a score of 17-10, putting them in a prime position to continue their winning streak across the Can West conference.
The Huskies, however, appeared to have gone back to the drawing board, as they stepped forward with an incredible fourth quarter surge.
Quarterback Anton Amundrud threw for game total of 330 yards on 24-of-33 passing with one touchdown, spreading the ball across Saskatchewan’s deep receiving corps.
Veteran running back Ryker Frank chipped in 45 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Wiebe — who was already dominating Can West in the receiving game — also sparked the Huskies in the return game, contributing greatly to special teams averaging 9.3 yards on punt returns to give his team optimal field position.
Defensively, Huskies linebacker, Seth Hundeby lead stopping the run for the Rams, finishing with nine tackles (six solo, three assisted).
The Huskies also came up clutch in key moments, including a critical third and short stop that swung the game in their favour.
Both teams finished nearly even in first downs (Saskatchewan 19, Regina 18) and earned a similar number of flags, but the difference came in a shockingly precise late game execution.
After a sloppy start that included a kick return fumble and a stalled drive on downs, the Huskies flipped the switch in the home stretch, scoring when it mattered most to come back against the Rams.
For Regina, the narrow loss stings. The Rams were well seasoned offensively, disciplined on defense, and looked like the better team for long stretches. Unfortunately for against the defending Hardy Cup champions, “almost” wasn’t enough.
The Rams will look to regroup and channel this performance into results as they chase consistency after breaking their winning streak in the coming weeks.
Next week, the Rams host the Manitoba Bisons at home in Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, at 1 p.m. MDT.
The Huskies travel to McMahon Stadium to play the Dinos at the same time.