Perfection for Valkyries at 9-0, Blitz fall in exhibition clash

Alex Eyolfson (#15) smiles after making a touchdown reception.

    Alex Eyolfson hoped the good times would never end.

    The fourth-year quarterback was star attraction for the Saskatoon Valkyries on Saturday afternoon at Saskatoon Minor Football Field as they capped a perfect season with a 9-0 overall record.

    Eyolfson completed 11-of-20 passes for 299 yards, three touchdowns and had no interceptions in a 39-12 exhibition victory over the Montreal Blitz. She also had a touchdown reception on a quarterback throwback gadget play to go along with her passing efforts.

    “It was fun,” said Eyolfson. “I was throwing the ball lots, and I got a touchdown and that was fun.”

    The 21-year-old wanted to make good on the trick play after failing to finish it during the Valkyries 25-3 victory over the host Regina Riot in the WWCFL title game on June 29 at Mosaic Stadium.

Alex Eyolfson threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday.

    On the gadget play in question, Eyolfson hands the ball off to a running back, who gives it to slotback Reed Thorstad for a reverse handoff. Thorstad is the Valkyries other talented quarterback.

    When Thorstad gets the ball, she throws it Eyolfson, who by that time is running a streak pattern down the sideline. In Regina, Eyolfson caught the pass, but fumbled the ball and managed to recover it.

    Against the Blitz on Saturday, the Valkyries executed the play perfectly with 6:51 expired in the second quarter. Eyolfson was wide open when she caught Thorstad’s pass and went into the end zone untouched on a 23-yard reception to give Saskatoon a 15-6 lead.

    “I caught the ball,” said a gleeful Eyolfson. “I just held on to the ball really tight.”

    Eyolfson’s touchdown reception came at a time when the Valkyries really started to roll.

Ricki Obed is set to take off on a 96-yard touchdown reception.

    Saskatoon exited the first quarter with a 1-0 lead on a 32-yard punt single from safety Rienna Rueve.

    The Blitz jumped ahead 6-1 with 2:44 expired in the second quarter when star quarterback Maude Lacasse capped a long touchdown drive with a one-yard sneak play. Montreal’s ensuing two-point convert attempt was unsuccessful.

    Just 63 seconds after that score, Eyolfson hit star running back Sam Matheson on a screen pass, and Matheson broke about four tackles on 37-yard touchdown reception that gave the Valkyries an 8-6 edge.

    After Eyolfson’s touchdown catch gave the Valkyries a 15-6 lead, the Blitz looked to have gotten back in the game, when Lacasse hit star receiver Anrelie D’anjou Drouin on a 37-yard bomb pass for a major score. D’anjou Drouin’s score was taken off the board, when the officials ruled she was offside on the play.

Maude Lacasse threw for 343 yards for the Blitz.

    Montreal’s drive continued, but it ultimately stalled on the Valkyries 14 yard line.

    On the first play of the ensuing Saskatoon possession, Eyolfson hit fourth-year receiver Ricki Obed on a deep flag pattern on the left side of the field. Obed raced the rest of the way for a 96-yard major score to give the Valkyries a 22-6 advantage.

    Obed finished the contest with three receptions for 107 yards to go with her one touchdown.

    “That was awesome,” said Eyolfson. “I kind of threw it to a spot, and she (Obed) just came out of nowhere and just ran it.

    “It was definitely a turning point I think. We used that as motivation. We kind of got a spark going.”

    With 45 seconds remaining first half, the Blitz capped another long drive with a one-yard touchdown run from running back Emilie Belanger to cut the Valkyries lead to 22-12. 

Emilie Belanger, right, runs in a one-yard touchdown for the Blitz.

    Montreal was unsuccessful at trying a second two-point conversion attempt.

    The Valkyries pulled away in the game’s second half. Early in the third quarter, Matheson caught another screen pass from Eyolfson and dashed 49 yards for a second touchdown reception.

    In the fourth quarter, Carmen Agar ran the ball in from a yard out for the Valkyries final touchdown to put the hosts up 36-12. Agar topped the Valkyries in rushing with 43 yards on six carries.

    Rueve hit a 12-yard field goal late in the fourth to round out the game’s scoring.

    Lacasse finished the contest completing 26-of-47 passes for 343 yards to go along with two interceptions. She ran the ball nine times for 60 yards.

    The Blitz, who were formed in 2001, played out of women’s tackle leagues in the United States for most of their history. 

Aurelie D’anjou Drouin, right, makes a deep catch for the Blitz.

    They have been playing a schedule of exhibition contests last season and this season while trying to find another league to compete in.

    Lacasse, who has played for Canada’s national women’s tackle football team, enjoyed Saturday’s contest despite the final outcome on the scoreboard.

    “It was awesome,” said Lacasse. “Honestly, it is awesome for us to come and play a good game.

    “If we had a real season with these kinds of games every time, I feel like we would have been way better today. That was the first time this season that we had to play against a great team. I think if we had games like this all the time we would get much better.”

Emmarae Dale (#45) had 12.5 total tackles for the Valkyries.

    The pass-happy Blitz provided a different challenge to the Valkyries, who usually face opponents that are more run oriented.

    Rueve, who had both interceptions off Lacasse, said the Valkyries defensive backs enjoyed being really active in Saturday’s contest.

    “It is fun for us,” said Rueve, who is in her eighth season with the Valkyries. “We are used to going against some teams who don’t throw very much.

    “For us as defensive backs, it’s nothing but fun. You have an opportunity to get beat now and then, especially when you have a quarterback who can look you off like she (Lacasse) does. It is what I would ask for.”

    D’anjou Drouin led all receivers catching 12 passes for 197 yards. The Blitz had 93 yards rushing as a team to go with Lacasse’s 343 yards through the air for 436 yards of gross offence.

Sam Matheson (#22) breaks a tackle to score a major on a 49-yard catch.

    The Valkyries dominated in the turnover department recording seven takeaways on three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and two turnovers on downs.
    The Blitz had one takeaway coming off a turnover on downs.

    Middle linebacker Emmarae Dale topped all players with 12.5 total tackles, while recovering a fumble and sharing a sack with rookie defensive end Danaye Holynski.

    “We rallied when we needed to,” said Rueve. “I feel like we kind of put everybody in spots where we needed too, and (we played) bend don’t break.”

    Overall, Valkyries head coach Pat Barry was pleased with Saturday’s season-ending contest for his club.

    “It was pretty exciting,” said Barry. “We knew it was going to be one of our most competitive games and it was.

    “They (the Blitz) are a very talented football team. We’ve never seen a quarterback like that who can make every throw on the field and look off our safety. She (Lacasse) is extremely talented.”

Rienna Rueve (#7) returns a punt for the Valkyries.

    The Valkyries were pumped they were able to complete the 2019 campaign with a perfect 9-0 record. The milestone came in a season that they had dedicated to their late defensive position coach Justin Filteau, who passed away in a plane crash on June 1.

    The nine overall games the Valkyries played in the 2019 were the most contests the squad hit the field for in one campaign.
    It started back on March 23 with a 34-6 victory over the Sin City Trojans in and exhibition game in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
    The Valkyries won their sixth WWCFL title when they downed the Riot in this year’s the league final.
    Saturday’s win provided a perfect cap to the season.

    “It is ridiculously unreal,” said Rueve. “To go 9-0 in a season and to be healthy, you can’t ask for much more.”

The Valkyries celebrate finishing 9-0 overall in 2019.

    “That is really exciting,” said Barry. “It is hard to do.

    “Nine football games is a lot. We’re ready for a break now. It has been a great season.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Kuster steps into spotlight in Riot’s WWCFL title win

Payton Kuster (#22) celebrates her second punt return touchdown.

    Payton Kuster had her finest hour to help bring a second Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship to the Regina Riot.

    The sophomore kick returner/defensive back ran back two punts for touchdowns and hauled in two interceptions on defence to help the Riot blank the Calgary Rage 53-0 in the WWCFL championship game on Saturday night at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in Saskatoon. 

    She was also named the game’s MVP for the Riot in the runaway win, which marked the second time Regina claimed the league title in three years.

    Kuster wasn’t part of the Riot’s first championship back in 2015, so she was pretty perky happy about playing in Saturday’s championship victory.

Payton Kuster returns a punt for a score.

    “Our whole team each and every one of us we’ve worked so hard,” said Kuster. “This is what we talked about since the beginning of the season of achieving.

    “It is what we have been putting in all our hours on the field and training for. It is just so wonderful to have it pay off.”

    Being the game MVP added a nice little bonus to the whole night.

    “I’m speechless. I’m at a loss for words,” said Kuster. “I’m so thankful for this team and all the girls that have worked hard.

    “We did it. It is incredible.”

    Kuster had her big day on a night when the Riot won feasting off Rage errors. The Riot only put up 106 yards of net offence in the romp.

    Kuster actually outgained her offensive team returning three punts for 133 yards. That included her 67 yard punt return for a touchdown and her 54 yard return for a score.

    The Rage turned the ball over 10 times, while the Riot gave the ball away twice. That ultimately played a huge part producing the final outcome of the contest.

    Regina got its first touchdown to go up 7-0 just 1:40 into the first quarter on a one-play drive, where veteran star quarterback Aimee Kowalski hit rookie receiver Jennilea Coppola with a four-yard TD strike. That possession was set up by a bad Rage snap on a punt, which allowed the Riot to get the ball on the Calgary four.

Aimee Kowalski (#12) throws one of her four TD passes for the Riot.

    A short time later, Riot running back Carmen Agar ran the ball in from 10 yards out to put Regina up 14-0. That drive was set up, when the Rage fumbled away a punt return allowing the Riot to take the ball on the Calgary 10.

    The Rage fumbled the ball away on their next offensive possession allowing the Riot to start a dive on the Calgary 20. Kowalski hit rookie receiver Jenna Koller for a 20-yard touchdown strike to put Regina up 21-0.

    Things kept snowballing from there.

    On the next Rage possession, they had another bad snap on a punt to allow the Riot to take possession on the Calgary eight. Kowalski connected with veteran receiver Rachelle Smith for an eight-yard touchdown throw.

Jennilea Coppola had two TD catches in the Riot’s win.

    Regina made a two-point convert on a fake extra point, where running back Mallory Starkey connected with offensive lineman Angie Douville on a five-yard toss to make the score 29-0 in the Riot’s favour.

    Regina scored again before the first quarter ended. After the Rage failed to convert a third down gamble, the Riot put together a short 32-yard touchdown drive, where Kowalski hit Coppola on a 12-yard strike to allow Regina to lead 36-0.

    Kuster was surprised to see how that first quarter transpired.

    “It is crazy how it happened so high paced,” said Kuster. “At the end of the day, we’ve prepared for those situations, and we capitalized on them.

    “Everyone played their fullest. Everyone did their job perfectly. It was amazing.”

    When the second quarter started, she ran home her two punt return scores down the right sideline to put the Riot up 50-0.

    “I had 11 girls blocking for me,” said Kuster. “They opened up huge holes.

    “It was perfect. It feels unreal.”

    Kowalski was pulled from the game with the 8:23 to play in the second quarter and the Riot holding a 50-0 lead. She completed 6-of-7 passes for 53 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Riot DB Emilie Belanger (#27) helps sack Rage QB Becky Heninger.

    The Rage conceded a safety touch before the first half ended to give the Riot a 52-0 lead. Regina’s final score came from a 35 yard punt single from kicker Morgan Turner late in the fourth quarter to make the final outcome 53-0.

    The Riot finished the campaign with a 6-1 overall record, and Saturday’s game marked the fourth shutout victory of the season for the team. The Rage, who finish with a 4-1 overall mark, were only able to put up 18 yards of net offence.
    Linebacker Courtney Dawson was named the game MVP for the Rage.

    Riot defensive lineman Chantal Vogel had five solo tackles and two sacks in her team’s victory.

    Star Riot linebacker Adrienne Zuck had five total solo tackles, a fumble recovery and shared a sack with defensive back Emilie Belanger in the win. Zuck said her team had a season on defence where everything came together.

    “I think that we have a good coaching staff,” said Zuck. “We have a lot of veteran players as well.

Riot defensive end Aly Bell takes down a Rage ball carrier.

    “A lot of our new players are just good athletes, quick learners and smart people. We really try to push hard work and playing to the end even at practice. It pays off obviously.”

    After being part of the Riot’s 2015 WWCFL championship team, Zuck returned to the Riot after taking 2016 off. She enjoyed being part of the second championship win.

    “It feels good to come back and just see the team continue to grow and get better and being a part of it and watching these new people to get a chance to play as well,” said Zuck. “It is great.”

    As far as the Riot’s overall success was concerned in 2017, Zuck credited first-year head coach Olivier Eddie, who had been the team’s offensive coordinator previously, for focusing on bringing everyone together as a team.

The Riot are all smiles after their WWCFL championship win.

    “I think everybody bought into it and everybody believed that and that is what I think made us such a good unit as a whole team,” said Zuck. “We are family.

    “We believe in family. We believe in what our message is. Our success has shown that.”

    In the WWCFL consolation final that was played right before the Riot’s win, the Saskatoon Valkyries downed the Edmonton Storm 44-20.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Agar more than just a power running back for Riot

Carmen Agar (#23) of the Riots gets past Shaylyn de Jong of the Valkyries.

    It might sound cliché, but Carmen Agar of the Regina Riot is like the Energizer Bunny, because she just keeps going and going.

    The 24-year-old power tailback is in her sixth season running mainly in between the tackles for the Riot. In churning out yards in a cloud of dust, Agar absorbs a large share of hits, but she isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

    She is consistent too. Whenever the Riot hit a rut moving the ball offensively, they give the ball to #23 and the team always seems to get going again.

    While her ability to run over the opposition is her calling card, Agar is actually a very complete running back. That was seen in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League Prairie Conference championship game on Sunday, when the host Riot downed the defending WWCFL champion Saskatoon Valkyries 34-24 in the last competitive tackle football game ever played at Taylor Field.

Riot RB Carmen Agar (#23) pushes past Nichole LaVallee of the Valkyries.

    Agar carried the ball 13 times for 111 yards and scored two touchdowns along the ground. She also caught four passes for 50 yards to lead the Riot in both of those categories.

    What sometimes can get lost is the fact Agar can take off in the open field, and she has excellent hands catching passes out of the backfield. If the Riot ever needed it, Agar could have the type of game where she gets over 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game.

    On top of her abilities to gain yards, Agar can block as well and allow Riot star quarterback Aimee Kowalski to get the ball out to a group of talented receivers.

    Agar played a key role in helping the Riot return to the WWCFL title game for the second time in three years. Regina claimed the WWCFL title in 2015 defeating the Edmonton Storm 53-6 in Winnipeg.

Carmen Agar (#23) throws a block on a running play.

    The Riot, who are 5-1 overall, face the Calgary Rage, who are 4-0 overall, on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in this year’s WWCFL title game at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in Saskatoon. The Valkyries, who are 4-2 overall, take on the Edmonton Storm, who are 2-3 overall, in a consolation final at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday at SMF Field.

    In Sunday’s win over the Valkyries, Agar helped get momentum back on the Riot’s side, when her team needed it the most. After Regina took a 21-3 lead early in the third quarter, Saskatoon stormed back with 13 straight points to cut the host’s edge to 21-16 going into the fourth quarter.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Riot linebacker Artemis Kouropoulou blocked a punt from Valkyries receiver/kicker Carly Dyck near midfield. 

Carmen Agar, middle, scores her second TD in the WWCFL Prairie final.

    Agar went to work churning out yards on the ground and scoring her second major of the game to put the hosts up 28-16. Momentum was back on the Regina’s side, and that surge helped push the Riot to victory.

    On the field, Agar looks to be in the best physical shape she has ever been in, and the 2017 campaign has the potential to be a very memorable one. Besides the chance to help the Riot win a second WWCFL title, Agar will play for Canada at the International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship, which runs June 24 to 30 in Langley, B.C., with eight of her Riot teammates.

    Aimee Kowalski, her sister Alex Kowalski, Kouropoulou, Adrienne Zuck, Ashley Viklund, Katie Hungle, Claire Dore and Emilie Belanger will all be on the Canadian team. 

Carmen Agar (#23) celebrates a TD with her teammates.

    Riot head coach Olivier Eddie will be the special teams coordinator and receivers coach for the national team.

    Last year, Agar had a strong showing on the national stage at Football Canada’s in augural Senior Women’s National Championship tournament, which was held in Regina. In the event’s championship game, Agar piled up 137 yards rushing on 20 carries and scored a touchdown to help Team Saskatchewan down Team Quebec 34-22.

    It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Agar turn heads on the international stage later this month.

    Agar keeps on going and keeps getting better. There is no telling how good she may get.

Madden football a preferable house visit from Roughriders

The Roughriders do a cheer after their mock game last Saturday.

    Hmm…. If I had members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders over to my place for a social get together, I think I would prefer a Madden video game football party over dinner.

    Knowing how offensive and defensive lineman can eat, I think having a Madden party would be a wiser social encounter. For football teams at all levels, normally one of the common away from the game bonding experiences is playing Madden football at someone’s house.

    When everyone arrives, everyone throws in money for pizza or takeout. Often, the Madden party is done on the cheat day, when it comes to getting a break from eating healthy.

    So you are liking this baby that came out of the blue?

    I got the inspiration to write that when I received a trio of emails on Monday saying Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play voice Rod Pedersen was taking shots at me. I checked his blog post on Monday and got a chuckle over it. I think the “taking shots” idea might have been a little overblown.

    Anyways, Pedersen was responding to a blog post I posted on June 1 regarding familiarity with players on the Roughriders roster. He wrote that he took “umbrage” with a “Who are these guys” comment I wrote.

    There was a mention about getting over the fact that players like Darian Durant, John Chick, Weston Dressler and Chris Getzlaf are no longer with the team. On a side note, the Roughriders still haven’t played a regular season game since Durant’s rights were traded to the Montreal Alouettes in January.

    Pedersen also didn’t mention my name in his piece.

    He asked if I expected the current Roughriders to show up at my place for dinner.

    That expectation never crossed my mind or was it ever expected, but like late CFL icon Cal Murphy, I don’t mind being the host for a visit. Unfortunately, I don’t think I could match Murphy’s level at being a real good host. I’ve visited Murphy at home, so I would know.

    With that said, my mind began to think about a possible good team bonding activity. I figured a Madden football party would be perfect.

    I remember NFL legend Brett Favre saying jokingly in an interview once there are guys in the pros that likely know their Madden playbooks better than their actual playbooks. The comment reveals how addictive that game can be even for grown men.

    During Madden parties with football teams, I always find guys get into situations where they like to tease each other in a good-natured way or just have overall fun cheering big plays.

    The only downfall is all the versions of Madden I have are older ones. Life kinds of gets in the way of pursuits like playing video games.

    My newest version is Madden 11 for the Playstation 2. 

    I have four versions of Madden for the Sega Genesis including a cartridge of the original Madden football.

My collection of Madden football games.

    If you want to really go down memory lane and see a real blast from the past in video football game history, I could dig out the old Nintendo Entertainment System to play “Tecmo Super Bowl.”

    I could see that developing into situations where guys are using the Los Angeles Raiders to play the Los Angeles Raiders, because everyone knows Bo Jackson is “The Truth” in that game.

    Hey, it would definitely provide a break from Roughriders practices and video study sessions.

    Actually during the regular season, the Roughriders communications department should do a story about who is the best at Madden football on the team. It would make for hilarious video.

    On the dinner front, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with an individual player getting a meal in the lounge of a nice restaurant, where sports is on television. Back in 2011, I had a great impromptu dinner with then Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back Lance Frazer at the Earl’s lounge on the east side of Regina the night before that year’s Labour Day Classic.

    We had a great visit and talked about all sorts of subjects. To top things off, the Roughriders won the next day.

    In Saskatoon, Cactus Club Café is a great classy spot to pick up a nice meal. That spot has traditionally been great bring members of the Saskatoon Valkyries women’s football team and the Saskatoon Hilltops Canadian Junior Football League team on as staff, so eating there helps those individuals out too.

    The players I would like to eat out with at the Cactus Club Café with would be receiver Duron Carter or receiver Nic Demski. From Carter, I would love to hear his take on what the interactions between his father, legendary NFL receiver Cris Carter, and colourful late NFL coach Buddy Ryan were actually like.

    As for Demski, he once played for the University of Manitoba Bisons football team, so I would love to hear more comical stories involving Bisons head coach Brian Dobie.

    I have a few stories Murphy told me that I always get pumped to retell to anyone of any walk of life.

    On the serious front, I know how much of a CFL players’ time is eaten away with preparation. Anytime you get a free moment, you dash to spend it with family. If social interactions occur with players, they will develop over time.

    The interactions I’ve had with Roughriders players in the past have all developed over time as part of regular life.

    As far as my “Who are these guys” line goes, that is an old Sun Media tabloid technique reflective of that company’s days before being owned by Postmedia. It was the eye-catching and maybe over the top line to draw a person into the piece. I believe it worked.

    I think I did a good job in that piece painting a picture of that moment in time about a fan’s difficulty in figuring the “who is who” on the Roughriders. That realization hit me the first time I saw the team live at a workout. A few fans in public have come up to me and shared those same comments.

    Of course, you always have people that don’t agree with what you say, and I am all good with it.

    Pedersen’s line with the dinner reference also reflects Sun media-type tabloid writing before that company was purchased by Postmedia.

    When it comes to writing about the Roughriders in his blog, Pedersen will at times have the tone of “us against the world” towards those that write anything that is viewed at taking a shot towards the current team and also fall extremely heavily on the homer side.

An all-time classic video game.

    Hey, a sizable minority of Roughriders fans exist that have an “us against the world” attitude when it comes to following the team if you say anything against the team. To me it is all fun and good.
    There are a number of fans that identify with what Pedersen writes, and I enjoy what he writes. It is all part of the game.

    There are a lot of times when any type of bad comments or press are good business. I know a lot of bosses at big mainstream media companies usually direct employees to ignore individuals that have exited from the mainstream to keep those individuals out of sight and out of mind. That includes individuals that are members of sports Hall of Fames.

    Pedersen’s brief post sent a few readers my way even if my name wasn’t mentioned, so I thank him for that. Plus, it allowed me to have fun writing this part of my post.

    If you want to see my post regarding familiarity of cheering on the Roughriders, you can do so by clicking here.

    If you want to see the part in Pedersen’s post about what I wrote, it is point “number nine” and you find it by clicking here.

Blades prospect Maier off to Hockey Canada goalie camp

    Saskatoon Blades prospect goaltender Nolan Maier will get a chance to ingrain himself on Hockey Canada’s radar.

    The 16-year-old product from Yorkton, Sask., will be one of 30 netminders that will take part on Hockey Canada’s 12^th annual Program of Excellence goaltending camp. The camp starts Friday and runs through to Sunday in Calgary.

    Maier, who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 160 pounds, will be one of 16 goalies looking to earn a spot at Canada’s national under-17 development camp later on this summer.

    The Blades selected Maier in the second round and 25^th overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. As a 15-year-old rookie in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, he had a strong campaign with the Yorkton Rawtec Maulers posting a 13-9 record, a 2.72 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.

    Maier represented Team Saskatchewan at the Western Canada Under-16 Challenge Cup in October of 2016.

    If Maier can keep improving, he could help the Blades potentially set up one of those more welcome situations for the coming season in goal at the major junior level, where you have an older starting goalie paired with a young apprentice goalie. That would mean pairing Maier with overage netminder Logan Flodell, who named to a WHL Eastern Conference second team all-star last season.

    With that noted, there is always the potential for things to happen between now and when training camp begins typically in the second half of August.

    There are a few goaltenders with WHL experience at the Hockey Canada Camp. Carl Stankowski of the Seattle Thunderbirds is one of seven netminders there at the under-18 level. Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips, Ian Scott of the Prince Albert Raiders and Stuart Skinner of the Lethbridge Hurricanes are part of the group of seven netminders that are at the under-19 level.

    Hart was a member of Canada’s world junior team last season. Hart played in the gold medal game at the last world juniors on Jan. 5 in Montreal, where Canada fell 5-4 after a tiebreaking shootout to the United States.

    If you have more comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Riot rumbles home with final Taylor Field memory

Regina advances to WWCFL title game with 34-24 win

The Riot celebrate a touchdown reception from Alex Kowalski (#84).

    REGINA – Veteran Regina Riot defensive back Courtney Tafelmeyer didn’t want to literally drop the ball.

    On Sunday at old Mosaic Stadium/Taylor Field, the Riot were searching for an insurance blow to lock down victory against the visiting Saskatoon Valkyries in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League Prairie Conference championship game. With under four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, the Riot held a 28-18 edge over the Valkyries, who entered the game as the defending WWCFL champions.

    While Regina had the lead, Saskatoon had the ball at midfield and was driving. On a broken play, Valkyries sophomore quarterback Alex Eyolfson was scrambling to avoid the pressure of the Riot defence and threw a pass to the right sideline right at Tafelmeyer.

Carmen Agar (#23) runs in the first of her two touchdowns on the day.

    Tafelmeyer cradled home the ball alone in the flat and zig zagged down the sideline picking up a number of key blocks returning her interception 62 yards for a major score. Her touchdown put the Riot up 34-18 with 3:41 to play in the frame. That proved to be the final key play that cemented what would ultimately be a 34-24 victory for the Riot.

    “I’ve dropped a couple this past season I knew this one needed to be in the hands,” said Tafelmeyer, who is in her sixth season with the Riot. “I knew catching this and running it in that was the end of the game.”

    After she made her pick, all Tafelmeyer forced on was running downfield as hard as she could.

    “It was just a hard run,” said Tafelmeyer. “I just saw straight. I didn’t know who was behind me.

The Riot defence gang tackles Valkyries RB Samantha Matheson.

  “I knew my team was coming hot to make big blocks. They were going to make sure that ball was getting in that end zone. I turned around and 11 reds were right behind me.

    “It was a sea of red right behind me. It was a great feeling.”

    Tafelmeyer’s key play helped cement a berth in the WWCFL title game for the second time in three years for the Riot and close out the final competitive tackle football game at the legendary stadium.

    The Riot, who are 5-1 overall, will face the Calgary Rage (4-0) on Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in Saskatoon in the WWCFL final at 8:30 p.m. The Riot won the WWCFL title in 2015.

The Riot defence corrals Valkyries receiver Alyssa Wiebe.

    Riot head coach Olivier Eddie thought it was fitting that his side’s defence made the key play in Sunday’s victory. During their first five games, the Riot posted three shutout wins and gave up a total of 27 points.

    Regina’s offence had stalled a bit gaining 99 net yards offence in the second half of Sunday’s game after piling up 310 yards of offence in the first half.

    “We needed our defence to step up,” said Eddie. “Sometimes, I don’t know who is smiling upon us, but we needed that big play. To score and bring it all the way, I think the defence really deserves it.

    “They’ve played so well all year. For them to get that score at the end, I think it is very well deserving. I am happy it is them that kind of sealed it for us.”

Aimee Kowalski completed 14 passes for 162 yards for the Riot.

    The Valkyries took a 3-0 late in the first quarter on a 13-yard field goal from Carly Dyck.

    The Riot scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-3 lead at halftime. Power back Carmen Agar muscled her way into the end zone on a three-yard touchdown run, and receiver Alex Kowalski hauled in a 23-yard touchdown pass from her sister and Riot quarterback Aimee Kowalski to account for Regina’s second quarter scoring.

    While the Riot piled up yards offensively, the Valkyries defence recovered a Regina fumble and forced two turnovers on downs to prevent any further first half scoring.

    The hosts pushed their lead out to 21-3 on a one-yard touchdown plunge by running back Mallory Starkey with 8:45 to play in the third quarter. That scoring drive was actually kept alive by getting a first down on a botched field goal attempt.
    On the botched field goal attempt, holder and veteran receiver Claire Dore chucked a desperate pass to kicker Morgan Turner, who gained 20 yards and a first down.

Alex Eyolfson (#15) throws one of her two TD passes for the Valkyries.

    After Starkey’s score, the Valkyries offence came to life. Before the third quarter ended, Eyolfson hit Beth Thomson and Carly Dyck with respective touchdown passes from 10 and 19 yards out to cut the Riot lead to 21-16.

    Agar scored her second major of the game with 10:30 to play in the fourth quarter to push the Riot lead out to 28-16. After being forced to punt deep in their own end a short time later, the Riot elected to concede a safety to hold a 28-18 edge with 6:43 to play in the fourth quarter.

    That set the stage for Tafelmeyer’s pick-six.

    Alex Kowalski was pumped her side could finally put the finishing touches on the win.

    “It feels so good,” said Kowalski, who had 40 yards receiving on two catches and 43 yards rushing on five carries. “The last half seemed so long, but it is a good ending.”

    Now in her fifth year with the Riot, Kowalski was pleased her side would head to another WWCFL title game.

Carly Dyck (#4) hauls in a 19-yard TD reception for the Valkyries.

    “It will be fun in Saskatoon,” said Kowalski. “They have a really nice field. It will be great.”

    The Valkyries still made things interesting in the final minute. They recovered a fumble from Aimee Kowalski at the Regina 10 yard line.

    Saskatoon power back Samantha Matheson ran in a score from two yards out with 15 seconds to play in what would be the final score of any type ever at Taylor Field to cut the Riot lead to 34-24. The Valkyries were unsuccessful in their ensuing two-point conversion try.

    Regina defensive back Karlie Jackson recovered an onside kick to snuff out any faint hope of Saskatoon rallying any further.

    Agar piled up 111 yards rushing on 13 carries and caught four passes for 50 yards to lead all Riot players in rushing and receiving.

The Riot celebrate their Prairie Conference championship win.

    Aimee Kowalski completed 14-of-24 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown.

    Eyolfson completed 14-of-39 passes for 158 yards, two touchdowns and one interception as the Valkyries fell to 4-2 overall.
    Alyssa Wiebe caught six passes for 86 yards, and Matheson ran the ball 13 times for 75 yards.

    The Valkyries will play a WWCFL consolation final this coming Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field against the Edmonton Storm, who were 2-3 overall, at 5:15 p.m.

    While the Riot will turn their attention to capturing their second WWCFL title in team history, Eddie said it was important for his group to get past the Valkyries.

The Riot hoist the Prairie Conference championship trophy.

    In the WWCFL’s seven years of existence, the Riot and Valkyries have met in the Prairie Conference final in every season, and Saskatoon still holds a 5-2 edge in those contests even after the result of Sunday’s game.

    “We’re overwhelmed with emotion,” said Eddie. “You can just see it in their face right now.

    “They’ve worked for this, and they’ve earned it. I’m just extremely proud of our group of athletes.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Valkyries and Riot to write Taylor Field's final chapter

WWCFL rivals clash for conference title at historic stadium

Samantha Matheson (#22) tears downfield for the Valkyries in 2015.

    Taylor Field will have its final swan song, and the newest participants in the football rivalry between Saskatoon and Regina will have the honour of closing the historic facility out.

    On Sunday at 1 p.m., old or historic Mosaic Stadium in Regina will play host to its final competitive tackle football game as the Regina Riot host the Saskatoon Valkyries in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League’s Prairie Conference championship game.
    The two clubs are meeting in the Prairie Conference final for a seventh straight year, and the Valkyries enter the contest as defending league champions. Both teams have identical 4-1 overall records so far this season.

    The winner advances to play the Calgary Rage in the WWCFL title game to be held on June 10 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field in Saskatoon.

    Known as Taylor Field for most of its existence, almost all of the major tenants have shuffled out of historic Mosaic Stadium, which is best remembered as the home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

Morgan Turner boots a Prairie Conference winning field goal for the Riot.

    The Roughriders bid farewell to the facility in their final regular season game of the 2016 campaign falling 24-6 to the B.C. Lions on Oct. 29 of that year.

    The University of Regina Rams were thought to have the final football game at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium, when they dropped a Canada West Conference semifinal match 40-34 to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Nov. 5, 2016.

    With the first football clash at new Mosaic Stadium in 2017 being reserved for a Roughriders exhibition contest on June 10 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Riot decided to give the old Mosaic Stadium a final bow. 

Kelsey Murphy (#85) jets up field for the Valkyries in 2016.

    Outside of Riot games, Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium is still being used for various other minor sports functions before eventually being decommissioned. 

    The Riot are the last major tenant to still call that park home.

    While all sorts of football teams and sports groups have taken nostalgia trips at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium since the start of 2016, it just seems right that a conference title will be decided in the final competitive tackle football game held there. 

    As a bonus, it will also showcase the Saskatoon versus Regina rivalry.

Aimee Kowalski (#22) slings a pass downfield in 2015.

    Starting in 2011, the WWCFL is still a very young circuit, but the Valkyries and Riot have carved out their history of memorable clashes at the storied park in Saskatchewan’s capital city.

    After opening their existence with 12 straight wins, the Valkyries suffered their first loss in team history at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium falling 15-7 to the Riot on May 12, 2013. The Riot ultimately hosted that year’s Prairie Conference championship game, which the Valkyries claimed 55-27 on June 9, 2013. 

    Saskatoon moved on to claim a third straight WWCFL title downing the Lethbridge Steel 27-13 at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium on June 15 of that year.

    The most epic clash between the Valkyries and Riot at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium occurred in the Prairie Conference championship game on June 28, 2015. 

Beth Thomson (#2) makes a tackle for the Valkyries in 2015.

    The Riot slowly built a 28-7 edge early in the fourth quarter of that contest before the Valkyries stormed back.

    With a strong wind at their backs, the Valkyries scored 22 consecutive points to go ahead 29-28 with 1:26 to play in regulation. Valkyries power running back Samantha Matheson ran home major scores from 15, 28 and 25 yards out in the rally.

    The Riot didn’t fold. Powered by running back Carmen Agar and quarterback Aimee Kowalski along the ground, the Riot moved into position to score.

    With 15 seconds left to play, Morgan Turner kicked a 12-yard field goal to give the Riot a 31-29 victory. Regina advanced on to win that year’s WWCFL title game held in Winnipeg.

Carmen Agar (#23) rumbles downfield in 2015.

    Regina took another epic clash between the two rivals on May 29, 2016 at the historic park. With 2:10 to play in the fourth quarter, Turner booted the winning field goal from 21 yards out to give the Riot a 27-26 win over the Valkyries.

    Saskatoon claimed the regular season clash between the two rivals in the current campaign in thrilling fashion at the venerable park. On May 21, sophomore quarterback Alex Eyolfson hit veteran receiver Kelsey Murphy with an eight-yard touchdown toss with seven seconds remaining on the clock to give the Valkyries a 20-17 victory over the Riot.

    In the upcoming final clash at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium between these two squads, both sides will field their respective standouts. The Valkyries with have Eyolfson, Matheson, Murphy and standout receivers Carly Dyck and Alyssa Wiebe in the fold.

    The Riot will counter with Kowalski, Agar, Turner, running back Mallory Starkey and sure handed receivers Jenna Koller and Margo Anderson.

    It feels like one last epic clash will be had and one more memory will be made.

Nostalgia for Taylor Field

The Roughriders celebrate a Weston Dressler touchdown in 2012.

    For about the last 14 months, I have crafted a few nostalgia pieces with regards to Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium.

    As that facility has been at the heart of Saskatchewan’s football culture during its life, it seems like everyone in the province has good memories associated with that place. With the Valkyries and Riot set to play the final competitive tackle football game at that famed facility, I figured I would share three of the nostalgia pieces I wrote last year about the place.

    The first piece lists my top 10 memories at Taylor Field/Mosaic Stadium. That piece can be found right here.

    The second piece focuses around what my thoughts would be driving out to the last Roughriders game there. That piece can be found right here.

    The third piece centres on the final Roughriders game at the historic stadium. That piece can be found right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass on about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Valkyries, Riot take care of regular season business

Saskatchewan squads lock up conference finals berths

Samantha Matheson (#22) zips downfield for the Valkyries.

    The Saskatoon Valkyries and the Regina Riot will get their rubber match.

    Last Sunday, the two powerhouse clubs from the Western Women’s Canadian Football League closed out their respective regular season schedules with victories in Winnipeg to ensure they will meet for the seventh straight year in the Prairie Conference final. The Valkyries, who are the defending WWCFL champions, downed the Manitoba Fearless 30-10, while the Riot blanked the Winnipeg Wolfpack 35-0.

    Both the Valkyries and the Riot had the potential to be eliminated from the post-season picture had they lost their respective final regular season games.

    Both the Valkyries and Riot have identical 3-1 regular season records and 4-1 overall marks. They split their two head-to-head meetings, but the Riot claimed first place in the Prairie Conference due to outscoring the Valkyries 33-20 in their two encounters.

    The Riot will host the Valkyries this coming Sunday at 1 p.m. at old Mosaic Stadium in Regina. This will also be the last major competitive tackle football game to be held at the legendary facility that was called Taylor Field for most of its life and was best known as the long-time home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Carmen Agar (#23) rumbles up field for the Riot.

    Since the WWCFL first operated in 2011, the Valkyries and Riot have won every league title. The Valkyries won it all in 2011 to 2014, and 2016. The Riot claimed the league championship in 2015.

    Last Sunday, the Valkyries got out to a slow start against the Fearless, who took an early 3-0 lead and held that edge until about midway through the second quarter. Kicker Carly Dyck forced a 3-3 tie booting a 16-yard field goal for the Valkyries.

    Before the second half ended, the Valkyries got rolling and scored three touchdowns to surge ahead 24-3. Defensive back Tori Giles returned an interception for a touchdown, power back Samantha Matheson ran in a major from 11 yards out and receiver Sarah Wright hauled in a seven-yard reception to account for Saskatoon’s majors. Dyck hit two more field goals in the second half to round out the scoring for the visitors.

    Sara Milani had the lone Fearless touchdown returning an interception for a score in the fourth quarter.

    In the match between the Riot and the Wolfpack, Riot power back Carmen Agar lead her team’s romp over the Wolfpack carrying the ball 10 times for 99 yards and scoring one touchdown. Receiver Alex Kowalski and running back Morgan Turner both had touchdown receptions for the Riot, while receiver Margo Anderson had a major along the ground for Regina. 

The Riot and Valkyries will battle in the Prairie Conference final.

    Turner also booted a pair of field goals and the Riot scored a safety touch in the win.

    Running back Adrienne Chubala ran the ball 20 times for 108 yards to pace the Wolfpack’s offence.

    In the WWCFL’s Western Conference, the Calgary Rage (4-0) locked up first place pulling out a 34-29 thriller over the Storm (1-2) in Edmonton last Sunday. Due to the fact the Western Conference has only three teams this season, the Rage advance to the WWCFL’s championship game for the first time in team history thanks to their first place finish. The Storm will travel to Lethbridge to face the Steel (0-3) this coming Saturday.

    The WWCFL’s championship game is slated for June 10 in Saskatoon at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

Fischer might be a nice CFL addition one day

Logan Fischer, left, shows the Canadian Bowl to a group of youngsters.

    Logan Fischer is getting a taste of the professional stage, and it is conceivable the star running back for the Saskatoon Hilltops could play in the CFL one day.

    Fischer, who has one season of Canadian Junior Football League eligibility remaining, was a late add to Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL training camp on Saturday night as a territorial junior player. The 21-year-old, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 225 pounds, is at camp basically to make a good impression and learn what goes on at the professional level.

    The learning isn’t limited to dealing a new level of outstanding athletes on the field. The learning also includes how the pros handle situations off the field like when the stress level escalates when the cuts come down.

    Fischer is in the nice position where he has nothing to lose and everything to gain, because he has at least another season to play at the junior level.

Logan Fischer speeds downfield for the Hilltops.

    With that noted, Fischer does have the ability to play at the CFL level, if he is given the proper opportunity one day. He is that rare combination of the power back who can also be elusive in the open field.

    Besides gaining the tough yards between the tackles, Fischer also has a great set of hands and is an effective receiver coming out of the backfield. The graduate of Saskatoon’s Bethlehem Catholic High School can block well too.

    In the CFL, Canadian running backs are often turned into the jack of all trades, who are counted on to play tailback, fullback and tight end, and Fischer has to tools to fulfill those roles.

    With the Hilltops last season, Fischer led the team in rushing carrying the ball 106 times for 631 yards and scoring eight touchdowns in nine regular season games. His offensive totals could have been higher, but the Hilltops often rotate players into games during the regular season in order to build experience in everyone.

    Fischer’s most memorable games have come in each of the Hilltops last three Canadian Bowl wins.

    In November of 2014 in Langley, B.C., Fischer carried the ball 19 times for 94 yards and scored one touchdown yards in the Hilltops 39-14 Canadian Bowl victory over the host Langley Rams. He also hauled in four passes for 37 yards in that contest.

    In November of 2015 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Fischer was named the offensive player of the game in the Hilltops 38-24 Canadian Bowl victory over the Okanagan Sun. He broke the 100-yard barrier in both rushing and receiving in that contest. Fischer carried the ball 23 times for 102 yards scoring two touchdowns and caught seven passes for 107 yards.  

Logan Fischer muscles his way in for a Hilltops touchdown.

    Last November in Langford, B.C., Fischer piled up 202 yards rushing on 28 carries and caught four passes for 43 yards and scored two majors to help the Hilltops down the host Westshore Rebels 37-25 for a third straight national junior title win. He was named the offensive player of the game for a second straight year.

    Fischer could potentially have a CFL career similar to that of fullback Neal Hughes, who played for the Roughriders from 2004 to 2014 and earned Grey Cup rings in 2007 and 2013. With that said, there are still a number of steps and a number of other parts have to fall into place for something like that to happen.

    For now, here is hoping Fischer can leave a good last impression, and he is capable of doing just that.

Memorial Cup has to keep festival feel 

2017 #MCMemorialCup champions - @SpitsHockey pic.twitter.com/wzynFq0Usi

— 2017 MC Memorial Cup (@MCMemorialCup) May 29, 2017

    It might be an understatement to say some hockey purists weren’t happy with this year’s Memorial Cup tournament.

    Last Sunday, the host Windsor Spitfires downed the Ontario Hockey League champion Erie Otters 4-3 in the event’s championship game. The win marked the third time in nine years the Spitfires claimed major junior hockey’s greatest prize.

    When Windsor won in 2009 and 2010, they were the champions that year of the OHL. This year, they lost out to the London Knights in a series deciding Game 7 of the first round of the OHL playoffs. The Spitfires did finish fifth overall in the OHL standings with a 41-19-5-3 mark.

    Some purists won’t like the obvious fact that the Spitfires entered the tournament after being off for 44 days after losing out in the OHL playoffs and went on to win the Memorial Cup. While the Spitfires rested, the Otters, Saint John Sea Dogs and Seattle Thunderbirds battled it out to win the titles in the OHL, QMJHL and the WHL respectively to round out the Memorial Cup field.

    On a competitive front, the Memorial Cup is a different beast, because teams play in a round robin before advancing to single-elimination playoff games. Windsor ran the table posting a perfect 4-0 record.

    The pressure is on teams to get that first win in the round robin in order to ensure being part of the playoff round. Clubs want to avoid a mini slump by going winless and earning a trip home without a playoff round berth.

    Seattle went 0-3 in this year’s tournament. The Otters were 2-1, while the Sea Dogs were 1-2 in round robin action.

    Erie beat Saint John in a semifinal to advance to the championship game.

    The Memorial Cup format isn’t perfect, but the truth with amateur sports in Canada is that tournaments even as prestigious as the Memorial Cup need a host team to sell tickets and sponsorships. While it would be cool to see the Memorial Cup draw big crowds without a host team, that scenario is not a reality. Only the championship game in Windsor was a sellout this year.

    There are groups of fans that head to the Memorial Cup on an annual basis and even plan vacations around it. The Calgary fan group called “the Junior Hockey Junkies” are one of those bunches. There isn’t enough of these fan groups around to carry the tournament.

    Usually, the organizers at the Memorial Cup are good at putting on a festival around the event to make it a 10-celebration of hockey, or in this case, junior hockey. Losing out at the Memorial Cup after winning your league isn’t the end of the world. The Memorial Cup has to be one of those events that adds a little extra topping to a team’s year.

    The Memorial Cup can hold the place of being a festival. Those that govern the Canadian Hockey League have to ensure it stays affordable for families, because that is what junior hockey is about. Ticket prices have been high for a number of recent Memorial Cups, so that always has to be a concern.

    With that said, odds are pretty high the Regina Pats will be a great host next year, when they host the 100^th Memorial Cup in conjunction with their 100^th anniversary as a team.

Clark has a little bit of fun with Nurse

"Who is the prettier friend?" pic.twitter.com/4lAEguTQBf

— Emily Clark (@emclark13) May 29, 2017

    I always love it when you see teammates having a little bit of fun.

    Saskatoon product Emily Clark tweeted this picture on Monday of her with Hamilton, Ont., product Sarah Nurse from a training camp for Canada’s National Women’s hockey team which is going on right now in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Clark and Nurse have been teammates with the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

    The pair are also part of centralized roster of 28 players that are hoping to make the team that will play for Canada’s women’s team at the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from Feb. 9 to 25, in the new year.

    For what it is worth, I think both Clark and Nurse look equally great in this picture. More importantly, both are high end players, and one has to love the fact they are part Canada’s senior national team program. They can make good things happen at any point in a game.

    While Canada fell 3-2 in overtime to the United States in the final of the women’s world tournament on April 7 in Plymouth, Mich., I still like the individuals Canada selected for the centralized roster. I would feel comfortable with any combination of players from that group of 28 going into the Olympics.

    On top of that, it also seems that the players on the Canadian squad bond better and play together better when they train on a centralized roster.

    There are still a number of steps to go until the Olympics, and it is important for the players to have fun along the way like Clark and Nurse did here.

Oilers win third Stanley Cup 30 years ago today

Some items of Edmonton Oilers memorabilia.

    It is crazy to think that 30 years ago today the climax of the “Boys on the Bus” documentary was filmed on the 1980s Edmonton Oilers.

    The film followed the Oilers for two seasons from 1985 to 1987. It concluded with the Oilers downing the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 in Game 7 of the 1987 Stanley Cup finals, which was played on May 31^st of that year. The victory marked the third time Edmonton won the Stanley Cup.

    The Oilers of those years seemed to be filled with star players like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr and Kevin Lowe. In a lot of ways, the film still holds up well today.

    The ending, which focuses on the Oilers Game 7 win, provides a nostalgia trip. You can check it out by clicking here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.