Here’s hoping hype of U Sports national champion Bisons doesn’t fade away

Jordyn Zacharias celebrates a goal in the Canada West finals.

    They were played up as the feel good story last February and March in Winnipeg.

    During that time, the University of Manitoba Bisons women’s hockey team went on a historic run. They accomplished a lot of firsts.

    The Herd topped the Canada West standings for the first time in team history with a 22-5-1 mark, hosted the best-of-three Canada West Championship Series for the first time in team history sweeping away the U of Saskatchewan Huskies 2-0 and captured the U Sports national title for the first time in team history. 

    In the elite-eight style national championship tournament held in London, Ont., last March, the Bisons blanked the host University of Western Ontario Mustangs 2-0 in the tournament’s final game.

    Over that period of time, the Bisons were given a big push from the media outlets in the Manitoba capital. It seemed like their players were appearing everywhere.

Venla Hovi came from Finland to star for the Bisons.

    The NHL’s Winnipeg Jets were a backer before the Bisons national title win. They showed the Bisons score on the MTS Place scoreboard when the Herd won Game 1 of the Canada West Championship Series 1-0 in overtime over the Huskies.

    After winning the national title, congratulations poured in for the Bisons from various sports teams and groups in Winnipeg. The team was honoured before a Jets game in late March.

    The Bisons visited City Hall and were given Outstanding Achievement Award Medals from the City of Winnipeg.

    They were on the cover of various local publications.

    They were the toast of the town.

    Bisons head coach Jon Rempel, who was named the U Sports coach of the year for the first time in his career, guided a crew on the ice that you had to like. They were approachable and sociable. On an obvious front, they played the game extremely well.

Caitlin Fyten led the Bisons to a national title as captain.

    They had a star winger from Finland in Venla Hovi, and it seems Finnish players always do well in Winnipeg considering the time Teemu Selanne spent with the original NHL Jets and Patrik Laine is enjoying with the current NHL Jets.

    Hovi was complimented with a strong group of forwards in Alanna Sharman, Jordyn Zacharias, Lauryn Keen, Alana Serhan, Sheridan Oswald and Courtlyn Oswald. The defence was anchored by captain Caitlin Fyten and Regina, Sask., product Erica Rieder, who was a second team all-Canadian all-star.

    In goal, rookie Lauren Taraschuk rose to prominence winning Canada West rookie of the year honours and being named to the U Sports all-rookie team.

    Still when a women’s team has success like the Bisons did, it seems their accomplishments disappears too quickly from the minds of the general public.

Lauren Taraschuk rose to star status as a rookie playing goal for the Bisons.

    In 2016, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity released a study regarding the connection between women and sport in Canada. A couple of the facts revolved around media coverage.

    An analysis was done on Canada’s primary national sports networks in English and French in 2014. The study said only four per cent of the coverage on those networks was dedicated to women’s sports and over half of that number was dedicated to coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

    A study was done on the Saturday sports section front pages in two of Canada’s highest circulated national newspapers from June 2008 to May 2010 and June 2013 to May 2015. Over those time frames, 5.1 per cent of the coverage was dedicated to women’s sports.

Erica Rieder was a second team all-Canadian on defence.

    Of course, that study only considered a small sampling size of the print industry.

    It can be argued since that time the coverage of women’s sports in Canada has decreased thanks to massive cuts in the mainstream media, which has often targeted sports departments. Sports coverage seems to get more and more focused on just the NHL, which causes everything else in the sports scene to be out of luck.

    The Bisons national championship victory over the Mustangs wasn’t even broadcast on television.

    Despite those numbers, it would be sweet to see the Bisons women’s hockey team buck that trend and have some staying power. They rocked at the sport Canada as a country loves the most.

    They created excitement for the U of Manitoba campus that hasn’t been seen for some time.
    During the Canada West Championship Series, the Wayne Fleming Arena on the U of Manitoba campus was a smaller version of the Jets home rink atmosphere wise.

Bisons fans created a crazy atmosphere at the Wayne Fleming Arena.

    Overall, Bisons teams have combined to win 44 U Sports national titles, but only five of those have come since the start of the 2003-04 campaign. The national title win by the Bisons women’s hockey team was a first for the school since the 2013-14 campaign, when the Bisons women’s volleyball team won a U Sports national crown.

    The Bisons women’s hockey team will undergo some transition going into next season. In July, assistant coach Sean Fisher was elevated to interim head coach as Rempel received a six-month reassignment of duties to allow for professional development. Rempel had been the head coach of the Bisons women’s hockey team for the past 14 seasons.

Alanna Sharman (#24) is one of the Bisons star forwards.

    The Herd lost Fyten, Serhan, Charity Price, Karissa Kirkup and goalie Rachel Dyck to fifth-year graduation. Hovi, who arguably had the best Twitter account in U Sports, still had a year of eligibility remaining, but she has returned home to Finland, where she has been a member of that country’s senior national women’s team for a number of years.

    Despite those changes, the Bisons women’s hockey team possesses a kick butt street cred in Winnipeg. If any of the players from the Bisons women’s hockey team are seen around town wearing their team gear, they are automatically deemed as cool.

    Winnipeg has some independent media outlets, so here is hoping the ongoing story of the Bisons women’s hockey team doesn’t fade away.

📷 This is how it feels to win a @USPORTSca championship. pic.twitter.com/nBCWsx4jjA

— U of Manitoba Bisons (@umbisons) March 18, 2018

    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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Solie finds comfort zone quickly with Hilltops

David Solie, right, hauls in a touchdown for the current Hilltops.

    A fresh start wearing a blue and gold colour scheme seems to fit David Solie just fine.

    After spending a season with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the U Sports ranks, Solie elected to join the Saskatoon Hilltops, who have won the last four straight Canadian Junior Football League championships.

    On Thursday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, Solie, who is a receiver and a placekicker, showed the form that made him a star with Saskatoon’s storied Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team. 

    He booted field goals from 30 and 35 yards out and hauled in two touchdown passes for the current Hilltops, who fell to their alumni team 25-22 in the annual Hilltops Alumni Game. The alumni squad also included a number of extra additions from players who played with other post-secondary programs and now call Saskatoon home.

David Solie (#3) boots one of his two field goals for the current Hilltops.

    For Solie, he has found he has fit in easily with the current Hilltops.

    “It is a great group of guys,” said Solie, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 185 pounds. “It is nothing but fun with these guys.

    “We have our serious moments where we want to bear down and do good, but the fact of the matter is it is all about having fun. If we’re not having fun, it is probably not the right suit, but I am having lots of fun with these guys.”

    Solie, who will turn 19-years-old in just under two weeks, decided to leave the Huskies due to the fact he wasn’t sure if he was going in the right direction with regards to school. He was an arts and science major last season.

David Solie (#3) enjoys a TD with the current Hilltops

    Instead of continuing in that direction, Solie concluded it was best for him to take a step away from the U of S all together, so he could clear his mind.

    “It was mainly a head space thing,” said Solie. “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in school.

    “It was a struggle for me to get my mind right for school and devoting my hours into football and devoting hours into school. I am just taking a step back, so I can find what I want to do so I have more motivation to do school and more motivation to play football and I can find that happy medium. That is really why I took a step back.”

    Knowing that he still wanted to play football, Solie contacted Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant about trying out for the storied CJFL team. “Sarge” was more than happy to bring Solie on board.

    “What a talented athlete,” said Sargeant. “What a great kid.

    “He asks a lot of questions. He is motivated. He understands the moments, and he loves to make plays.

    “He got a couple of touchdowns (and) a couple of field goals. It was a difference maker out there today. We’re going to keep working him hard and giving him great opportunities.”

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls has found early chemistry with R David Solie.

    In Solie, the Hilltops gained a player who has experienced a lot of big games playing for the Crusaders, and someone who has been called upon to be the kicker for Football Canada’s national team program on two occasions. Last season, Solie was the kicker for Canada’s under-19 team that fell in an International Bowl game on Jan. 20 against the United States in Arlington, Texas.

    As a receiver, Solie believes he has found chemistry with Hilltops star fifth-year quarterback Jordan Walls.

    “He gets you,” said Solie. “He knows all of his receivers and their preferences, and that is probably the greatest feeling ever.

    “You go out there, and you are comfortable. You know where he is going to throw the ball.

    “You know where you need to be. He’ll hit you whenever you need to be hit.”

    Coming to the Hilltops, Solie knew he would get a chance to be a placekicker. The Hilltops lost safety/kicker James Vause due to graduation, and third-year kicker/receiver Rylan Kleiter is still bothered by a knee injury suffered last season.

Wayndel Lewis (#22) scored on a TD run for the Hilltops alums.

    Kleiter, who punted and placekicked last season for the Hilltops, missed the team’s last four regular season games and first three post-season games due to his injury. He returned to play in the Hilltops 56-11 victory in the Canadian Bowl over the AKO Fratmen in Windsor, Ont., on Nov. 11, 2017.

    Solie’s presence means Kleiter doesn’t have to be rushed into action in the kicking game.

    “Getting to kick, that is big for me,” said Solie. “I played Team Canada.

    “I was the backup kicker with the Huskies. Coming here and getting to start kicking, it is nothing but fun.”

    Going forward, Sargeant said the Hilltops coaches believe Solie will be a player who will come through in the clutch. Solie’s first opportunity to do that might come when the Hilltops open the regular season on Aug. 18, when they travel to Regina to take on the Thunder at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

Rod Janzen punts the ball for the Hilltops alums.

    “For us to have him when the game is on the line, we have no problem putting him in those situations,” said Sargeant. “He is going to have a productive and bright career.

    “We’re excited for him to make a difference like he did today and continue that next week in Regina - stay tuned.”

    Solie’s two field goals on Thursday gave the Hilltops an early 6-0 lead on their alums. The alums jumped ahead 7-6 shortly before halftime on a six-yard run from tailback Wayndel Lewis.

    In the second half, the alums surged ahead 25-6. First, the current Hilltops concede a safety to start the surge.

    From there, alums quarterback Jared Andreychuk hit receiver Ryan Turple with a 65-yard touchdown strike and receiver Evan Kopchynski with a 38-yard touchdown toss. The alums weren’t able to get a convert after Turple’s major score.

HC Tom Sargeant, right, shakes hands after the Hilltops Alumni Game.

    Kicker Brett Thorarinsson completed the alums’ surge kicking a 35-yard field goal.

    The current Hilltops pulled their starters after the first quarter and put them back into the contest for the fourth quarter. Running a no-huddle offence, the current Hilltops made the score close with Solie’s two touchdown catches. The current Hilltops added two-point converts after both of Solie’s major scores with conversion catches coming from receivers Adam Ewanchyna and Tanner Rhode respectively.

    The Hilltops home opener is slated for Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. against the Calgary Colts.

    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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Matthews named NLL MVP, Rush players get all-star nods

Rush F Mark Matthews was named NLL MVP.

    The fourth time was a charm for Mark Matthews when it came to winning National Lacrosse League MVP honours.

    On Tuesday, the star forward with the Saskatchewan Rush was named the MVP for the NLL this past season. This was the first time Matthews claimed league MVP honours after being a finalist for the award in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

    In claiming MVP honours for this past season, the 28-year-old from Oshawa, Ont., beat out Rush teammate in forward Robert Church and New England Black Wolves forward Kevin Crowley.

    The individual honours didn’t stop there for Matthews. On Wednesday, the grad of the University of Denver Pioneers men’s lacrosse team was named a first team NLL All-Pro on Wednesday marking the fourth team he claimed those honours.

    Matthews, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 235 pounds, topped the NLL in scoring this past season for the first time in his six-year career piling up 32 goals and 84 assists for a team record 116 points appearing in all 18 of the Rush’s regular season games. 

    His 84 assists were a league record for most assists in one regular season beating the old mark of 83 held by Josh Sanderson from the 2015 campaign with the Toronto Rock, Shawn Evans from the 2015 season with the Calgary Roughnecks and Callum Crawford from the 2016 campaign with the Colorado Mammoth.

Mark Matthews set a new NLL regular season record for assists at 84.

    Matthews had the previous Rush record for most points in one regular season piling up 115 points in the 2015 campaign.

    The Rush topped the entire NLL regular season standings with a 14-4 mark this past season, and they claimed their third league title in the past four years. The Rush won their first NLL championship in 2015 in the franchise’s final season in Edmonton and their second title in 2016 in their inaugural campaign in Saskatchewan.

    Matthews joined the Rush franchise as the first overall selection in the 2012 NLL Draft. He turned heads right away being named the NLL’s rookie of the year for the 2013 campaign piling up 38 goals and 31 assists in 16 regular season games.

    During his time with the Rush, Matthews has appeared in 106 career regular season games, and he is the franchise’s all-time regular season leader in goals (234), assists (366) and points (600).

    Church joined Matthews on the NLL’s All-Pro first team at forward for this past season. Church finished second in NLL regular season scoring with 47 goals and 60 assists appearing in all of the Rush’s 18 regular season games.

Mark Matthews helped the Rush win their third NLL championship.

    Rush defender Kyle Rubisch was named the NLL’s All-Pro second team. Rubisch appeared in 17 regular season games for the Rush recording one goal, eight assists, 25 caused turnovers and 130 loose ball pickups.

    Back on Aug. 2, Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan was named the winner of the NLL’s Les Bartley Head Coach of the Year award. That marked the fourth time in his overall career Keenan was named the NLL’s coach of the year.

    Also on Wednesday, the Rush announced their home opener for the upcoming regular season is slated for Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 at the SaskTel Centre against an opponent that is still to be determined.

Blades push Canada to Hlinka Gretzky Cup semi, other notes

Nolan Maier has two wins for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

    The Saskatoon Blades contingent has helped Canada’s under-18 start 3-0 at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and earn a berth in one of Friday’s two semifinal games.

    On Wednesday night, Blades netminder Nolan Maier made 21 saves to backstop Canada to a 4-3 victory over Sweden (2-1) at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta. Josh Williams, Alexis Lafreniere, Matthew Robertson and Bowen Byram all had singles for Canada.

    Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz and Elmer Soderblom all had singles for Sweden, while Jesper Wallstedt turned away 31 shots to take the setback in the Swedish net.

    Maier has won both his starts for Canada turning away 33-of-36 shots fired his way for a .917 save percentage to go with his 1.50 goals against average and one shutout.

    Blades centre Kirby Dach has dressed in all three of Canada’s games collecting one goal and two assists.

    Blades first year head coach Mitch Love is an assistant coach for Canada.

    Sweden will face Russia (3-0) in a semifinal on Friday at 3 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Canada face the United States (2-1) in Friday’s other semifinal set for 7 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton.  The tournament final is slated for Saturday at 7 p.m. local time at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

• Saskatoon Stars alumnae Sophie Shirley has an assist in two games for Team Heaney in a series of exhibition contests that are going on as part of the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team being held in Calgary, Alta. Jaycee Gebhard, who is another Stars alumnae, has the only goal Team James has scored in the two games they have played at the selection camp. Team Heaney is 2-0, while Team James is 0-2. Shirley will play her first season for the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team in Madison, Wisconsin, this coming season, while, Gebhard will join the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team in Moon, Pennsylvania, for her third season.
• Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team, is suiting up for the U Sports all-star team at the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. She has an assist in two games as the U Sport all-stars are 1-1.
• Japan’s national women’s team rounds out the teams taking part in a series of exhibition games at the selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team. Japan is 1-1 after two games.
• The selection camp for Canada’s under-18 women’s national team featured its first intrasquad game on Wednesday in Calgary. Grace Shirley, who is a centre for the Saskatoon Stars and Sophie’s younger sister, had a goal for Canada Red in a 3-1 victory over Canada White. Former Regina Rebels forward Kennedy Bobyck, who now plays for the Calgary based Edge School Mountaineers female prep team, is playing for Canada Red. Stars forward Joelle Fiala and Melville Prairie Fire defender Allison Hayhurst are playing for Canada White.
• On Wednesday, the junior B Delisle Chiefs of the Prairie Junior Hockey League announced Ryan Marushak will be returning to serve a fourth season as the club’s general manager. Last season, Marushak won the PJHL’s Terry Rak Memorial Builder of the Year award. Marushak was the Chiefs assistant general manager in 2014-15 before becoming the general manager. He was also with Chiefs for two other season from 2008 to 2010 serving as an assistant coach and director of player personnel.

Back in the Express with Berglof

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a feature story on two-sport athlete Colin Berglof.

    Berglof is one of seven players from the Saskatchewan SWAT junior A lacrosse team that is playing for Canada at the three-team indoor World Junior Lacrosse Championship that started Wednesday night at the SaskTel Centre. Canada opened the event on Wednesday with a 26-9 victory over the Iroquois team. Berglof, who is playing transition for Canada, had a pair of goals and an assist in that contest.

    Canada finishes opening round play facing the United States on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. The tournament’s championship game is slated for Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

    The six other members of the SWAT that are part of the Canadian team include Tanner Deck, Quinn Ingalls, Keagan White, Wyatt Haux, Mitch Linklater and Laine Hruska.

    Berglof plays forward for the SWAT and defence for the Delisle Chiefs junior B hockey team. The Express story on him can be found by clicking right here.

    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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Hilltops’ Walls a perfect fit for #1 CJFL ranking

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls topped the CJFL’s top 50 player rankings.

    Jordan Walls showed last season he was ready to lead the Saskatoon Hilltops, and now he is regarded as the best in the Canadian Junior Football League.

    On Friday, the CJFL ranked its top 50 players heading into the 2018 season, and Walls, who is the Hilltops 22-year-old starting quarterback, topped the list. The top 50 promotion was first run by the league in 2016 as a vehicle to shine more of a spotlight on its players.

    Walls deserves the top ranking after guiding the Hilltops to a record fourth straight CJFL title win. Topping the CJFL top 50 list is also a nod for all the hard work he has put in during his previous four seasons in the league.

Jordan Walls, right, runs for a game clinching first down against the Rifles.

    As is the custom with the Hilltops, Walls wasn’t the starting quarterback coming out of high school in 2014. That job fell to Jared Andreychuk, who was in his third year of eligibility at the time.

    From 2014 to 2016, Andreychuk built a legacy quarterbacking the Hilltops to three straight CJFL title posting a 9-0 career record as a post-season starter. Walls was the understudy over the span being groomed to become Andreychuk’s successor.

    Walls, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 180 pounds, has always been a great student of the game. During training camp in 2016, he was showing at that time he was ready to become the Hilltops starter.

    Had Andreychuk gone down due to a season ending injury in that campaign, Walls could have stepped in, and the Hilltops wouldn’t have missed a beat.

    Andreychuk wrote a terrific swan song in 2016 guiding the Hilltops to a 37-25 victory in the Canadian Bowl to claim a 19^th CJFL title against the Westshore Rebels in Langford, B.C.

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls dives in for a touchdown against the Thunder.

    Walls finally gained his chance to guide the Hilltops as their starting quarterback last season, and he played with a lot of poise and polish.

    During the team’s eight regular season games, Walls completed 124-of-202 passes for 1,870 yards, 16 touchdowns and two interceptions. He quarterbacked the Hilltops to an 11-1 overall record and an impressive 56-11 victory in the Canadian Bowl over the host AKO Fratmen in Windsor, Ont.

    Walls completed 11-of-18 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns picking up offensive player of the game honours helping the Hilltops win their fourth straight CJFL title, their seven league crown in the last eight years and 20^th national title in team history.

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls (#19) was efficient firing the ball downfield.

    The graduate of Saskatoon’s Tommy Douglas Collegiate could make the big plays when the Hilltops needed them the most. Inside of the final 45 seconds of a PFC semifinal clash last year, the Hilltops held a 28-21 lead on the visiting Winnipeg Rifles at Saskatoon Minor Football field and faced a second and long situation.

    The Hilltops had an OK outing in that contest, while the underdog Rifles came out playing on fire looking for an upset. Walls faked a handoff to running back Adam Machart and bootlegged wide to the left side of the field, gained the necessary yardage for a first down and went down in bounds to ensure the clock didn’t stop.

    With the Rifles depleted of timeouts, the Hilltops kneeled down on the ball twice to win the game.

Hilltops QB Jordan Walls (#19) celebrates a TD from Garth Knittig.

    Even when the signals get crossed up, Walls still ensured a play had success. That was best shown in the PFC final where defensive tackle Garth Knittig scored the game-sealing touchdown on a one-yard dive with 96 seconds to play in the fourth quarter to give the Hilltops a 36-24 victory over the archrival Regina Thunder at SMF Field.

    The correct play call came into Walls, but the short yardage personnel grouping actually got missed up as Knittig wasn’t supposed to get the ball.

    With Knittig being a tough, hard-working and jovial defensive lineman, Walls called that play naturally where everyone thought, “Who wouldn’t like to see the big guy score. Let’s get him in there.”

    Besides playing for the Hilltops, Walls is the offensive coordinator for the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League. The knowledge, observations and experience he has gained in the game are an extra big bonus help for Hilltops legendary head coach Tom Sargeant, who doubled as the club’s offensive coordinator last season.

The Hilltops offence is in good hands with Jordan Walls (#19) at the controls.

    The Hilltops flooded the CJFL top 50 with five additional entries. They included fifth-year linebacker Cody Peters at the seventh spot, fifth-year receiver Jason Price at the 21^st spot, third-year defensive back Colton Holmes at the 27^th spot, third-year running back Joshua Ewanchyna at the 31^st spot and fifth-year offensive lineman Kirk Simonsen at the 45^th spot.

    The Hilltops open training camp on Monday and hold their annual Alumni Game on Thursday at 7 p.m. at SMF Field. They open the regular season on Aug. 18, when they travel to Regina to face the Thunder at 7 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium.

    As the Hilltops begin their quest to win an unprecedented fifth straight CJFL championship, their offensive is in great hands with Walls calling the signals.

Rush’s Keenan captures fourth NLL coach of the year award

Derek Keenan is the NLL’s coach of the year.

    Saskatchewan Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan continues to add to his collection of accolades.

    On Thursday, Keenan was named the winner of the National Lacrosse League’s Les Bartley Head Coach of the Year Award. This marks the fourth time Keenan has been named the NLL’s coach of the year.

    The 56-year-old product of Oshawa, Ont., won the coach of the year and NLL general manager of the year awards in 2010 and 2014, when the Rush franchise was located in Edmonton. Keenan won both of those honours in 2006, when he was with the now defunct Portland LumberJax.

    This past season, Keenan guided the Rush to a first overall finish in the NLL regular season with a 14-4 record. The finish gave the Rush a bye into the West Division final, where they down their archrivals the Calgary Roughnecks 15-13.

    The Rush had to go the distance to claim the best-of-three NLL championship series downing the Rochester Knighthawks 15-10 in Game 3 before 13,645 spectators at the SaskTel Centre on June 9 to capture the National Lacrosse League Cup.

    Under Keenan’s watch, the Rush have won three of the last four NLL titles. The Rush claimed their first NLL title in 2015, when they played out their final season in Edmonton. They repeated as NLL champions in 2016, which was their first campaign in Saskatchewan.

Rush HC and GM Derek Keenan, centre, studies play from the bench.

    The Rush’s championship this past season marked the ninth time Keenan has been part of an NLL championship team either as a player, coach or general manager. The Rush’s championship run marked a record 13^th time Keenan has been to the NLL championship either as a player, coach and general manager.

    The NLL’s coach of the year award is named in honour of the late Les Bartley, who was a legendary head coach and general manager of the Toronto Rock. Keenan played under Bartley as a member of the Buffalo Bandits, when they won NLL titles in 1992 and 1993. Bartley was the head coach of those Bandits teams.

    Keenan was a player and an assistant coach under Bartley, when the Rock won an NLL title in 1999, and an assistant coach in the Rock’s NLL title wins in 2000, 2002 and 2003

    Keenan joined the Rush franchise as head coach and general manager in June of 2009.

    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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Blades’ Maier, Dach and Love deserve roles with Canada’s under-18 squad

Blades netminder Nolan Maier is going to play for Canada’s under-18 team.

    It might be hard for fans in “The Bridge City” to believe this, but the Saskatoon Blades will likely be a good team this season.

    If the selections for Canada’s under-18 team this summer are any indication, the future is now for this year and the next couple of seasons afterwards for the Blades. Saskatoon is one of two franchises in the Canadian Hockey League to have two representatives on the Canadian team in goaltender Nolan Maier and centre Kirby Dach.

    Joining those two is Blades head coach Mitch Love as an assistant coach for the Canadian side. Love was hired by the Blades this past May.

    The trio will try to help Canada win the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which starts Monday and runs through to Aug. 11 in Edmonton and Red Deer. Canada opens play taking on Switzerland on Monday at 7 p.m. at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Blades C Kirby Dach will play for Canada’s under-18 team.

    In a pre-tournament game on Saturday at the Servus Arena in Red Deer, Canada dropped a 4-3 decision to the Czech Republic.

    Canada won last year’s event, when it was known at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, when it was held in Breclav and Bratislava in the Czech Republic.

    Maier and Dach played a big part as 16-year-old rookies last season helping the Blades post a solid 35-33-3-1 record playing out of an incredibly tough East Division in the WHL. Saskatoon posted an 18-17-2-1 mark against its East Division rivals in falling three points shy of the Prince Albert Raiders (32-27-9-4) for the second wildcard playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

    The Blades had the seventh best record in the 12-team conference in missing the post-season.

    Maier turned heads becoming the Blades starting goalie posting statistics you don’t normally see from a 16-year-old rookie with a 23-17-2 record, a 3.31 goals against average, a .895 save percentage and two shutouts. The Yorkton, Sask., product claimed the team awards for rookie of the year and most valuable player.

    Maier, who stands 6-feet and weighs 168 pounds, stole a number of games for the Blades last season. His play equaled that of any of the league’s top established puck stoppers.

Nolan Maier was named the Blades rookie of the year and MVP last season.

    Dach came to the Blades with big expectations after they selected him in the first round and second overall in the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft. The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., product received his first extended stay with the Blades in his 15-year-old season in the 2016-17 campaign.

    With the Blades dealing with a number of injuries, they made a special request to have Dach called up from Fort Saskatchewan Rangers midget AAA team on an emergency basis near the end of the regular season. The request was accommodated by Hockey Alberta, Fort Saskatchewan Minor Hockey and the WHL.

    Dach appeared in 19 regular season games in 2016-17 collecting six goals, four assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department.

    Last season as a 16-year-old rookie, Dach, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 181 pounds, appeared in 52 regular season games recording seven goals and 39 assists. While he was a rookie, Dach already started to attract special attention from opponents, who tried to agitate him, trash talk him and give him extra shots after the whistle to knock him off his game. Those tactics are usually received for established veteran stars.

Kirby Dach turned heads as a point producer.

    In November of 2017, both Maier and Dach played for Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge held jointly in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

    At that tournament, Maier posted a 1-2 record, a 3.02 goals against average, a .917 save percentage and one shutout in three appearances. Dach had a goal and six assists in five games.

    Both players are humble, don’t skip any steps and put in the time to get better as players and persons. They are two players you never have to worry about, because they are very self-motivated when it comes improving.

    Love joined the Blades after spending seven seasons on the staff of the Everett Silvertips. He came on board with the Silvertips in 2011 as an assistant coach and strength and conditioning coach. He was an assistant coach and an assistant to the general manager this past season.

    As one of the Silvertips bench bosses, Love helped Everett finish third overall in the WHL’s regular season standings with a 47-20-2-3 mark this past season. 
    In the playoffs, the Silvertips advanced all the way the WHL Championship series, where they fell 4-2 in the best-of-seven set to the Swift Current Broncos.

    During his years with the Silvertips, Love was also an assistant coach for a couple of Canadian teams at the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge in 2015 and 2016. 
    The under-17 tournament saw Love earn a gold medal working with Team Canada White.

Mitch Love introduced as the new Blades head coach in May.

    Love was a guest coach at Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team selection camp in 2017.

    The 34-year-old product from Quesnel, B.C., is a younger coach who has worked his way up and is ready to take on the head coach role. When Love was in Everett, the Silvertips played with a lot of poise and discipline.

    You can expect Love will try to make the Blades mirror the positive characteristics the Silvertips had during his time there.

    When this trio is done at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, it is possible to foresee that they will help the Blades end their playoff drought that spans back to 2013 this season. It feels like “The Bridge City Bunch” is set to finally see good times once again.

Huskies’ alum McFaull to honour late Gasper as a pro

Kendall McFaull is going to honour a friend in the pros.

    For his first season in the professional hockey ranks, University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey alum Kendall McFaull is going to honour a friend who tragically passed away.

    This coming season, McFaull is going to play for the Stena Line Belfast Giants, who play out of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. For one season, the 26-year-old defensive defenceman is going to wear #27 in honour of Troy Gasper the Giants announced on Tuesday. The two grew up together in Rosetown, Sask.

    Gasper, 26, his 28-year-old wife, Carissa, and their three children, Kael, Shea and Maks, were killed on June 29, 2018 when their SUV collided with another SUV on Highway 4 near Elrose. Gasper played junior A hockey with the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 2009 to 2011.

    McFaull was originally going to wear #2 for the Giants as #27 has been retired by the team in 2004 in honour of former Giants left-winger Paxton Schulte. Schulte agreed with bringing #27 out of retirement for one season to allow McFaull to honour Gasper.

    Last season with the Huskies in U Sports, McFaull, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds, appeared in 27 regular season games collecting four goals, five assists and a plus-nine rating in the plus-minus department. In 139 career regular season games with the Huskies from 2013 to 2018, McFaull recorded 13 goals, 26 assists and a plus-36 rating.

Words can't describe how much it means to be able to wear #27 in honour of my good friend and his beautiful family! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Paxton Schulte and the Belfast Giants! I won't take a game for granted everytime I put on that jersey! https://t.co/kYEc7VKU9u

— Kendall McFaull (@kmcfaull) July 31, 2018

    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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“Johnny Football” exposed as just all hype

Manziel looked like the bust he was in the NFL in first CFL start

Johnny Manziel (#2) warms up on July 5, when he was with the Tiger-Cats.

    Wow, did the bubble sure burst on the Johnny Manziel balloon in record time.

    “Johnny Football” is an NFL bust.

    It appears he will become a CFL bust judging by his regular season debut on that circuit with the Montreal Alouettes.

    The 25-year-old Tyler, Texas product threw four bad interceptions resulting in 24 points for the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats in front of a crowd of 18,576 at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal.

    How bad was the game for the Alouettes?

    They fell behind 28-0 with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter. The Tiger-Cats led 38-3 at halftime and cruised to a 50-11 victory.

    Manziel has a huge following making Friday’s game a much anticipated one, because he was a college star in the United States for the Texas A & M University Aggies. He won the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding player for all of U.S. college football for his performance in the 2012 season.

    He guided the Aggies to a 41-13 victory over the Oklahoma University Sooners in that season’s Cotton Bowl.

    Manziel, who stands 6-feet and weighs 210 pounds, was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round and 22^nd overall in the 2014 NFL Draft.

    In two campaigns with the Browns in 2014 and 2015, Manziel went 2-6 as a starter. Overall, he completed 147-of-258 passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 74.4 quarterback rating.

    To be fair, the Browns have struggled in the NFL for some time with their last .500 or better season coming in 2007, when they were 10-6. With that said, Manziel was plagued by controversies regarding his behavior during his time with Cleveland.

    In the early morning hours on Jan. 30, 2016, Manziel was involved in an alleged incident with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley in Dallas, Texas. On Feb. 25, 2016, Dallas police said they referred Manziel’s case to a district attorney as a misdemeanor assault/domestic violence allegation.

    The Browns released Manziel on March 11, 2016.

    Before 2016 expired, Manziel reached an agreement that led to the dismissal of the charges which included counselling.

The Alouettes haven’t made the CFL playoffs since 2014.

    If it was viewed Manziel could play in the NFL, one of its member teams would have overlooked the troubled history and given him a chance.

    Fast forward to May 18 of this year, Manziel signed as a free agent with the Tiger-Cats in an effort to revive his football career. Due to the Tiger-Cats sticking with Jeremiah Masoli as their starting quarterback, Manziel was traded to the Alouettes on July 22.

    Manziel and offensive linemen Tony Washington and Landon Rice went to the Alouettes in exchange for Canadian defensive end Jamaal Westerman, receiver Chris Williams and first round selections in the 2020 and 2021 CFL Draft.

    In his first CFL start and league action in regular season play on Friday, Manziel had a forgettable night completing 11-of-20 passes for 104 yards, no touchdowns and four aforementioned interceptions. He carried the ball twice for four yards and was pulled after the third quarter.

    The Tiger-Cats opened the game with a six-play touchdown drive that covered 79 yards. The march concluded with Masoli hitting receiver Brandon Banks with a 17-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.

    On Montreal’s first series, Manziel’s first CFL pass was an ill-advised throw over the middle that was picked off by Tiger-Cats linebacker Larry Dean. A short 12-yard touchdown drive followed giving Hamilton a 14-0 lead, and it was capped by a one-yard scoring run by running back Alex Green.

    The Alouettes proceeded to have a punt blocked on their next series by Tiger-Cats linebacker Curtis Newton. The ball was recovered by Hamilton running back Sean Thomas Erlington and returned 10 yards for a touchdown giving the Tiger-Cats a 21-0 lead.

    Montreal’s ship continued to sink. Manziel threw his second bad pass that was intercepted by Tiger-Cats defensive back Jumal Rolle. Following that interception, Hamilton drove 48 yards for another touchdown to go up 28-0. That march was capped when Masoli hit receiver Jalen Saunders for a 21-yard touchdown strike.

    The game was effectively over at that point.

    Masoli completed 17-of-26 passes for 300 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    To be fair, the Alouettes have struggled for some time last making the post-season and advancing to the East Division Final in 2014. They were 3-15 last season and fell to 1-6 with Friday’s embarrassing loss.

    The Tiger-Cats ended a three-game skid improving to 3-4. Under former veteran NFL sideline bosses in head coach June Jones and defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, the Tiger-Cats have played better than their record indicates.

    Slated to now travel to Winnipeg to play the Blue Bombers (4-3) on Aug. 10, the Tiger-Cats recorded another big offensive explosion they had been looking for since downing the Eskimos in Edmonton 38-21 on June 22.

Jeremiah Masoli won the job as the Tiger-Cats starting QB.

    While Manziel is playing on a weak Montreal side, he looked on the field like he did when he guided the Browns. In reality, Manziel is a dud at the professional level until he can prove otherwise. If there were any visions of grandeur of what he could do, they took a hit of reality on the field on Friday night.
    Being human, you never want to see someone fail and love comeback stories, but it is hard to imagine Manziel pulling the Alouettes out of their doldrums. It is more likely he will become a footnote in this run of Montreal woes.

    Things don’t get any easier for the Alouettes. They return to action on Aug. 11 to face the Redblacks (4-3) in Ottawa. The Redblacks are looking to rebound from a heartbreaking 42-41 last second loss to the Argonauts in Toronto on Thursday.

    For the Alouettes, the worst is likely yet to come unless they start backup signal caller Vernon Adams Jr.

    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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Stars’ Fiala realizes dream with Hockey Canada camp invite

Skilled forward to compete for spot on women’s under-18 team

Joelle Fiala will try to crack Canada’s under-18 women’s team.

    Joelle Fiala wasn’t sure if Hockey Canada would come calling.

    Since joining the Saskatoon Stars female midget AAA team at the start of the 2015-16 season, Fiala regularly watched two to three of her teammates get called away to a national team camp. This year, Fiala received her first ever invite to Hockey Canada camp.

    The 16-year-old skilled forward was one of 43 players chosen to attend the selection camp for Canada’s under-18 women’s national team. The under-18 camp starts this coming Monday and runs through to Aug. 11 in Calgary, Alta.

    “This has been ultimately my goal throughout my whole entire hockey career,” said Fiala. “Ever since I started playing hockey, I wanted to make Team Canada and play in the Olympics or at worlds.

    “For me to have this opportunity is pretty amazing. It is everything that I worked for, so hopefully, I can just do my best in everything and wish for the best.

Joelle Fiala has piled up the points offensively for the Stars.

    “All I can ask for is for me to do my best, and then after that, it is out of my hands.”

    Fiala will be joined at the under-18 camp by Stars teammate in 17-year-old forward Grace Shirley. Shirley was a member of Canada’s under-18 team last season, when Canada won a bronze medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia.

    “I wouldn’t want to go there with anyone else,” said Fiala about Shirley. “She’s pretty awesome. It is exciting to be able to experience it not only myself, but to have a friend there as well.”

    Wapella product Allison Hayhurst, who is a 17-year-old defender from the Melville Prairie Fire, rounds out the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League representation at Hockey Canada’s under-18 camp. 
    The camp also includes 17-year-old forward Kennedy Bobyck, who played three seasons from 2014 to 2017 with her hometown Regina Rebels. Bobyck played for the Calgary, Alta., based Edge School Mountaineers female prep team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League last season.

Stars C Joelle Fiala, left, battles for the puck in the offensive zone.

    The Under-18 camp is part of the Team Canada Summer Showcase that began Thursday and runs through to Aug. 11 in Calgary. The selection camp for Canada’s National Women’s Development Team stars Friday and runs through to Aug. 11.

    Stars alumnae Sophie Shirley, who is a 19-year-old forward and Grace’s older sister, will attend the National Development Team camp. The elder Shirley played last season with the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

    Plenty product Jaycee Gebhard, who is a 21-year-old forward and another Stars alumnae, attends the National Development Team camp after spending two seasons with Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks in Moon, Pennsylvania.

Joelle Fiala helped the Stars win two SFMAAAHL titles.

    Kaitlin Willoughby, who is an alumnae of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, is already at the Summer Showcase with 19 other players that are training as part of the U Sports all-star team. The U Sports camp, which operations under the Hockey Canada umbrella, runs for the entire duration of the Summer Showcase.

    Fiala expects the under-18 camp to be tough both mentally and physically.

    “I know that I have competed against some of the girls that will be there,” said Fiala, who stands 5-foot-6. “I know that I just have to do my best and play my game and work hard and hopefully, that will pay off.”

    In three complete seasons with the Stars, Fiala has appeared in 84 regular season games piling up 36 goals and 59 assists for 95 points. Last season, she recorded 18 goals and 22 assists appearing in all 28 of the Stars regular season games.

Joelle Fiala celebrates scoring a key playoff goal for the Stars.

    She helped the Stars finish first in the entire SFMAAAHL for a fourth straight year with a 24-3-1 record. In the playoffs, the Stars won the SFMAAAHL title for the third time in four years and advanced to the championship game of the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament in Bridgewater, N.S.
    In the Esso Cup title game held last April, the Stars fell 2-1 to the Alberta based St. Albert Slash, who claimed the national title for a second straight year.

    Fiala began turning heads in her rookie year with the Stars in 2015-16 netting six goals and 14 assists appearing in all of the club’s 28 regular season games. Due to have a late December birthday, Fiala was 13-years-old for sizable chunk of that campaign.
    The Stars won their second SFMAAAHL championship that season and finish fourth at the Esso Cup in Weyburn, Sask.

Joelle Fiala (#27) netted playoff goals for the Stars as a rookie in 2015-16.

    “That year was a really big learning year,” said Fiala, who has committed to join the Robert Morris University Colonials women’s hockey team for the 2019-20 campaign. “It just kind of set me up for the years to come with maturity and what I have to learn.”

    The skilled forward admits she pretty much grew up in hockey rinks. After watching her father, Eddie, play in men’s leagues, her older sister, Jordan, play some minor hockey and her older brother, Evan, play minor hockey, Joelle decided she wanted to play to have fun with a team like Eddie and Evan were having.

    Joelle’s younger sister, Jocelyn, also took up the game and is currently a standout bantam aged player.

    Last season, Evan was the overage captain of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Evan encouraged Joelle’s big national team dreams. 

Joelle Fiala comes from a family that is deeply connected to hockey.

    Joelle said Evan told her to play like she was on one of those big national teams and like it was her last game as opposed to where she is now.

    “Their game is kind of implemented into my game,” said Joelle. “I think our little sister, Jocy, has the best of it, because she gets to see even more hockey than all of us did.

    “It is pretty cool that we can all share that together.”

    Joelle said her hero is Emily Clark, who is a member of Canada’s senior national team program and also a family friend. Clark, who is a power forward, helped Canada win silver at the Winter Olympics last February in PyeongChang, South Korea.

    Clark helped out with a Stars practice last season and was on hand at the Agriplace Arena last March to watch the Stars win their third SFMAAAHL title.

Joelle Fiala, right, looks up to Emily Clark, left, as a role model.

    “Ever since I’ve known of or met Emily (Clark), she has always been a huge role model in my life,” said Fiala. “I’ve always looked up to her not only as the amazing hockey player that she is but the even more extraordinary person that she is.

    “That is the kind of person I strive to be as a person and as a hockey player. She is definitely a huge role model in my life.”

    The 43 players at the under-18 camp will be split into two teams and participate in practices, intrasquad games, off-ice training, fitness testing and classroom sessions. Following the camp, the 43 players will be cut down to make up a team that will play the United States under-18 team in a three-game series running from Aug. 16-19 in Calgary.

    When everything wraps up, Fiala hopes to earn a roster spot for when the Canadian team heads to the upcoming Under-18 Women’s World Championship, which runs Jan. 6-13, 2019 in Obihiro, Japan.

Joelle Fiala aims to impress at her first Hockey Canada camp.

    “It would be obviously everything that I had hoped for,” said Fiala. “It is still a long way until that will happen.

    “I just have to focus on where I am right now and be in the present and work hard so that I can get the reward in the end.”

    The 41 players at the National Development Team camp will be split into two teams. Starting on Monday, those two teams will participate in a series of intrasquad games against each other, Japan’s national women’s team and the U Sports all-star team. Those games run through to Aug. 11.

    Following those games, the 41 players at the National Development Team camp will be cut down to one team to face the United States in a three-game series that will run Aug. 16 to 19 in Calgary.

    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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