 |
| Valkyries receiver Tori Giles is taken down by two Riot defenders. |
Taking
on the rival Regina Riot, the Valkyries suffered their first loss ever on home
turf, and it came in a definite fashion. The Riot thrashed the four time
defending Western Women’s Canadian Football League champions 49-9 at Saskatoon
Minor Football field.
The
loss ended a 17 game home winning streak for the Valkyries, and it also included
another couple of dubious distinction. The Valkyries set new team records for
most points allowed in a single game at 49 and largest margin of defeat at 40,
which has been the only time Saskatoon has been blown out.
Before
Saturday’s outing, the Valkyries only lost one other time in a team history
that dates back to 2011 falling 15-7 to the Riot in Regina on May 12, 2013. The
Riot have built a reputation on giving the Valkyries tough games. The Valkyries
regularly thump the rest of their other opponents.
As much
as the Valkyries can look at their latest loss to Regina as one of those nights
where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, the Riot have to be given
full credit for their strong effort.
In the
first encounter between these two squads back on May 17 in Regina, the
Valkyries rallied from a 16-8 deficit to earn a 28-19 victory. The Riot had to
lament a number of missed opportunities they had to win that contest and a
number of drive killing dropped passes they committed.
 |
| Valkyries receiver Marci Kiselyk loses the handle on a pass reception. |
The
Riot then rolled off 21 unanswered points to go up 21-7. Quarterback Aimee Kowalski
hit her sister and receiver Alex Kowalski on a four-yard pass to tie things up
at 7-7. Tailback Carmen Agar ran in a major from 15 yards out late in the first
quarter and backup signal caller Sami Bray scored on a one-yard quarterback
sneak early in the second quarter to give Regina a 14-point edge.
Even at
this point in the game, the Valkyries didn’t appear to be in trouble. They cut
the gap to 21-9 after the Riot conceded a safety. After Saskatoon defensive
back Shantel Stupnikoff recovered a fumble by Agar, the Valkyries drove deep
into the Riot’s end of the field.
On a third
down gamble, Valkyries quarterback Stacey Boldt tried to connect with receiver
Marci Kiselyk on a corner pattern in the end zone, but the pass attempt hit the
upright.
Regina
proceeded to drive down the field. On the last play of the half, Aimee Kowalski’s
end zone pass deflected off the hands of intended receiver Amanda Hungle and
into the hands of Alex Kowalski for a major score from nine yards out. The
positive bounce allowed the Riot to take a 28-9 lead into halftime and ended
the competitive part of the contest.
In the
second half, the Valkyries seemed to battle through a drop in confidence, which
was visible in dropped passes and blown assignments.
 |
| Riot tailback Carmen Agar motors away from a couple Valkyries defenders. |
With
the win, Regina improved to 2-1, while Saskatoon fell to 2-1. The Riot also
holds the standings tiebreaker over the Valkyries outscoring their rivals 68-37
in the two head-to-head contests. The two teams top the WWCFL’s Prairie
Conference standings.
The
Valkyries close the regular season this coming Sunday, when they travel to
Winnipeg to take on the Manitoba Fearless. The Riot will also be in Winnipeg to
close the regular season this coming Sunday taking on the Winnipeg Wolfpack.
With
the loss, the Valkyries quest to win five straight WWCFL titles is not over. Odds
are high Saskatoon and Regina will meet in the playoffs once again in the
Prairie Conference final for a fifth straight year. In a likely rubber match,
the Valkyries will have had three weeks to get their confidence back, so a
result can’t be guaranteed for one side or the other.
The
WWCFL rivalry between Saskatoon and Regina definitely has some intrigue for the
rest of the 2015 campaign.
Vashurin and Gardiner top Saskatchewan
Marathon
 |
| Sask. Marathon winner Erin Gardiner |
Early
Sunday morning at Diefenbaker Park in Saskatoon, about 3,000 runners
participated in racing in one of four different distances including a
five-kilometre race, a 10-kilometre race, a half-marathon and a full marathon.
Most of the competitors had the aim of testing themselves on their own personal
basis, and ultimate victory was achieved in finishing the race.
In the
full marathon, Sergii Vashurin of the Ukraine finished first overall running
just over 42-kilometers in a time of two hours, 37 minutes and 55 seconds.
Local product Erin Gardiner won the women’s division in the full marathon run
for the second year in a row and posted a time of 3:00:21 on Sunday.
Ruslan
Kramariuk, another product from the Ukraine, won the half marathon in a time of
1:15:05. Saskatoon product Amanda Froelich topped the women’s division in a
time of 1:27:00.
In the
10-kilometre race, Ivan Heshko, the third product from the Ukraine taking part
in the overall event, claimed the men’s division in a time of 33:03, while
Christina Charles of Prince Albert took the women’s division in a time of
37:11.
In the
five-kilometre race, Ibrahim Mohammed of Saskatoon won the overall race in a
time of 16:25, while Melfort’s Robyn Luthi claimed top spot in the women’s
division in a time of 19:47.
Roughriders back in action
 |
| Offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte takes part in a Riders training camp drill. |
The
Saskatchewan Roughriders got going again holding a two-day rookie camp on
Wednesday and Thursday in Regina. The team’s main training camp officially
opened on Sunday at Griffiths Stadium in Saskatoon as 91 players took the field
for workouts.
During the afternoon session, the
stands on the west side of Griffiths Stadium were almost full of members of
Rider Nation, and the majority were sporting their green and white jerseys. You
can expect similar gatherings at Griffiths Stadium for the rest of the week.
Early on in camp, Roughriders
fans will be wondering how Darian Durant’s right elbow has healed up. Durant
injured his elbow in a 30-24 road victory over the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg on
Sept. 7 of last year and was out for the rest of the season. Saskatchewan was
8-2 when Durant was hurt and finished the 2014 campaign with a 10-8 regular
season mark. In the playoffs, the Roughriders were eliminated in the West
Division semifinal with an 18-10 loss to the Eskimos in Edmonton.
Durant is also learning a new
system, because Jacques Chapdelaine was brought in during the off-season to
replace George Cortez as team’s offensive coordinator.
Sights will also be set on
receiver Nic Demski, who played last season with the University of Manitoba
Bisons. The Riders selected Demski in the first round and sixth overall in the
CFL Draft that was held on May 12.
A whole host of familiar veterans
were also on hand including offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte, receiver Chris
Getzlaf, defensive lineman John Chick and defensive back Tyron Brackenridge.
Camp also receivers Preston Bews
and Evan Turkington, who both played in the Canadian Junior Football League
last season. Bews helped the Regina Thunder win the CJFL title in 2013, while
Turkington helped the Saskatoon Hilltops capture the CJFL championship last
year.
Most of
the Roughriders on field sessions this week at Griffiths Stadium are set for
8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., but their training camp schedule is subject to change.
If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
