Monday 25 June 2018

WWCFL title clash delivered classic showdown

Riot prevail 14-10 in comeback victory over Valkyries

Mallory Starkey (#7) rushed for two touchdowns for the Riot on Sunday.
    As the Regina Riot relished in a championship victory, the spectators on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium likely came away with the feeling they saw something special.
    In the Western Women’s Canadian Football League title game in the Saskatchewan capital city, the Regina Riot faced their archrivals the Saskatoon Valkyries. The WWCFL playoff format was changed before the start of the 2018 season to create the opportunity for the two powerhouse clubs to meet in the league’s title game.
    Since the WWCFL was formed in 2011, the Riot and Valkyries have created what is becoming a lengthy list of classic encounters, which included meetings in the Prairie Conference championship game.
    They successfully added to that list of classic engagements creating the most exciting WWCFL title game to date. In the process, they both showed how good elite level women’s tackle football can be, where the Riot claimed a 14-10 victory in a fierce defensive battle.
    During the clash, the Valkyries came out hot offensively in the first quarter. Carly Dyck booted a 29-yard field goal and running back Sarah Wright scored a touchdown on a two-yard run to complete a solid offence drive to give the visitors a 10-0 edge.
    The Riot comeback was a gutty one thanks to the fact the Valkyries wouldn’t allow the hosts to have anything easy.
    The host side got a spark in the second quarter when clutch cornerback Courtney Tafelmeyer intercepted Valkyries star quarterback Alex Eyolfson at the Saskatoon 51 yard-line and set the Riot up on the Saskatoon 47 yard-line.
    The Riot marched down the field, converted three gambles on third down and scored a touchdown on a one-yard run by running back Mallory Starkey to cut the Valkyries edge to 10-7.
    Saskatoon’s edge was further trimmed to 10-8 in the third quarter, when the Riot scored a single on a 17-yard missed field goal by kicker Morgan Turner.
    Early in the fourth quarter, the Valkyries defence came up with a goal-line stand to prevent the Riot from going ahead.
    Late in the fourth quarter, the Riot went ahead 14-10 on a one-yard touchdown run by Starkey that capped a 10-play drive that covered 59 yards.
    The Valkyries attempted a two-minute drill drive to retake the lead, but the drive stalled, when Eyolfson was sacked for a big loss by Riot linebacker Adrienne Zuck.
    Zuck had another sack in the final seconds of the frame, when the Valkyries were trying to find a miracle play to go ahead.
    The win allowed the Riot to capture their second straight WWCFL title and third in team history. Regina finished with a 7-0 overall record to create the first undefeated season in team history.
    The Valkyries, who were 4-3 overall, claimed the WWCFL championship the five other times it has been handed out winning four straight crowns from 2011 to 2014 and one in 2016.
    In the aftermath of Sunday’s clash, Twitter was filled with posts saying how great the game was as well as passing on congratulations to the Riot.
    The game was shown on Access 7 in Regina, and it will likely be rebroadcast to allow more opportunities for people in Access 7s viewing area to see the encounter.
    Sunday’s contest has created some buzz in Saskatchewan for how great the WWCFL game can be.
    Both sides have strong coaching staffs with Olivier Eddie heading up the Riot and Pat Barry heading up the Valkyries.
    Both clubs are led by star quarterback in veteran Aimee Kowalski of the Riot and Eyolfson, who is still a youngster at age 20, guiding the Valkyries.
    There will be some interesting storylines to follow next season. The Manitoba Fearless improved greatly and proved they can play with the Riot and Valkyries. Will progression of the Fearless continue next season?
    The Valkyries are expected to get running back Samantha Matheson back from injury, and Dyck, who returned from injury to kick in the playoffs to perform kicking duties, is expected to return to a receiver spot with the Valkyries next season. Both have shown they are special players, and it will interesting to see if they can recreate their big performances of the past.
    The possibilities of what the WWCFL can hold in the future are endless.

Blades’ Florchuk may be steal for Capitals

The Capitals drafted Blades LW Eric Florchuk.
    When the Washington Capitals look back on the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, they might look back on their selection of Eric Florchuk as a steal.
    The Capitals picked the 18-year-old left-winger from the Saskatoon Blades in the seventh round and 217th overall in the NHL Entry Draft, which wrapped up Saturday in Dallas, Texas. Florchuk was the last player picked in the NHL Entry Draft.
    In the NFL, the final selection of the NFL Draft is dubbed with the title “Mr. Irrelevant.” The “Mr. Irrelevant” in the NFL actually gets invited along with his family to spend a week at Newport Beach, Calif., during the summer after the draft.
    The festivities include enjoying a golf tournament, a regatta, a roast where advice is given to the new draftee and a ceremony where the draftee is presented the Lowsman Trophy. The trophy mimics the Heisman Trophy, but it depicts a player fumbling the football.
    While Florchuk won’t get to spend a week having fun in Newport Beach, Calif., he has legitimate potential to an impact player for the Capitals someday.
    The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., product was selected in the first round and 13th overall in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft by the Victoria Royals. As a 16-year-old rookie in 2016-17, Florchuk appeared in 51 regular season games with the Royals collecting three goals and six assists.
    In his sophomore campaign last season, Florchuk had seven goals, 21 assists and a plus-10 rating in the plus-minus department playing his first 43 games with the Royals. He was acquired by the Blades shortly before the WHL trade deadline.
    Playing on a youthful Saskatoon roster, Florchuk saw increased ice time and played in a number of different situations for the Blades. He posted nine goals, 13 assists and a plus-one rating in 28 regular season appearances with the Blades.
    He first turned heads in Saskatoon in his first home game with the Blades on Jan. 20, when he tipped home a shot from linemate Kirby Dach for the overtime winner in a 4-3 victory over the Memorial Cup hosting Regina Pats.
    Florchuk, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 173 pounds, still has a lot of potential to grow and his best days in the WHL are ahead of him. He will likely become one of the Blades top forwards, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he shaped up into being a good pro.

Raiders’ Fonstad off to Les Canadiens

The Canadiens drafted Raiders RW Cole Fonstad (#24).
    Cole Fonstad has been one of the Prince Albert Raiders most dynamic players the past two season, and his efforts were rewarded with an NHL Entry Draft selection.
    The 18-year-old right-winger was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round and 128th overall in the NHL Entry Draft, which wrapped up Saturday in Dallas, Texas. Fonstad played his first two regular season games with the Raiders as a 15-year-old call up in the 2015-16 campaign.
    In 143 career regular season games with the Raiders, Fonstad has piled up 32 goals and 68 assists. The Estevan, Sask., product has a breakthrough season this past campaign appearing in all of the Raiders 72 regular season games collecting 21 goals and 52 assists.
    He added four goals and an assist in the post-season for the Raiders, who fell in a heartbreaking best-of-seven first round playoff series 5-4 in Game 7 to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
    As Fonstad stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 162 pounds, there is always a fear that he might not get the call from an NHL club due to the fact his isn’t bigger from a physical stature perspective. During his time with the Raiders, the Estevan, Sask., product has never been afraid to go into the greasy areas on the ice.
    On the character side, the members of the Prince Albert Northern Bears female midget AAA team say he is a good guy, so that reference is good enough for me to go forward on that front.
    Fonstad is one of those players you have to get out and watch while he is still in the WHL.

GoFundMe campaign started for Vandervlis

Hurricanes C Ryan Vandervlis reacts to a goal in April of 2017.
    The road to recovery for Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Ryan Vandervlis appears it is going to be a long one.
    On June 15, Hurricanes captain Jordy Bellerive, Vandervlis and former team member Matt Alfaro, who currently plays for the University of Calgary Dinos, were all involved in a mishap at the family home of former Hurricanes captain Tyler Wong just west of Calgary. Wong was hosting nine of his friends at the family residence, and they were planning to go golfing and camping the next day.
    There was an explosion from the campfire that was started that night at the Wong residence. Bellerive, 19, and Alfaro, 21, sustained burns to their upper bodies and Vandervlis, 20, sustained burns to the front of his body and was placed in a medically induced coma. Vandervlis was taken off dialysis on June 18.
    Bellerive and Alfaro are slated to have relatively short roads to recovery, but the same can’t be said for Vandervlis, who sustained critical injuries. The Red Deer, Alta., product is facing months of recovery and multiple surgeries. He is slated to enter his overage campaign in the upcoming WHL season, but hockey is the furthest thing from the minds of his family and friends.
    A GoFundMe page has been started to assist Vandervlis and his family as the WHL veteran goes through his lengthy recovery process. The campaign set a goal of raising $25,000 and over $45,400 has been raise so far.
    Vandervlis’s billet mom, Meghan Calder, gave a lengthy description of extend Vandervlis has made to leave a positive impact on the community of Lethbridge.
    Should donations exceed the actual cost of recovery, the excess amount in full will be donated in full to a not for profit organization of Vandervlis’s choice.
    In 162 regular season games played over four seasons with the Hurricanes, Vandervlis had collected 30 goals and 37 assists.
    Those looking to donate to the GoFundMe campaign for Vandervlis can do so by clicking right here.

’Riders voice shares alcohol battle story with Leader-Post

    Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play voice Rod Pedersen shared his story of recovering from alcohol addiction noting it almost cost him his role with the CFL team.
    Pedersen, who is now sober, has shared his personal experiences in the media in a number of instances over the past couple of years. In a recent video interview with the Regina Leader-Post, Pedersen said he was suspended from work due to his alcohol addiction and it almost cost him his livelihood.
    Even fans of opposing teams have to admit Pedersen’s road to recovery has been an amazing one. Pedersen has stirred the pot to get fans all rambunctious on the CFL circuit over the years.
    The Leader-Post video interview can be found right here.

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