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.

Matthews, Church and Bold deliver for Rush

Mark Matthews came up big for the Rush on Saturday.

    While the entertainment around a Saskatchewan Rush game can be a spectacle, the players that take the floor deliver more than their fair share of thrills as well.

    The Rush are gunning for a third straight National Lacrosse League title, and they have relied on a core group throughout their current run. On Saturday at the SaskTel Centre, three key members of that core group delivered in a big way to power the Rush to their third straight NLL Championship series appearance.

    Mark Matthews, Robert Church and Aaron Bold all had big games to help the Rush slip past the Denver based Colorado Mammoth 11-10 in Game 2 of a Western Division championship series. With the win, the Rush swept the best-of-three set 2-0.

    Matthews, who finished second in the NLL regular season scoring race with 40 goals and 78 assists, led the way offensively for the Rush on Saturday netting two goals and four assists. Church, who was second in regular season team scoring with 35 goals and 42 assists, record two goals and three assists in the Rush’s series clinching win. Bold, who is the club’s standout goalie, made 32 key stops to preserve the one-goal win, which included holding the fort in the dying seconds of Saturday’s contest.

Mark Matthews signs autographs for fans at a rally last Friday.

    Backed by solid performances by those three, the Rush received what seemed like key contributions from the rest of their roster. Ben McIntosh had a pair of goals, while Jeff Cornwall, Matthew Dinsdale, Adam Jones, Ryan Keenan and Mike Messenger all had singles. Messenger, who is a rookie defender, had the winning tally with 13:34 to play in the fourth quarter.

    Eli McLaughlin had a hat trick for the Mammoth, while Jeremy Noble and Zack Greer both had two-goal nights. Greg Downing, Joey Cupido and Jacob Ruest all had singles for the visitors. Dillon Ward made 37 shots to take the loss in goal for the Mammoth.

    Besides being able to get up and down the floor in quick order, the Rush often make gifted athletic plays to score goals. Matthews has a habit of bringing the SaskTel Centre faithful, who numbered 14,052 on Saturday, out of their seats.

    Away from the game, the Rush players interact really well with the public. That could definitely be seen during a lunch time downtown rally last Friday a block south of the team’s office and gift store.

Jeremy Thompson is pictured with fans at a Rush rally.

    Players like Matthews and Bold kept signing autographs as the endless waves of supporters kept coming. Transition player Jeremy Thompson, who is also a huge fan favourite due to a big work ethic and motor that doesn’t stop, posed for numerous pictures as well.

    The thing that seems to make the Rush players stay down to earth is the fact they all have jobs away from the game. During the week they work regular jobs in their hometown communities, and on weekends, they fly to wherever the Rush are playing be it at home or on the road for games.

    The Rush will play one more home game during the 2017 campaign, and fans are likely hoping history will repeat itself with a victory party night in Saskatoon. In the best-of-three NLL title series, the Rush, who were 12-6 in the regular season, will face the Eastern Division champion in the Duluth based Georgia Swarm, who topped all NLL clubs with a 13-5 regular season record.

    Game 1 is set for Sunday, June 4 in Duluth, and Game 2 is slated for Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. If necessary, Game 3 will be held on Sunday, June 18 in Duluth. If the Rush can sweep this series, they would win the Champion’s Cup for a second straight year at the SaskTel Centre.

    Last year, the Rush swept the Buffalo Bandits in the NLL title series 2-0, which including posting a series clinching 11-10 victory at the SaskTel Centre. 

Mascot Bruiser meets a young fan at the Rush rally.

    That game will be best remembered for Cornwall going coast-to-coast to score the winning goal with 12 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, which broke a 10-10 tie.

    The Swarm downed the Rush 18-10 in the only head-to-head meeting between the two clubs back on Jan. 7. 

    The Rush were without Bold and McIntosh in that contest because both were sitting out a one-game suspension for their participation in a brawl that broke out in a 9-6 pre-season win on Dec. 16, 2016 against the Calgary Roughnecks at the SaskTel Centre.

    With that noted, the series with the Swarm should be a tossup. Georgia’s roster includes second-year forward Lyle Thompson, who topped the NLL in scoring with 45 goals and 71 assists.

    The Rush have won the last two NLL titles. In 2015, they claimed the Champion’s Cup, when the franchise was still located in Edmonton. Last year, they repeated as NLL champs in their first year based in Saskatoon.

Rush office staffer Gulka becomes cult hero

Big plays only 2017 @SaskRushLAX pic.twitter.com/hzaUsZuFpR

— Connor Gulka (@ConnorGulka) May 21, 2017

    Saskatchewan Rush account executive Connor Gulka might be the most famous office staffer from all the Saskatoon-based sports teams at the moment.

    With just over 30 seconds to play in the fourth quarter of the Rush’s Western Division championship clinching series victory on Saturday, a fan climbed over the glass and ran out on to the playing surface. Gulka caught up to the fan and threw him to the turf.  The fan got up and ran off again, but was quickly apprehended by security.

    The video of Gulka throwing the idiot fan to the ground has been shown over a number of social media and mainstream media sources. On various social media channels, a number of other Rush fans have praised Gulka for the throw down, which is being dubbed the “Gulksmash.”

    What the idiot fan did in running out on to the floor was obviously stupid. What made it more stupid was the Rush had the ball, the momentum and were trying to close out a one-goal game that was still in the balance. Had the visiting Colorado Mammoth netted the equalizer on their last possession, there could have been a lot of unhappy people on the side of Rush Nation.

    As things played out, the Rush held on for the 11-10 victory. The idiot fan has been banded from SaskTel Centre events until further notice.

    On the total great lighter side of all this, Gulka gets more notoriety.

Murphy’s sure hands delivers last second Valkyries win

Kelsey Murphy came up with a huge catch for the Valkyries.

    Kelsey Murphy has always been one of the most popular players inside the Saskatoon Valkyries dressing room, so it was extra exciting for the team when she made the biggest playing in a thrilling comeback win.

    On Sunday night at Taylor Field in Regina, the Valkyries trailed the host Riot 17-13 with 1:58 remaining the fourth quarter. Starting with possession at their own 35, the Valkyries executed a two-minute drill drive and moved the ball down to the Riot eight yard line. With seven seconds remaining on the clock, sophomore quarterback Alex Eyolfson hit Murphy with an eight-yard touchdown toss to allow the Valkyries to win the game 20-17.

    Murphy, who is in her fourth season with the team, has always been a dependable receiver and also returns kicks. She is one of those players that will do any role that is asked of her by the coaching staff, and at times, her efforts get overlooked by those outside the team.

    Due to the fact the Valkyries are without star receiver Marci Halseth for the entire season with a torn Achilles tendon, Murphy has seen more action this season. It was a feel good moment to see her step into the spotlight in one of the best games the Western Women’s Canadian Football League has seen in its young history dating back to 2011.

Alex Eyolfson fires a pass downfield for the Valkyries.

    Eyolfson has been a great story as well. Having graduated from Holy Cross High School in June of 2015 best known as a player on that institution’s elite senior girls’ basketball team, she joined the Valkyries last season as a rookie and played beside individuals who coached her in minor sports.

    As time has gone on, Eyolfson’s confidence has grown, and she has really taken charge of the team’s huddle. It has been an impressive sight, considering she is still one of the youngest players on the offensive side of the ball for the Valkyries. She can fire the ball downfield really well too.

    Valkyries power back Samantha Matheson ran for 117 yards and scored a touchdown on a 12-yard run in Sunday’s win. Carly Dyck nailed field goals from 38 and 25 yards out for Saskatoon.

Samantha Matheson was big for the Valkyries on Sunday.

    Carmen Agar ran the ball 16 times for 107 yards for the Riot and scored two touchdowns. Morgan Turner hit a 14-yard field goal for Regina.

    With Sunday’s result, the Valkryies and Riot both hold identical 2-1 records, but the Riot sit first in the WWCFL’s Prairie Conference thanks to holding a 33-20 edge in points scored in the two head-to-head meetings between the clubs. The Winnipeg Wolfpack and Manitoba Fearless both have identical 1-2 records to sit behind the two Saskatchewan squads.

    The regular season ends for the Prairie Conference teams this coming Sunday in Winnipeg. The Fearless will host the Valkyries and the Wolfpack will host the Riot.
    The first and second place clubs in the standings advance to a conference championship game, which is expected to be held on June 4.

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

Riot push out to early season edge on Valkyries

Alex Kowalski hauls in a pass in traffic for the Riot.

    The Regina Riot ground out an early victory over their biggest rivals, which might prove to be key down the road.

    On Saturday at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Riot muscled their way to a gutty 16-0 victory over the defending Western Women’s Canadian Football League champion Saskatoon Valkyries. While the Riot pushed their way to victory in very windy conditions, the Valkyries had a number of promising drives that stalled helping to contribute to the end result.

    Saskatoon’s struggles to get on the scoreboard started in the first quarter. Early in the first, the Valkyries got into Riot territory when sophomore quarterback Alex Eyolfson completed a deep ball into the wind to standout receiver Carly Dyck. The hosts had to settle for a punt that pinned the visitors deep in their end.

    The Riot didn’t stay stuck in their end for long. Mixing up the pass and run, Regina drove about 80 yards down field and got on the board first, when Morgan Turner booted a 12 yard field goal to give the Riot a 3-0 lead.

Aimee Kowalski throw a jump pass for the Riot.

    Regina had another big drive that started in the first quarter and ended early in the second quarter going into the wind. The drive concluded when veteran star Riot quarterback Aimee Kowalski hit receiver Rachelle Smith on a short little three-yard pass and run touchdown that extended Regina’s edge to 10-0.

    The Valkyries had a huge chance to cut the gap before halftime but some untimely penalties dashed those hopes. With the wind, Eyolfson hit Dyck on another deep throw to get the Valkyries deep into Riot territory.

    It appeared Eyolfson was going to have a big chance to hit Dyck for a touchdown strike on the next play after the completed bomb, but a pre-snap penalty dashed those hopes. With no time remaining on the clock, Dyck made a field goal from 32 yards out that looked to have put the Valkyries on the scoreboard, but the points were taken off the board due to a holding penalty.

    Dyck tried the kick from 42 yards out, but just missed wide left. Riot kick returner and defensive back Mira Trebilcock ran the ball out of the end zone to preserve Regina’s 10-0 edge.

    At the second half coin toss, the Valkyries took wind in the third quarter, and early in the frame, it appeared they were going to get the ball in good field position.

Running back Mallory Starkey,  middle, power her way to a Riot touchdown.

    The Riot were forced to punt from deep in their own end, but Valkyries kick returner Gillian Allen fumbled the ball away. The Riot recovered the fumble on their own 44.

    Regina proceeded to put together a methodical 66-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Mallory Starkey to give the visitors a 16-0 edge. The Riot had trouble with the snap on the extra point attempt and were unable to get it off.

    Early in the fourth quarter, the Riot were deep in Valkyries territory, but fumbled the ball away to keep the hosts in the game.

    The Valkyries were able to get down deep in Regina territory again, but still couldn’t score. An end zone pass to Dyck was swatted away by Trebilcock. The Valkyries also saw a goal line toss to rookie slotback Nadia Doucoure fall incomplete.

Valkyries QB Alex Eyolfson (#15) eludes Riot LB Adrienne Zuck (#36).

    Kowalski completed 18 of 26 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown toss for the Riot.
    Jenna Koller topped all Riot receivers with five catches for 85 yards. Starkey was the top ground gainer for Regina piling up 91 yards on 19 carries.

    Linebacker Adrienne Zuck had five solo tackles and a key fourth quarter sack for the Riot.

    Eyolfson completed 10 of 18 passes for 125 yards for the Valkyries.
    Dyck was Saskatoon’s top receiver hauling in four passes for 92 yards. Power tailback Samantha Matheson led the way on the ground with 105 yards on 20 carries.

    Veteran star linebacker Beth Thomson had seven solo tackles for the Valkyries, while sophomore linebacker Emmarae Dale had two solo tackles and a sack.

    Regina had the edge in net offence over Saskatoon 387 yards to 250 yards.

Samantha Matheson (#22) ran for 105 yards for the Valkyries.

    The Riot improved to 2-0 with the win, while the Valkyries fell to 1-1. Both clubs have two games left on their respective regular season schedules.

    The two teams go at it again on Sunday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. at old Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
    The Valkyries need to win that contest by 17 or more points to claim the standings tiebreaker with the Riot.

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

Saskatchewan hammers home gold medal win

Matheson turns the tide in Canadian women’s football final

Samantha Matheson charges up field for Team Saskatchewan.

    REGINA - Just when it appeared Team Saskatchewan was in a rocky place, running back Samantha Matheson restored order.

    During the gold medal game of Football Canada’s inaugural Senior Women’s National Championship tournament on Sunday at Mosaic Stadium, Saskatchewan stormed out to 24-0 lead over Team Quebec late in the second quarter, but Quebec pulled to within 24-15 as the third quarter expired. As Quebec rallied, players on the Saskatchewan side started to show visible nerves.

    Early in the fourth quarter, Saskatchewan was pinned at its own 10-yardline for a second-and-six play, and Quebec was looking to get the ball back to drive a short field.

    Matheson stepped up and ripped off a 55-yard run off the right tackle and down the right sideline to turn the momentum back in Saskatchewan’s favour. That turned out to be the key play in a 104-yard scoring drive that was capped with a 17-yard touchdown run by Saskatchewan running back Carmen Agar, who put the host side up 31-15 with 9:59 to play. Saskatchewan captured gold holding on for a 34-22 victory.

    “It felt absolutely amazing,” said Matheson, “Quebec was really, really good.

    “We watched their first game, and they have some really great players. We were just so amazed at how we played and how we did against them.”

Team Saskatchewan celebrates a Samantha Matheson TD.

    Matheson was named Saskatchewan’s game MVP after piling up 197 yards rushing and one touchdown on 16 carries. She also scored another touchdown on a one-yard catch. The 21-year-old Saskatoon product, who plays for the Saskatoon Valkyries, was also named the event’s offensive MVP.

    Still, the highlight for Matheson was her long game-changing run in the gold medal contest, where she was eventually run down by Quebec defender Laurence Pontbriand.

    “That was fun,” said Matheson. “I don’t know what else to say to that.

    “It felt good to get out there. That girl, I could feel her coming from behind me.  I knew that she was going to catch me, so I just dropped the shoulder and hoped that I could hurt her a little bit as much as she would hurt me.”

    Sunday’s gold medal game provided an intriguing contest. Saskatchewan’s 36-player roster contained 18 members from the Valkyries, who won the Western Women’s Canadian Football League championship game in late June, and 18 members of the Regina Riot, who took last year’s WWCFL title. Both the Valkyries and Riot typically steamroll the rest of the opposition in the WWCFL. The only games where they experience big momentum swings are when they play each other.

    In a semifinal game on Thursday, Saskatchewan crushed New Brunswick 58-0.

    Quebec’s team was made up entirely of members from the powerhouse Montreal Blitz club team that plays out of the Independent Women’s Football League based out of the United States. They came into nationals after posting a 6-2 regular season record in the IWFL. In the other semifinal on Thursday, Quebec downed Alberta 54-31.

Samantha Matheson twists her way out of trouble.

    Matheson said the Saskatchewan side was really looking to see how they stacked up against Quebec. The only other meeting between two sides on a national level came back at the 2012 Challenge Cup in Laval, Que., when Quebec posted a 17-10 victory in a mini game.

    “It is always great to see new opponents, like get some new competition out there,” said Matheson. “Everyone on Team (Saskatchewan) is either from Saskatoon or Regina, so we are used to playing against each other, and we are each other’s toughest competition.

    “It is definitely nice to play another team that is just as good as both our teams.”

    The gritty power back was pleased to see her side responded when Quebec made its rally and things got tight.

    “It was a little bit stressful,” said Matheson. “We definitely had a few moments where we let our guard down, and that kind of hurt us a little bit.

    “We are a strong team, and we held our own, and we came back and it was great.”

    Despite a spectacular performance in the gold medal game, Matheson did have one big rough moment. On Saskatchewan’s ensuing series after going up 31-15, she got her legs twisted up in a multiplayer collision on a short run, and the gritty back gave out a big scream. She suffered a right knee injury and had to be helped off the field.

    Matheson overcame a serious injury to her left knee in the past, so initially, she was optimistic the injury to her right knee wouldn’t be that bad. As nationals were used to start the identification process to select Canada’s women’s team for next year’s International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship, Matheson just hopes her injury won’t keep her out of any tryouts for the Canadian team. The dates and host for the 2017 Women’s World Championship has yet to be announced.

Samantha Matheson powers her way out of a tackle for Team Saskatchewan.

    “I don’t really know what is up with my knee right now,” said Matheson. “We still have to look at it.

    “Right now, it is just a bit swollen and tender, so I think it will be OK hopefully in time for Team Canada tryouts, and for next season for sure it will be great I am sure of it.”

    Matheson sparked Saskatchewan out to 15-0 first quarter lead scoring a major on a 35-yard run and catching one-yard pass from quarterback Aimee Kowalski. Between those two scores, Saskatchewan kicker Carly Dyck recorded a rouge off a kickoff.

    Early in the second quarter, Kowalski hit Dyck down the right sideline on a deep throw for 79-yard touchdown strike. Dyck outjumped a defender for a high juggling grab and promptly sprinted for a score after securing the catch.

    Quebec conceded a safety to put Saskatchewan up 24-0, but the host side ended up conceding a safety of its own right before halftime to make the score 24-2.

    Quebec’s 21-year-old quarterback Maude Lacasse came out with a hot hand in the second half firing three touchdown passes. She hit Annabelle Chevrier on a 19-yard strike, Rose-Amelie Brunet on a 12-yard toss and Virginie Roussel on a 35-yard scoring strike.

    Lacasse finished the contest completing 25-of-40 passes for 359 yards, while only throwing one interception. She also picked up a rouge from a 62-yard punt single.

Samantha Matheson shakes hands post-game with the Quebec players.

    Chevrier led all Quebec receivers with six catches for 107 yards. Quebec was limited to 46 yards rushing as a team.

    Agar, who is a five-year veteran with the Riot, complimented Matheson as the other half of a dynamic duo in the Saskatchewan backfield. Agar piled up 137 yards rushing on 20 carries. Kowalski was limited to 88 yards passing completing 3-of-11 throws, while being intercepted twice. Dyck booted a 15-yard field goal for Saskatchewan.

    Matheson relished the chance to play alongside players from the Riot.

    “I love every single one of them,” said Matheson. “There is the rivalry of course when we are playing against each other in the WWCFL. When we all get together as a team, we just come together and mesh so well. It is awesome.

    “Carmen (Agar) my other running back partner, I love her. It was great me and her together.”

    Roussel was named the event’s defensive MVP. Alberta downed New Brunswick in Sunday’s bronze medal game 30-12.

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

Valkyries dominant dynasty continues

Saskatoon wins fifth WWCFL title in six years, bombs Storm

The Valkyries celebrate their fifth WWCFL title win in six years.

 LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - The Saskatoon Valkyries execution was near perfect, and the Edmonton Storm got executed as a result.

    On Saturday at the University of Lethbridge Community Stadium, the Valkyries (7-1 overall) returned to the top of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League mountain top with an astounding 81-6 victory over the Storm (6-2 overall). With the win, the Valkyries claimed their fifth WWCFL championship in six years after losing to last year’s league champs the Regina Riot in the WWCFL Prairie Conference final. 

    Against the Storm on Saturday, the Valkyries had the wind at their backs for the first quarter and used that advantage to build a 30-0 edge. Saskatoon cruised to victory from that point.

    “It feels awesome,” said Valkyries running back Julene Friesen. “It was a great game. It is nice to win by a lot and to feel like we had a great end to our season.

Julene Friesen runs in a touchdown for the Valkyries.

    “Everybody played. Everybody did so well. It just shows once again how well rounded our team is and how strong we are through our whole depth chart.”

    Friesen, who had an outstanding season for the Valkyries, book ended the scoring recording the game’s first touchdown on a 28 yard romp and the contest’s final major coming off an 82-yard kickoff return with 2:43 to play in the fourth quarter. She also had a 30-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter to account for three major scores overall.

    In total, Friesen picked up 142 yards rushing on seven carries and 109 yards on three kickoff returns in being named the Valkyries player of the game. She admitted the kick return touchdown was her sweetest jaunt into the end zone.

    “We’ve been talking about it all season,” said Friesen. “Finally to get it on the last return of the year was fun, even though I fumbled around with it a little bit.”

Valkyries LB Beth Thomson (#2) sacks Storm QB Aria McGowan (#80).

    The first quarter surge also saw Valkyries quarterback Alex Eyolfson fire a 10-yard touchdown strike to veteran receiver Stacey Boldt and complete a 56-yard pass and run score to rookie receiver Alyssa Wiebe. Wiebe, who is a former hockey standout with the University of North Dakota, topped all Valkyries with receivers with four catches for 111 yards.

    A strong effort by Saskatoon’s defence the kept Edmonton pinned in its own zone resulting in the Storm conceding a safety in the opening frame. Valkyries linebacker Beth Thomson, who has played for the club in all six years of its existence, had a big first quarter sack and returned an interception 33 yards in the second quarter to set up a 32-yard field goal by kicker Carly Dyck.

    “I had the most fun out there today,” said Thomson. “That pic was awesome. I almost got it into the end zone, but maybe next year.”

    Thomson also said the game couldn’t have gone any better for her squad, and she was elated about the latest title win.

    “Every time you win the championship, you get that feeling of happiness,” said Thomson. “It is there again right now.

Alyssa Wiebe (#13) had 111 yards receiving for the Valkyries.

    “Once we got rolling, it just started happening for us. We just started rolling. It was the Valkyries doing it again.”

    Some of the game’s loudest cheers were reserved for Dyck, who is a Lethbridge product. She played three seasons with her hometown Steel, when the Steel lost three straight WWCFL title games to the Valkyries from 2012 to 2014. She lived in Saskatoon for the last two of those campaigns and decided to remain in that centre year round and play for the Valkyries.

    In the second quarter, Dyck hauled in her only catch on a streak pattern from quarterback Reed Thorstad, which went the distance for a 45-yard major score to delight her hometown supporters. Dyck was pumped that Valkyries offensive coordinator Chad Palmer was looking to dial up her number.

    “Palmer was being real nice to me,” said Dyck. “He was like, ‘I want to get you a touchdown at home, so we are going to send you a long ball.’

    “I was so happy. It was a nice reach out for me, a long run. There was nobody even close to me I felt anyway. I didn’t notice anybody.”

    She was pumped to finally be on the winning side of a WWCFL championship game.

    “It took five years for me to get this win, but it was better late than never,” said Dyck. “It was pretty exciting.”

Carly Dyck hauls in a 45-yard TD reception for the Valkyries.

    Running backs Samantha and Kendal Matheson, who are sisters, added major scores for the Valkyries in the second quarter. Samantha ripped off a 62-yard scoring run, while Kendal, who is in her rookie season, ran one in from 65 yards out.

    Saskatoon led 54-0 at halftime.

    The scoring slowed up a little in the third quarter. Saskatoon went ahead 59-0, when the Storm conceded another safety and Dyck nailed a 27-yard field goal attempt.

    The Valkyries lead expanded to 74-0 in the fourth quarter thanks to a three-yard touchdown run by Samantha Matheson, a 31-yard missed field goal single by Dyck and 39-yard interception return score by defensive back Rienna Rueve.

    Storm running back Brenna Bouchard snapped the shutout bid returning a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown after Rueve’s major to trim Saskatoon’s edge to 74-6. Friesen recorded her kickoff return touchdown after Bouchard found pay dirt.

The Valkyries celebrate Rienna Rueve's interception return TD.

    In total, the Valkyries piled up 624 yards of offence, which included 329 yards on the ground and 297 yards through the air. Edmonton was held to 148 yards offensively.

    Valkyries special teams coordinator Chris Hengen-Braun said Saturday’s win was a great capper to a special season.

    “It feels pretty good,” said Hengen-Braun. “This is really a different team than we have had in the past.

    “They did an amazing job coming together. We have a lot of really young girls. Over half of our team has never won one of these before, so it is really special for them.

    “It was really cool to see a huge effort from many, many different players on offence and on defence. We had a bunch of players step up. It was just really cool to see a lot of these young players come out and be very effective on the field.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. Check Twitter for more game photos of the Valkyries WWCFL championship win @stankssports.

Valkyries motivated by Riot victories

Rivals battle for a sixth straight year in WWCFL Prairie final

Valkyries DB Tori Giles (#3) collides with Riot receiver Amanda Hungle.

    Head coach Jeff Yausie believes his Saskatoon Valkyries found extra motivation in a defeat, but he wasn’t talking about his team’s playoff loss a year ago.

    Last year, the Valkyries saw their season and a drive to win five straight Western Women’s Canadian Football League titles come to an end due to a 31-29 setback to the Regina Riot in the WWCFL Prairie Conference final at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. The Riot moved on to thump the Edmonton Storm 53-6 in the WWCFL title game in Winnipeg.

    Before that playoff loss to the Riot, the Valkyries were humbled 49-9 by the Riot in a regular season encounter on May 30, 2016 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. That result still holds up as the most lopsided the loss the Valkyries suffered in their history.

    “Last year when they kicked our butts here in Saskatoon, we knew we needed to toughen up and practice harder and be able to match their physical intensity and toughness,” said Yausie. “We changed our practices.

Riot RB Celeste Schnell powers through the Valkyries.

    “We hit more. We practice harder. We practice longer. That has been our focus is to match their physicality this year.”

    On Sunday at 1 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, these two rivals will battle for a sixth straight year in the Prairie Conference final. Both Saskatoon and Regina were 3-1 in regular season play and split their two head-to-head meetings. The Valkyries took first place in the conference having outscored the Riot 73-48 in their two encounters.

    The rivalry between the Valkyries and Riot is the best one in the WWCFL and is developing into one of the top ones between teams from Saskatoon and Regina.

    Valkyries defensive lineman Jaime Lammerding, who has been with the team since its inception in 2011, said games with the Riot are definitely the hardest hitting ones.

    “The other teams have some big girls, but Regina just brings it like to a different level,” said Lammerding. “I think that is Saskatchewan football.

    “They come hard every play, and you have to come hard back at them.”

    Rookie receiver Alyssa Wiebe said she noticed the pace picked up when the Valkyries faced the Riot compared to other opponents. In the fourth quarter of a 27-26 Riot victory on May 28 in Regina, Wiebe was slammed hard to the turf on one play, which she described as getting “absolutely killed.”

    “You have to have your head up at all times and on a swivel,” said Wiebe, who was a former standout forward with the University of North Dakota women’s hockey team. “If the ball is coming your way, there is a good chance you’re getting popped.

Valkyries RB Kendal Matheson (#25) is high tackled by a Riot defender.

    “You look for the ball, hold on and try and make a play. They are aggressive, and they can hit.”

    For the Valkyries returning veterans, the sting of last season’s playoff loss to the Riot still lingers, which adds another dimension to Sunday’s contest.

    “Everybody who was around last year still has that like lost it and we want it back kind of feeling,” said Lammerding. “We lost it just so close by the skin of our teeth.

    “We want to go back and take if from them. It (the playoff loss) doesn’t get any better. I’ve tried a lot of different ways. It doesn’t get any better.”

    Both teams are loaded with game breakers offensively. The Valkyries have rotated rookie Alex Eyolfson and sophomore Reed Thorstad at quarterback, and Wiebe and fellow receivers Carly Dyck, Stacey Boldt and Marci Kiselyk have made key plays downfield. Running backs Julene Friesen and Samantha Matheson have anchored Saskatoon’s ground game.

Quarterback Aimee Kowalski (#22) unloads a pass for the Riot.

    Riot star quarterback Aimee Kowalski has a strong and accurate arm, and she will take off and run with the ball when the opportunity calls. Receivers Amanda Hungle, Claire Dore and Alex Kowalski can all make big plays at any time. Star running back Carmen Agar is the workhorse on the ground, but the Riot have also been received strong contributions from power runner Celeste Schnell.

    While Wiebe is going through the WWCFL playoffs for the first time, she is used to a single-elimination scenario due to her experience playing National Collegiate Athletic Association’s hockey post-season. She knows how important it is to peak in do-or-die playoff battles.

    “These are the most fun games,” said Wiebe. “Everything is on the line for both teams.

Valkyries RB Samantha Matheson (#22) has had big games versus the Riot.

    “You both want it bad. I’ve been in this situation with hockey before, and sometimes came out on top and sometimes on the bottom. I know what both feel like.

    “I am hoping to come out on top on Sunday.”

    The WWCFL’s Western Conference final is set for Saturday in Edmonton between the host Storm and the Lethbridge Steel.

    The conference final winners play in the WWCFL championship game on June 25 in Lethbridge.

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