Kuster steps into spotlight in Riot’s WWCFL title win

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

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

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

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

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

Payton Kuster returns a punt for a score.

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

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

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

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

    “We did it. It is incredible.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Things kept snowballing from there.

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

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

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

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

    Kuster was surprised to see how that first quarter transpired.

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

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

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

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

    “It was perfect. It feels unreal.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Riot are all smiles after their WWCFL championship win.

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

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

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

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

Rage make history in run to WWCFL title game

The Rage defensive line gets set.

    In 2017, the Calgary Rage have gone to places they have never gone before, and they don’t want to stop just yet.

    The Rage had by far their most successful campaign in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League posting their first undefeated 4-0 regular season record. With three teams active in the circuit’s Western Conference this season, the first place finish gave the Rage their first conference title and first berth in the WWCFL championship game.

    Calgary travels to Saskatoon on Saturday to face the Prairie Conference champion Regina Riot, who are 5-1 overall, at 8:30 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field for the league championship. The championship game follows a consolation final between the Saskatoon Valkyries, who are 4-2 overall, and the Edmonton Storm, who are 2-3 overall, which is set for 5:15 p.m. at SMF Field.

    For veteran running back Erin Walton, the 2017 campaign has been the fulfillment of a dream so far. She joined the Rage for their first season in 2009, which was two years before the formation of the WWCFL.

    Walton played for Canada’s silver medal winning team at the 2013 International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship in Vantaa, Finland, and while the individual success was great, she desperately wanted to be part of a special season with the Rage.

    When the Rage downed the Storm in Edmonton 34-29 on May 27 to finish the regular season at 4-0 and clinch a berth in the WWCFL title game, Walton said her team made sure to enjoy the moment, but they don’t want to stop there.

    “We really took a couple of days to celebrate that,” said Walton over the phone from Calgary. “We had a lot of fun as a team celebrating that win, and we really enjoyed ourselves.

    “The message has been it is not over. It feels great to achieve something we have never done in our club’s history. We’re really going to take the time to celebrate that and enjoy it in the off-season.

    “Until the season is over, we are not done. We’re looking to make even more history. We just have to believe we can do it and work hard for it.”

QB Becky Heninger has been a big addition to the Rage roster.

    The Rage entered the season with a new look coaching staff with Carlo Iannuzzi installed as the head coach and offensive coordinator. He was the club’s defensive coordinator last season and an offensive assistant in 2015. Iannuzzi oversees a six-person staff.

    The bench boss knows his side is fighting history in the WWCFL championship game as the circuit’s first six title contests have been won either by the Valkyries or the Riot. The Valkyries won it all from 2011 to 2014 and 2016. The Riot claimed the WWCFL title in 2015.

    Iannuzzi said the Rage want to be the first team to bring the WWCFL title to Alberta, and he knows how big of a challenge it will be.

    “It is going to be monumental,” said Iannuzzi over the phone from Calgary. “We understand the task at hand too, but that is why this is a championship game.

    “They’ve earned the right to be there, because they are a good football team. We understand that. We’re not looking at this as an impossible challenge.

    “As far as I’m concerned as soon as the ball kicks off it is anybody’s game. We just have to keep our emotions in check.”

    The Rage’s fortunes received a boost when veteran star quarterback Becky Heninger joined the team. Heninger played for the Lethbridge Steel from 2012 to 2014 and the Steel made the WWCFL final in each of those campaigns falling to the Valkyries each time out. She played quarterback the first two seasons and all over the field for her third season before other life commitments took her away from the game.

    “It all starts with Becks at quarterback,” said Iannuzzi. “She has a great arm.

    “She connects really deep downfield with our receiver Alicia Wilson. It is really awesome to see how those two have jelled together,”

    Heninger and Wilson will play for Canada at the International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship, which runs June 24 to 30 in Langley, B.C.

    Running back Tolu Fasuba and receiver Diane Nesbitt, who played for the Riot’s 2015 WWCFL championship team, are also a couple of big offensive threats for the Rage.

Erin Walton (#21) catches a pass for the Rage.

    Iannuzzi said the team’s front five really make the offence motor.

    “We’re able to do things on the offence, because we a dedicated offensive line,” said Iannuzzi. “They are so studious at the game, and they are always working hard to get better.

    “They never quit on anybody too. The play really starts and ends with the offensive line.

    “As an offensive coach, I have complete faith in the five that we have up there too. They protect Becks incredibly well, and they will open up some awesome running lanes too.”

    On defence, the Rage have a linebacker that will turn heads quickly playing the role of a terminator.

    “On the defensive side of the ball, it all starts and ends with Courtney Dawson,” said Iannuzzi. “You can’t miss her. She just has a nose for the ball.

    “She is ruthless. She is relentless. She is everything that a coach wants out of a linebacker.”

    Robyn Tarrant anchors the defensive line at defensive tackle. She stood out at Football Canada’s inaugural Senior National Women’s Championship tournament held last year in Regina. Tarrant played a key role helping Alberta post a 30-12 bronze medal game victory over New Brunswick.

    “I think her performance in the bronze medal game against New Brunswick was one of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Iannuzzi. “She is a good foundation for us to have on the D-line.”

    Alyssa Quinney supplies a good rush from her defensive end spot, and safety Tatrina Medvescek-Valentine and defensive back Jennifer Mclean are the backbone of a tough secondary.

    While the players have delivered a stellar season for the Rage, Walton said Iannuzzi and his coaching staff have been outstanding in bringing everything together.

    “He (Iannuzzi) likes to have fun when we play football, and I think that is an important aspect of football,” said Walton. “Sometimes, that takes a little time to build.

    “There is a fine line between fun and not being productive and fun and being productive. He has been a really good addition to our club, and he has brought that kind of next step coaching that we have always been looking for.

    “I think one of the biggest things for us was that we just committed to just trying bring the vision of what our coaches wanted us to do to life.”

The Rage raise the Western Conference championship trophy.

    Now the only thing left for the Rage to do is add the finishing touch to their dream season, which would be capturing the WWCFL title. Having once lived in Regina, Walton knows her side is in for a battle against the Riot.

    “It is going to the hardest game of the season for a reason,” said Walton. “You don’t get to the championship game and not expect to be playing the best other team.

    “They are the best team that came out of their conference. We are the best team that came out of our conference. I’ve known a lot of players on that team for a lot of years, and I’ve got some great friends on that team.

    “The only thing going through my mind is man I just want to beat them, because I know if we can beat them we’ve beaten the best and that makes us the best.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. All the photos in this post are courtesy of Candice Ward Photography in Calgary. Stanks’ Sermon passes on a huge thanks to Candice Ward Photography for the photos of the Rage.

Agar more than just a power running back for Riot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Madden football a preferable house visit from Roughriders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    My newest version is Madden 11 for the Playstation 2. 

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

My collection of Madden football games.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An all-time classic video game.

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

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

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

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

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

Blades prospect Maier off to Hockey Canada goalie camp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riot rumbles home with final Taylor Field memory

Regina advances to WWCFL title game with 34-24 win

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Riot defence gang tackles Valkyries RB Samantha Matheson.

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

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

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

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

The Riot defence corrals Valkyries receiver Alyssa Wiebe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Riot celebrate their Prairie Conference championship win.

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

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

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

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

The Riot hoist the Prairie Conference championship trophy.

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

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

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

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

Valkyries and Riot to write Taylor Field's final chapter

WWCFL rivals clash for conference title at historic stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carmen Agar (#23) rumbles downfield in 2015.

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

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

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

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

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

Nostalgia for Taylor Field

The Roughriders celebrate a Weston Dressler touchdown in 2012.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Familiarity adds to fun of cheering on Roughriders

Fans need to adjust to flood of new faces at training camp

Roughriders receiver Mitchell Picton catches a pass off the jugs machine.

    Looking out at the Saskatchewan Roughriders practising at Griffiths Stadium, you end up asking yourself, “Who are these guys?”

    For myself personally, I know offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte, and it drops off to no one else after that. I do admit I have had one long talk with long snapper Jorgen Hus, who is a graduate of the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League and the University of Regina Rams from the U Sports ranks.

    I have said “hello” to Rob Bagg on a couple of occasions thanks to the fact he has been with the team since 2008. I remember former franchise quarterback Darian Durant telling me that if I wanted to see someone that was really good at interacting with the fans I should just watch Bagg.
    The veteran signal caller, who is now a member of the Montreal Alouettes, hit that bang on as usual.

OL Brendon Labatte (#57), see here in 2015, is a well-known Riders player.

    Entering the fourth season since the Roughriders won the Grey Cup in 2013, only three players are held over from that squad including LaBatte, Bagg and offensive lineman Dan Clark. With Chris Jones taking over before the start of the 2016 campaign as general manager and head coach, it has been well documented on how players have gone in and out through seemingly a revolving door.

    Traditionally, one of the best perks that comes from cheering on the Roughriders is the fans get to know the players on some sort of personal level for a time. That comes from the fact Regina is in between being a midsize city and a large city with a current population of just over 236,000.

    The population of the province of Saskatchewan has usually hovered around 1-million and sits at just over 1.15-million in the current day.

Roughriders QB Bryan Bennett, right, calls a play during a drill.

    By those figures alone, you can tell it is hard to go anywhere in the province without meeting people, and it is hard to stay anonymous, if you play for the Roughriders. When I was a first-year university student in “the Queen City” at the University of Regina, I often met Roughriders players working part-time in retail.

    The level for knowing players in the CFL changed a lot for myself after being involved with the Regina Rams especially for four seasons spanning from 1997 to 2001. As players from those Rams teams spread out through the CFL, I began to cheer a lot for the individuals I knew. Eventually, a number of Rams grads ended up on the Roughriders rosters for about four to five years.

    That development made cheering for the Roughriders that much more personal. Looking back, I often told a few people the one season I would have loved to have worked in the Roughriders communications department was in 2009. 

Former NFL QB Vince Young (#8) avoids the rush during a drill.

    It would have been a joy even knowing how that season would end with a heartbreaking Grey Cup loss in Calgary to the Montreal Alouettes thanks to that infamous too many men penalty call on the game’s second last play.

    There were six Rams graduates on that Roughriders team in Jason Clermont, Neal Hughes, Chris Getzlaf, Tamon George, Nick Hutchins and Joel Lipinski. Through them, I ended up meeting and getting to know a number of other players on the club’s roster that year. A number of great memories were made.

    That Roughriders team also overcame any adversity they faced that season to finish first in the West Division. It was a great season outside of how the final two plays went in that year’s Grey Cup game, which resulted in the deciding points in a 28-27 loss.

The now retired Nate Coehoorn was a fun CFL player to pull for.

    As the years went on, I began to pull for individuals I met on other CFL teams that didn’t have any links to the Rams. The most notable include recently retired Edmonton Eskimos receiver Nathan Coehoorn, Calgary Stampeders offensive lineman Dan Federkeil and Hamilton Tiger-Cats long snapper Aaron Crawford.

    I met those three during the 10 years I worked for the Medicine Hat News in Medicine Hat, Alta.
    One of the best parts of the CFL is most of the individuals in the league are down to earth, because they won’t be able to retire off the money they make in that circuit. They all have to move on to other careers after their football playing days wrap up.

    For me, I liked remaining around the CFL on a fan level, because I enjoyed getting to immediately visit my friends after games.

    In recent years, a lot of the players in the CFL that I know have retired. It has changed my interest in that circuit.
    That is just one of the realities that happens in sports over time.

The Roughriders huddle up after a training camp session.

    As far as the Roughriders go, I believe there is potential in the current group to bond with the fans.

    When I have walked around the U of Saskatchewan campus during training camp to go workout, work on a project or visit, all the players I run into always seem to say hello in a well-mannered way.
    It is really noticeable.

    I take that intangible as a good sign. While it might be hard to identify the Roughriders players at the moment, they might just become household names like a lot of the team’s former greats of the past. 

    That type of link is what makes cheering for the Roughriders and the CFL great.

Estephan would be a good addition for an NHL team

Giorgio Estephan brings the puck up ice for the Hurricanes.

    The NHL dream has hit a bump in the road for Lethbridge Hurricanes star centre Giorgio Estephan.

    The Edmonton, Alta., product, who has been a career member of the Hurricanes, was selected in the sixth round and 152^nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The Sabres elected not to sign Estephan by Thursday’s deadline to ink drafted players from 2015.

    Thanks to that development, Estephan, who is still eligible to play an overage season in the WHL, will be allowed to enter the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, which will be held June 23 and 24 in Chicago, Illinois.

    In one of those head-scratching developments that can happen in the professional ranks, the Sabres likely came to the conclusion Estephan, who stands 6-feet and weighs 191 pounds, wouldn’t fit into their future plans.

    Since being drafted by the Sabres in 2015, Estephan has done enough to earn an NHL contract. He has continued to progress and has grown into one of the WHL’s elite centres.

Giorgio Estephan speeds into the offensive zone for the Hurricanes.

    This past season, he recorded 35 goals, 54 assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department in 68 regular season games. His goal and assist totals were career highs.

    Estephan took his game to another level in the 2017 WHL playoffs piling up 11 goals, 13 assists and a plus-five rating in 18 games. He played a key role in helping the Hurricanes advance to the Eastern Conference championship series for the first time since 2008.
    The Hurricanes fell 4-2 in this year’s best-of-seven Eastern Conference championship series to the Regina Pats.

    Estephan and heart and soul overage linemate Tyler Wong proved they could be ironmen playing seemly every second shift in their seven-game second round series win over the Medicine Hat Tigers, when injuries nearly crippled the Hurricanes post-season run.

Giorgio Estephan cuts to the net for the Hurricanes.

    Anyone that saw Estephan and Wong, who was the Hurricanes captain, play over that stretch would think an NHL team would want to sign them.

    On the intangible side, you had to love how Estephan reacted to playing on the road in the playoffs in Medicine Hat. He laughed off some creative heckles from Tigers supporters and made sure to give high fives to Hurricanes fans in attendance, when he left the ice. He took all those aspects of the game in stride.

    If Estephan doesn’t get drafted or signed, he would really give the Hurricanes a boost going into next season as an overager. In that scenario, you can expect him to play well enough to be deserving of another NHL shot.

Pats create season ticket waitlist

Pats season tickets are in high demand from their faithful.

    The Regina Pats are still feeling a surge in popularity thanks to their incredible 2016-17 campaign.

    On Thursday, the Pats opened up season ticket sales to everyone for the 2017-18 campaign, when they will play host to the 100^th Memorial Cup. The surge in demand was so high that the club decided to create an online waiting list to add some order when it comes meeting the demand.

    On Friday at 9 a.m. Regina time, fans can sign up on the waitlist through the team’s website www.reginapats.com. The Pats will contact those on the list on a first come, first serve basis. The team said everyone on the waitlist will be contacted prior to July 31.

    In 2016-17, the Pats set a franchise record for regular season victories finishing first overall in the WHL with a 52-12-7-1 mark.

The Pats and their fans celebrate an Austin Wagner (#27) goal.

    They were rated first in the final Canadian Hockey League top 10 rankings that were released on March 22. The Pats held top spot in the CHL’s top 10 rankings for much of the campaign.

    In the playoffs, the Pats advanced to the WHL Championship series for the first time since 1984 and they fell 4-2 in that best-of-seven series to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
    Between the regular season and playoffs, the Pats sold out a record 26 home dates at the Brandt Centre.

    Next season, the Pats should return enough parts to create the potential for another dream campaign.

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