Hoops playoffs

The St. Albert Skyhawks and Sturgeon Spirits are hooping it up in the metro Edmonton premier conference semifinals today.

The Skyhawks (12-0) host the Bev Facey Falcons (7-6) in the women’s playoff and Sturgeon (6-5) visits the St. Francis Xavier Rams (11-0) in the men’s playoff. Game times are 4:45 p.m.

The Skyhawks are shooting for their third undefeated premier crown in four years. The three-time defending 3A provincial champions are 31-1 overall this season.

The semifinal winner will face the Archbishop Jordan Scots (7-5) or O’Leary Spartans (7-6) in Saturday’s final at 5 p.m. at O’Leary High School.

In quarter-final action Monday the Spartans posted a 59-45 win over the Paul Kane Blues (5-8) at O’Leary.

Sturgeon is coming off an 80-68 win over the Skyhawks (5-6) in the men’s playoff Monday at Namao.

A new premier champion will be crowned after Paul Kane (3-8) fell 59-47 to Bev Facey (7-4) Monday in Sherwood Park.

Bev Facey will play the Spartans (10-1) in the other semifinal matchup.

Saturday’s premier final starts at 7 p.m. at O’Leary.

Slash playoffs

It’s do or die for the St. Albert Slash in the best-of-five north division semifinal in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League.

Last weekend in Grande Prairie the Slash lost 4-1 and 2-1 to the Storm.

Game three is Friday at 7:45 p.m. at Northstar Hyundai Arena.

If needed, game four is Saturday at 2 p.m. at Troy Murray Arena and game five is Sunday at 3:45 p.m. at Grande Prairie.

In game one, it was 2-0 for the Storm when Delaney Martin scored on the power play in period two. The Storm replied with a power-play marker in the second and added an empty net goal in the third.

Shots were 21-15 for the Storm in the penalty-filled affair. Kaelin Klim was in net.

Autumn Rae opened the scoring in game two in the middle frame and the Storm tied it before the period ended. Elisha Cunningham, the league’s leading scorer, netted the game winner at 5:11 in the third.

The Storm outshot the Slash 31-24. Andrea Dombowsky was in net.

In league play the Storm (19-6-7) and Slash (14-13-5) finished second and third, respectively, in the north.

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