The annual Skyhawks Invitational men’s basketball tournament tips off Friday at the SkyDome.
The opening game for the Skyhawks is 5:15 p.m. against the Cochrane Cobras.
Saturday the Skyhawks will play the Edmonton Christian Lions or Spruce Grove Panthers at 8 a.m. in the consolation bracket or the 11:30 a.m. semifinal.
The consolation final is 4:45 p.m., the third-place game is 6:30 p.m. and the final is 8:15 p.m.
The St. Peter The Apostle Spartans, Archbishop Jordan Scots, Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles and West Central of Rocky Mountain House round out the eight-team draw.
The Skyhawks are 3-3 in metro Edmonton division two pool B before Thursday’s game against the 5-0 Panthers at 5 p.m. in Spruce Grove.
The Lions are 0-9 and the Spartans are 4-5 in division one and the Eagles are 5-0 and the Scots are 0-5 division two pool A.
Ranked provincially in 3A are the Eagles (No. 4), Cobras (No. 5), Spartans (No. 6) and Lions (No. 10).
The best-of-three opening playoff series between the St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres and SSAC Southgate Lions starts Friday night in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
Faceoff is 8:15 p.m. at Callingwood Arena.
Game two is 3:45 p.m. Saturday at Akinsdale Arena.
Game three, if needed, is 5:45 p.m. Sunday at Millwoods Arena.
The Sabres (16-12-5) finished four points behind second-place SSAC (19-10-3) in the nitro north division.
The winner will play the Sherwood Park Flyers (24-5-4) or Canadian Athletic Club (16-15-1) in the best-of-three nitro north final.
Last year SSAC swept the Sabres in the first round.
The Sabres are 3-2 against SSAC in league play after Saturday’s 4-0 victory in St. Albert.
Mitch Reidy (9-5-3, 2.36 GAA) stopped 23 shots for his third shutout and the team’s fourth of the season.
Cole Gupta potted two goals in the second period and Aiden Yakimchuk and Garrett Clegg scored in the third as the Sabres recorded their fourth win in a row and fifth in eight games.
Sunday in Sherwood Park, captain Jayden Platz fired the equalizer with 20 seconds remaining and Colton Girard (7-7-2, 2.83 GAA) on the bench for the extra attacker in the 4-4 draw against the Flyers.
The home team made it 4-3 with 44 seconds to play.
Kye Buchanan, Clegg and Nicholas also lit the lamp and Platz added two assists.
