On Tap

This week’s main event is the SAPEC junior high tier I volleyball championships Thursday at Bellerose Composite High School.

The girls’ final at 6 p.m. features the Sir George Simpson Voyageurs (7-0, 21 GW/2 GL) and Lorne Akins Gators (6-2, 20 GW/10 GL). Simpson finished first and Lorne Akins placed third. In league play the Voyageurs defeated the Gators in four sets.

In the boys’ final at 7:45 p.m., the undefeated Gators (9-0, 27 GW/0 GL) battle the William D. Cuts Crusaders (8-1, 24 GW/5 GL). The Gators are gunning for their SAPEC-leading 13th volleyball title and their seventh since 2001. In the regular season they swept the second-place Crusaders 25-13, 26-24, 25-16.

The red-hot St. Albert Sabres host MLAC Scott Pump tonight in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. Faceoff is 7:45 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.

The fifth-straight win for the Sabres (8-4-3) was Saturday’s 4-3 decision against the SSAC Southgate Lions (7-2-3) in St. Albert. Brett Van Os (fifth), Brett Smythe (10th) and Jake Kohlhauser (first) scored in the opening period and Tyler Mrkonjic (seventh) made it 4-2 in the third. Smythe also has three assists. He leads the Sabres offensively with 24 points in 15 games. Shots were 29-24 for St. Albert. In net was Patrick Goa (5-2-2, 2.40 GAA).

In the division pennant race, the second-place Sabres and third-place Lions trail the Sherwood Park Flyers (10-4) for top honours. Scott Pump (4-7-4) ranks fourth.

The puck drops at 8 p.m. Sunday between the St. Albert Merchants and Fort Saskatchewan Hawks at Akinsdale Arena.

The Money Men (9-9) are tied for fourth place in the north and the Hawks (8-7-0-3) are fifth in the east.

The third win in a row for the Merchants and their fourth in five games was Sunday’s 7-2 victory over the Edmonton Mustangs (7-8-0-2) in St. Albert. Nicolas Addessi (eighth), Chris Clark (seventh), Jake Behiels (21st), Tyler Pennington (third), Brayden Switner (fourth), Alex Hawirko (ninth) and Jamie Umbach (fourth) scored and Justin Pawlenchuk was between the pipes.

The Merchants were coming off an 18-1 laugher in Stony Plain against the last-place Flyers (1-16-0-1). Period scores were 5-0 and 14-1. The Flyers dressed 10 skaters and one player was an affiliate. Cody Arcand went the distance in net. Dustin Robinson led all Merchants in points with two goals and five assists. Behiels posted the hat-trick, plus one assist. Kevin Pollard had five helpers. In net was Curtis Ronaldson.