The first-place St. Albert Merchants visit the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks and Morinville Jets this weekend in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Games times are 8 p.m. Friday against the Hawks (9-4) at JRC Arena and 6:45 p.m. Sunday against the rival Jets (5-7-1) at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
In the season opener the Jets beat the Merchants 6-5 in overtime at Akinsdale Arena.
The Merchants (11-1-1) are coming off a 4-2 win over the last-place Edmonton Mustangs (3-9-1) last weekend in St. Albert.
Brent McGugan, A.J. Yariwon (shorthanded) and Taylor Wiebe opened the scoring before the Mustangs replied with a pair before the first period ended.
Mitch McNamara connected in period two.
Shots were 35-31 for the home team and Justin Pawlenchuk (8-0, 2.34 GAA) was in net.
It was the first game since the 4-3 loss to the Wetaskiwin Icemen (5-5-3) in St. Albert stopped the Merchants’ 10-game winning streak.
The metro Edmonton high school volleyball playoffs are underway this week for St. Albert’s male and female junior and senior teams.
Among the senior playoff teams are the St. Albert Skyhawks (8-3) in division one women. Today at 4:45 p.m. the Skyhawks host the Jasper Place Rebels (7-4) in the quarter-finals.
In division two the Bellerose Bulldogs (7-0), the top team in pool B women, and the Paul Kane Blues (6-1), Bulldogs (6-1) and Skyhawks (3-4) in pool B men start their crossover playoffs Thursday to determine Tuesday’s quarter-final parings.
The metro finals are next weekend at Bev Facey High School.
Visit www.telusplanet.net/public/metroedm/ for schedules and results.
The SAPEC junior high volleyball league swings into playoff action this week with the boys’ and girls’ quarter-finals.
Tuesday’s pairings in the boys’ division were the Morinville Wolves (0-7) at Lorne Akins Gators (7-0), Vincent J. Maloney Marauders (1-6) at Sir George Simpson Voyageurs (6-1), Richard S. Fowler Falcons (2-5) at William D. Cuts Crusaders (5-2) and ESSMY Leopards (3-4) at Elmer S. Gish Warriors (4-3). Scores were unavailable at press time.
Thursday’s girls’ playoffs include ESSMY (0-7) at Simpson (6-1), Gish (1-6) at Maloney (6-1), Morinville (2-5) at Lorne Akins (5-2) and Cuts (3-4) at Fowler (5-2).
The semifinals are Nov. 12 for the boys and Nov. 14 for the girls.
The Tier 1 finals are Nov. 19 at Bellerose Composite High School.
Simpson is the defending boys’ and girls’ champion.
