Eight hockey players from St. Albert were named to the Northwest roster for the Alberta Cup at the Strathmore Family Centre.
Netminders Josh Dechaine and Matt Murray, defencemen Dylan Huot, Josh Mahura and Zach Sherburne and forwards Ryan Cox, Ethan Marino and Sean Richards will play for the zone team at the April 25 to 28 tournament for 1998-born players.
The event includes an educational seminar for players put on by the Western Hockey League.
The Alberta Cup is the premier event in the province that helps identify the top male players and is heavily scouted as WHL teams prepare for the bantam draft in May.
Tryouts started in March for the eight zone teams.
All 160 players at the Alberta Cup are competing for 80 invites to the U16 provincial camp in July.
In addition to player evaluations, the Alberta Cup is also an opportunity for administrators, coaches, trainers and officials to be evaluated for future positions with the Team Alberta program.
The Alberta Cup began in 1986 as a program for midget hockey players. It was held again in 1987 and 1988, then disappeared until 1993 when it re-emerged as a bantam level competition.
The St. Albert Men’s Soccer League will kick off its 33rd season May 5 with seven teams in the fold.
GSE, the defending playoff cup champions, and the Rummies, last year’s pennant winners at 15-0-1, playoff finalists and bronze medallists at the Tier IV provincials, are returning.
Also back in the fold are Blues FC (2011 playoff champion), Chester City (2010 pennant winner), SA United (2010 and 2011 playoff finalist) and Arsenal (2010 playoff champion).
A lack of players forced SA City and Impact to merge this year.
Crossfire, the last-place finishers at 2-1-3-1, has folded.
This year matches will be played at the Riel Recreation Park turf field, Bellerose Composite High School and Grosvenor on Sundays, Tuesdays and if required, Thursdays.
The St. Albert Women’s Soccer League is accepting player registrations for existing teams for the upcoming season.
Contact [email protected] and provide your name, experience, position and the type of team you are looking for.
League info is also available at www.eteamz.com/sawsl or on Facebook by searching St. Albert Women’s Soccer League.
This year the league will field 16 or 17 teams, depending on the confirmation of a potential new team.
Division one will feature six teams, with division two champion SA Force earning a promotion.
Division two will consist of eight or nine teams, depending on the new team, as well as the addition of the Cosmos from division one.
Most of the matches will be played Sundays at 5 or 7 p.m. on both pitches at the Salisbury and Forest Park fields.
Last year Mavericks 09 captured the division one pennant at 14-0 and in the playoff cup final defeated the second-place Morinville Ladies 4-1 for their 16th victory in league play.
The Mavericks also won the Tier IV provincial bronze medal to finish the season 19-1 overall. Their only loss was 2-1 to WSC Storm, a Tier 4 Atterbury division team in the Edmonton District Soccer Association in the last round robin game at provincials to determine the playoff pairings in the medal round.
The result equalled the highest finished by a SAWSL team at provincials, when Morinville won bronze in Tier IV in 2005.
In division two, SA Force finished on top of the table at 13-0-1 and beat the third-place Snipe 7-4 for the playoff cup.
The Sunburst Basketball League will maintain the status quo this year with five teams through addition by subtraction.
The Confederation Park Cubs will replace the Red Deer Stags in the senior AAA circuit that includes the St. Albert Tigers, Fort Saskatchewan A’s, Red Deer Riggers and the Parkland White Sox.
The season opener for the Tigers is May 18 against Parkland in Spruce Grove.
Last year the Tigers placed fifth in the six-team standings at 5-10-1 and in the best-of-three semifinal against the first-place 10-3-2 A’s they won the playoff opener 8-7 before bowing out 19-1 and 11-1.
Meanwhile, the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association has formed a junior team called the Cardinals to play in the North Central Alberta Baseball League.
The senior AA loop includes the Camrose Axemen, Sherwood Park Athletics, Stony Plain Mets (formally the Mayerthorpe Mets), Sturgeon Paladins, Westlock Red Lions and four Edmonton teams – Athletics, Blackhawks, Indians (formally the Legal Indians) and Warriors.
This is the 46th season for the most progressive baseball league in Alberta.
