In game four in the best-of-five semifinal, the Raiders lit up the Miners for seven straight goals to win 13-7 at Performance Arena.
The host team for the Minto Cup national championship battled back from deficits of 5-2 in the first period and 6-4 early in the second before the floodgates opened.
Darren Kinnear was the top scorer for the Miners with three goals and one assist. Captain Spencer Lorenz added two goals and two assists. Conner Anderson and Spencer Gelinas also tallied. In net was Scott Kavalinas.
The Miners staved off elimination Saturday with a 10-7 decision in St. Albert. Down 4-1 after the first frame, the Miners outscored the Raiders 5-3 in the second and 4-0 in the third. Eric Turner, David Lehman, Lorenz and Gelinas pumped in two goals apiece. John Poirier and Dayna Douville also scored and Richard Thompson added three assists for a team-high 11 playoff points. Kavalinas was between the pipes.
The playoffs started in Okotoks the previous weekend, with the Raiders prevailing 13-7 and 12-6.
In the four-team standings, the Raiders (18-2) placed first and the Miners (7-12-1) finished last.
Local slo-pitch players were the big winners at the Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games last weekend in Fairview.
The gold medal winning Zone 5 team in the 65-plus division included Peter Brown, Ronald Crosby, Larry Murphy, James Walsh and Mike Wlasichuk of St. Albert, Norman Carruthers of Namao and Leo Provencal of Vimy.
Zone 5 also captured silver in the 55-plus division. The team was comprised by Raymond Foster, Larry Gayle, Melvin Kammerer, Brian Kupsch, Chester Perreault, Richard Perreault and Robert Reil of St. Albert, Jerry Wozniak and Richard Houle of Morinville and Barry Properzi of Sturgeon County.
In the 55-plus co-ed division, Zone 5 was awarded bronze with Lorraine Hebert and Louise Tremblay in the line-up.
Meanwhile in athletics, Gary Ballan of St. Albert took home gold in the 55-plus men’s time predicted event.
The following St. Albert athletes made the podium at the Alberta Age Class Provincial Track and Field Championships last weekend at Strathcona Athletic Park.
Morgan Walker, Edmonton Olympic Track and Field Club: midget female – gold, 200 metres (24.97) and 300m (40.53).
Hayley Francois, Edmonton Harriers Track and Field Club: youth female – gold, 1,500m (4:58.07); bronze, 800m (2:20.18).
Ashley Biggar, St. Albert Track and Field Club: youth female – gold, javelin (27.38m); bronze, discus (20.68m).
Quinn Waselenchuk, St. Albert: bantam male – silver, discus (23.69m); bronze, high jump (1.35m) and 80m (11.95).
Liam Clarke, St. Albert, peewee male – silver, 80m (13.07) and long jump (3.60m).
Additional results were unavailable at press deadline.
Morinville racer Mark Schwabenbauer finished fifth in the GTP4 class at the Eurasia Cup GT Invitational on Sunday morning at the Edmonton City Centre Airport.
The automotive technician at St. Albert Dodge was also the fifth-fastest qualifier driving a 1980 Volkswagen Scirocco, which puts out a maximum 200 horsepower.
Last year, he placed fourth in his class.
The Eurasia Cup was hosted by the Northern Alberta Sports Car Club and was one of the support races for the Edmonton Indy.
