The St. Albert Miners equalled their win total at last year’s Presidents’ Cup senior B nationals after overpowering the Tri-City Bandits 22-6 Thursday at the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne.
The Miners outscored the West Coast Lacrosse League champions 8-2 and 9-1 in the second and third periods respectively. Player stats were unavailable at deadline.
With two games remaining in the seven-team round robin, the Miners (2-2) shared third place with the Kahnawake Mohawks of the Quebec Lacrosse League and the St. Catherine Saints of the Ontario Lacrosse Association.
Friday, the Miners tangled with the St. Regis Braves of the Iroquois Lacrosse Association, but the result wasn’t posted at press time.
The Miners’ last game before the playoffs is today against St. Catherine.
The medal finals are set for Sunday. Visit www.presidentscup-2011.com for updates.
At the 2010 nationals in Burnaby, B.C., the Miners finished sixth overall with two wins and four losses.
In their return trip to nationals, the Miners rebounded from losses 14-7 against the Snake Island Muskies of the Iroquois association and a chippy 17-8 affair against Kahnawake by defeating the Newton Golden Eagles of the Can-Am Lacrosse League 14-11 Wednesday. Period scores were 6-6 and 4-4. Graedon Cornfield paced the attack with four goals and one assist. Chris Schmidt chipped in with a pair and three assists. Kyle Schram and Lucas Huyser-Wierenga also scored twice. Steve Tessarolo, Nick Petz, Tyler Farmer and captain Nate Schmidt added singles. Brad Scott had three helpers for the two-time defending Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League champions.
The Miners outshot Newton 57-41. The winning goalie was Alex Coutts, a pickup from the Calgary Knights.
A number of top-end pro players are competing at nationals, including Blaine Manning and Jeff Sanderson with the Muskies, along with the Merrill brothers, Brodie and Patrick, and Luke Wiles with Kahnawake.
The Edmonton Oil Kings’ fifth annual pre-season invitational tournament will take place Sunday and Monday at Performance Arena.
Sunday’s game times are 11 a.m. (Prince George Cougars versus Red Deer Rebels), 3 p.m. (Calgary Hitmen versus Medicine Hat Tigers) and 7 p.m. (Oil Kings versus Swift Current Broncos).
The puck drops Monday at 11 a.m. (Prince George versus Calgary), 3 p.m. (Red Deer versus Swift Current) and 7 p.m. (Oil Kings versus Medicine Hat).
Day passes, valid for all three games, are available at the door for $10.
Tyler Saunders of St. Albert repeated as the top male golfer in the McLennan Ross Sun junior tour championship event.
Saunders, 15, captured the title with a two-under-par 68 in Monday’s tour finale at the Wolf Creek Golf Resort. He came within two strokes of a tournament record.
The Glendale Golf and Country Club member finished two strokes ahead of Bryce Melville, 15, of the Cardiff Golf and Country Club.
Saunders joins 2007 and 2008 champions Chase Teron and Kaitlin Allan as the only repeat winners in the tour’s 16-year history. The Grade 11 student has three years of junior eligibility remaining.
Last month at the Western Canada Summer Games, Saunders played for Alberta’s silver-medal winning male golf team and finished tied for fifth place in the individual competition.
His dad, John, was a noted amateur golfer who finished top-10 once at the Canadian championship.
This year, the tour consisted of 25 events throughout the province, culminating in Monday’s championship.
St. Albert’s U17 boys won more games in the Edmonton Rugby Union playoffs than they did in the regular season.
After going 1-3 in the three-team division, St. Albert knocked off the Clansmen 29-22 in the semifinal and trampled the Strathcona Druids 48-5 for the city title.
In Wednesday’s final at Ellerslie Rugby Park, it was 7-0 St. Albert after two minutes of play and 14-0 before the Druids even touched the ball.
The Druids replied with a try off several phases. St. Albert answered with two tries and a penalty kick and the rout was on.
St. Albert’s lineup had just as many U15 players as it did U17 regulars.
“It was a team effort, with great phase rugby and very strong defence,” said coach Matt Herod. “Ball possession was 70-30 St. Albert and territorial play was 65-35 St. Albert.”
St. Albert will battle the Calgary Hornets for the U17 provincial title next Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Red Deer Titans Rugby Club.
Meanwhile, the U15 city final between St. Albert and the Nor’Westers kicks off this Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Ellerslie. The winner plays the Calgary Canucks in the provincial final next Saturday in Red Deer at 11 a.m.
