The 21st year of Gator rugby at Lorne Akins School was a smashing success.
The Gators defended their Greater Edmonton league male and female sevens’ championships at Sunday’s junior high flag rugby tournament at Ellerslie Rugby Park.
The Gators finished the tournament undefeated in Tier 1 after beating the Hillcrest Mustangs 5-0 in the girls’ final and 20-0 in the boys’ final.
The tournament featured 23 teams from 12 Edmonton-and-area junior high schools. Matches consisted of seven-minute halves.
The Tier 2 male winners were the Elmer S. Gish Warriors, who knocked off the Gators 2 team in the semifinals.
The Gators Green girls placed third in Tier 1 after losing to Gators Gold in the semifinals.
In Tier 2 girls the Gators Grade 7 Pinks lost to Leduc in the semifinals.
Two years ago the Greater Edmonton league added the sevens’ game to its 10’s co-ed flag format that was introduced in 2005.
The first loss of the season for the St. Albert Crude after going unbeaten in 12 games in junior B Tier 1 lacrosse was Sunday’s 14-9 setback against the Saskatchewan Swat in Saskatoon.
The loss also snapped an 11-game winning streak for last year’s provincial finalists.
The Swat (6-7) rallied from a 3-1 deficit after the first period to knot it at six after two periods. Two of the Swat’s eight goals in the third were scored on the power play.
Crude captain Erik Turner struck four times and drew two assists. Cody Stannard, Cam Ellingson, Simon Hansen, Travis Poseluzny and Reece Runco also scored. Stannard, Owen Feist, Matt Murphy and netminder Bruce Ingraham added two assists apiece.
The day before, Stannard fired the game winner with 31 second to play to cap off a three-goal comeback in the 12-11 victory over the Swat. It was Stannard’s fourth goal and his second of the period. It was 11-8 when Stannard connected with 3:34 to go.
Poseluzny fired the equalizer with 1:57 on the clock.
It was 4-2 for the Crude after the first and 7-7 entering the third.
Turner finished the game with four goals and two assists. Ellingson, Murphy and Hansen also found the back of the net. Hansen and Runco also chipped in with four assists apiece and Stannard had a pair of helpers.
This weekend the Crude travel to play the Calgary Shamrocks (3-10) Saturday at 1 p.m. and the Red Deer Rampage (7-5-1) Sunday at 6 p.m.
The last game before provincials for the St. Albert Drillers in junior B female lacrosse is Saturday against the Calgary Axemen.
Ball drop is 3 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The Axemen are 7-5-1 and the Drillers were 6-7 prior to their match Tuesday against the Edmonton Senior Bandits (5-7-1) at Coronation Arena. The score was unavailable at press time.
Last weekend the Drillers halted a five-game losing streak with an 8-5 decision against the junior A Calgary Cardinals (7-5-2) in St. Albert.
The Drillers trailed 3-1 after the first period but led 4-3 after two periods.
Captain Brooke Huber potted four goals and Shayla Michayla picked up four assists.
Savanna Wygiera, Kathryn Hicks, Charleigh Kondas and Marie-Eve Gautier also scored in support of netminder Morgan Crough.
The latest junior B stats show the Drillers and Capital Region Saints (6-8) tied for second behind the Axemen in the three-team division.
There are also two junior A and three senior teams in the interlocking Rocky Mountain female circuit.
