SUNDAY SPORTS PAGE: USPORTS, WORLD SERIES, WHL, NHL
CANADA WEST FOOTBALL – HUSKIES, THUNDERBIRDS TO BEAT IN HARDY CUP
SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Huskies football team is once again Hardy Cup bound, after a 37-9 win over the Manitoba Bisons in Saturday afternoon’s Hardy Cup semifinal at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park.
Winter conditions played a factor throughout. With the field covered in snow and the wind howling, the Huskies turned to the ground game and ran the ball for 264 yards on 39 attempts from five different ball carriers. On the defensive side of the ball, Charlie Ringland’s three interceptions symbolized the group’s ability to capitalize on a Bisons offence that finished with just 166 yards of total offence.
The victory ensures that Huskies will in fact play host to the Hardy Cup for the second-straight season — a game that is set for next Saturday afternoon at Griffiths.
The Huskies opponent will be the UBC Thunderbirds, who beat the Regina Rams in the second Hardy Cup semifinal of the day at Mosaic Stadium. That sets the stage for a rematch of the 2021 Hardy Cup semifinal, as this time the Huskies and Thunderbirds will meet in the 85th Hardy Cup.
“They’re a really good football team. Their line of scrimmage is really good on both sides. We know that. They’ve got speed. They’ve got guys that can move. We know that Coach Nill has been around. He’s a champion and we know that he’s going to have his guys prepared,” said Huskies coach Scott Flory.
“We’re looking forward to getting back here and back to the cozy confines of Griffiths. Our guys will be ready.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Tickets are available at huskietickets.com.
WORLD SERIES
HOUSTON – Yordan Alvarez hit a towering go-ahead homer and the Houston Astros clinched their second World Series title in six seasons and got Dusty Baker his first crown as a manager with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday night.
As Alvarez’s 450-foot blast in the sixth inning disappeared, Astros starter Framber Valdez jumped and wildly screamed in the dugout as fans in the crowd of 42,948 went into a frenzy waving their orange rally towels.
Baker finally got his first title in his 25th season as a manager, the past three since being hired by the Astros to help the team regain credibility after the sign-stealing scandal that cost manger A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs, and made Houston the most reviled team in baseball.
The 73-year-old Baker, who had been to the World Series twice before as a skipper, is the oldest championship manager.
WHL
BRONCOS 5 PATS 2
REGINA, SASK. – Josh Filmon scored twice and netminder Gage Alexander stopped 40 of 42 shots as the visiting Swift Current Broncos crushed the Regina Pats 5-2.
Sam McGinley, Connor Hvidston and Josh Davies also scored for the Broncos (7-8-0-0).
Alexander Suzdalev and Stanislav Svozil scored for the Pats (7-87-0-1). Connor Bedard chipped in with two assists.
REBELS 4 WARRIORS 2
MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Jace Isley and Kai Uchacz each scored two goals, netminder Kyle Kelsey stopped 21 of 23 shots and the Red Deer Rebels won their 15th consecutive Western Hockey League game by beating the Moose Jaw Warriors 4-2 on Saturday night.
Jayden Grubbe had two assists for the Rebels who are now 15-0-0-0.
Brayden Yager and Atley Calvert scored for the Warriors, who led the game 2-0 until 12:46 of the second period.
Red Deer outshot the hosts 28-23.
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BLADES 4 WHEAT KINGS 1
BRANDON, MAN. – Jordan Keller scored twice and the Saskatoon Blades outshot the host Brandon Wheat Kings 34-26 en route to a 4-1 win.
Brandon Lisowsky and Aidan De La Gorgendiere also scored for the Blades (12-4-0-0).
Andrei Malyavin scored for the Wheat Kings (6-9-2-0).
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ICE 5 AMERICANS 4
WINNIPEG, MAN. – Connor Dale scored twice and the Winnipeg ICE outlasted the visiting Tri-City Americans 5-4.
Ty Nash, Connor McClennon and Vladislav Shilo also scored for the ICE (15-1-0-0), who outshot the Americans 34-32 (7-9-0-0).
Jake Sloan had two goals for the Americans, with singles netted by Ethan Ernst and Adam Mechura.
The win was the 900th in ICE franchise history, dating back to Cranbrook and Edmonton.
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HURRICANES 3 TIGERS 2
MEDICINE HAT, ALTA. – Tyson Zimmer’s goal at 8:38 of the third period stood as the winner as the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes edged the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-2.
Jett Jones and Logan Wormald also scored for the Hurricanes (8-8-0-1).
Andrew Basha and Dallon Melin scored for the Tigers (4-8-3-0), who were outshot 31-26.
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SILVERTIPS 4 RAIDERS 2
PRINCE ALBERT, SASK. – Olen Zellweger and Caden Zaplitny each scored twice as the visiting Everett Silvertips knocked off the Prince Albert Raiders 4-2.
Evan Herman and Keaton Sorensen scored for the Raiders (4-11-2-0), who were outshot 42-20, but kept in the game by netminder Tkhon Chaika’s 38 saves.
The Silvertips (11-5-0-0) led 3-0 after the first period and 3-1 heading into the final frame.
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WINTERHAWKS 5 THUNDERBIRDS 3
SEATTLE, WASH. – Luca Cagnoni scored twice and Gabe Klassen added a goal and two assists as the Portland Winterhawks knocked off the host Seattle Thunderbirds 5-3.
Marcus Nguyen and Dawson Pasternak also scored for the Winterhawks (10-1-1-1), who outshot the T-Birds 32-28.
Lucas Ciona, Nico Myatovic and Kevin Korchinski scored for the Thunderbirds (10-3-0-0).
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ROCKETS 3 BLAZERS 1
KELOWNA, B.C. – Andrew Cristall scored two goals and netminder Talyn Boyko made 44 saves as the Kelowna Rockets beat the visiting Kamloops Blazers 3-1.
Dylan Wightman also scored for the Rockets (5-7-1-0), who led 2-1 heading into the final frame.
Logan Stankoven scored a power-play goal for the Blazers (7-4-1-1).
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COUGARS 5 CHIEFS 3
SPOKANE, WASH. – Chase Wheatcroft scored two goals and Carter MacAdams added two assists as the Prince George Cougars beat the host Spokane Chiefs 5-3.
Noah Boyko, Riley Heidt and Koehn Ziemmer also scored for the Cougars (9-7-0-0), who were outshot 43-28.
Carter Streek, Cade Hayes and Tommaso De Luca scored for the Chiefs (3-10-0-0), who trailed 3-1 entering the third period.
NHL SCOREBOARD
Toronto 2 Boston 1
Winnipeg 4 Chicago 0
Vegas 6 Montreal 4
Philadelphia 2 Ottawa 1
Dallas 6 Edmonton 2
New Jersey 4 Calgary 3 (OT)
Nashville 4 Vancouver 3 (SO)
Detroit 3 N.Y. Islanders 0
Colorado 5 Columbus 1
Arizona 3 Washington 2
Tampa Bay 5 Buffalo 3
Seattle 3 Pittsburgh 2
Anaheim 5 San Jose 4 (SO)
Los Angeles 5 Florida 4
(Canadian Press, Rams/Huskies Athletics)
