SATURDAY SPORTS PAGE: HUSKIES, T-BIRDS, BEARS WIN OPENING NIGHT

REGINA — The University of Regina Rams opened the Canada West schedule with a 25-10 home setback to the No. 9-ranked UBC Thunderbirds on Friday night at Mosaic Stadium. Bennett Stusek and D’Sean Mimbs tied for the game high with six catches apiece. Mimbs led all players with 92 receiving yards. Stusek collected his 100th career reception in the first quarter, becoming the 14th U of R player to hit that milestone.

The Rams are back at it next Friday, Sept. 8 with a Week 2 road game at Saskatchewan (1-0).

WINNIPEG — After falling just short in back to back seasons, facing defeat in the Vanier Cup in 2021 and 2022, the Huskies came into the 2023 season hungry. Being ranked among their peers as the third best team in the nation and tied with UBC for top spot in the Canada West, many would say that they were the team to watch in week one of the regular season. And if you did watch any Huskie football on Friday night, you wouldn’t be disappointed. 

The Huskies left IG Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba with a 30-27 win over the Manitoba Bisons, starting their road back to the Vanier Cup 1-0. They earned every bit of that win Friday night. 

CALGARY — Two 70-yard scoring plays in the first half proved to be the difference as the University of Alberta Golden Bears opened the 2023 season with a 33-9 win over the University of Calgary Dinos Friday afternoon in front of 6,762 fans from inside McMahon Stadium.

Eli Hetlinger led the Bears, completing 21-of-31 attempts for 380 yards through the air. 141 of those yards came on two plays, where Hetlinger connected with Carter Kettyle on a pair of short passes that resulted in 70 and 71-yard touchdowns.

MLB

Pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk’s three-run double sparked a five-run seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays hit three homers in a 13-9 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Danny Jansen, Brandon Belt and Ernie Clement went deep for the Blue Jays, who have won four of six to move within one-and-a-half games of slumping Texas for the final AL wild card.

Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen has a fractured right middle finger, Toronto manager John Schneider told reporters after Friday night’s win against the Colorado Rockies. Jansen was hurt when a foul ball by a Colorado batter hit his right hand. The Blue Jays haven’t announced how long he’ll be out. The 28-year-old Jansen has hit a career-high 17 home runs this season.

*Jasson Dominguez became the youngest Yankees player to homer in his first career at-bat and Aaron Judge reached 250 home runs faster than any other major-leaguer as New York slugged its way to a 6-2 win over the Houston Astros. The 20-year-old Dominguez became the first Yankees hitter to go deep in his initial big league at-bat since Judge in August 2016.

CFL

The Montreal Alouettes host the BC Lions Saturday night to kick off Week 13 action in the CFL. Both teams are currently second in their respective divisions but coming off bad losses last week. Veteran wide receiver Greg Ellingson will make his debut with the Alouettes after starting the season on the injured list. Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Junior returns to Montreal after he was traded by the Alouettes last season.

MLS

Two of three Canadian MLS teams are in action Saturday night. C-F Montreal hosts the Columbus Crew as former head coach Wilfried Nancy returns to Saputo Stadium. In the afternoon, the Vancouver Whitecaps are on the road to take on New York City F-C.

LPGA

Smiths Falls, Ontario’s Brooke Henderson is the lone Canadian left in the Portland Classic LPGA tournament. Henderson is tied for 25th at seven under and trails leader Perrine Delacour by seven strokes heading into the weekend. The 25-year-old Henderson is a two-time champion at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

(Team Websites, Canadian Press)