SATURDAY SPORTS PAGE: NLL, WHL, NLL, CFL

A hot start to the third quarter propelled the Calgary Roughnecks to a convincing 13-6 win over the Saskatchewan Rush on Friday in the Saddledome.

Tyler Pace and Zach Currier started things off in the second half with goals eight seconds apart to thrill the crowd of 14,070 appreciative fans in attendance.

Eli Salama, Haiden Dickson and Shane Simpson kept things going with three more quick goals as the Roughnecks (5-3) ran to their second straight victory and their third in their past four contests.

Tanner Cook finished with four goals, Pace had a hat trick, while goalie Christian Del Bianco had a great game as he stopped 40 of 46 shots he faced to pick up the win. Captain Jesse King had a goal and six helpers during the onslaught as he eclipsed the 200-assist plateau for his NLL career along the way.

The Riggers don’t have much time to rest seeing as how they’re hosting the Colorado Mammoth on Saturday night (7 p.m.) on WestJet Field at the Scotiabank Saddledome in the back half of a double-header weekend.

 

WHL

KENT, Wash. – Nico Myatovic and Jared Davidson each scored twice as the Seattle Thunderbirds earned a dominant 6-1 win over the Red Deer Rebels on Friday.

Dylan Guenther and Brad Lambert provided the rest of the offence for Western Conference-leading Seattle (37-9-1-1). Thomas Milic stopped 24-of-25 shots.

Kai Uchacz scored the lone goal for Red Deer (35-12-1-3), which sits in second in the Eastern Conference. Kyle Kelsey made 36 saves.

Neither side scored in the first two periods of the contest. After Davidson opened the scoring at 6:11 of the third period, Uchacz responded 1:36 later.

But the Thunderbirds reeled off five unanswered goals in a span of 5:13, with Myatovic capping the run with 1:25 left in the game.

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BLAZERS 5 BLADES 2

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Olen Zellweger had a goal and an assist as the Kamloops Blazers used four unanswered goals to come back and defeat the Saskatoon Blades 5-2.

Fraser Minten, Logan Bairos, Matthew Seminoff and Daylan Kuefler also scored for Kamloops (32-10-4-2), which won its fifth straight. Dylan Ernst made 25 saves.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere and Trevor Wong replied for Saskatoon (33-13-3-1). Ethan Chadwick stopped 32-of-36 shots.

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WINTERHAWKS 6 AMERICANS 3

KENNEWICK, WA. – Marcus Nguyen had two goals and an assist as the Portland Winterhawks handed the Tri-City Americans their third straight loss, 6-3.

James Stefan, Ryder Thompson, Gabe Klassen and Aidan Litke added the others for Portland (36-10-2-2). Dante Giannuzzi made 33 saves.

Jordan Gavin, Ethan Ernst and Tyson Greenway replied for Tri-City (25-19-4-1), which made it a 4-3 game early in the third period. Tomas Suchanek stopped 42-of-48 shots.

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HURRICANES 3 TIGERS 0

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. – Bryan Thomson earned a 29-save shutout as the Lethbridge Hurricanes downed the Medicine Hat Tigers 3-0.

Tyson Laventure, Trae Wilke and Cole Shepard scored for Lethbridge (28-18-3-2).

Evan May stopped 21 shots for Medicine Hat (21-22-7-1).

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SILVERTIPS 2 CHIEFS 1

SPOKANE, WA. – Tyler Palmer’s 34-save effort guided the Everett Silvertips to a tight 2-1 win over the Spokane Chiefs.

Ben Hemmerling, with a goal and an assist, and Jackson Berezowski scored for Everett (26-22-2).

Cade Hayes replied for Spokane (9-35-2-3), which got 34 saves from Dawson Cowan and had its losing streak extended to eight games.

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COUGARS 9 ROCKETS 2

KELOWNA, B.C. – Cole Dubinsky had a hat trick and one assist, Chase Wheatcroft added two goals and an assist and the Prince George Cougars topped the Kelowna Rockets 9-2.

Caden Brown, Hudson Thornton, Jaxsen Wiebe and Blake Eastman added the others for Prince George (24-21-4). Tyler Brennan made 21 saves.

Trae Johnson and Carson Golder scored for Kelowna (17-29-3). Talyn Boyko gave up three goals on seven shots in the first 7:59 of the game before Jari Kykkanen stopped 32-of-38 shots in relief.

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BRONCOS 4 RAIDERS 0

SWIFT CURRENT, SASK. – Connor Hvidston had a goal and three assists, Reid Dyck earned a 19-save shutout and the Swift Current Broncos downed the Prince Albert Raiders 4-0.

Mathew Ward, Owen Pickering and Brady Birnie also scored for Swift Current (24-21-1-2).

Tikhon Chaika made 31 saves for Prince Albert (19-28-3), which lost its third in a row.

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GIANTS 2 ROYALS 1 (OT)

VICTORIA – Ethan Semeniuk scored the game-winning goal at 3:16 of overtime to lift the Vancouver Giants to a 2-1 win over the Victoria Royals.

Sammy May scored the game-tying marker early in the third period for Vancouver (20-24-4-2). Jesper Vikman stopped 37 shots.

Teague Patton was the lone scorer for Victoria (14-32-5-1), which dropped its fifth straight. Braden Holt made 20 saves.

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WHEAT KINGS 4 OIL KINGS 1

BRANDON, M.B. – Caleb Hadland had a goal and an assist as the Brandon Wheat Kings defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-1.

Matthew Henry, Dawson Pasternak and Charlie Elick added the others for Brandon (20-22-7). Carson Bjarnason stopped 21-of-22 shots.

Gavin Hodnett scored the lone marker for Edmonton (8-40-3), which dropped its third in a row. Kolby Hay made 38 saves.

 

NHL SCOREBOARD

Toronto 3 Columbus 0

N.Y. Rangers 6 Seattle 3

Chicago 4 Arizona 3 (OT)

Pittsburgh 6 Anaheim 3

CFL

HARRIS RETURNS TO ARGOS: The CFL’s top-rushing Canadian is returning for another season.

Andrew Harris has agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Toronto Argonauts, according to a league source. The 35-year-old running back was slated to become a free agent Tuesday.

Harris and the Argos capped their season with a 24-23 Grey Cup victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Harris’s former team. The Winnipeg native ran for 97 yards and a TD on 19 carries in Toronto’s two playoff games. Following the Grey Cup win, Harris admitted he’d consider retirement in the off-season, but now will return for a 13th CFL campaign.

Also on Friday, Harris was named head of football operations for the Vancouver Island Raiders, a junior football franchise in Nanaimo, B.C. The club also announced Harris would become head coach in 2024.

ORIMOLADE TO ARGOS: Toronto has also agreed to terms with defensive end Folarin Orimolade, according to another CFL source, on a two-year deal. The 27-year-old American had 37 tackles, six sacks, a forced fumble and interception-return TD in 17 regular-season games last year with Calgary, where he won a Grey Cup with in 2018.

RIDERS SIGN LOFTON & PICTON: Also on Friday, the Saskatchewan Roughriders signed American offensive lineman Eric Lofton. The six-foot-four, 293-pound Lofton spent last season with Winnipeg, making one start. Lofton also spent time with the Ottawa Redblacks (2017-18).

Receiver Mitchell Picton, a Regina native, signed a two-year contract extension with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Picton was eligible to become a free agent Tuesday.

The six-foot-two, 200-pound Picton had 18 catches for 220 yards and two touchdowns in 11 regular-season games in 2022.

LAURENT STAYING IN STEELTOWN: Veteran Canadian defensive lineman Ted Laurent, meanwhile, signed an extension with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The six-foot-one, 299-pound Laurent returns for a 12th CFL season and ninth with the Ticats.

Laurent had nine tackles (one for a loss), two sacks and a forced fumble in 18 games (17 regular season, one playoffs) last season with Hamilton. The 35-year-old has appeared in 155 career regular-season games, registering 221 tackles (23 for loss), 50 sacks and eight forced fumbles.

(Canadian Press/Photo: Calgary Roughnecks)