SUNDAY SPORTS PAGE: CFL, USPORTS, WHL, NHL, MLB

CFL

EDMONTON – Tyrice Beverette’s 100-yard interception return turned the tide as the Montreal Alouettes kept their hopes of making a run at top spot in the CFL’s East Division with a thrilling 25-18 victory over the hapless-at-home Edmonton Elks on Saturday.

The Alouettes won their third game in a row and fifth of their last six and improved to 7-7, at least temporarily two points back of Toronto.

Edmonton set a CFL record for most consecutive home losses at 15, having failed to win at Commonwealth Stadium since Oct. 12, 2019.

“I ain’t talking about that streak,” said Elks head coach Chris Jones. “So, next question.”

“This one hurts a little bit,” said Edmonton defensive lineman Jake Ceresna. “It’s devastating. I think we were in a position to win the game and then just a couple of costly mistakes here and there.”

CFL

CALGARY – Cam Judge’s 71-yard interception return to score late in the fourth quarter sealed a 29-2 win for the Calgary Stampeders over the visiting Toronto Argonauts on Saturday.

Calgary running back Ka’Deem Carey totalled 92 yards on 14 carries with one last-minute touchdown. He leads the CFL in rushing yards this season with 949.

Reggie Begelton and Tommy Stevens also scored touchdowns for the Stampeders, who halted Toronto’s run of consecutive wins at four.

Stampeder quarterback Jake Maier completed 17 of 24 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown pass in front of an announced 21,299 at McMahon Stadium. He improved to 4-2 in starts since taking over for Bo Levi Mitchell.

Calgary’s Malik Henry’s 69 receiving yards gave him more than 1,000 this season.

Argonauts starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson was 19 for 38 in passing for 194 yards. Each quarterback gave up two interceptions in the game.

USPORTS

The University of Regina Rams ensured a return to the postseason for the first time since the 2017 season on Saturday after hanging on for a 19-14 win over Alberta on Saturday afternoon at Leibel Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Alberta scored first on a fine 19-yard reception by Orin Schellenberg in the opening quarter.
• The Rams responded in the second quarter first with a short Aldo Galvan field goal, then with an Olivier Savard nine-yard touchdown run which capped a six-play, 60-yard drive that also featured three Riley Boersma runs and a Boersma catch.
• The Rams led 12-8 at halftime and 13-8 heading into the fourth, and went up 16-8 with a Galvan 32-yard field goal with six minutes to go.
• Alberta marched downfield with a quick, long drive that was finished off by a Dakota McKay touchdown catch, but the Golden Bears’ two-point attempt that would have tied the game was no good thanks in large part to solid coverage by Jaxon Ford.
• The Rams responded with their best drive of the game, going 11 plays and 77 yards and taking 4:42 off the clock before Galvan hit another field goal to put the Rams up 19-14.
• Alberta took over with 40 seconds to go, but had no timeouts left and a completion on the final play of the game left the Golden Bears well short of the end zone and sealed Regina’ fourth win of the season. 

NOTES

• The Rams clinch a playoff berth thanks to Alberta, Manitoba, and UBC all being locked in a three-way tie for third place at 2-3. The possibility exists for a four-way knot for second place at 4-4, but in that case the Rams would win that tiebreaker based on their winning percentage against those other three teams.

WHL

RED DEER, Alta. – The Red Deer Rebels continue to roll in the early going of the Western Hockey League season as they defeated the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday 4-2 to boost their Central Division-leading record to three wins in as many games.

Kai Uchacz paced the Rebels with two goals, with singles added by Carter Anderson and Jace Isley.

Easton Armstrong and Borya Ellis scored for the Pats, who are 2-2 and tied for third in the East Division. Connor Bedard had 1 assist, was minus-1 and registered seven shots on goal.

WHEAT KINGS 4 WARRIORS 1

The Brandon Wheat Kings won their first game of the season by outgunning the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors 4-1.

Jake Chiasson, Evan Groening, Calder Anderson and Charlie Elick scored for the Wheat Kings (1-1), while Marek Howell scored for the Warriors (2-2).

ICE 5 TIGERS 2

Coonor Geekie scored three times to lead the unbeaten Winnipeg ICE to a 5-2 victory in Medicine Hat, Alta.

Skyler Bruce and Jaren Brinson scored the other goals for the ICE (4-0), while Tyler MacKenzie and Oasiz Wiesblatt scored for the Tigers (1-2).

WINTERHAWKS 4 AMERICANS 2

The Portland Winterhawks snapped a 2-2 tie in the second period and skated to their third win in as many games.

James Stefan, Gabe Klassen, Luke Schelter and Robbie Fromm-Delorme scored for the U.S. Division-leading Winterhawks, while Adam Mechura and Andrew Fan scored for the Tri-City Americans (1-3).

RAIDERS 5 OIL KINGS 1

The Prince Albert Raiders won their first game of the season by blitzing the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 5-1.

Keaton Sorenson had two goals for the Raiders (1-3-1), while Cole Peardon, Anton Yatsyshin and Ryder Ritchie added singles. Marshall Finnie scored for the Oil Kings (0-3-1).

ROCKETS 5 COUGARS 1

The Kelowna Rockets scored three unanswered goals in the first period and coasted to a 5-1 win over the Cougars in Prince George, B.C.

Adam Kydd scored two goals for the Rockets (1-1-1) while Turner McMillen, Marcus Pacheco and Gabriel Szturc netted singles. Chase Wheatcroft scored for the Cougars (2-2).

BLADES 8 BRONCOS 3

The unbeaten Saskatoon Blades scored three goals in the first and added four more in the second en route to an 8-3 win over the visiting Swift Current Broncos.

Scoring for Saskatoon (3-0) were Josh Pillar, Rowan Calvert, Justin Lies, Egor Sidorov, Trevor Wong, Aidan De La Gorgendiere, Jayden Wiens and Marek Schneider.

Connor Hvidston, Raphael Pelletier and Landon Roberts scored for the Broncos (1-3).

THUNDERBIRDS 6 GIANTS 4

Kyle Crnkovic scored twice as the Seattle Thunderbirds won their second game in as many outings. Gabe Ludwig, Lucas Ciona, Jared Davidson and Reid Schaefer chipped in with singles.

Ty Thorpe had two goals for visiting Vancouver (1-2), with singles added by Samuel Honzek and Colton Roberts.

BLAZERS 4 CHIEFS 2

The Kamloops Blazers, who will host the 2023 Memorial Cup, scored the game’s first four goals then cruised t a 4-2 victory in Spokane, Wash.

Connor Levis, Matthew Seminoff, Caedan Bankier and Ethan Brandwood scored for Kamloops (1-1), while Grady Lane and Cade Hayes scored for the Chiefs (2-1).

NHL, MLB

The surprising Seattle Kraken posted their fourth consecutive win, and second in a row against Vancouver, by dumping the Canucks 4-0 at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday. Yanni Gourde had two goals for Seattle, while Matty Beniers and Alex Wennberg added singles for the Kraken, who erased a 3-1 deficit on Thursday in Vancouver to beat the Canucks 4-3 in overtime. Philipp Grubauer recorded the shutout.

Edmonton forward Devin Shore scored the only goal of a shootout to give the Oilers a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in an N-H-L pre-season game at the Canada Life Centre on Saturday night. The five-minute overtime solved nothing, forcing the game into a shootout. Jason Demers and Tyler Benson scored the other Edmonton goals. Cole Perfetti scored a pair of goals for the Jets.

The Toronto Blue Jays will play their final game of the regular season at Rogers Centre today. But what fans are hoping is that today’s tilt against the Boston Red Sox isn’t the last time they see the squad this season. The Jays, who will send Kevin Gausman to the hill today, need to finish ahead of Seattle and Tampa Bay in the A-L wild-card race to host a first-round, best-of-three wild-card playoff series. Toronto finishes the regular season with three games in Baltimore starting on Monday.

(With files from CP, ReginaRams.com/Photo: CFL)