Saskatchewan U-16 side celebrates WHL Cup title
The Saskatchewan under-16 male hockey team captured its first WHL Cup title Sunday, beating Manitoba 4-2 in the gold-medal final at Calgary’s Markin Macphail Centre.
Vaughn Watterodt (Rosetown), Kylynn Olafson (Lanigan) and Tye Spencer (Saskatoon) scored for Saskatchewan, which got an empty-netter from Regina’s Eric Johnston.
Goaltender Dylan Ernst (Weyburn) stopped 21 of 23 shots in the victory. Ernst and forward Carter Dereniwsky (Canora) were named to the tournament all-star team.
“Words can’t really describe what I’m feeling right now,” Ernst told whl.ca. “We came into this tournament as underdogs and took the championship.”
In the bronze-medal game, Regina Pats prospect Layton Feist helped Team B.C. defeat Alberta 5-4.
The WHL Cup, previously known as the Western Canada Challenge Cup, debuted in 2009.
U OF R’S MACLEAN TOP CROSS-COUNTRY ROOKIE
Ron Maclean of the University of Regina Cougars was named the men’s division rookie of the year at the Canada West cross-country championships in Calgary on Saturday.
Maclean had the Cougars’ best finish, placing 15th over the 10-kilometre course in 33 minutes 37 seconds.
Wyatt Baiton, in 2009, was the only previous Cougars athlete to win the rookie-of-the-year award.
The other Cougars in the men’s race were Brayden Mytopher (35th, at 34:40), Kaelan Kolb (40th, 34:49), Matthew Johnson (43rd, 35:00), Jacob Smith (68th, 36:26) and Joseph Smith (72nd, 36:43).
The U of R finished eighth in the women’s team standings after the 8km race. Regina’s competitors were Kaila Neigum (30th, 32:30), Kaylee Tymo (32nd, 32:42), Sarah Novakowski (39th, 33:00), Darbi Edwards (55th, 34:10) and Tianna Dodds (56th, 34:10).
Next up for the Cougars is the U Sports championships (Nov. 9 at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.).
MELVILLE, YORKTON TAKE YEAR OFF FROM WCBL
The Western Canadian Baseball
League’s ranks have been reduced to 10 teams because the Melville Millionaires and Yorkton Cardinals have both been granted a year’s leave of absence.
The respite, according to a WCBL media release, will enable the teams to “work to improve their baseball operations and financial structures.”
To accommodate the leaves of absence, the Medicine Hat Mavericks have moved from the Western Division to the Eastern Division. The latter division also will include the Regina Red Sox, Moose Jaw Miller Express, Weyburn Beavers and Swift Current 57’s.
The 2020 regular season is to begin in the final week of May and conclude Aug. 6, with each team playing 56 games. The post-season will follow.
In other WMBL news, the league has announced its award winners for 2019. The recipients include Michael Batten of the Red Sox (top pitcher; based on earned run average), Joe Carnahan of Swift Current (coach of the year), Darryl Pisio of Moose Jaw (Eastern Division executive of the year) and Elemer Jerkovits of Regina (umpire of the year).
The following Red Sox players made the first all-star team: Batten (one of three starting pitchers); Heibert Romero (one of two relief pitchers), Jackson Cofer (closer), Griffin Keller (first base and designated hitter), Ivan Nunez (second base) and Adam De La Cruz (shortstop).
The second all-star team included Red Sox players Austin Alarid (starting pitcher), Samuel De La Cruz (third base), Wesley Moss (outfielder) and Ryan Eastburn (outfielder).