Busy weekend on tap
Puck, hoop Panthers, Rocket all home and in sports spotlight
Three of the highest profiled P. E. I. sports teams are at home this weekend and the results of these games could tell us if these clubs are playoff contenders or not.
The UPEI hockey Panthers opened their regular s e a s o n a g a i n s t arch- rival Mo n c t o n Blue Eagles last night and that homestand continues tonight at 7 p. m. at MacLauchlan Arena against the St. Thomas Tommies.
The Panthers don’t have high scorers Matt Carter or Jared Gomes this year but Jordon Knox is ready for fulltime duty after a summer shoulder operation.
It looks like head coach Forbie MacPherson will go with four balanced lines, a tighter checking game and their great goaltending as their game plan in the toughest university league in Canada.
On the basketball front, the hoop Panthers host the annual Mickey Place tournament with the men and women in action this weekend. The men’s team plays Regina at 8 p. m. tonight while at 6 p. m. the women face Memorial. Tomorrow at 1 p. m., the women entertain Ottawa while at 3 p. m. the men tangle with Atlantic conference rival Saint Mary’s. All the basketball games are on campus at the UPEI field house.
The high- flying P. E. I. Rocket is off to a blazing start with 6- 2 record heading into Friday night’s action in the early going thanks to the great play of veterans Josh Currie and Ben Duffy. The Rocket blanked defending champion Saint John 4- 0 here Wednesday night and goaltender Antoine Bibeau recorded his first ever shutout and earned first star honours. Tonight at 7 p. m. at the Civic Centre, the Rocket entertain RouynNoranda, who boast three of the league’s top scorers in leader Jean Sebastien Dea, Sven Andrigetto and Gabriel Desjardins.
Tonight is also a chance for local fans to get a good look at the Rocket’s firstround draft pick Alex Pepin, who was Wednesday night’s second star as well as speedster Victor Provencher, who already has five goals on the campaign. On the diamond The major league baseball playoffs continue this weekend and if the late- inning heroics continue this should make for some terrific baseball.
New York Yankees and the Oakland A’s came up with dramatic Wednesday wins to lengthen the playoff round. Thursday Baltimore edged the Yankees in extra innings and the deciding game went last night in Gotham. The Yankee bats have suddenly gone silent while Derek Jeter is nursing a bad ankle and may not be able to play shortstop. Even if the Yankees get past the Orioles, they face Detroit with the best starting pitching of all the playoff teams.
In the National League, Washington’s decision to sit out ace Stephen Strasburg will likely mean an early exit. The decision to rest Strasburg is a questionable one and in this day and age, Washington may not be in this post- season position ever again.
Strasburg has obviously recovered fully from elbow surgery and a few more starts will likely not hurt.
In other National League play, the Cincinnati Reds took a page out of the Toronto Blue Jays baserunning playbook with a boneheaded attempted theft of third base, which killed a rally and sent the Reds to the sidelines. When you make stupid mistakes, you deserve to lose.
On the local front, the Stratford 3 Points Machining and Aerospace Athletics are at home Sunday at 2 p. m. and have a chance to win their first- ever league championship. The A’s are up 3- 1 in the best- of- seven final against last year’s champions, the Morell Chevies.
Shawn MacDougall has been a major force for Stratford with a three- run homer in Wednesday’s 6- 3 win Morell and if he continues his hot hitting, the A’s could dethrone the Chevies. Gridiron The NFL heads into Week 6 and already there are a number of surprises. Green Bay, New Orleans, Buffalo and Kansas City have been disappointing while Arizona, Minnesota, Chicago, Miami and, to a lesser extent, Houston have been much better than pre- season suggested. The Sports Prophet was 3- for- 4 last week against the spread coming off a perfect 4- for- 4 week, so 7 of 8 in key games should tell you not to wander too far away from the paper that “Covers the Island like the Dew.”
Here are some key games this weekend:
Dallas Cowboys ( 2- 2) at Baltimore Ravens ( 4- 1): The Cowboys are coming off the bye week and have a tough upcoming schedule. This game is a must for QB Tony Romo and his receiving corps, especially Dez Bryant who carries a huge contract. So far this season with no TDs, Bryant has been as visible as Melissa James at a Public Accounts hearing. I think the Cowboys come up big and knock off the Ravens, whose D is a little older and minus allpro linebacker Terrell Suggs. Bet the Cowboys as the upset special.
Minnesota ( 4- 1) at Washington ( 2- 3): Minnesota is for real with a smart young QB in Christian Ponder, a terrific runner in Adrian Peterson and a great player in Percy Harvin. The Skins will likely be without sensational rookie QB Robert Griffin III and even if he’s available, the outcome is not going to change. Bet the Vikings.
Kansas City ( 1- 4) at Tampa Bay ( 1- 3): The Bucs are home and rested while the Chiefs are in turmoil and without QB Matt Cassel. The Chiefs can run the ball but the Bucs have a stout run defence – fourth best in the league. Tampa’s QB Josh Freeman has disappointed to date but here’s the right opponent to get his game back on track. Take Tampa Bay.
New England ( 3- 2) at Seattle ( 3- 2): Local horse trainers Jamie Smith and Doug MacGregor and Red Shores manager Tom Mullally are big Seattle fans. They may look like The Three Wise Men if Seattle wins, but the Prophet loves Pats’ QB Tom Brady, receiver Wes Welker and company. The Seahawks are much improved but the Pats have too many weapons and a great young runner in Stevan Ridley. When the whistle ends this game, my friends may resemble that other trio: Larry, Curly and Moe. Bet the Patriots.
As always, pay the mortgage first, the picks are for fun. At the track Live harness racing continues tonight at 6 p. m. with a good- looking 12- dash program. There’s two divisions of the Maritime Breeders for three- year- old trotters, plus the $ 13,600 Atlantic Aged Mares Pacing final with top females like J K Special, General Lucky Percy, Elm Grove Future, Charlotte’s Maggie, Dreaming, Private Joke and Shooters Bay.
In up country racing, the big money is in Georgian Downs tonight where the $ 130,000 gold finals for twoyearold pacing colts and pacing fillies are in the spotlight. Brothers James and Anthony MacDonald as well as Paul MacKenzie and Robert Shepherd compete in the filly final while A Mac’s Mach Pride is 4- 1 in the colt final.
At Woodbine tonight, the feature is the $ 38,000 open with horses like Pet Rock, Dalhousie Dave and Big Time Ball among the six horse field.
Earlier this week at the Toronto track, Danny MacIsaac’s Catch The Dream won the $ 23,000 trot in 1: 55: 4 for driver Ricky Zeron. The Cash Hall fouryearold goes again this Monday night in Race 3. If you see Dan remind him of the start time 7: 10 p. m. Toronto time. Also at Woodbine West River Victory took a new record of 1: 56: 2, a good trip for the Maritime bred son of Meadowagogo, who stood at Bert Honkoop’s two years ago.
Also last Saturday at Woodbine, James MacDonald rallied Speed Again in deep stretch for a narrow nose 1: 51 and change score over Souris- owned, and Dr. Ian Moore- trained, State Treasurer in a $ 22,000 overnight event.
A number of three- yearolds that raced here this past season have moved upcountry. Kingdom Come, co- owned by Jack Hynes and Evan Ford, has been sold to USA interests for a figure in the $ 15,000 to $ 16,000 range while R E’s Art, co- owned by Harry Simmonds, Norman Clarey and Shawn MacIsaac, has been sold to Ontario interests for somewhere around $ 25,000. Let’s hope the new owners have great luck and will be back for more. Oryssya Ellis, left, and Emma Gallant, practice their skills on the ice at the MacLauchlan Arena Friday as part of World Female Hockey Weekend. The initiative promotes improvement at all levels of female hockey on Prince Edward Island. Island girl hockey players had an opportunity Friday to skate with the UPEI Panthers women’s hockey team.
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