Edmonton Oilers Recall Ethan Bear

The Edmonton Oilers have recalled defenceman Ethan Bear from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.
Bear, 20, has 16 points (6G, 10A) and 12 penalty minutes in 34 games this season with Bakersfield.
The 5'11", 209-pound defenceman is in his rookie professional season, after being drafted by Edmonton in the fifth round, 124th overall, of the 2015 NHL Draft.

In 2016-17, Bear, who comes from the Ochapowace First Nation, captained Seattle to the WHL Championship and was named WHL Defenceman of the Year. Bear played for Canada's National Under-18 program twice, winning gold at the 2014 Hlinka Memorial and a bronze medal at the 2015 World U18 Men's Hockey Championship in Switzerland.

(Edmonton Oilers) 

NFL Looking At Making Pass Interference Calls 15 Yards

The NFL is reportedly looking at implementing a number of rule changes, some expected (clarifying the catch rule) and some not so.

One of the surprising proposals offered by the NFL Competition Committee is to change the penalty for defensive pass interference from a spot foul to a 15-yard penalty at most which would make it  more in line with how the game is refereed on the collegiate level.

Changing the pass interference penalty is on its face a defense-first measure. Offenses would have far less to gain by "chucking it up" to try and draw a penalty from a grabby defensive back downfield.

Defensive pass interference was called 266 times in 2017, per Pro Football Reference, or more than once per game for an average of 18.09 yards per game. It was the third-most frequent flag behind offensive holding and false start.

In addition, and perhaps as a counter-measure, the league is expected to increase "illegal contact" calls as an effort to limit the amount of hand-fighting.

The committee is also looking at potentially eliminating the "going to the ground" portion of the catch rule in attempt to clarify, changing the targeting rule and emphasizing more ejections for fighting.

"We are going to figure it out," said Stephen Jones, Cowboys executive vice president and competition committee member, in regard to the catch rule. "I do think we'll make some improvements that our fans, and in general, people will appreciate when it's all said and done."

The NFL Competition Committee is made up of two owners, club presidents, general managers and head coaches. The Committee must present proposed measures to the 32 owners to be accepted. A new rule or a revision must have the support of 75 percent of the owners.

NHL Three Stars Of Week

FIRST STAR - ERIC STAAL, C, MINNESOTA WILD
Staal paced the NHL with 4-3-7 in four games to propel the Wild (35-20-7, 77 points) to a perfect week and into third place in the Central Division. He collected one assist in a 5‑3 win over the New York Islanders Feb. 19, followed by one goal in a 4-2 victory against the New Jersey Devils Feb. 22. Staal then registered 2-2-4, his 13th career four-point performance and first since March 8, 2015 (0-4-4 w/ CAR), in a 4-1 triumph over the New York Rangers Feb. 23. He capped the week with his 30th goal of the season, reaching the milestone for the first time since 2010-11 and sixth time overall, in a 3-2 overtime victory against the San Jose Sharks Feb. 25. The 33-year-old Thunder Bay, Ont., native shares seventh place in the NHL with 30 goals and ranks 20th overall with 59 points in 62 contests this season (30-29-59).



SECOND STAR - PEKKA RINNE, G, NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Rinne went 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average, .970 save percentage and one shutout to lift the Predators (38-14-9, 85 points) back atop the Central Division standings. He made 36 saves in a 5-2 triumph over the Ottawa Senators Feb. 19. Rinne then turned aside 33 shots in a 7-1 victory against the San Jose Sharks Feb. 22, becoming the third Finnish-born goaltender in NHL history to record 300 wins. He closed the week by making 27 saves for his 49th career shutout in a 4-0 triumph over the St. Louis Blues Feb. 25. The 35-year-old Kempele, Finland, native has appeared in 45 games this season, ranking in the top five among goaltenders in wins (t-2nd; 32), shutouts (t-2nd; 6), goals-against average (5th; 2.27) and save percentage (5th; .929).



THIRD STAR - RYAN GETZLAF, C, ANAHEIM DUCKS
Getzlaf placed second in the NHL with 2-5-7 in four outings as the Ducks (31‑21-12, 74 points) earned five of a possible eight standings points to maintain third place in the Pacific Division. He posted one assist in a 2-0 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights Feb. 19, followed by 1-1-2 in a 2-0 win over the Dallas Stars Feb. 21. After being held off the scoresheet in a 2-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes Feb. 24, Getzlaf bounced back with 1-3-4 (his 18th career four-point effort) in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers Feb. 25. The 32-year-old Regina, Sask., native sits second on the Ducks with 9-33-42 this season (40 GP) despite missing 24 games due to injury.

Something To "Mitch" About

--The Olympics are over. Canada had their best ever Winter Games finishing with 29 medals. We finished ahead of the US in medals.  We finished 3rd in medals just behind Norway and Germany.  We also didn't get a medal in curling and didn't get a gold in hockey.  Was it a good Winter Olympics or a bad one?  I would say it was a great one.

The men's hockey bronze was good to see as I don't think anyone really knew what to expect from this team with no NHL'ers there.  Yes, we could have won gold with the likes of McDavid, Crosby, Doughty and Burns there, but those guys may not have done any better than the ones who took him bronze.   You could see the joy on the faces of the Canadians as they were given their medals. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those guys and it is a moment they will never forget so good on them for getting something.   At the end of the day, we were better than the Americans and that's a good thing isn't it? 

As for the highlight for Canada, it had to be a drunken Scott Moir chirping at the ref in the women's hockey gold medal game.  That was such a Canadian moment.  It was like Jon Montgomery walking through the streets in Whistler with beer in hand after winning gold.

--Riders president and CEO Craig Reynolds told Rider Nation Thursday from Glendale, Arizona where 620 CKRM's Sportscage was broadcasting from that the team did not put in a bid to host the Grey Cup in 2019. Reynolds feels the timing isn't right at this moment even though the first year in their home was tremendous.  I don't have a problem with this.

Regina has had many big events roll through in the last 12 months and the appetite may not be there for a Grey Cup. I'm sure Reynolds and the organization saw people balk at the price of everything sports-related these days and said adding another expense with Grey Cup tickets and the stuff associated with it wouldn't fly right now.  Add to that the volunteers who may be suffering from some burnout.    Don't be surprised if the game comes here in 20 or 21.   3 Down Nation's Justin Dunk believes Calgary will get the 19 game.  Would the CFL put the Grey Cup in a Western locale three straight years? If the answer is no than I would say 21 for sure.


--With a couple of weeks to go before the WHL regular-season comes to an end, we have no idea who will finish where and who will play who.  What I do know is that if the Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats meet in a playoff series whether it be first or second round, it is going to be fantastic.  The two teams put on another terrific show in Moose Jaw Saturday night with the home team prevailing 3-2 in what had a playoff-type intensity to it.  Yes, games with Swift Current will be outstanding as well against either Regina or Moose Jaw.  In the end, the big winner is you the southern Saskatchewan hockey fan who have waited years for this scenario to live out.

After the game, Warriors coach Tim Hunter dropped a bomb on both the Pats and Broncos.  He told the Leader-Post's Greg Harder that he feels good about a potential playoff matchup with Regina because they are a better hockey team as they are 20 points ahead of them in the standings.  He then went on to say " I don’t care who we see in the playoffs; we’re going to compete in the playoffs and win in the playoffs because we’re a good team,” Regina, Swift Current and whoever will come out of the West might have been given the impetus to make sure that cheque doesn't get cashed.

--Regina, you did yourself proud this weekend. Almost 3000 people turned up at the Co-Operators Centre Saturday to get themselves swabbed in hopes of finding a match for an eight-year-old boy with a rare genetic disease called "Fanconi Anemia".  Only those between the ages of 17-35 could get tested because that is the best demographic for a perfect match and many showed up to do what they can.  Well done Regina!

--Going into Monday, four of the bottom six in the NHL are Canadian teams.  I thought we were over this! I guess not.

--Who will tap dance more today on NHL trade deadline day.  The TSN or Sportsnet guys.  What do Onrait and O'Toole have up their sleeves?

--If the over/under on HR's by Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge is 89.5 this year, are you taking the over or under?

--That's all I got.  Have a great week!

Cougars Move One Step Closer To Conference Title

The University of Regina’s women’s basketball team was outscored in three of the game’s four quarters, but the Cougars were able to pull out a 66-60 win over Calgary on Friday night to clinch the best-of-three Canada West semifinal series at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.

The Cougars advance to the conference championship game, which they’ll host against either Saskatchewan or Trinity Western next Friday night (7:00) at the CKHS.

Charlotte Kot led the Cougars with 14 points while Kyanna Giles scored 12 and added six rebounds despite only playing 21 minutes after being saddled with foul trouble for most of the night.

“It wasn’t the usual recipe for a win being outscored in three quarters, giving up more shot attempts, and turning the ball over more times than they did,” Cougars head coach Dave Taylor said. “But it was a great team win as we got great bench production, especially from Avery Pearce who was critical for us in the second half. Kyanna (Giles) played well coming off an extended rest due to foul trouble and gave us a spark, and we got great fifth-year leadership from Charlotte (Kot) who logged big minutes for us.”

After a first half which saw Regina go through a first-quarter scoring drought that lasted nearly seven minutes and Calgary take a double-digit lead at one point in the second, the Cougars exploded in the third. Regina went on a 15-3 run which included five points from Pearce, who had a big triple and also had a layup down low after getting an offensive board off her own miss. That turned a five-point Calgary lead into a seven-point Regina advantage five minutes later, and the Cougars took a 50-42 lead into the fourth after Carolina Goncalves and Pearce had layups on back-to-back possessions to end the quarter.

Calgary wasn’t nearly done, though. The Dinos went on a huge 14-2 run of their own and jumped back into the lead thanks to one of Brianna Ghali’s two triples on the night. A three-pointer by Shannon Hatch broke a tie game with 3:22 left on the game clock, but that would turn out to be Calgary’s final field goal of the night.

The Cougars took the lead back for good after Michaela Kleisinger buried a three-pointer with just over two minutes to go, and an incredible finish by Kyia Giles off a drive to the basket with 18 seconds left made it a two-possession game and all but locked up the win for Regina.

Besides Kot’s 14 points and the 12 points by Kyanna Giles, the Cougars also got nine points from Pearce, eight by Christina McCusker, and seven for Michaela Kleisinger who also led all players with 11 rebounds.

Ghali and Hatch both finished with 14 points for Calgary, which will continue its season on the road next weekend against the loser of the Saskatchewan/TWU series. Those two teams will battle in a Canada West third-place game, with the winner of that earning the conference’s second bid to the U SPORTS Championship in Regina the following weekend.

NOTES: Next Friday will mark the third consecutive season the Cougars have played in the Canada West championship game and the ninth time they’ll play for a conference title in 12 seasons under the direction of Taylor.

Jerry Glanville is Hamilton's New Defensive Co-Ordinator

June Jones, Head Coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, announced Friday that Jerry Glanville has joined the team’s coaching staff as Defensive Coordinator.

“Jerry is one of the best defensive minds and one of the great motivators in the game of football, and we’re excited to have him come on board with the Ticats,” said Jones. “I played for Jerry, coached for Jerry, and he has coached for me. We think alike and he has been a big influence on not just me, but the game of football itself. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the CFL just got better.”

Glanville, who spent the 2017 training camp with the Tiger-Cats and has vast experience in the coaching ranks spanning more than 30 years, has consistently produced excellent defensive football throughout his career. He has served as a head coach for over 12 years, including stints in the National Football League with the Houston Oilers (1985-89) and the Atlanta Falcons (1990-93). The native of Perrysburg, Ohio, has also served as a defensive coordinator for numerous teams, including in the NFL with Atlanta (1979-82) and Houston (1985-89).

Glanville and Jones have coached together multiple times at both the NFL and NCAA levels, including Houston (1987-88), Atlanta (1991-93), the University of Hawaii (2005-06), the 2011 Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game, and most recently the East-West Shrine games in 2014 and 2016. Glanville was also on the coaching staff for the Falcons during Jones’ entire five-year playing career in the NFL from 1977 to 1981.

No Grey Cup at Mosaic Stadium in 2019

Some in Rider Nation were hoping the team’s new home would play host to its first Grey Cup in 2019, but that won’t be happening.

Riders president and CEO Craig Reynolds told 620 CKRM’s Rod Pedersen on Thursday’s “Sportscage” that the game will not take place at Mosaic Stadium for a simple reason—–they did not put in a bid.

“You want to make sure you are ready from a stadium perspective and although the first year in the stadium was fantastic, there are still some things you want to work on.”. Reynolds said. “Those things just made us say pause and that 2019 may not be the right year for us.”

As for where the 2019 game will be played, Reynolds says the league’s board of governors will get an update on that next week when they meet in Florida.

The 2018 game will be happening in Edmonton.

This And That

Welcome to Friday.  Here are the usual weekly thoughts running through my muddled mind. As always, they come in no particular order.


Stop the world!!  Canada isn't bringing home a medal in women's curling from the Pyongchang Olympics as Rachel Homan missed the playoffs and Kevin Koe will not win gold on the men's side.  How could this happen? Why is this happening? Call a summit!! TSN golf/curling analyst Bob Weeks has suggested the Olympic qualifying format is flawed and needs to be looked at.  This just in!  NOTHING is wrong with the sport and in fact, it may just be something that Canadian hockey fans had to get used to a few years ago.  The world is catching up to us and perhaps we are to blame for that as a nation.

Canada used to own the World Juniors.  A gold medal at the tournament was about as tradition as having turkey dinner on Christmas Day.  The rest of the world started to catch up and those wins weren't as easy.  Those wins still come, but many countries are right there and to win it all, you truly have to be the best.  The same can be said in curling.  If Homan had gone 4-6 at the Worlds, there wouldn't this be much concern.  The Olympics is the grandest stage of all and on that stage Homan crumbled. It was going to happen to a Canadian rink sooner or later.  Is the fact that many Canadians like Al Hackner and Glenn Howard coaching teams play a part in this? Well yes, but if they are asked to share their knowledge, we can't as a country say no. It's also that way in hockey. As other nations improve, it is good for the sport as a whole.  Women's hockey needs other countries to get into the Canada-US echelon to stop the two nations from continuously playing one another for Olympic or World gold. Some year it will happen and when it does, the cries will come from far and wide in our country if it happens to us.

Homan's losing isn't going to turn people in this country away from curling, and neither is Koe's.  In fact with mixed doubles  getting so much popularity, I can only see more perhaps taking up the sport.  Many people have seen what mixed doubles is all about and they like it.  Look for more curling clubs to start mixed doubles leagues as this discipline is just beginning to experience growth. In the next 5-10 years, I expect you will be hearing a lot about mixed double.

In closing, there is nothing wrong with curling in our country----except for maybe the draw process at the Scotties and Brier--so just leave it alone when it comes to this level.   All is good!

--Derek Dennis was let go by the Riders.  He signed with Calgary shortly after.  Kyries Hebert was released by the Alouettes and signed with Ottawa shortly after.  Darian Durant wasn't out of work long after being released by the Als for refusing a pay cut and got snapped up by Winnipeg. Henoc Muamba was released by the Riders and remains unsigned.  ????  Is there something there we don't know about?  Has the Muamba camp drawn a line in the sand saying pay us this or forget about it? Remember, the fact Henoc was let go is because he had no desire to take a pay cut.   The price tag for Muamba is a little too high it would seem across the league.   Toronto even decided to keep Bear Woods instead of trying to lure the Canadian to man the middle.  Methinks, the Muamba camp may want to re-think their stance.

--Colby Rasmus has a job and Jose Bautista doesn't.  I don't expect the latter to change anytime soon if at all.  It would seem as if no one wants Jose.  That was the case last year until Toronto took sympathy with him and brought him back. How did that turn out? It would appear now as if the Jays are going to lose Josh Donaldson.  Will anyone be shocked if he is traded before July 15? It wouldn't surprise me one bit if he is dealt before opening day. I've said it once and I will say it again.  Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have killed the Toronto Blue Jays.  The decision not to keep Alex Anthopoulos was definitely the wrong move to make.   It was 2015 and 16 where the team got to the ALCS before losing. That seems oh so long ago doesn't it Jays fans.  For some of you, it was a good year and a half right?

--Good for Red Deer for getting the WHL Bantam Draft and Awards for the next three years supplanting Calgary as the long time host.  Was there a bid process for this? Regina would be a great spot to have these two events.  I guess you can't have everything!

--In the last seven days, the Moose Jaw Warriors have lost twice to Regina and once to Swift Current.  If they should lose Saturday night in Moose Jaw to the Pats will that collar start getting a little tight? What a battle that should be! 

--Scott Moir wearing the Canadian toque, drinking beer (and a lot of it) while chirping at the refs during the Canada-US gold medal women's hockey game just reeked of Canadiana and I loved it. How could you not! What I don't love is the shootout. I don't care if they play all night. When a medal or championship is on the line, you don't settle it by a skills competition.  Would I be like this had Canada won? Yup! It is sad that a game like that had to end on something as stupid as a shootout.  It isn't going away much to the chagrin of those who hate it like me, but here's hoping the IIHF smartens up when it comes to deciding medals by shootout.  If we ever see the day where the NHL does this in a Stanley Cup game, I'm outta here.  Take nothing away from the USA for winning, but it cheapens the accomplishment.  As for Canadian player Jocelyn Laracque not really wanting her silver medal, I understand that and she sent out a statement Thursday night apologizing for her actions.  This was entirely different than the Swedish junior player at the end of the World Juniors, Larocque accepted her medal and did not throw it away.  She may not want it now, but once reality sets in she will.  As my good friend Craig Slater says, "A Silver Medal is just a reminder that you lost the championship game and you don't win silver, you lose it.". You also at some point will understand what you did just to get to that spot.  Never ever be ashamed of getting a silver medal.

--Are the Senators really going to trade Erik Karlsson?  That would send such a message about the disconnect that has happened there.  They were a Chris Kunitz overtime goal from being in the Stanley Cup last year.  That house has imploded.  They are a bigger disappointment than the Oilers as far as I'm concerned.

--Randy's Road Trip wraps up in Halifax Friday morning. I find it interesting that the get-together will be streamed on CFL.ca. They didn't do that for any other stop.  Is an announcement of some sort coming? Is a conditional franchise going to be awarded? Is a stadium going to be announced?  You have to think something is up.  I guess we'll find out.

--The Cougar ladies basketball team tries to advance to the conference final tonight with a win over Calgary.  Game 1 was some kind of ugly, but it was playoff basketball. I wouldn't expect anything different in Game 2 and maybe 3 on Saturday.  Have you seen the Cougars play this year? If not, head down to the CKHS and check it out.  Everything starts at 7.

--That's all I got.  Have a great weekend!

Cougars WBB Team Take Game 1 Over Calgary

It wasn’t pretty at times, but the University of Regina’s women’s basketball team held on for a 61-58 victory over the Calgary Dinos on Thursday night as the two teams opened up a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.

The Cougars looked to be reasonably in control after a Kyia Giles layup put them up 11 midway through the fourth quarter, but a baseline jumper by Michaela Kleisinger turned out to be the only points Regina scored in the final five minutes of the game. Calgary chipped away at the lead and Liene Stalidzane’s three-pointer made it a one-possession contest with under two minutes to go, but that turned out to be the game’s final basket.

Calgary had a couple of good looks from three on its final possession, but the efforts from Brianna Ghali and Shannon Hatch both rimmed out and Regina was able to hold on for the win.

“That was a playoff basketball game out there and I’m obviously happy we were able to grind out a win,” Cougars head coach Dave Taylor said. “We haven’t had a lot of those type of games and at times we didn’t handle it very well, and we’ll need to focus on doing a better job of closing out wins moving forward.”

Calgary actually outshot Regina by a fairly significant margin – the Dinos shot 41% from the field compared to 32% for the Cougars – but turnovers proved to be the difference on Thursday. Calgary turned the ball over 24 times to Regina’s 15, and the Cougars had a 24-16 advantage in points scored off turnovers.

Charlotte Kot only played six first-half minutes after picking up a pair of early fouls, but ended up leading Regina with 12 points and tying for the team lead with seven rebounds. Kyia Giles added 11 points for the Cougars, while Carolina Goncalves and Sara Hubenig both chalked up nine points.

Stalidzane led all players with 14 points for Calgary, while Erin McIntosh and Hatch both finished with nine points and 11 rebounds. The Dinos suffered from the early loss of Laura Grabe, who picked up three fouls in the span of a minute and a half – including two in five seconds – and fouled out four minutes into the second half. Bobbi Jo Colburn also fouled out in the fourth for the Dinos.

The two teams will meet again on Friday night. The Cougars will look to close out the series and advance to a Canada West championship final which they’d host next weekend on home court, while Calgary will look to extend it to a third and deciding game on Saturday.

 

(Braden Konschuh/U of R Athletics) 

Cougars Look To Inch Closer to a Canada West WBB Title At Home

After disposing of UBC in two straight last weekend, the University of Regina Cougar women’s basketball team are on their home floor again this weekend looking to move into the conference championship game.

Dave Taylor’s team, ranked #2 in Canada, will entertain the University of Calgary in Game 1 of a best-of-three series Thursday night.

The Dinos, ranked #10 in Canada, come into the game with a record of 15-5 on the season while the Cougars are 18-2.  They also come into the game having won their last nine including two straight over Victoria in a quarter-final matchup last weekend.

The winner of the series will take on the winner of the other semi-final matchup between Trinity Western and the University of Saskatchewan which will go in Saskatoon.  If the Cougars win this weekend, that game would go in Regina next weekend.

Tip off time Thursday night is 7.

Three members of the team were recognized by Canada West for their season on Thursday.  Kyanna Giles was named a first-team all-star, Charlotte Kot was named a third-team all star and Carolina Gonsalves was named the conference rookie of the year.  Giles led the Cougars in scoring (17.3 points per game), rebounding (8.2 per game), and steals (57) during the regular season while also finishing third on the team with 48 assists.

Kot was second on the Cougars in scoring (14.1 points per game), rebounding (5.6 per game), and blocks (12) after missing almost all of last season due to injury.  It is the third time in her career she has been recognized as a conference all-star.

Gonsalves averaged just over 12 points a game in her first year with the Cougars.  The Portuguese resident has plenty of international experience and earlier this year played two games with the national team in a European qualifier.

This Week In Cougar Athletics

Home Events – Thursday
Women's Basketball – Canada West semifinal vs. Calgary, Game 1 (7:00 PM)

Home Events – Friday
Women's Basketball – Canada West semifinal vs. Calgary, Game 2 (7:00 PM)

Home Events – Saturday
Women's Basketball – Canada West semifinal vs. Calgary, Game 3 (7:00 PM) *if necessary

Away Events – Thursday
Swimming – at U SPORTS Championships, Day 1 (Toronto, Ont.)

Away Events – Friday
Swimming – at U SPORTS Championships, Day 2 (Toronto, Ont.)
Track & Field – at Canada West Championships, Day 1 (Winnipeg, Man.)
Wrestling – at U SPORTS Championships, Day 1 (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.)
Women's Volleyball – Canada West quarterfinal at UBC, Match 1 (6:00 PM PST)

Away Events – Saturday
Swimming – at U SPORTS Championships, Day 3 (Toronto, Ont.)
Track & Field – at Canada West Championships, Day 2 (Winnipeg, Man.)
Wrestling – at U SPORTS Championships, Day 2 (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.)
Women's Volleyball – Canada West quarterfinal at UBC, Match 2 (6:00 PM PST)

Away Events – Sunday
Women's Volleyball – Canada West quarterfinal at UBC, Match 3 (4:00 PM PST) *if necessary

Women’s Basketball (U SPORTS Ranking: No. 2) – Kyanna Giles was named the Canada West First Star of the Week after leading the Cougars to a quarterfinal series win over UBC in two straight games. The sweep moves the U of R along to the Canada West semifinals, which will see them match up against No. 4-seeded Calgary at the CKHS in a series that begins Thursday night. Game 2 will go on Friday night, while Game 3 will be played on Saturday if it’s needed. All three games will start at 7:00 PM with the winner to advance to the conference championship game next weekend.

Swimming (Women’s U SPORTS Ranking: No. 7 / Men’s U SPORTS Ranking: No. 9) – The Cougars will head east this weekend for the U SPORTS Championships, which will be hosted from Thursday to Saturday by the University of Toronto. The women’s team will be led by Lexy King and Georgia Kaluznick, who are ranked No. 4 in the nation in the 800-metre freestyle and the 200-metre butterfly, respectively. On the men’s side, look for the 4x200-metre relay team (ranked No. 3 in U SPORTS this season with its time of 7:25.15 at the conference meet in November) and Noah Choboter, a three-time U SPORTS medalist who’s ranked No. 4 in the country in the 200-metre backstroke.

Wrestling (Women’s U SPORTS Ranking: No. 5 / Men’s U SPORTS Ranking: No. 7) – The Cougars close out their 2017-18 season at the U SPORTS Championships, set for Friday and Saturday at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Waylon Decoteau, Lucas Hoffert, and Nathen Schmidt lead the way for the men’s team after all three struck gold at the Canada West meet two weekends ago, while Inga Hammer, Jessica Rabet, Miki Rowbottom, and Amber Wiebe come into the national meet as conference silver medalists for the No. 5-ranked women’s team.

Track & Field – The Cougars will also head east this weekend as the University of Manitoba will host the Canada West Championships on Friday and Saturday. Rookie long jumper Shane Patmore enters the meet as one of the only two Canada West athletes to have gone over seven metres this season, while Reagan Fedak (weight throw) and Molly Yungmann (pentathlon) are also ranked No. 2 in their events on the women’s side.

Women’s Volleyball – The Cougars were idle last weekend after becoming the first team in the conference to finish its regular season schedule two Saturdays ago. They locked up a playoff berth on Friday thanks to a pair of favourable results on the out-of-town scoreboard, and ended up finishing in seventh place in the Canada West standings at 12-12. The Cougars will play No. 4-ranked UBC in the quarterfinals, a matchup that will feature two teams that battled to a weekend split last month in Regina. The best-of-three series starts Friday in Vancouver.

Men’s Basketball – The Cougars travelled to Lethbridge for a Canada West quarterfinal series against the Pronghorns, but their season came to a halt after the Pronghorns took it in two straight games. Lethbridge dominated in a 115-68 win in Game 1, but Friday’s game was a different story. The two teams went to overtime before Lethbridge closed out the U of R with a 105-98 win despite a 27-point, 13-rebound effort by Regina’s Alex Igual in his final U SPORTS game and a 24-point performance off the bench by Shaquille Harris. Igual, Brandon Tull, and Brian Ofori all played their final games as Cougars.

Women’s Hockey – Alberta put an end to the Cougars’ postseason hopes with two consecutive 2-1 wins in a Canada West quarterfinal series in Edmonton. Both games followed remarkably similar scripts, with Alberta scoring goals in both of the opening two periods before Regina came back with a late goal but not the equalizer. Friday’s late marker was scored with Jaycee Magwood, while Saturday’s third-period goal was notched by Sam Geekie. The loss puts an end to the U SPORTS careers of fifth-year players Bailey Braden, Kylee Kupper, and Nikki Watters-Matthes.

(Braden Konschuh/U of R Athletics)

Cougar Womens BB Player Kyanna Giles Named CanWest Female Athlete Of Week

 

Photo: Arthur Images 

U of R Cougar ladies basketball player Kyanna Giles was named the Canada West First Star of the Week on Tuesday after the second-year guard led the Cougars to a two-game sweep over UBC in a conference quarterfinal series in Regina.

Giles was all over the stat sheet in Thursday's 85-70 win in Game 1, collecting 20 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds for the Cougars.

But she was even better on Saturday in a hard-fought game that was a one-possession affair as late as midway through the fourth quarter. Giles poured in a career-high 28 points, which included a personal 8-0 run including a pair of triples that turned a slim two-point Cougar advantage into a 69-59 lead with three minutes to go. She finished 11-for-18 from the field overall in Saturday's win, including 4-for-8 from three-point land.

Over the two games, Giles collected 48 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, five steals, and a block. She shot 54.1% from the field in the series.

Giles will go forward as Canada West's nominee for the U SPORTS Athletes of the Week, which will be announced on Wednesday.

Argos Get Better At Linebacker

The Toronto Argonauts have signed international free agent linebacker Taylor Reed to a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.

“Taylor is an established veteran who has solidified himself as one of the CFL’s top tacklers,” said Argos GM Jim Popp. “We’re excited to add a player of his calibre to our defence and we look forward to his contributions in 2018.”

Reed, 26, joins the Argos after enjoying a career year with the Ottawa REDBLACKS, recording 94 tackles and four sacks in the nation’s capital before becoming a free agent on Feb. 13.

The news comes on the same day the Argos also brought back free agent middle linebacker Bear Woods, giving the team a solid stable of veteran linebackers that also includes Marcus Ball and Khalil Bass.

Over the span of five CFL seasons, Reed has collected 315 defensive tackles, 17 sacks, two interceptions and five forced fumbles. He’s appeared in two Grey Cups, including Ottawa’s Grey Cup Championship over the Calgary Stampeders in 2016.

CFL Issues Partial Release of Neg List Players

The Canadian Football League (CFL) and the nine clubs have unveiled ten players from each team’s negotiation list. Following the CFL winter meetings in Banff, AB the teams approved a measure to publicly share ten players from their negotiation list twice a year (February and December).   “Scouting potential CFL players, and managing negotiation lists, are just a few of the things our teams do around the clock in a never-ending effort to always get better,” said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the Canadian Football League. “The CFL is also constantly striving to improve. We need to do more to ensure our great league is featured in the conversation about sports and entertainment that is also happening around the clock today. Publicly releasing some of the names on our negotiation list is a step towards greater transparency. It gives the fans that support us and the media that cover us more CFL to talk about as we all look forward to our upcoming combines, draft and training camps.”    CFL by-laws state that teams can claim exclusive CFL rights to up to 45 players by placing them on their negotiation list. Players can be added, removed or traded from the list at any time. Below are the lists of 10 players from each CFL team: BC LIONS Name Position College Greg Ducre DB Washington Ryan Finley QB NC State Deondre Francois QB Florida State Jake Fromm QB Georgia Gage Gubrud QB Eastern Washington Lamar Jackson QB Louisville Najee Murray DB Kent State Shea Patterson QB Michigan Brett Rypien QB Boise State Khalil Tate QB Arizona EDMONTON ESKIMOS Name Position College Shane Buechele QB Texas Case Cookus QB Northern Arizona Will Davis DB Utah State Josh James OL Carroll College Phillip Lindsay RB Colorado Jerry Louie-McGee WR/RET Montana Steven Mitchell Jr. WR USC Zack Wagenmann DE Montana Manny Wilkins QB Arizona State Shane Zylstra WR Minnesota State CALGARY STAMPEDERS Name Position College Josh Allen OT Louisiana-Monroe Keyarris Garrett  WR Tulsa Bennett Jackson DB Notre Dame Anthony Johnson DT LSU Tommylee Lewis  WR Northern Illinois Givens Price OT Nebraska Tyler Rogers QB New Mexico State Brandon Silvers QB Troy Greg Ward Jr. QB/WR Houston Tourek Williams DE Florida International SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS Name Position College Josh Boyce WR TCU B.J. Daniels QB/RB South Florida Akeem Davis LB Memphis Curt Maggitt DE Tennessee Trace McSorley QB Penn State Luis Perez                           QB Texas A&M Commerce Eric Pinkins                         DB San Diego State Kevin Snead WR Carson-Newman Daxton Swanson DB Sam Houston State Adam Zaruba                     FB Simon Fraser WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS Name Position College Jayson DiManche   LB  Southern Illinois Quinton Flowers QB South Florida Alex McGough QB Florida International Felix Menard-Briere K Montreal Shakim Phillips WR Boston College Cody Prewitt    DB Ole Miss Marcus Sayles DB West Georgia Tharold Simon DB LSU Chris Streveler QB South Dakota Corey Washington REC Newberry College HAMILTON TIGER-CATS Name Position College Randall Evans       DB Kansas State Robert Griffin III QB Baylor DuJuan Harris RB Troy Julian Howsare DE Clarion McKenzie Milton QB Central Florida Kalif Raymond WR Holy Cross Jumal Rolle     DB Catawba Nathan Shepherd        DL Fort Hays State Tua Tagovailoa QB Alabama Andrew Turzilli WR Rutgers TORONTO ARGONAUTS Name Position College Houston Bates LB Louisiana Tech Charles James DB Charleston Southern Will Likely        DB Maryland Nico Marley     LB Tulane Keshawn Martin WR Michigan State Baker Mayfield QB Oklahoma Jonathan Meeks DB Clemson Aaron Murray QB  Georgia Denard Robinson RB/QB Michigan Rodney Smith WR Florida State OTTAWA REDBLACKS Name Position College Tyler Ferguson QB Western Kentucky Bug Howard    WR North Carolina Joey Ivie          DL Florida Kaleb Johnson OL Rutgers J.T. Jones       DL Miami (Ohio) Greg Little WR North Carolina JoJo Natson WR Akron Ejuan Price LB Pittsburgh Phillip Walker QB Temple Andrew Wylie OL Eastern Michigan MONTREAL ALOUETTES Name Position College Woody Baron DL Virginia Tech Brian Hill          RB Wyoming Colin Kaepernick QB Nevada Devante Kincade QB Grambling State Jonathan Krause WR Vanderbilt Riley McCarron  WR Iowa Nick Moody LB Florida State Anthony Philyaw RB Howard Austin Rehkow K Idaho Rico Richardson WR Jackson State