The race for first place continues Sunday for the St. Albert Raiders in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League. Game time against the KC Pats is 2:30 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
In the north standings the Raiders (19-5-6) and Lloydminster Bobcats (19-4-6) share top spot with a league-high 44 points. The Bobcats also have a game in hand. Both teams are tied with the lowest goals-against at 65 apiece.
After hosting the Pats (9-14-7) the Raiders have four games remaining before the playoffs, including a Feb. 7 showdown with the Bobcats at St. Albert.
In league scoring, Troy Bourke (20-22-42 in 28 games) is second overall to Stephane Legault (18-29-47 in 30 games) of the Southside Athletic Club in points. Bourke’s goal total includes eight on the power play, one shorthanded, four game winners and one game-tying marker.
Ryan Harrison (12-15-27 in 27 games) and Spencer Galbraith (4-23-27 in 28 games) are also among the league’s top 44-point producers.
Liam Liston (12-2-3, 2.00 GAA) and Brad Miller (6-3-3, 2.25 GAA) are ranked first and third, respectively, in goals-against average.
Meanwhile, at the 21st annual all-star game Sunday at Calgary, the north rallied to beat the south 6-5 in overtime. Liston stopped 18 of 20 shots in 32 minutes in the second half of the game. Galbraith started on defence for the north.
The Lorne Akins Crush wrestling team sent 16 grapplers to the Ottewell all-boys’ tournament last weekend and 11 of them brought home medals.
More than 300 wrestlers from northern Alberta competed at the annual meet.
“We did better than we thought,” said co-coach Barrie Schulha. “Our senior boys were outstanding. We only took 10 to the tournament, with seven of them returning with gold. Most wrestlers had five or six matches on their way to winning gold.”
The gold medallists were Logan Brubaker (55 kilograms), Connor Campbell (49 kg), Harley Seville (71 kg), Graeme Loerke (67 kg), Ethan Ferro (114 kg), Darian Bundas-Elgert (59 kg) and Jesse Shirton (40 kg).
“Logan, a Grade 7 student, really surprised us by wrestling at a very technical level. He should do well at provincials [Feb. 20 at Calgary],” Schulha said. “Ethan, our heavyweight, had to beat a 324-pound opponent on the way to his gold medal.”
Silver medallists included Tanner Bornowsky (46 kg) and Avery Neufeld (57 kg).
The bronze medallists were Dalin Riches (40 kg) and Bryan Fetzko (57 kg).
Today the male and female Crushers are busy pinning down medals at the University of Alberta Paperweight Invitational.
