Merchants hockey
The preseason ends this weekend for the St. Albert Merchants in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Faceoff times are 8 p.m. Friday against the Stony Plain Flyers at Glenn Hall Centennial Arena and Sunday against the Sherwood Park Knights at Jarome Iginla Arena.
Last weekend the Merchants doubled the Flyers 4-2 in St. Albert and lost 8-2 to the Edmonton Royals at Confederation Arena.
The Merchants skate into their 36th CJHL season in the Sept. 20 home opener against the Edmonton Mustangs at 8 p.m.
The pre-game tailgate barbecue begins at 6:30 p.m.
Bellerose football
Friday’s home debut for the Bellerose Bulldogs in the metro Edmonton high school football league kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Larry Olexiuk Field.
Bellerose hosts the Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds in the division one Carr conference match.
The regular season started last weekend with Bellerose losing 49-9 to the Harry Ainlay Titans at Foote Field and Shep beat the Jasper Place Rebels 44-20.
Ainlay, the Carr champion the last two years and 2018 Alberta Bowl Tier I (1,250-plus students) finalist, is listed sixth in week two of the Football Alberta rankings.
Rugby semifinal
Saturday’s division two women’s semifinal in the Edmonton Rugby Union starts at 4 p.m. at St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
The winner between SARFC and LA Crude plays the Clan in the ERU final next Saturday at 1:15 p.m. at Ellerslie Rugby Park.
SARFC (5-2, 267 PF/228 PA) and the Crude (4-3, 191 PF/142 PA) closed out round two in the ERU fixtures last weekend in Leduc to determine home-field advantage in the semifinals and tries were eight to four for visitors in the 46-29 victory.
SARFC also beat the Crude 34-29 in the round two opener July 10 in Leduc.
The Clan (6-1, 198 PF/85 PA), last year’s champion, has a bye into the final.
The overall round one/two records for the playoff teams are 7-5 for SARFC and the Clan and 6-6 for the Crude.
Sabres hockey
The John Ferguson Memorial Preseason Tournament continues for the St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres at Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre.
Game times are 5:30 p.m. Thursday against the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, 12:30 p.m. Saturday against the Lloydminster Bobcats and 3:30 p.m. Sunday against the Sherwood Park Flyers.
The Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League’s lid-lifter for the Sabres is next Friday against the KC Squires at 8:15 p.m. at Callingwood Twin Arenas.
