Lacrosse playoff
The St. Albert Crude fell short of advancing into the next round of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League’s junior B Tier I playoffs in Tuesday's deciding game against the Fort Saskatchewan Rebels.
The 10-8 loss at JRC Arena ended a winning season for the Crude, 18-6-1 overall after finishing second behind the Rebels in the north division by one point.
Game three of the north final was a back and forth affair as the first period ended tied at two on Mathieu Gautier's goal for the Crude.
Late in the middle frame, Tariq Jomha and Guerin Nollski closed out the period with goals 2:20 minutes apart as the Crude trailed 7-6.
In the third, the second goal in a row for the Rebels was scored shorthanded halfway through the period to make it 9-6.
It was 9-7 when the Rebels notched the insurance marker with 64 seconds remaining.
Gautier was the game’s top scorer with six points for a team-high 33 points in five playoff games.
Joseph Royer tallied twice and added three assists for eight goals and 27 points in the playoffs.
Kolby Nester and Jorden McCuaig potted singles.
Nollski’s two goals on the night tied Gautier and McCuaig for the team lead in the playoffs with nine apiece.
Nollski’s 15 playoff points also ranked third on the Crude.
The series started with Sunday’s 8-7 win by the Rebels in the Fort as the Crude scored three unanswered goals in the third after giving up four in the second. The score after the opening 20 minutes was 4-4. The teams combined for nine power-play goals, with the Crude striking five times with the man advantage, and one shorthanded tally apiece.
In game two Monday, the Crude prevailed 14-12 in overtime at Akinsdale Arena as Jomha and Nollski (power play) found the back of the net in the 10-minute extra period after the Rebels rallied with a pair in the last minute of play to knot it at 12.
In league play, two of the three games between the teams went into sudden-death – 9-8 for the Rebels on May 12 and the 10-10 draw July 2 in St. Albert.
The Rebels also beat the Crude 13-11 on July 14 in the Fort in the last game before the playoffs.
The Rebels had a first-round bye in the division playoffs while the Crude swept the third-place Edmonton Warriors (5-15) 10-7 and 11-3.
Overall in the regular season, the Crude (15-4-1) placed third behind the Rebels (15-3-2) and the Calgary Shamrocks (19-1), the top south division team and defending provincial champions, in the 15-team league.
Provincial baseball
The teams have been finalized for the Baseball Alberta provincial tournaments next weekend at Legion Memorial Park.
The 18U AA Tier I draw consists of St. Albert Cardinals Red (13-3-1), Strathmore Reds (12-5), Innisfail Hawks (11-7), Provost Pirates (11-7), Leduc Giants (10-6) and Barrhead Orioles (9-7-1) in the Baseball Alberta Tier I division and Okotoks Outlaws Orange (12-4) and Red Deer Braves Red (11-7) in the Tier II division.
Competing in the 13U AA Tier I provincials are St. Albert Cardinals Red (10-8), Innisfail Hawks (16-1), Beaumont BoSox (16-2), Camrose Cougars Royal (13-4), Strathmore Reds 1 (13-5), Oyen Orioles (9-9) and Grande Prairie Reds 1(8-10) in the Baseball Alberta league’s Tier I division and the Stettler Storm (12-6) in the Tier II division.
The 18U schedule starts 9 a.m. Friday with pool play split between the Landrex and Active Physioworks diamonds
The 13U tournament also begins 9 a.m. Friday's and Saturday’s games are scheduled to be played on the 13U and 11U diamonds.
Depending on tiebreakers, the 18U and 13U finals are slated for Sunday afternoon and the winners advance to the AA Tier I westerns Aug. 16 to 18 at Strathmore.
Junior golf event
Volunteers are needed for the Edmonton Golf Association’s annual Junior Boys and Girls Golf Championships at Sturgeon Valley Golf & Country Club.
The 36-hole stroke-play competition will feature approximately 60 juniors aged 12 years and older.
The tournament begins Sunday at 1 p.m. and Monday’s shotgun start is 8 a.m.
Volunteers are required three to four hours each day to assist with general course etiquette, helping the golfers around the course in a timely manner and provide support to the rules staff.
For more information, contact Sturgeon Valley general manager Mark Beckwith at 780-973-6705 or [email protected], or Kent Coulter, the EGA tournament chair, at 780-409-7746 or [email protected].
