It wasn’t the result the Carlton girls soccer team was hoping for, losing their consolation game Saturday morning to finish in sixth place in provincials in Prince Albert, but after a year of not being able to play, both the players and coaches left with their heads held high as they finished their season.

In their first game of the tournament on Friday morning, the girls battled hard, but fell 2-1 to Swift Current, knocking them out of gold medal contention early. They rebounded, defeating Regina Campbell 4-2, sending them to the fifth place game Saturday morning.

After a hard fought game in the consolation game, Carlton lost out, dropping their last game of the year by a 3-1 score. For Crusader coaches Nicole Greif and Alicia Georgeson, the opportunity to play in provincials this season is a moment neither of them will forget anytime soon.

“We had two amazing games on Friday,” Greif said after their game on Saturday. “We saw our girls pull out all the stops, especially in our last game. Even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, our girls came out with their chins up and a smile on their faces.”

This year was special for the Crusaders, especially after the 2020 soccer season was cancelled. Both coaches said they were happy their graduating players got a chance to play one last game of high school soccer.

“The girls were so grateful to be able to play,” Georgeson said. “It was almost like it didn’t matter how we did, they were just so happy to get on the field again.”

“To have the chance to play again with the team in their senior year was special,” Greif said of her grade 12’s. “They’ve been with us since grade 9 and have been looking forward to provincials from the start. There’s ten of them graduating, which is the most we’ve ever had, and they were a close group.”

Meanwhile, it was Holy Cross from Saskatoon that ended up taking home provincial gold, as they edged another Saskatoon team, St. Joe’s, 2-1 in the final. Warman rounded out the medal winners, beating Swift Current 2-1 in the bronze medal game. On the boys side of things, it was a similar result. Holy Cross won their gold medal game 4-2 over Regina Campbell. Meanwhile, the St. Mary Marauders finished fourth place, as they fell in the bronze medal game 3-2 against Yorkton. The Carlton boys, like the girls, advanced to the consolation game, where they lost 2-0 to Saskatoon Centennial.

@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca

The Prince Albert Northern Bears returned home on Saturday, looking to rebound from an 8-4 loss in Swift Current on Sunday, and they did so in a big way, taking down the Weyburn Gold Wings 5-1 at the Art Hauser Centre.

“I thought we had a pretty good jump all night,” Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby said after the game. “Weyburn definitely didn’t hand anything to us, and that’s the way you have to play if you’re looking for a win to build your game.”

The win improves the Bears’ record to 3-5 on the season, while Weyburn is left still looking for their first win of the season, dropping to 0-5.

The Bears dominated the first period, outshooting Weyburn 14-3 in the opening frame. They would also find the first goal of the game, as Erin Kirkland potted her second goal of the year on a 4 minute powerplay, after Hailey Verhelst went to the penalty box for head contact. That was the only goal of the first period, and it’s been a rare occurrence for Prince Albert this season, but they headed to the dressing room with a lead after the opening frame.

“I think special teams is always a focus,” Willoughby said. “Whatever the powerplay can do, it just takes a bit of relief off of what you have to do 5 on 5, so if you can get a couple of powerplay goals in a game it helps.”

In the second frame, the Gold Wings responded in quick fashion, scoring just 50 seconds into the period. Paisley Arnsten was somehow able to jam a puck past Bears goalie Paige Fischer, through the legs and into the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1.

However, the Bears pulled in front again on the powerplay. A loose puck in front of the Weyburn goal was knocked into the net by Julia Cey, putting the Bears on top 2-1. The Bears would continue to dominate for the remainder of the second period, and they would head to the dressing room with the lead after the second, also commanding the shots on goal department 31-12.

The third period was when the Bears ran away with the game, scoring three times. 2:17 into the final frame, Sasha Malenfant gave the Bears a bit of a cushion, scoring her third goal of the year, making it a 3-1 lead.

With just over three minutes left in the game, Bears defenceman Brooklin Fry let a rocket go from the point, beating both the traffic in front of the net, and the glove of Wings goalie Lexi Peace, giving Prince Albert a 4-1 advantage. Since returning to the lineup after missing games earlier in the year due to injury, Fry has put up three points in three games since her return, including her goal on Saturday.

“I think we’re going in the right direction,” Fry said after the game. “We’re just going to keep working step by step each practice, but I think we’re getting there.”

Fry also described her play since coming back to the lineup.

“I’m just trying to find open ice and move the puck myself when I can, and trying to take every opportunity on offence that I can.”

The Bears weren’t done there, as Jasmine Kohl made a power move toward the Wings net, stopped up, and flipped a shot over the glove of Pearce, scoring a shorthanded tally, putting the Bears up 5-1.

5-1 would be the final score, and in dominant fashion, the Northern Bears picked up win number three on the season. They also led shots on goal by a convincing 45-18 margin.

“We’ve been putting in hard work,” Fry added. “At the start we didn’t play as good, but we kept putting in effort, and I think that’s definitely showing in our games now.”

Prince Albert gets a little bit of a break before their next game on November 13. They’ll visit the Notre Dame Hounds for a pair of road games on the 13^th and 14^th.

“I think our 5 on 5 play now becomes our focus,” Willoughby said in preparation for their next game. “We liked our special teams today, but we want to make better connections with our linemates, and just overall consistency.”

The next home game for the Bears is on November 27^th, as they’ll welcome the Hounds.

@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca

On Wednesday afternoon, both the St. Mary Marauders and Carlton Crusaders travelled to Saskatoon to play their first playoff football games of the season.

More importantly, both teams came out with wins.

St. Mary took to the field first against an Evan Hardy squad that had dropped their last four regular season games, including a loss at the hands of Carlton. The Marauders, meanwhile, came in to the game with all the momentum, riding a four game winning streak.

St. Mary got off to a hot start, and never looked back, winning 39-0, and picking up their sixth win overall this season, as well as their second shutout victory.

The Crusaders took down the Bethlehem Stars in Saskatoon 28-12, propelling themselves to the tier 2 final. Carlton picked up their third straight win, and the second of the season against Bethlehem, who the beat 34-24 on Sept. 24.

With both Prince Albert teams winning on Wednesday, that means the tier 2 final will be between the Crusaders and the Marauders in Prince Albert.

Even more exciting news was released after the game, when the two clubs announced the Canadian Tire Classic would also be up for grabs. The Classic was supposed to take place in early October but was postponed due to COVID.”

Marauders head coach Curtis Hundeby was excited to share the news that the Canadian Tire Classic would be held this season after all.

“I can’t remember the last time we played a high school football game in November,” Hundeby said. “It’s awesome. This is a huge game, in terms of town bragging rights, and with the tier 2 title on the line, and now the Canadian Tire Classic. It’s like a title fight.

“We’re super excited, I know our players are excited, and we’re chomping at the bit to get back on the practice field and get going. Hopefully we can pack the stands, because it’ll be a good game.”

Hundeby also described the rivalry his football team has with the Crusaders.

“We just finished having the city finals in volleyball for the girls and boys. The gyms were packed and people were excited,” he said. “The rivalry goes way beyond football, but the best way to grow football is to have a healthy rivalry between the two schools. Ultimately we’re trying to grow the game of football in this city. You’ve got players from both teams that were teammates in minor football, and they’re on opposite sides of the ball now. There’s a lot of dynamics that make it a lot of fun.”

This season has been unique for the players, since they were held off the field last year. Now that they’ve returned, the grade 12’s, who will be playing their last game of the season next week, will be getting their own special spotlight.

Most of these players won’t get an opportunity to play past high school football, so for Hundeby, it’s important to try and get a win for their last game.

“You want to play really well for those grade 12’s,” he said. “Most of them won’t play ever again. These guys didn’t have a grade 11 season, so it’s been a long time since they’ve been able to play football. We’re rallying around those old guys, and we’re relying on their leadership.”

On the other side of the field, the Carlton Crusaders come into next week’s game feeling confident in their play this season. It’s been nearly a month since this rivalry game with their cross town foes was cancelled, and for a while there was doubt this game would even happen.

Carlton coach Lindsay Strachan says it was fortunate the playoff brackets and seeding played out the way they did, ensuring that these two teams ended up getting to play.

“We were pretty disappointed earlier in the season when the game got cancelled,” Strachan said. “But to have the opportunity now is very exciting for everybody.”

Strachan said he also recognizes that his grade 12’s are playing their last high school football game next week. He wants it to be a game that they will remember.

“I think this whole year has been about perspective,” he said. “That opportunity wasn’t in front of us last year to be able to play. I think everyone this year has been in a mindset to just enjoy the opportunity. It’s a chance to be together for another week, so everyone is excited.”

The biggest and last game of the season for the St. Mary Marauders and Carlton Crusaders is set to kickoff on Thursday, Nov. 4 at Max Clunie Field in Prince Albert. With the tier 2 championship on the line, and the Canadian Tire Classic on the line, these two teams will be showing why they deserve to be playing in November, and give everything they’ve got on the field.

Kickoff is at 6:30.

@kyle_kosowan • sports@paherald.sk.ca

For the second straight night, the St. Mary Marauders Senior A volleyball team swept the Carlton Crusaders in three straight sets to win the city finals.

It was the Sr. Boy’s team’s turn on Thursday night, a day after the girls accomplished the sweep at St. Mary. The Marauders made the trip across the city to play at Carlton, and came out with a straight set victory, 25-21, 25-19, and 25-13, to win the best of five game and be crowned city champions.

Marauder coach Rene Quintal was happy with the way his team finished the game in the third set.

“We had to work really hard to run our offence on serve receives,” Quintal said. “Carlton did a really good job of putting pressure on our defence. I was happy with the way we responded in the third, and we controlled their serves a bit better.”

The St. Mary team this year features an entirely new roster compared to the 2019 team, with the exception of returning player Lane Vermette. Quintal said it was a special moment for the grade 12’s to share.

“Last year, not having any competition, it was tough,” he said.

“Winning this game, we can build some momentum heading into regionals and provincials.

Ethan Batiuk, another grade 12 on the team, also shared how important this game, and this season is for him and his teammates, now that they have been able to play a full season.

“It’s really awesome, because last year we couldn’t play at all,” Batiuk said. “Coming back has been really fun I think a lot of us were rusty at the start of the year, but we’re coming back into our form, and I think we will be really good down the stretch.”

Batiuk said the Marauders cut down on their errors Thursday night, which allowed them to be successful. However, he also said there were still areas to improve.

“At the start of the game we were missing our shots and missing passes, and towards the end we started getting better,” he explained. “We started passing better, serving better, and I think that was the turning point for us in the game.”

While the win is something to build confidence from for the Marauders, they will be shorthanded for much of the last part of the season, as a couple of players will be sidelined due to injury. And with regionals and provincials looming, Quintal says that will be something that will need to be overcome.

“Due to injuries, we’ve had to move players to spots they don’t usually play in,” he said. “It was kind of trial and error tonight, but I think we responded really well from an attacking standpoint. Hopefully we can continue to adapt to the new lineup and continue to score points.”

Batiuk noted the team’s momentum heading into the game, and stated how his team will continue to carry it in to regionals.

“This was a huge win, especially since Carlton has been our long time rival,” he said. “I think we’ll ride this high all the way to regionals, and then head to provincials and hopefully we can win.”

Regionals are set to kick off in two weeks. The boys will travel to Lloydminster to compete, with a spot in provincials on the line.

@kyle_kosowan • sports@paherald.sk.ca

Both Sloan Stanick and Carter Massier will get to experience their first game at the Art Hauser Centre as members of the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night.

Both players have played games in Prince Albert before, but only against the Raiders. Stanick and Massier were once teammates in Regina, and now they are reunited again. The Raiders acquired Massier on Tuesday, while Stanick gets ready to play his third game with the team.

Massier was excited to see some familiar faces in the dressing room, and getting to play with Stanick again, as well as Cale Sanders, who also spent time in the Pat’s organization.

“I’m pumped,” Massier said. “Stanick’s a good guy, and same with Cale. We’ve played with each other before, so it makes it a lot easier to adjust.”

Massier joins the team as an overager, becoming one of the leaders on the team right away. He has embraced the role, and is excited to get started.

“I’m an older guy now on the team, so I’ll have some leadership, and I’m going to work hard for the guys,” he said.

Massier is one of the bigger guys on the team now, which is something the Raiders need this season to improve their 2-7 record. He also comes with speed, and a forward to be fast and physical is like finding a diamond in the rough.

Last season, Massier set career highs in goals (5), assists (7), and points (12), while playing in all 24 games for the Pats in the hub centre.

Meanwhile, it was a rude welcoming to the Prince Albert Raiders for Sloan Stanick, who enters his first home game with the team following a three game suspension.

Stanick was suspended after receiving a five minute major and game misconduct for goalie interference during the team’s first win of the season in Moose Jaw. He played his first full game in a Raider uniform last Saturday in Lethbridge.

“It felt good. Had a couple weeks off, but it felt good to play again,” Stanick chuckled. “It was cool to play with (Ozzy) Wiesblatt too. He’s a great player, and I’m excited to be here.”

Stanick played against the Raiders in his 16 year old season in Regina, so he’s familiar with the atmosphere, and welcomes being on the good side of Raider fans.

“I know there’s some diehard fans,” he added. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Stanick also mentioned what he offers to the table, ahead of the Raiders next home game on Friday.

“I’m an offensive player that plays a 200 foot game in any situation, and I want to produce and help my teammates as much as I can,” he said.

Both Stanick and Massier were practicing with the team on Thursday, and will be in the lineup on Friday, when the Raiders take on the Brandon Wheat Kings.

It’s the start of another home and home series for Prince Albert, their fourth already this season. First, they will welcome Brandon on Friday, before travelling to Manitoba for the rematch on Saturday.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. from the Art Hauser Centre on Friday.

@kyle_kosowan • sports@paherald.sk.ca

The St. Mary Marauders came roaring out of the gates in the Senior A girls city final against the Carlton Crusaders on Wednesday night.

The Marauders swept the best of five match in three straight sets, 25-9, 25-17, 25-19.

“It’s great for the girls to experience this,” St. Mary coach Shaun Hunko said after the game. “We came out strong. It always comes down to serving and passing, and we served really well, especially in the first set.”

The Marauders stormed out to a 9-0 lead in the first set before surrendering their first point. Hunko once again pointed out how their serving had a lot to do with their success early on in the game.

“The more aggressive you can be serving, the more you limit what the other team can do offensively,” he added. “Our blocking is also something that we’ve been working on, and we’ve been improving every week.”

Senior McKenna Schrader was one of only two returning players from the 2019 Marauder team. Being the oldest on the roster, there might be the added pressure of having to play well and lead, but Schrader welcomes it.

“I just try to be very vocal on the court,” she explained. “I know a lot of the girls are a little more shy, so I just try my best to boost their energy on the court.”

The second returning player from the 2019 team is Shelaine Pritchard, who has been one of the Marauders best attackers all season. Schrader says her connection with Pritchard is special.

“Shelaine is one of my best friends and closest teammates, so being able to get this win with her means a lot because we’re so close off the court. It’s a really special moment for us to have on the court together,” Schrader said.

As the only two high schools in Prince Albert to compete across the province this season and in years past, Carlton and St. Mary have developed a unique rivalry. It’s one that most cities aren’t able to have because of the high number of schools in bigger cities like Saskatoon and Regina. For Hunko, it’s special to have such a familiarity with another school.

“Not every high school has a rivalry with another school, and we’re lucky to have that. It’s a tradition that’s been going on for many years, and it’s great to be a part of it.”

Now, with regionals and provincials right around the corner, the Marauders are rolling, and at the perfect time.

“I still feel like our team hasn’t reached their full potential, and that’s exciting,” Hunko said. “We’re playing really well and if we can keep getting better each day, hopefully we’ll be sitting in a nice spot in the last couple weeks of the season.”

@kyle_kosowan • sports@paherald.sk.ca

It hasn’t been an ideal season for the Carlton Crusaders senior football team, but the players have made the most of it.

The Crusaders finished with a 4-2 record, but games against St. Mary and E.D. Feehan were cancelled due to COVID cases. That means the Crusaders were only able to play four regular season games, instead of the previously scheduled six.

Carlton ended their regular season on Friday, improving to 4-2 after taking down Evan Hardy, blanking the Souls 28-0. Now, the Crusaders sit in the same bracket as Evan Hardy in the playoffs in the second tier, however, they won’t play each other in the first round, as it will be the St. Mary Marauders turn to battle with the Souls.

The next task for the Crusaders is to take down Bethlehem, another school out of Saskatoon. Bethlehem rounds out the tier 2 bracket, cementing themselves in the third seed out of four. They finished their regular season with a 3-3 record, after suffering a 49-14 setback to Saskatoon rival Holy Cross.

Carlton and Bethlehem have squared off once this regular season already, and it was the Crusaders coming out victorious, with a 34-24 triumph in Prince Albert on September 24^th.

The biggest point of success for Carlton to this point this season has been the play of their defense, surrendering just 76 points this season, the sixth best out of all 16 teams in the 6A and 5A divisions. They’ve won two games in shutout fashion, first, in the opening game of the season, when they downed the Tommy Douglas Tigers 37-0, and then of course on Friday, winning 28-0 over Evan Hardy.

Looking ahead to next week, if both the Crusaders and St. Mary Marauders win their opening playoff games on Wednesday, the two Prince Albert teams would meet up in the second playoff game of the season, and the tier 2 final, with the winner moving on, hopeful for a provincial title. What is more significant if both teams manage to win on Wednesday, is that it could set up a possible Canadian Tire Classic, a game this year that did not happen, due to a COVID case on one of the football teams.

There is no question the most exciting match of the year would be one between to cross town foes, as there has not been a fall classic between these two teams since they tied in 2019. It would be a game of bragging rights, a game where everything would be thrown on the line, as it wouldn’t be a normal regular season game. It would be a game with advancing to the next round of the playoffs would be on the line. A game where former teammates would go head to head in a winner take all, and a shot at provincial glory.

But, the anticipation will have to wait a little while longer, as both teams have their sights set on the first round of the playoffs. First, the Marauders will take to the field against Evan Hardy in Saskatoon on Wednesday. Kickoff for that game is slated for 5:15pm. After that, the Crusaders will look to advance against Bethlehem. Carlton will kickoff their game in Sasaktoon, also on Wednesday night. Kickoff for that game is set for 7:30.

For the first time since COVID-19 cancelled their season in 2020, the St. Mary Marauders will be playing playoff football.

On Wednesday, the team will travel to Saskatoon to take on Evan Hardy in the tier 2 semi final. The Marauders are fresh off a 42-12 win over Tommy Douglas last Thursday, ending their regular season with a 5-1 record, tying them for top spot in the 6A division.

Meanwhile, Evan Hardy will look to rebound after a 28-0 loss in Prince Albert against the Crusaders on Friday. Marauders coach Curtis Hundeby said Evan Hardy is still a team they need to take seriously, despite the 28-0 defeat on Friday.

“We’re going to have to play them tough,” Hundeby said. “We can’t really take anything for granted. I know Carlton had a good game against them, but this is the playoffs now. They’re going to pull out every stop that they have to try and get a win from us and keep their season rolling.”

Hundeby also explained his team’s gameplan heading in to Wednesday’s game.

“From an offensive perspective we’ve got plans in place. A basic concept of our offence is we’re going to try to overwhelm you with numbers or attack the open spaces. “

Although this is the first playoff game for the Marauders in over two years, Hundeby still wants his team to be loose, and to enjoy every second of it.

“Especially in a year like this with COVID, you never know when it’s your last (game),” he said. So it’s not so much focusing on the end result, it’s about enjoying the journey and enjoy every step of this, especially for the grade 12’s. This is it for them. If we win then we have the right to enjoy one more week. The other thing is, we have some guys out this week, so there’s a call for the young guys to step up.”

With the team being fairly new to the high school football game, minus a few grade 12 players, the usual expectation for a young locker room for an important game such as this might be one of anxiousness or nervousness, but Hundeby feels a real sense of camaraderie among his group.

“There’s definitely a sense of urgency in practice, but it’s really loose,” he said. “We’re having a lot of fun. We’re flying around, and making sure we get things done, but when it comes down to business, they’re focused and they’re getting prepared.

“They understand that this isn’t a game to take lightly, but we need to make sure that we’ve got all of our t’s crossed and our i’s dotted so they’re ready to go.”

It’s the 5-1 Marauders against 1-5 Evan Hardy. St. Mary will look to move on to the next round of the playoffs, while Evan Hardy will look to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season, and they’ll look to do so with the benefit of home field advantage on Wednesday night.

Kickoff against the Souls in Saskatoon is at 5:15 pm. @kyle_kosowan • sports@paherald.sk.ca

The biggest Sr. A girls volleyball game for both the Carlton Crusaders and St. Mary Marauders is almost here, and it’s been two years in the making. The annual city championship game between these two teams is set to kick off on Wednesday night. While both teams have been in multiple tournaments so far this season, it’s a different kind of atmosphere, knowing that there is a chance to hold bragging rights on their cross town rivals.

For Marauders coach Shaun Hunko, he knows what stakes are on the line, and his message to his team is to enjoy the unique experience.

“It’s a game unlike any other that we’ve played all season, in the sense that the crowd is a lot more rowdy than you normally would have,” Hunko said. “It’s been a couple years now since we last had this game, so we’re going to appreciate the opportunity to play, have fun and play hard.”

With COVID playing spoiler in last year’s game, preventing the teams from being able to play at all, Hunko explained the adjustments he had to make as a coach in putting together a team this year.

“This whole year it’s been really busy, just because it’s been a drastic change for all of us,” he said. “It took a couple weeks to get used to it again, and it’s been tough on the players too. They’re not used to practicing every day and having matches every weekend. It’s been an adjustment for everyone.”

Only two players on the Marauders team are returning from the 2019 team (McKenna Schrader and Shelaine Pritchard), and when asked about how they have stepped up as leaders on the team this season, Hunko says they’ve been great as mentors, and leading their team all season.

“We’re a fairly young team even with those two coming back. But they’ve done a great job leadership wise. I couldn’t ask for more from those two.”

Throughout practice this week, Hunko explained how his team’s morale is high heading into Wednesday’s game.

“They’re very motivated. They’re a group that has a very high ceiling, and they understand that. Every week we just keep getting better and better. They’re very driven, and even though our roster has so many new players, they’ve really bought into practicing hard and learning as much as they can.”

Wednesday night’s game is set to start at 7pm.