Sevillano picks Notre Dame

Sean Sevillano Jr. admitted the decision was difficult, but ultimately satisfying.

On Friday, the 6-2, 300-pound nose tackle from West St. Paul did what many young football players from Manitoba can only dream about when he confirmed he will be attending the University of Notre Dame on a football scholarship.

Sevillano will head to the South Bend, Ind., campus in 2024, rebuffing more than two dozen NCAA Division offers from schools including Ohio State University, Miami, Kansas and Auburn.

Notre Dame, a private Catholic institution, made a big impression on Sevillano, who was raised Catholic.

Elam Ending 101: explaining unique finish to CEBL games

Nick Elam was a high school math teacher in 2007 when he got an idea that is helping to spark a mini-revolution in basketball.

MJHL shield rule gets facelift

Full-face protection will be the rule in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 2023-24 in a move almost certain to cause some controversy.

Bisons expected to name veteran bench boss Burnett new men’s hockey coach

The University of Manitoba has found its new head coach of men’s hockey.

Gord Burnett, a 42-year-old Regina product with a lengthy coaching resume in junior hockey, is expected to be unveiled as the successor to long-time Bisons head coach Mike Sirant as early as this week.

Burnett, who has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, was the winning candidate in a hiring process that lasted several months.

After spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice, he was named head coach of the Winnipeg Blues and led the MJHL club to a playoff berth in 2019-20.

Team owner, league brass blown away by Sea Bears debut

Could the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Winnipeg debut Saturday have been a bigger success?

It’s hard to imagine anything to top that, given the long pre-game lineups at the merchandise tables, a roaring record-setting crowd of 7,303 filling the lower bowl at Canada Life Centre and a thrilling 90-85 win by the hometown Sea Bears over the Vancouver Bandits.

“It was an extraordinary night and there’s always a huge amount of excitement when there’s something new,” said Sea Bears owner David Asper on Monday. “It was way beyond where we ever thought we would be for that game but we have to be realistic and keep our feet on the ground.”

CEBL commissioner Mike Morreale came away from the experience a little awestruck, beginning with the club’s pre-game party at True North Square.

Sea Bears make dazzling debut

The Canadian Elite Basketball League’s shiny new Winnipeg franchise made its on-court debut Saturday.

The game and the hoopla surrounding it had a little bit of everything.

A mascot named Churchill rappelled from the rafters in pregame, there were multiple lead changes, a public marriage proposal during a third-quarter timeout (yes, Louise Hemedes accepted Zach Unrau’s proposal) and a sell-out crowd of 7,303 — setting a league record — filled the lower bowl of Canada Life Centre.

The only thing missing was a victory by the hometown team, which the Sea Bears provided in the form of a 90-85 triumph over the Vancouver Bandits.

Sea Bears ready to roar

The Winnipeg Sea Bears are newcomers to the local sports landscape, but the fledgling Canadian Elite Basketball League franchise is guaranteed to make history even before the first three-pointer is scored.

As of Friday afternoon, the franchise had sold more than 6,700 tickets for its home debut against the Vancouver Bandits at Canada Life Centre Saturday night (7 p.m. tip-off), which will establish a league single-game attendance record eclipsing the previous mark of 4,404 set by the Bandits on June 18, 2022.

The promise of a large crowd doesn’t faze Sea Bears point guard Glen Yang.

“At this point, I enjoy those kinds of atmospheres,” said Yang, who played the winter season with Hong Kong-based Bay Area Dragons of the Phillipine Basketball Association. “I played in front of 54,000 in the Philippines in our Game 7 of the finals, which was insane.”

Manitobans star in Centennial Cup win

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — Hunter Wallace is only 5-7 and 165 pounds but he was a giant among men Sunday afternoon.

The 20-year-old left-winger from Oak Lake broke a scoreless tie by squeezing a shot through goaltender Josh Kotai’s pads at 10:08 of the second period and he added an assist on Hudson Malinoski’s goal 97 seconds later to spark the Brooks Bandits to their third consecutive Centennial Cup title with a 4-0 triumph over the Battlefords North Stars before 1,527 fans at Stride Place.

Wallace’s gutsy effort eased the tension in a game the Bandits dominated from the opening faceoff with their dazzling transition game.

“We just needed to stay composed,” said Wallace, who needed extra medical attention and ibuprofen to reduce the swelling above his right eye after being struck in the face by a skate boot in Saturday’s 3-0 semifinal win over the Ottawa Junior Senators. “I think we knew we were gonna get one — it was just gonna take a little extra work and once we’re able to get that first one, we kind of exploded from there.”

Tired Terriers fall to Battlefords

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — Stingy defence, timely goal-scoring and an aversion to the penalty box. It was a formula that served the Portage Terriers well on their way to a berth in the Centennial Cup semifinals.

But on Saturday, facing the offensive juggernaut otherwise known as the Battlefords North Stars, the Terriers got none of the above in a 7-1 shellacking at the hands of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champs before 1,190 fans at Stride Place.

The North Stars scored early and often, going 4-for-5 on the power play while building 4-0 and 6-1 period leads.

“Yeah, drew it up exactly like that man,” said a jubilant North Stars GM and head coach Brayden Klimosko. “It’s funny how it goes like that. Obviously you noticed Portage didn’t have much left in the tank and we were hoping to pounce on ‘em early and were able to do that. We’re pretty excited about the result for sure.”

Portage pots power-play pair to advance

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — The Portage Terriers had already suffered the indignity of an early exit from the MJHL post-season.

They weren’t about to accept a premature ouster from the Centennial Cup playoffs — not on Friday night anyway.

Backstopped by a superb 36-save outing from Bailey Monteith, the host Terriers eked out a 2-1 triumph over the Yarmouth Mariners in quarter-final action before 1,340 fans at Stride Place.

The win put Portage into a semifinal showdown at the national junior A hockey championship with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champion Battlefords North Stars on today at 7:30 p.m.

Brooks a refuge from war for Bandits’ Ukrainian duo

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a profound affect on many lives — Mikhail Simchuk and Danylo Korzhyletskyi included.

The young Ukrainians have a very personal connection to the war, even though they are living and playing hockey thousands of kilometres from home for the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits.

Simchuk, a 20-year-old centre, is in frequent contact with his parents, little sister and 16-year-old brother at home in Kyiv.

“We will try to talk every day but usually we can’t because they often doesn’t have electricity in the house,” said Simchuk following a Friday practice as the Bandits prepared for Saturday’s semifinals at the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championship. “They are trying to not talk too much about war with me, but I’m always checking.”

Terriers will have hands full with Mariners in Centennial Cup quarterfinal

The Portage Terriers will follow the biggest game of the season by an even more massive game Friday night.

Missed opportunities costly for Pistons

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — The Steinbach Pistons had one game to earn a trip to the Centennial Cup playoffs Tuesday night.

Ultimately, it became a hill too difficult to climb for the MJHL champions, who would come to regret penalties taken and uncapitalized scoring chances in a 3-1 loss to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Battlefords North Stars before 1,011 spectators at Stride Place.

Steinbach completed preliminary-round play at the national junior A hockey championship with one win, two regulation losses and one OT defeat for four points to finish fourth in Group B and out of the playoffs.

“I think as a group the guys felt like we kind of left one on the table,” said Pistons head coach Paul Dyck. “If you look at the four games, we probably outchanced our opposition maybe slightly some games. Every game we had our opportunities but we made some costly mistakes. We had some some penalties that really hurt us (and) there were just times where we weren’t all on the same page.”

Absent BCHL continues to be a hot topic at Centennial Cup

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — Nine junior A hockey leagues are participating at the Centennial Cup here this week but the league not taking part in the festivities continues to make the biggest news.

The B.C. Hockey League, which last participated in the national junior A championship in 2019, took its independence a step further earlier this month when it announced it would be splitting from Hockey Canada, effective June 1.

The BCHL, widely considered to be the most competitive junior A league in the country, has long chaffed under the direction of the sport’s governing body. A major point of contention is Hockey Canada’s policy preventing under-18 players from relocating to play for an out-of-province team.

“Right now they have to stay within their branch unless they’re at the major-junior level,” said Andy Harkness, president of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, which serves as the umbrella organization for junior A hockey. “So, obviously it would affect the player pool. In our conversations, I know our commissioners are talking to their teams and leagues and saying, ‘Make sure you’ve got a program where these kids want to stay home and play hockey.”

Special teams the difference as Portage falls to Battlefords

The Portage Terriers were gunning for their third straight win to cement a playoff berth at the national junior A hockey championship Monday night.

Bandits rolling over the competition

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — If there is anyone capable of stopping the Brooks Bandits from winning their third consecutive national junior A hockey championship, it’s not really clear which team that will be.

On Monday afternoon, the Alberta Junior Hockey League champions were dishing out their brand of attacking hockey again as they thrashed the Timmins Rock 9-0 for their third consecutive preliminary round victory on their way to top spot in Group A at the Centennial Cup.

Brooks has outscored its opponents 21-3 so far with the help of a talented crew of Manitobans, including left-winger Hunter Wallace of Oak Lake and a trio of Winnipeggers — centre Jordan Hughesman and blue-liners Hughie Hooker and Sam Court.

The Bandits, led by GM and head coach Ryan Papaioannou, have now won 15 consecutive games at the nationals while outscoring their opponents 91-27 over that span.

Pistons hit on all cylinders

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — The Steinbach Pistons were playing for their playoff lives at the Centennial Cup and they looked the part Sunday night.

At times, a combination of nerves and eagerness threatened to become a toxic mix, but timely power-play goals by Landon Roberts, late in the second period, and Ty Paisley, early in the third, lifted the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions to a 5-2 triumph over the Kam River Fighting Walleye at Stride Place.

“It definitely got the guys going again,” said Roberts, whose goal came eight seconds after Kam River’s Riley Borody was assessed a double minor for tripping. “It had been some been some time since we had something that got us some excitement on the bench. So I think it sparked us a little bit, especially headed into the third period.”

Paisley’s goal, which gave the Pistons a 4-1 lead, came on the back half of Borody’s double minor.

Neill comes up big in his Terriers post-season debut

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — Rory Neill’s timing was impeccable Friday night.

Playing in his first post-season game as a member of the Portage Terriers, the 19-year-old left-winger from Winnipeg scored twice during a three-goal first-period outburst and the home side went on to post a 4-2 triumph over the MJHL champion Steinbach Pistons in Centennial Cup preliminary-round action before 1,535 fans at Stride Place.

“I was just trying to do whatever I could to help the team but yeah, it was pretty surreal,” said Neill, whose new club was making its tournament debut as the host club at the national junior A hockey championship. “It was awesome.”

Neill, who spent the 2022-23 season with the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League’s St. James Canucks, was on Portage GM and head coach Blake Spiller’s short list for recall after playing a mid-season game with the club as an affiliate.

Pistons lose OT heartbreaker in cup opener

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — This wasn’t the way the Steinbach Pistons wanted to start the Centennial Cup.

On Thursday night, Collingwood’s Robert Strachan scored a power-play goal with 56.1 seconds remaining in the five-minute overtime period to lift the Blues to a 2-1 triumph over the MJHL champions at the national junior A hockey championship at Stride Place.

The Blues played the last 90 seconds of regulation on a 5-on-4 advantage and then most of OT with a 4-on-3 power play before Strachan potted the game-winner behind Pistons goaltender Dominik Wasik.

Steinbach defenceman Langley Kruggel was assessed a double minor for kneeing at 18:30 of the final frame yet Steinbach managed to kill off the final 90 seconds of the third period and the team began the five-minute overtime period with a 4-on-3 disadvantage.

Top PHF puckstopper Schroeder finds new hockey home in Montreal

The Premier Hockey Federation’s best goaltender has a new home.

Corinne Schroeder, the 23-year-old Elm Creek product who took the PHF by storm as a rookie in 2022-23 with the Boston Pride, has signed a one-year contract to join the Montreal Force.

Further details of the deal were not disclosed, but Schroeder, who had a productive four-year NCAA career with Boston University and a fifth season with Quinnipiac University before turning pro, was a free agent and considered an offer to return to the Pride as well as two other PHF clubs.

“There’s a lot that went into it obviously,” Schroeder said Wednesday from Elm Creek. “I’m sad to be leaving Boston… I’ve been out here for a while but I think one major piece for me was being back in Canada. I haven’t played for a Canadian team since high school (at Balmoral Hall) and being a little closer to home was a big part of my decision. I’m very excited to be in Montreal. I think it’s a great city.”

Terriers healthy and rarin’ to go

For the first time in weeks, all 24 members of the Portage Terriers were able to practise Monday afternoon.

That was a timely development for the hosts of the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey tournament, who face their Manitoba Junior Hockey League rivals, the Steinbach Pistons, in their opening game Friday at Stride Place.

Multiple cases of strep throat and the flu and at least one case of mononucleosis have swamped the club since almost the beginning of the league playoffs, which came to an abrupt end with a 3-2 double-overtime loss in Game 7 of a semifinal series with the Virden Oil Capitals on April 19.

“It feels like the first time since the playoffs started that we’ll have everybody healthy,” said Terriers captain Kian Calder, a local product, by phone Monday afternoon. “I was lucky enough to get sick after the first round where we had a week off. I don’t know what (it was) but I had something else for the whole week… I just had a wicked cough and no energy to do anything…

Homecoming for Brooks foursome

Hughie Hooker is a slick, play-making defenceman for the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits but his biggest moment of the 2023 post-season so far was a beautiful accident.

Early in overtime of Game 4 in the AJHL final April 26, the 19-year-old Winnipegger cleared the puck into the Spruce Grove zone before heading to the bench.

“I was going for a change and I just kind of kept an eye on it and I saw it bounce off the back wall and then I saw (forward Heath) Armstrong start celebrating in front of the net,” said Hooker, who was born in Brandon and grew up in Winnipeg. “I don’t really remember much after that.”

The goal, coming after the puck caromed into the net off Saints goaltender Spencer Michnik, gave the Bandits a 2-1 victory and a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Wasik’s career reborn between pipes of MJHL champion Pistons

Dominik Wasik is a prime example of how one move can transform a career.

Pistons expect push back from Oil Caps

The Steinbach Pistons have done a number on the Virden Oil Capitals, posting 4-0 and 3-0 victories to open the Manitoba Junior Hockey League final.

Oil Caps on a roll heading into MJHL final

The Virden Oil Capitals were three games under .500, out of a playoff spot and fading fast after getting drubbed 7-3 by the Selkirk Steelers on Dec. 17.

The next day Virden started a 19-day holiday break. In hindsight, it’s hard to imagine a schedule timeout being more perfectly timed.

After some R&R, the lowly Caps emerged from their early season funk to win nine of 10 games in January, including a sweep of a home-and-home series with the Steinbach Pistons, en route to a 21-6-0-0 regular-season record in the second half.

A 35-22-1-0 overall mark was good for third place in the West Division.

Terriers enter Game 7 with depleted lineup

Seven-game playoff series are usually tests of will and endurance.

La Roche on the road to recovery

Winnipeg’s Shae La Roche is the oldest and most seasoned member of the Canadian women’s water polo team.

Pistons in driver’s seat of MJHL semifinal vs. Stampeders

FANS attending the MJHL semifinal series between the Steinbach Pistons and Swan Valley Stampeders are getting their money’s worth and then some.

Sea Bears’ choice is clear

The Canadian Elite Basketball League’s U Sports Draft is planned for April 19 but the Winnipeg Sea Bears have removed some of the suspense.

Nepinak-Sargent the picture of calm as Ice face biggest test yet

Jordyn Nepinak-Sargent was the MVP of the Manitoba Female U18 AAA Hockey League playoffs and she had the numbers to prove it.

Portage product helps Minot State skate to NCAA title

Joey Moffatt didn’t land the NCAA hockey scholarship he wanted but he still found an excellent outlet to continue playing when he wrapped up a five-year junior career last spring.

Morden blue-liner a hockey and strongwoman champion

The Toronto Six was trailing 3-2 midway through the third period of last Sunday’s Premier Hockey Federation championship game in Tempe, Ariz., and Taylor Woods knew her moment had come.

Gaber puts NHL aspirations on hold

Riese Gaber would have been one of the most sought-after NCAA free agents at the conclusion of the 2022-23 hockey season.

Ice seize control of female AAA 18 final

It wasn’t the most productive game of Haley Braun’s season but the star winger was lethal when she needed to be Sunday night.

Ice aiming to be first Winnipeg-based MFHL champs

The Manitoba Female AAA 18 Hockey League, which played its inaugural season in 2008-09, has never crowned a Winnipeg-based team as its champion.

After stellar collegiate career and international success, Ashton Bell plans to play professionally

Deloraine’s Ashton Bell had the golden touch in 2021 and 2022.

Terriers, Pistons favoured in MJHL East

The MJHL post-season begins Friday and only one thing is certain: the Portage Terriers, hosts of the Centennial Cup, have their spot guaranteed at the national junior A championship, slated for May 11-21 at Stride Place.

Lancers repeat as provincial champs

The Dakota Lancers were not accustomed to adversity. The defending provincial AAAA champs hadn’t lost a game on a Manitoba court in more than two years and Monday’s provincial varsity girls basketball final against a pesky Garden City Gophers squad planted a seed of doubt.

Lancers steamroll Spartans

The Dakota Lancers loved winning the provincial AAAA varsity girls basketball championship so much last season they’ve decided to do it all again in 2023.

Manitoba nose tackle turning NCAA heads

When Sean Sevillano Jr. moved from West St. Paul to Florida less than two years ago, he had visions of an NCAA football scholarship in his future.

Bisons seeking upsets at national volleyball tourney

The Manitoba Bisons put in an extra effort, winning a five-set Canada West bronze-medal battle with the Winnipeg Wesmen last week to earn their place at the U Sports women’s volleyball national championship.

Top hoopster getting better all the time

Ramogi Nyagudi is 6-10 and still growing.

U of M punches ticket to national championship with victory over cross-town rival

The road to the U Sports women’s volleyball national championship ran through the Duckworth Centre Friday night.

Stakes high in Bisons-Wesmen showdown

The Winnipeg and Manitoba men’s basketball teams ratcheted up the heat in the crosstown university rivalry on Feb. 25 with a memorable Canada West playoff showdown, won 73-70 by the underdog Wesmen.

Wesmen in tough against Gee-Gees

The Winnipeg Wesmen played and lost to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the final of the Wesmen Classic university men’s basektball tournament Dec. 30.

Chloé Nicolas tops MWHSHL coaches poll

Chloé Nicolas is one of the youngest players in the Manitoba Women’s High School Hockey League, but that hasn’t preventing her from becoming one of the best.

Province’s top high school hockey player still has something to prove

Colson Smith has been the best player on the finest high school boys hockey team in the province all season long, but the 17-year-old centre still has something to prove.

Top-ranked Fighting Gophers pursue provincial glory

It’s been a dream season — so far — for the Garden City Fighting Gophers.

Sanford netminder named Canada West Goaltender of the Year

Halle Oswald has reached a level in her hockey career that many would aspire to but few are able to reach.

Wesmen facing toughest test of season

The University of Winnipeg men’s basketball team has silenced the doubters while playing at a level previously thought unattainable in 2022-23.

Winnipeg’s own Posthumus first official Sea Bear

It’s been more than 14 years since Chad Posthumus played a sanctioned game in his hometown.

Role player gets chance to shine

It’s great to have veteran stars summon up their best performances in big games but sometimes a role player can have a similar impact.

Record crowd watches Wesmen upset Bisons

It was a game that could not possibly have lived up to the pre-game hype but the Winnipeg Wesmen and Manitoba Bisons made good on that promise anyway Saturday night.

Wesmen win a nail-biter

FRIDAY’S Canada West women’s volleyball quarter-final opener between the University of Winnipeg Wesmen and Fraser Valley Cascades confirmed what the regular season had already established.

Kazadi breaks out in second year with Bisons

The Manitoba Bisons have their young stars.

Everything at stake as Bisons take on Wesmen

There are times when even good teams fall apart at crucial moments. There are other times when good players raise the level of their teams, seemingly unaffected by the pressure.

Wesmen women prove doubters wrong

On the eve of the Canada West playoffs, Taylor Kleysen had solid evidence to be proud of her team and that it had accomplished. There was no temptation to get smug about it.

Herd pushes harder, downs Dinos

When they were pushed, the Manitoba Bisons shoved back just a little bit harder Saturday night.

Triple OT brings out best in Wesmen

In a game with 12 lead changes and three overtimes, Donald Stewart was the man of the hour late Saturday afternoon.

Bobcats and Dinos advance

The Winnipeg Wesmen have already beaten the Brandon Bobcats four times in 2022-23.

Bisons waiting and watching

In an era when many of the best basketball players are positionless, Simon Hildebrandt has set a standard for the Manitoba Bisons.

Rugged East Selkirk hoopster makes homecoming with U of C Dinos

Mason Foreman is a basketball player with some tendencies of an old-school hockey player. He appears to be very adept at sacrificing his body for the good of the team.

Gritty guard not afraid to mix it up for Wesmen

The Canada West men’s basketball playoffs are a heartless process — there are no second chances. Lose once and you go home.

Bisons, Wesmen to play on hometown hardwood

University men’s post-season basketball is coming to Winnipeg next weekend and both local schools will be in the heat of the action.

Playoff positioning on the line

The Canada West Universities Athletic Association men’s basketball regular season is heading into its final weekend with key playoff matchups and seedings unsettled.

Wesmen win without superstar

Kyanna Giles isn’t superhuman on the basketball court. It just looks like that sometimes.

Wesmen women leave it till late

For most teams, a 14-point deficit after three quarters would be a major problem to overcome.

Naylor making her mark on national bowling scene

Marissa Naylor, Manitoba’s top female bowler, has been busy raising her profile on the national scene.

Bisons-Wesmen weekend hoops showdown has national playoff implications

The Manitoba Bisons and the Winnipeg Wesmen have a storied rivalry when it comes to men’s basketball.

Jones can win with anybody

EAST ST. PAUL — Jennifer Jones and her crew of twentysomething rock stars completed an unbeaten run at the provincial women’s curling championship Sunday afternoon.

Jones shooting for ninth crown

St. Vital’s Jennifer Jones will be gunning for an unprecedented ninth provincial women’s curling title Sunday afternoon.

McLeod exceeds Scotties expectations

Lisa McLeod had modest expectations at the beginning of this week’s provincial women’s curling championship.

Jones still at top of her game

She may be a living legend but there is nothing past tense about Jennifer Jones. Manitoba’s top curlers are still playing catch-up.

Decorated skip, new mom makes quick return to pebble

Kaitlyn Lawes was just being herself Thursday morning.

Watling looks to build on 2022 success

Kristy Watling took a bold step forward a year ago, advancing to the provincial women’s curling championship final before losing to Altona’s Mackenzie Zacharias in the title game.

Bisons crush Cougars

Kirby Schepp may have assembled the most versatile collection of talent in his 14 seasons at the helm of the University of Manitoba Bisons men’s basketball program.

Kirk thrives on competition

Goaltenders are supposed to crave being their team’s undisputed No. 1, right? Well, if you ask Raygan Kirk, a two- or three-goalie rotation can have an upside, too.

Pickering on top of the world

Avery Pickering was still on top of the world Wednesday afternoon.

Wesmen women dominate Cougars

The No. 1-ranked Regina Cougars rarely lose a basketball game and when they do, it’s not supposed to look like a beatdown the Winnipeg Wesmen administered Friday night.

Winnipeg receiver turning heads

The label ‘generational player’ is thrown around much too casually these days.

Playoff atmosphere as Wesmen face Cougars

Every so often, there is a regular-season game that feels like a playoff game.

War at home never far from thoughts of Ukrainian hockey team

It was only an exhibition game, but it was an extraordinary night.

Portage la Prairie gearing up for Centennial Cup

Portage la Prairie staged a successful national junior A hockey championship in 2015, capped by the hometown Terriers winning the title.

Late surge powers Gee-Gees past Wesmen

Shawn Maranan didn’t need any extra inspiration for Friday night’s Wesmen Classic men’s basketball final.

Wesmen power past pesky Bobcats

The Brandon University Bobcats gave the Winnipeg Wesmen all they could handle Thursday night.

U of W makes quick work of T-birds

The University of Winnipeg Wesmen played home-court advantage to the hilt Wednesday night.

Sea Bears GM-head coach loves a challenge

Last month, the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Winnipeg Sea Bears unveiled a logo and announced they would be playing home games at Canada Life Centre beginning in May.

Deadline deal pays off for Terriers

Blake Spiller was playing the long game when he shipped his best player, forward Logan Calder, to the Dauphin Kings at the MJHL trade deadline 11 months ago.

The return of the Wesmen Classic

Shawn Maranan may not look like a grizzled veteran but he certainly plays the part.

Sturgeon Heights, Steinbach earn provincial AAAA varsity volleyball titles

If you wanted pressurized, tension-filled varsity girls volleyball with a provincial title at stake, the Sturgeon Heights Huskies and Vincent Massey Trojans were up to the task Monday night.

U of W’s Giles on a roll

Kyanna Giles is celebrating her final season of U Sports basketball by etching her name in the University of Winnipeg record book.

A ferocious dedication to living

Anne Kostjuk was a rare person, and not merely because she was a member of a tiny demographic, the .03 per cent of the Canadian population to have lived into their second century.

Determined Broncos hand Ice second home-ice loss of season

Early Friday night, you could sense the Swift Current Broncos were a different team — faster, hungrier and more self-assured.

Sabres won’t be denied

The Steinbach Sabres had a taste of semifinal heartbreak in 2021. A year later, they weren’t about to be denied again.

Sea Bears set to hit hardwood in May

Winnipeg’s crowded sports entertainment landscape officially got another entry when owner David Asper unveiled the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Sea Bears logo and plans for the 2023 season Wednesday morning.

Crusaders the team to beat

The St. Paul’s Crusaders didn’t win a tournament until late October, but that breakthrough has made them the team to beat entering the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association AAAA varsity boys volleyball championship.

Talented Trojans not taking anything for granted in quest for MHSAA volleyball crown

A year ago, a youthful Vincent Massey Trojans squad was one win away from a berth in the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association AAAA varsity girls provincial final.

Generational player soars above competition

When Peter Labun talks volleyball his eyes light up. His enthusiasm is infectious.

Raiders star springs back to new heights

Fiona Brown’s stellar play during the 2022 season has earned her the No. 1 spot in the Free Press’s inaugural coaches’ poll honouring the province’s best high school varsity girls volleyball players.

The puck stops with Angers

Logan Angers has reached a place for which college hockey players spend a lifetime preparing.

Year-round training boosts soccer community

Thirty-six years have passed since Canada’s last appearance on soccer’s grandest stage at the men’s World Cup.

Valour super fan makes voyage to Qatar to support Canada

Nicky Cottee is a devoted fan of Valour FC, the local Canadian Premier League team, and a member of the Voyageurs, a well-organized group of Canadians known for their passionate support of Team Canada on the international soccer stage.

U of W hoopster unfazed facing tougher competition

It’s a U Sports debut that’s been five years in the making but Julia Schatkowsky is capitalizing in a big way on her final year of university basketball.

Winnipeg blue-liner among Manitobans at core of AJHL powerhouse

Don’t look now, but the Brooks Bandits are at it again.

Pro hoops league officially welcomes Winnipeg

The Canadian Elite Basketball League confirmed Wednesday it will be expanding to Winnipeg for the 2023 season.

Winnipeg to join Canadian Elite Basketball League

Pro basketball is coming to Winnipeg.

Signatovich powers Pandas over Herd

Claire Signatovich hadn’t played a game in her hometown for more than three years, but the 21-year-old Oak Park grad marked her return to Winnipeg with a flashy display Friday night.

Bisons’ Gassama taking his game to new levels

If opposing defences weren’t concerned about the threat presented by AK Gassama, the last three weeks of Canada West Universities Athletic Association football have put them on high alert.

Wesmen women let upset slip away

The Winnipeg Wesmen women’s volleyball team had an early season upset brewing at Duckworth Centre Friday night.

Manitoba well-represented on national ringette team

Winnipeg’s Alexsi Kavvadas is preparing for her first taste of action at the World Ringette Championships and she’s determined to help Canada’s U22 team defend its junior world title.

QB Catellier comes through in clutch for Herd

IN a must-win situation Des Catellier delivered a career-defining performance Saturday afternoon.

Bison women lose heartbreaker to Regina in extra time, miss playoffs

It was a fair question.

Serious injury avoided following scary hit

Drayden Kurbatoff was taking it easy Tuesday, thankful a nightmarish end to his Saturday night had not resulted in serious injury.

Bisons soccer women to host playoff game against Cougars

The University of Manitoba women’s soccer team is going to the Canada West conference post-season, and it will be on home turf for the first time in program history.

Critical weekend on pitch for Bison women

The University of Manitoba women’s soccer team is on the cusp of making history this weekend.

Bisons’ star linebacker an overnight sensation three-years in the making

For three years — through a red-shirt season, a pandemic-cancelled campaign in 2020 and a return to the field in 2021 — Dolan Hills played the part of understudy.

Steinbach Pistons’ big three taking MJHL by storm

STEINBACH — The Steinbach Pistons are 9-1-0-0 and tied for top spot in the MJHL’s East Division.

Bison women have their eyes on the prize

Katreena Bentley has a clear picture of what winning a U Sports volleyball championship looks like.

Balmoral Hall pucksters blazing their way to the top

The Balmoral Hall Blazers play in one of the most competitive female hockey leagues in North America but they don’t have to play games to test themselves against the best.

Herd RB Stubbs makes it look easy

Breydon Stubbs wasn’t going to be denied Saturday afternoon.

Wesmen have giant hole to fill

The University of Winnipeg men’s volleyball team was plotting to take a big step forward in 2022-23.

Towering Ice defenceman a fearless and fierce competitor

On a team with an abundance of small- to average-sized puck-movers, defenceman Ashton Cumby stands out. He’s big and he’s getting bigger.

Bell an integral part of Canadian women’s spectacular championship run

Ashton Bell has been an integral part of one of the most spectatular runs in Canadian hockey history.

Wesmen hoopsters add building block

A year ago, Keylyn Filewich and Kyanna Giles were veteran transfers who immediately turned the University of Winnipeg women’s basketball team into a national powerhouse.

Manitoba beach teams aiming high at Canada Summer Games

Erika Vermette and Val Gonzalez have been beach volleyball teammates for more than three years and friends for longer than that.

Cohesion the key to success

Manitoba’s U20 men will need to play a cohesive team game to win volleyball gold at the upcoming Canada Summer Games but there will be no shortage of star power fuelling the province’s efforts.

Manitoba going for gold at Canada Summer games

Manitoba’s reputation as a hotbed of volleyball on the national scene isn’t up for debate but there’s pressure associated with that status.

The women who will represent the province at next month’s Canada Summer Games understand that and although they have been going about their preparations with little fanfare, they are clear about their goals.

“We’re going for gold — there’s no doubt about that,” said right side Faye Murray earlier this week as the provincial U20 squad practised at the Sport for Life Centre. “Primarily, we’re here to win and bring home the medal like they did in 2017 and keep that (tradition) going.

“But really, we’re just working hard every day and we’re all trying to improve ourselves individually as well as improve the team. We’re trying to become better athletes and teammates.”

Winnipeg swimmer now a triathlon threat at Canada Games

BIRDS HILL PARK — The pandemic has been tough on athletes in most amateur sports.

Training has been limited and competitions have been harder to find.

For some, such as Winnipegger Anja Krueger, a competitive swimmer since she was 10, the tighter restrictions placed on her sport helped lead her back to an old favourite.

The 19-year-old who attends University of British Columbia still considers the pool a priority but the lure of triathlon has become irresistible.

Countdown begins for World Police and Fire Games

THE World Police and Fire Games are coming to Winnipeg in 2023 and organizers suggest it will be a very big production — larger than either the 1999 Pan Am Games or the 2017 Canada Summer Games.

It’s an Olympic-style, multi-sport competition with a history dating back to 1985.

Next year’s extravaganza is expected to draw more than 8,500 athletes — firefighters, law enforcement officials and personnel from corrections, customs, probation, and border protection — with competitions in more than 60 sports staged at 34 venues in and around the city.

A campaign to generate 3,500 volunteers will kick off in January.

Hoops coach Cox leads Summer Games team

ALYSSA Cox has assembled a roster of some of the finest basketball talent ever produced in Manitoba.

Her next task will be to bring all the various parts together.

Leading the provincial 18U female team into next month’s Canada Summer Games in Ontario hasn’t been a seamless process for the provincial head coach.

Three of her stars — guard Tanah Becker and forwards Izzi and Kyulin Fust — have been playing for travelling teams in the Ontario-based Kia Nurse Elite AAU program.

Legendary coaches hang up their clipboards

The reminders of past athletic glories are plastered all over gym walls at Oak Park High School.

It’s a proud legacy and two men — long-time varsity girls basketball coach Murray Brown and football coach Stu Nixon — were chief architects of programs that won 12 of those championship banners.

On Thursday, on the last day of the 2021-22 academic year, both men were retiring after lengthy teaching careers at the Charleswood area school.

Tears were shed and memories were recounted. There were no regrets.

High-flying high-school standout a generational volleyball talent

Generational talent is an overused term to describe many outstanding athletes. It’s probably not an overstatement in the case of Raya Surinx.

The Grade 12 student at J.H. Bruns Collegiate has already been crowned the top female high school volleyball player in Manitoba and, unquestionably, the province’s top university recruit.

And, if not for a cruel twist, the 17-year-old would probably be one of the youngest players suiting up for Canada’s U21 team at the Pan American Cup currently underway in Mexico.

A positive COVID-19 test at the national team training camp in Edmonton forced Surinx into isolation for five days and a subsequent positive PCR test dashed any hopes she would travel with Team Canada.

Hoopster has chance to shine for Canada

Brendan Amoyaw isn’t well known outside local basketball circles but he shouldn’t expect that anonymity to last much longer.

Last week, the Winnipegger earned one of 12 spots on the 18-and-under men’s national team and he could be in the starting lineup when Canada faces host Mexico today in the opening game of the FIBA U18 Men’s Americas Championship in Tijuana.

“I knew that I wasn’t guaranteed anything but I knew that if I just went in and did the things I do well and played the way I have to in big situations, then I’d have a decent chance of it working out,” said Amoyaw by phone from Tijuana Saturday.

The 6-9 power forward burst on the national scene after spending an injury-interrupted 2021-22 season at Lincoln Prep in Hamilton, Ont.

McKay says goodbye after 36 years at U of W

Tanya McKay officially cut her ties with the University of Winnipeg two months ago.

The emotional connections built by her 36 years as part of the Wesmen women’s basketball program, including the last 26 years as head coach, will probably never be broken.

Former teammates, players, co-workers and other well-wishers paid tribute to McKay at a special gathering Friday afternoon. The 54-year-old Sackville, N.S., product has accepted a job at Dalhousie University in Halifax where she will guide the school’s women’s basketball program.

Citing a desire to return to her home province to help care for her mother and stepfather, McKay resigned her U of W post shortly after leading the Wesmen to a berth in the U Sports national championship final.

It’s all fun and games

Oceane Asham is a complete player.

At the rink, the 17-year-old left-winger from Portage has displayed a ton of skill. Off the ice, her infectious personality is almost impossible to resist.

“That kid lights up a room,” said Sarah Zacharias, director of hockey and head coach at Balmoral Hall where Asham recently completed her Grade 12 season. “She’s genuinely one of the funniest people that I know. She was a leader on our team, both on and off the ice in how she carries herself. She’s mature well beyond her years.

“And on ice, man, she’s fun to watch. The kid has incredible hands, incredible shot and a really, really high-level hockey IQ. But I think my favourite thing to watch is that kid celebrating goals — there’s nobody that cellys a goal quite like her.”

Cox named new Wesmen hoops coach

Alyssa Cox is only 30 but has already spent years paying her dues on the provincial basketball scene.

In high school, she learned the game under the tutelage of Oak Park High School coaching legend Murray Brown before moving on to a five-year playing career at the University of Winnipeg where she was a key member of Tanya McKay’s Wesmen teams from 2009 to 2014.

While a university player, she also served as an assistant coach at her high school alma mater and that led to six seasons on McKay’s staff, including an appearance at the 2022 U Sports national championship game.

But the apprenticeship is over.

Female coaching staff set to lead Manitoba U-18 hockey team

Manitoba’s U18 female hockey team at the 2023 Canada Winter Games will have a unique — but long overdue — look behind the bench.

It will mark the first all-female coaching staff in the history of Hockey Manitoba’s program of excellence. Ashley van Aggelen will serve as head coach and will be assisted by a fellow Winnipegger, Maggie Litchfield-Medd and Brandon’s Karissa Kirkup.

The significance of the occasion isn’t lost on the principals.

“I’m so excited,” said van Aggelen, earlier this week. “I had talked to a few female coaches around the province and it was like, ‘Let’s do this. Let’s make this happen.’ I’m 40 (years old) but we have some really strong up-and-coming female coaches in our province that range from anywhere between 25 and 35. We’re at a really good place in Manitoba now where we have so many qualified female coaches.

Park family has the fight stuff

Canada’s first family of taekwondo, which includes siblings Skylar, Tae-Ku and Braven Park of Winnipeg, made a big splash in the Dominican Republic last week.

Skylar Park, the world No. 3 in the 57-kilogram women’s division, earned her third title at the Pan American Championships in Punta Cana, beating Brazil’s Sandy Macedo in Wednesday’s final.

What made the event even more memorable was she was joined on the event podium by her brothers: 21-year-old Tae-Ku and 19-year-old Braven, who earned bronze medals in the under-74 kilogram and under-63 kilogram divisions, respectively.

All three are coached by their father, Jae Park.

Wesmen hoops star has keen interest in selection of new coach

The search to find a successor for departed University of Winnipeg women’s basketball coach Tanya McKay is nearing a conclusion and star point guard Kyanna Giles will be among those watching with keen interest.

Giles, who recently helped the Wesmen to an appearance in the U Sports championship game in Kingston, Ont., has a fifth and final year of eligibility remaining and she sounded uncertain about her future Sunday.

“We’ll see,” said Giles. “I don’t even know who else applied or who else could potentially get the job. Having a coaching change is huge because half the people pick universities because of the coach. People don’t like to just play for anybody. So I have to see who the coach is before I decide what I want to do.”

The school’s hiring committee is believed to have whittled a large list of applicants for the job to a short list of three candidates, which believed to include Wesmen assistant coach Alyssa Cox.

Retired NHLer tries to balance business, sport

When Brad Chartrand retired from the NHL after the 2003-04 season, he envisioned a life away from the game.

The funny thing is, he’s never quite escaped the sport of his childhood — the one he played as a kid growing up in St. James before going on to earn a scholarship to an Ivy League school, a spot on Canada’s national team and finally on to a five-year career in the big leagues.

At 47, the former Winnipegger balances his work responsibilities as the CEO of DuraDerm Sport, a U.S.-based medical device company with the sometimes challenging logistics of a busy family life.

Chartrand and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children: sons Liam, 14, and Brandon, 13, and an eight-year-old daughter, Cathryn.

Vets lead Pistons into MJHL final vs. Kings

Paul Dyck has been there and done that but never tires of another trip to the Turnbull Cup final.

This week, the longtime Steinbach general manager and head coach will lead his Pistons into their fifth league championship series in the last seven full MJHL seasons.

Dyck said Tuesday the current squad has similarities to the franchise’s championship teams in 2012-13 and 2017-18.

“That was something we identified early on was just how the guys got along and we had a real unity in the room and a desire to win,” said Dyck, whose club ousted the Virden Oil Capitals with a 4-2 win in Monday’s Game 6 of a best-of-seven semifinal. “I think our team is very hungry. They were hungry from the onset and they don’t like losing.”

Elite athlete finds balance between bowling and golf

When Marissa Naylor was faced with choosing between her love of golf and bowling, she did it her way.

She chose to multi-task.

“I’ve juggled things all my life — since I was the age of 12,” Naylor said, earlier this week. “I went to a private school — MBCI — and we had a very packed school load there and I was still playing soccer, ringette and bowling and just getting into golf all at the same time. I grew up being busy.”

Now firmly established in the working world, the 24-year-old Winnipegger always seems to find more room on her plate.

Red-hot Virden giving Steinbach all it can handle in MJHL semifinal

The Virden Oil Capitals finished 23 points behind the Steinbach Pistons during the 2021-22 MJHL regular season. It’s a number with little significance.

Probably a better indicator of Virden’s quality should be the club’s stretch run. Starting on Feb. 12, the Caps won 11 of their final 13 games and outscored the opposition 58-39.

It’s no surprise then that the third-place finishers in the West Division went on to sweep the second-place Waywayseecappo Wolverines in the opening round of the post-season and split the opening two games of their semifinal series with the powerhouse Pistons, first-place finishers in the East.

Steinbach beat the Caps 5-4 in overtime in Saturday’s Game 1 before the visitors responded with a 4-2 win Sunday, setting up a pivotal Game 3 in the best-of-seven series Wednesday at Virden’s Tundra Gas and Oil Place.

High hopes for female kicker

The email that may have changed Maya Turner’s life landed in Brian Dobie’s inbox in early January.

A subject line referred to “NCAA Division 1 kicker.” Dobie, head coach of the University of Manitoba Bisons football team was intrigued.

Manitoba’s veteran kicker-punter, Cole Sabourin, had used up his eligibility and the program was casting about for fresh candidates for the job.

That’s when Turner, 19, an ex-soccer player from Maple Grove, Minn., arrived on the scene.

Season-opening draw puts Valour FC in a vengeful mood

Valour FC squandered a lead in extra time to draw 1-1 with FC Edmonton in last Sunday’s Canadian Premier League opener.

While the sting of that result lingered, the attitude emerging from the Winnipeg side struck the right chord for Valour general manager and head coach Phillip Dos Santos, who is beginning her first full season at the helm.

“I’m happy that everyone seems to be pissed — excuse the language — about the fact that we draw on the road because of the nature of how the draw came,” said Dos Santos Friday. “I liked that.

“I liked the feeling that even including players, everyone’s disappointed and when they go back and watch the game, the only thing I think we lacked was a bit of urgency and a bit of objectivity when we were on the ball and getting into the final third of the opposition.”

Bombers on the brink of title

Mike Reagan was born and raised in Flin Flon.

He played four years for the SJHL’s Bombers before heading to the U.S. to play college hockey and returned in 2006 to coach his old team.

All of that makes Flin Flon’s return to the SJHL final a very personal journey for the 43-year-old hockey lifer.

Now, he’s trying to guide the franchise to its first league title since 1993. Reagan remembers that championship well. He was a fan in the stands for the final series and has the scar to prove it.

Hard work and dedication pay off

Justin Lee’s love for the game as a toddler forshadowed his dedication to hockey as an adult.

“I’ve got a picture of him sleeping in his skates when he was still in a diaper and in his crib,” said his mom, Carla Lee, from the family grain farm near Waskada earlier this week. “He just wore his skates all day in the house; as soon as he could walk pretty much.”

On Saturday, the now 22-year-old defenceman took a victory lap befitting an NCAA champion after his University of Denver Pioneers thumped the Minnesota State Mavericks 5-1 in the NCAA men’s hockey championship game at Boston’s TD Garden.

“My parents have always supported me in whatever I wanted to do and I can’t thank them enough,” said Lee from Denver Tuesday. “I just kind of fell in love with (hockey) from an early age and it’s just always something I wanted to do.”

Wog returning to FINA World Championship

Winnipeg swimmer Kelsey Wog is heading back to the FINA World Championship this summer.

The 23-year-old Winnipegger, who recently completed her fifth and final season of U Sports competition at the University of Manitoba, surged to victory in Sunday’s 200-metre women’s breaststroke at the Canadian Swimming Trials at Saanich Commonwealth Place in Victoria.

Wog’s time of 2:24.87, earning her a spot at the worlds in Budapest, was almost two seconds faster than second-place finisher Rachel Nichol of Calgary, who clocked a time of 2:26:75.

Earlier at the trials, Wog missed a worlds berth in the 100-metre breaststroke when she finished third, behind winner Sophie Angus and silver medallist Nichol.

Wog, Gowanluck U of M athletes of the year

Bisons defensive end Brock Gowanlock and swimmer Kelsey Wog have been named the University of Manitoba’s male and female athletes of the year, respectively, for the 2021-22 season.

In other categories, football head coach Brian Dobie was chosen coach of the year, Daxx Turner from track and field was the Male Rookie of the Year and Bianca Cavalcanti from women’s soccer and Katreena Bentley from women’s volleyball were co-winners of the female rookie of the year award.

In addition, the ninth annual Pat Gill Legacy Award was presented to football assistant coach Rich Urbanovich. Swimming assistant coach Craig McCormick was named the assistant coach of the year and quarterback Des Catellier was named the Teammate of the Year.

Meanwhile, Deidre Bartlett of women’s basketball and Keaton Jameson of men’s hockey were recognized as winners of the Leadership and Community Development Awards, which honours leadership, community involvement, athletics and academics.

Gilbert Plains forward wants to work on game before pursuing professional career

Riese Gaber wants to turn pro and play in the NHL some day. The time just isn’t right at the moment.

Earlier this week, after a standout sophomore season at the University of North Dakota, the 22-year-old Gilbert Plains product announced he was staying put and playing NCAA hockey for at least another season.

“It was never a decision for me,” said Gaber, from Grand Forks, N.D., earlier this week. “I’ve known the whole year that that I was coming back. I know that I need to improve on some things and just all around improve my game before that next step of signing an NHL contract.

“If I chose to leave, there was definitely opportunity there for me but I knew that was something I was not looking at this year.”

Wesmen come up one win short

A season that began with the promise of a national championship ended one step shy of the ultimate goal for the Winnipeg Wesmen women’s basketball team Sunday night.

Facing the unbeaten and top-ranked Ryerson Rams in the U Sports final in Kingston, Ont., the No. 3 Wesmen were defeated 70-48 after succumbing to a barrage of three-point baskets and a suffocating defensive effort on national player of the year Keylyn Filewich and all-star forward Faith Hezekiah.

“You would post up and you feel like you’re open and they have somebody coming from underneath swiping at it,” explained Hezekiah. “They did a really good job of packing the paint, throwing doubles at us.”

Tournament MVP Jama Bin-Edward scored 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers for the Rams, but Ryerson player of the game Rachel Farwell was deadly on this night, hitting a trio of three-pointers to go with 17 points and five rebounds.

Wesmen women to face Ryerson for national title

Faith Hezekiah was a clutch performer in the biggest game of her career Saturday night and she’ll be expected to do it all over again Sunday afternoon.

The fifth-year Winnipeg forward scored a game-high 26 points and added 10 rebounds to power the No. 3 Wesmen to a thrilling 80-78 victory over the seventh-seeded Queen’s Gaels and a berth in the U Sports Women’s Basketball Championship final in Kingston, Ont.

Winnipeg went into the match-up as a heavy favourite, but a large, supportive home crowd at the Queen’s Athletic and Recreation Centre pushed the Gaels beyond expectations.

Queen’s also beat the defending national champion Saskatchewan Huskies 62-55 in Thursday’s quarter-finals and almost sent the Wesmen packing two days later.

Do or die for Wesmen basketball team

It will be the biggest game of fifth-year forward Faith Hezekiah’s career Saturday afternoon and she has no interest in squandering the opportunity.

Hezekiah and her No. 3-ranked Winnipeg Wesmen teammates face the host Queen’s Gaels in semifinal action at the U Sports Women’s National Championship in Kingston, Ont., with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final. Game time is 5 p.m.

“It’s do or die right now,” said Hezekiah by phone Thursday afternoon. “We are treating it a championship game.”

Beating the seventh-seeded Gaels would put the heavily favoured Wesmen in position to win their program’s first national crown since 1995.

MJHL’s newest club unveils ‘mean’ logo

THE Niverville Nighthawks had already chosen a nickname, begun assembling a roster and hired a coaching staff.

On Thursday, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League expansion franchise unveiled its logos and colour scheme.

With board member Ray Dowse playing a lead role in the search, the not-for-profit club hired Brooks Freeman Design of Virden to design its on-ice look.

Freeman had a track record of working with hockey logos and uniforms, designing new looks for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, Brandon Wheat Kings and the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals and the recently completed rebrand of the Neepawa Titans.

Giles guides Wesmen into national semifinal

Kyanna Giles didn’t collect all-Canadian honours in 2021-22 but she played like a superstar Thursday night.

The 23-year-old Winnipeg guard was a woman on a mission, scoring a game-high 22 points while adding five rebounds and three assists as the Wesmen crushed the Laval Rouge et Or 81-67 in quarterfinal action at the U Sports Women’s Basketball Championship in Kingston, Ont.

“It’s been two years since I’ve been to nationals and I miss this environment… and I was ready to go,” said Giles by phone. “I even shocked myself at a point to be honest. (I said), ‘OK, Kyanna, I hope you can keep this going.’ But I was fired up and I had to lead my team. They’ve never been a nationals and so I had to set the bar high.”

It was a familiar storyline for the Wesmen, making the program’s first trip to the nationals since 2005.

Keylyn Filewich named U Sports women’s basketball player of the year

Keylyn Filewich doesn’t have a lot of flash to her game but her skills and power on the basketball court are undeniable.

On Wednesday night, the 24-year-old star of the University of Winnipeg Wesmen was named the U Sports women’s basketball player of the year.

It’s the highest individual honour of an illustrious career for Filewich, a two-time Canada West player of the year, who hopes to cap her university career by leading Winnipeg to a national title.

“I can’t thank my team enough,” said the 6-1 forward by phone from Kingston, Ont., where the No. 3 Wesmen meet the sixth-seeded Laval Rouge et Or in quarterfinal action this afternoon. “It’s been such a good year and I’m happy that I got acknowledged for my individual accomplishments, but that’s not why I came to the Wesmen and that’s not why I’m here at nationals. I want to win a national championship.”