– Tim McGauley’s first career WHL hat-trick paced the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-4 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors Saturday night. Jesse Gabrielle added a pair of goals and Ryan Pulock a goal and two assists as the Wheat Kings snapped an eight-game winless streak. Brandon is now four points ahead of Red Deer and Prince Albert for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. For more on the Wheat Kings, visit Bruce Luebke’s blog at http://luberslounge.blogspot.ca/
– It was a milestone night for Wheat Kings’ captain Ryan Pulock on Saturday. Pulock’s second period power-play goal was his 20th of the season and 61st of his career, tying Brad McCrimmon’s franchise record for goals by a defenceman. The Grandview product also recorded his 200th career point, becoming the fifth defenceman in Wheat Kings’ history to reach that plateau.
– The Virden Oil Capitals’ poor February continued Saturday night with a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Blues. Corey Haverstick and Jake Dudar scored the goals for the Oil Caps, who are now 4-7-0-0 in 11 games this month. Virden is nine points behind first-place Dauphin in the Sher-Wood Division with five games remaining. That means Dauphin’s next win or Virden’s next loss will allow the Kings to clinch top spot. Dauphin edged Portage 3-2 in a shootout, OCN blanked Waywayseecappo 3-0 and Selkirk edged Steinbach 3-2 in Saturday’s other MJHL games.
– The Brandon AAA Midget Wheat Kings will begin their next playoff series on Friday. The Wheat Kings will face the Eastman Selects in the Best-of-Five semifinal, with Game #1 set for the Sportsplex in Brandon this Friday night. Game 32 is in Beausejour next Sunday, with Game #3 on Brandon on Wednesday, March 5. Game #4, if necessary, is in Beausejour on Friday, March 7 while a possible fifth game would be in Brandon on Sunday, March 9.
– The Brandon Bobcats will settle for a fourth-place finish in the Canada West Conference this year. The Bobcats dropped a four-set decision to the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack in the men’s volleyball bronze medal match last night. Frank Jones had 13 kills and Sebastien Steigmeier added 11 kills for Brandon. Alberta captured the Canada West title, sweeping Trinity Western in straight sets in the final. CKLQ’s Tyler Crayston has more on the Bobcats’ finale here.
– Brandon product Lisa Barclay had 13 kills to lead the UBC Thunderbirds to a straight sets win over the Manitoba Bisons in the Canada West women’s volleyball final. The T-Birds repeat as Canada West champions and will now go for a seventh straight CIS Championship next weekend in Regina.
– Brandon’s Lois Fowler will have a chance to defend her Provincial Senior Women’s Curling title Sunday at her home club. Three in the eighth end gave Fowler an 8-5 victory over Hamiota’s Sandra Cowling in the 1-vs-1 Page Playoff game Saturday night, earning Fowler a spot in Sunday’s final (1:30 p.m.). Cowling will face Laurie Deprez of Stonewall in Sunday morning’s semifinal (9:30 a.m.). Deprez beat Killarney’s Deb Collyer 6-5 in the 2-vs-2 Page Playoff game.
– The Provincial Senior Men’s Curling Championship is continuing Sunday at the Brandon Curling Club with the final two round-robin draws at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.. Brandon’s Kelly McMechan and Neepawa’s Kelly Robertson are tied for first-place in the Red Group with 5-and-1 record while defending champion Bob Sigurdson and Mike Mahon lead the Black Group with 5-and-1 records.
– The Provincial High School Curling Championship concluded Saturday in Rivers. Carter Watkins of Swan River claimed the boys’ title with a 6-4 win over Sanford’s Brandon Radford in the A-B Final. The girls’ title went to Ashley Groff of College Jeanne Sauve, who defeated Warren’s Sara Oliver 6-4 in the A-B Final.
– Bobsledders Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have been named Canada’s flag-bearers for the closing ceremonies Sunday at the Sochi Olympics. Humphries, from Calgary, with brakeman Heather Moyse of Summerside, P.E.I., displayed steely nerves to pilot her sled to a second consecutive Olympic title, by coming from behind in the last two of four runs on the Sochi track.
– There were no medals for Canada on the second-last day of the Winter Olympics Saturday, but a 25th medal is guaranteed Sunday when Canada plays Sweden for the gold in men’s hockey (6 a.m. CST). Canada is the defending Olympic champion. Sweden won the previous Olympic hockey title in 2006 in Turin. Finland won the bronze in hockey by dumping the United States 5-0 on Saturday.
– Host Russia leads the overall medal race at the Olympics with 29. The United States is next with 27, followed by Norway with 26, and Canada, right now with 24. Russia and Norway are tied for most gold medals with 11. Canada and the United State are next with nine.
