– The Virden Oil Capitals are one win away from advancing to the second round of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs. Artsiom Kalashnikov scored twice and Adam Iwan stopped 31 shots as the Oil Caps downed the Swan Valley Stampeders 4-1 Monday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Sher-Wood Division semifinal. Jordan Greig and Lucas Oliver also scored for Virden while Jake Dudar added a pair of assists. Game six is Wednesday night in Swan River. CKLQ’s Bruce Luebke has more on Monday’s game here.
– One of the Neepawa Natives’ graduating players has committed to a CIS program for next season. Jaret Smith will be attending Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario next season and suiting up for the Lakers in the Ontario University Athletics Conference. Smith had eight goals and 31 points in 44 games with the Natives this season after being acquired from the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves in October.
– The Winnipeg Jets were on the end of a loss for the seventh time in eight games Monday night, falling 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues. David Backes scored twice for St. Louis while Ryan Miller had to make just 16 saves to improve to 7-0-1 as a Blue. Eric O’Dell had the lone goal for Winnipeg, and Al Montoya made 23 saves. The loss leaves the Jets six points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Other action Monday included former Wheat King Rob Klinkhammer scoring his 11th goal of the season to help Phoenix defeat Los Angeles 4-3. The victory moves the Coyotes into the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference.
– Former Brandonite Israel Idonije could be headed back to his old stomping grounds. The free agent defensive lineman is expected to visit Chicago and take a physical Tuesday, possibly in anticipation of signing a one-year contract. Idonije spent the first nine years of his NFL career with the Bears before signing a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions last off-season. The 33-year old had just 11 tackles and 1/2 sack in 15 games with Detroit in 2013, but he became a free agent last week after the Lions chose not to re-sign him.
– Some CFL news out of Riderville Monday. Saskatchewan has announced that import linebacker Renauld Williams is retiring and joining the Riders’ football operations staff. The defending Grey Cup Champions have also announced the hiring of former all-star Avon Cobourne as the team’s running backs coach.
– Canada’s Rachel Homan raced to a pair of wins Monday at the Women’s World Curling Championship in Saint John, New Brunswick. Canada beat Denmark 8-2 in eight ends and needed just six ends to finish off Allison Pottinger of the United States 9-3. Pottinger is the wife of former Brandonite Doug Pottinger. Homan is 4-and-1 and tied for second in the standings with Sweden, behind 5-and-0 Switzerland.
– Boissevain’s Natasha Armstrong is taking her boxing talents south of the border. The 16-year-old is competing in the Canadian women’s youth and elite training camp and dual meet with Team USA. The event is running next Tuesday to Sunday at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. CKLQ’s Tyler Crayston has more here.
– The Virden-based figure skating duo of Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers are hitting the road, again. On the heals of their Olympic debut in Sochi last month, the duo head to Japan later this week to compete at the World Championship for the first time in their careers. Lawrence and Swiegers finished in 14th-place at the Olympics.
– The Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers have arrived in Australia for their Major League Baseball season-opening series this weekend. L.A’s Clayton Kershaw will start for the Dodgers against Arizona’s Wade Miley Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
– March Madness begins today with the First Four play-in games. Mount St. Mary’s plays Albany in the first game tonight, while North Carolina State takes on Xavier. The winners of these games will earn the right to play in the actual NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship tournament.
