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The Dauphin Kings dropped a pair of games this weekend against teams from the SJHL.
On Saturday, the team came out flat and that cost them the game in a 5-0 loss against the Melville Millionaires.
Then the Kings hit the ice against the Yorkton Terriers on Sunday and four straight goals from Yorkton was the difference. In the end, the Terriers skated off with an 8-4 win.
Connor Picard and Teague Porter scored two of Dauphin's goals while Michael Gallagher and Jovan Malay both scored a goal apiece.
Dauphin will now set their focus on the regular season, it will begin next Friday at Credit Union Place against Neepawa.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 54-20 in the Banjo Bowl.
The Bombers opened the scoring in the first quarter with Nic Demski catching a 16-yard touchdown pass from Zach Collaros.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Dakota Prukop's 3-yard touchdown run widened Winnipeg's lead to thirteen points. At the 8:44 mark of the second quarter, Cody Fajardo's 1-yard touchdown run helped Saskatchewan get on the board. Shortly after, Winnipeg responded with Nic Demski catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Zach Collaros. At the 14:30 mark of the quarter, Winnipeg widened its lead to twenty points after Rasheed Bailey caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Zach Collaros. At the end of the second quarter, Brett Lauther's 53-yard field goal narrowed Winnipeg's lead.
Saskatchewan struck first in the third quarter with Mario Alford's 80-yard kick return for a touchdown. At the 3:19 mark of the third quarter, Marc Liegghio scored a 45-yard field goal. The Riders responded around six minutes later with a 34-yard field goal by Brett Lauther. Brendan O'Leary-Orange caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Zach Collaros to put Winnipeg up by seventeen points.
The Riders were unable to score in the fourth quarter. Winnipeg's Marc Liegghio scored a 23-yard field goal at the 5:26 mark of the quarter, which was followed by a 1-yard touchdown run by Dakota Prukop. Dalton Schoen caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dru Brown at the end of the quarter to widen Winnipeg's lead to thirty-four points.
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If you're into archery, Ste. Rose is the place to be this Sunday.
The Witty Belgian Archers of Ste. Rose will be hosting a tournament at Burnside Park from 11 to 5. It's only $20 to take part and it's open to anyone, regardless of age or skill level.
There will also be food trucks, beer gardens and raffles.
Gerald says archery is a great activity and he's looking forward to seeing how many people come out.
"It's a unique sport and it really is a ton of fun," he said.
The 100th anniversary of the archery club in Ste. Rose is also approaching. The club started in 1926 as the Ste. Rose/ Ste. Amelie Archer's Club. After a short hiatus back in the day, the club came back in 2015 and it has been running since. You can also buy a membership if you want to play throughout the summer, it's just $35.
For more information, you can call Gerald at 204-447-7221.
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On Thursday afternoon, the Dauphin Clippers opened up the regular season portion of their schedule on home field against the Swan Valley Tigers.
The Tigers won the league title last season; however, the Clippers were far too much for the Tigers to handle on Thursday.
Here is a look at some highlights from the game:
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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers snuck past the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Labour Day Classic last week in a thrilling contest. Now on Saturday, the two teams will meet once again. I.G. Field will play host to the 'Banjo Bowl'.
Saturday's contest will be the 18th edition of the Banjo Bowl and the Blue & Gold have a slight edge heading in, winning 10 of 17 games played so far. The first Banjo Bowl was played back on September 12, 2004, when the Bombers won 27-24. Last year, Winnipeg scored early and often as they hammered the Riders, 33-9.
Winnipeg enters Saturday's game on top of the West Division with a record of 11-1 while Saskatchewan is fourth in the West Division at 6-6. The Bombers have scored 318 points while the Riders have scored 285. Winnipeg; meanwhile, has given up 229 and Saskatchewan has given up 279. Winnipeg is 4-1 at home while Saskatchewan is 3-2 on the road. Zach Collaros completed 15-of-24 passes last week for 62.5% and he's looking forward to the contest.
"We know Saskatchewan is a very good team and this is always a huge game," said Collaros. "We found a way to execute enough to win last week's game and we're going to have to be sharp this week as well."
If Winnipeg is to have success on Saturday, look for Dalton Schoen to have another good game. He has been tremendous for the Blue Bombers through their 11-1 start this year, as he leads the team with 43 receptions for 767 yards and nine touchdowns – tied for the league lead with B.C.’s Dominique Rhymes. It’s also worth noting Schoen is just one TD shy of tying the Blue Bombers record for receiving scores by a rookie, set back in 1951 by Neill Armstrong.
On the injury front, Blue Bombers DE Thiadric Hansen was hurt in the Labour Day Classic and is listed on the injury report as having an Achilles injury. Head Coach Mike O’Shea would not rule him out for the season but has said the big German will be out for a while. As of posting, the Blue Bombers are 7.5 point favourites to win the game. Winnipeg has won five straight games against Saskatchewan dating back to the 2019 Western Final. Over that stretch, Winnipeg has averaged 23.4 points per game while the Roughriders have averaged just 13 points.
As always, you can hear Saturday's game right here on 730CKDM as we're a proud member of the Blue Bomber Radio Network.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
Easton Odut was drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings, 34th overall in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. The young man that is now living in Brandon made the move to join the Brandon U15 AAA Wheat Kings last season and what a season it was.
In 31 regular season games, the speedy and crafty forward scored 36 times and added 39 assists for a 75-point total and Odut then dominated the playoffs, scoring 10 times in 11 games and he had 14 points. Odut's success was a big reason why the team won the Manitoba U-15 AAA Championship as they cruised in the playoffs.
Following the great season and draft, Odut took part in a prospects camp for Brandon earlier this summer before returning for rookie camp last week. Ultimately, Odut shined at rookie camp and he got the invite to main camp where he played with the veterans for two days.
"It was very nerve-racking at the start, I had to play strong, fast and just play like I know how to," said Odut. "I felt like I had a few of the best skates I have had. I was pretty happy that I was able to execute on the things that I have been working on my entire life."
The Wheat Kings will open their preseason this weekend as they play a pair of games against their Manitoba rival, the Winnipeg ICE. Prior to the two teams hitting the ice, the Wheat Kings completed a transaction on Thursday as Odut signed his WHL Standard Player Agreement with the Wheat Kings. He becomes the second draft pick to sign their Standard Player Agreement with the club after Joby Baumuller, the team's 12th overall selection in this draft class signed his agreement.
"It was one of my goals after getting drafted, it's really everything I wanted since I started playing hockey," said Odut. "Signing with Brandon is such a special feeling. I grew up coming to Brandon to watch them play. Getting drafted was one thing but now signing with them, it's a whole new story and it feels even better, I'm so excited about it."
Odut will begin this season with the Brandon U18 Wheat Kings who is a member of the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League. A perennial powerhouse every year, the team went 33-4-3 last season which saw them top the standings. They advanced to the league final where they lost against the Winnipeg Wild in one of the best series in league history. A veteran on the U15 last year, Easton will be a rookie on the U18 club this year but he's looking forward to the challenge.
"The pace will be faster and the guys will be stronger and bigger," said Odut. "I just have to play my game, that's the most important thing. I have to compete my best and see how it goes, I believe I'm ready for it."
If you're in Dauphin and you're hoping to watch Easton live in action, you won't have to wait that long. The Wheat Kings will be in Dauphin for a game against the U18 Rangers on Tuesday, October 25. The game will be at 7:30 at Credit Union Place and it will be the second meeting of the season between the two clubs after Brandon hosts the Rangers on October 5. The game is already one that Easton has circled on his calendar.
"That's going to be awesome, I'm really pumped up for the game," ended Odut. "I'm looking forward to playing in front of all my friends and family, that's going to be a pretty special feeling."
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The Dauphin Clippers football team beat the Winnipeg Falcons last week and on Thursday, they cruised past the defending champions of the Rural Manitoba Football League.
The Clippers scored early and often as they earned a 29-8 win against the Swan Valley Tigers.
"Our kickers did a great job giving us good field position defensively and our defence played great holding that position," said Cam Bennet. "Our offence was then able to capitalize.
Dauphin's highlights included an interception that was ran back for a touchdown.
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The Parkland U18 Rangers program has always done a tremendous job of helping players and goalies advance to the next level. Whether that be advancing to the Western Hockey League or one of the many Junior A leagues across Canada, the Parkland has been and continues to be a great spot for players and goalies wanting to play at the next level.
Fans at Credit Union Place witnessed that on Wednesday night when Rylan Gibbs and Carter Zalischuk, to name a couple hit the ice as they both graduated from the Rangers program last year. Kyler Swanton was also in action and he is eligible to return to the Rangers this year as is Madden Murray who has looked very solid during training camp and during Wednesday's game.
For Brenden Birch-Hayden, his journey to the next level went thru the Rangers program and it has led him directly to the OCN Blizzard organization. The former Ranger signed his letter of intent to join the team last year and he's now in his second preseason with the club. He saw some action last preseason with the club; however, it was a split game.
"It's been a super great experience, everyone has been so welcoming," said Birch-Hayden. "We have a great group of guys and the billet situation is great. I'm really happy to be here."
On Wednesday night, Birch-Hayden played the entire game against the Kam River Fighting Walleye and he made some solid saves to earn his first win with his new team.
Brenden made 25 saves on Wednesday to record the win in front of 268 loud and raucous fans at the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre. Birch-Hayden says playing hockey at the next level is a dream come true and he's happy he was able to help the team win.
"It felt pretty good. We needed that win after our loss the prior night," said Birch-Hayden. "We found a way to grind it out and there should be many more to come."
It's been a tough few years for the Blizzard as they haven't made the playoffs since the 2017-18 season when they went 32-20-5-3. Since they haven't won more than 18 games in a season. They did; however, make some splashes in the offseason including bringing in Doug Johnson who is one of the elite junior coaches. He formerly coached with the Nipawin Hawks before stepping down last season. It certainly is extremely early but Birch-Hayden is confident that the team will be able to take the next step and become a threat on a day-to-day basis.
"I think we're going to do some good things this year," offered Birch-Hayden. "We have a lot of guys that are hungry for spots on this team, everyone is working very hard. I believe it's going to be a good year."
Brenden won 14 regular season games with Parkland last year and he backstopped the team to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years as he played very well in the team's first-round series against Yellowhead. Brenden is now a member of the Blizzard but he will never forget his time with the Rangers.
"The coaching staff was incredible. Just being with the guys, it was like a big family," Birch-Hayden. "We had a pretty special season last year and I loved every second of playing with the team."
OCN is back in preseason action on Friday when they make the short trip to the Whitney Forum to play their northern rivals, the Flin Flon Bombers. OCN will be looking for a sense of payback after they lost to the Bombers, 10-4, earlier this week.
"We will be ready. Anytime that we play Flin Flon, there is a little bit more at stake, we want to beat them," ended Birch-Hayden.
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Rylan Gibbs scored one goal to go along with one assist while Carter Zalischuk scored once as the Dauphin Kings cruised to a 6-1 win on Wednesday.
It was Dauphin's lone home preseason game and they scored five straight goals to end the game.
Madden Murray and Aidan Brook both chipped in a assist for the Kings in the win, who improved to 1-1 in the preseason.
Returning player Tyson Pauze scored one goal as did Anthony Tudino, Michael Gallagher and Blake Boudreau. Tudino also had an assist for Dauphin in the win.
Kyler Swanton was also very good in net, replacing Keaton Woolsey. Swanton made some big saves that allowed Dauphin to open their lead.
The Lumberjacks; meanwhile, return home winless as they lost all five of their games on this exhibition road trip.
Next up for Dauphin is a pair of games this weekend in Melville as the Kings go up against the Millionaires and Terriers.
The team will raise their championship banner from last season next Friday when the Neepawa Titans are in town.
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Sam Swanton's goal was to get drafted in the most recent WHL Bantam Draft. Ultimately, that wasn't the case for Sam as his name went uncalled but that didn't mean his journey was over, in fact, it continues to roll on.
About a week after the draft, Swanton opened his email and realized he had gotten an email from the Seattle Thunderbirds. The email was an invite for Sam to take part in Thunderbirds training camp. So Swanton and company made their way to Seattle for the five-day camp which included the annual rookie intrasquad game at Climate Pledge arena.
"I was hoping to get drafted but at the end of the day, I knew there were other options," said Swanton. "I was pretty excited that I was given the opportunity by Seattle, it was such a great experience, there was so much to take in."
Swanton says it was more than he expected but he was pleased with how things went. Now back home, Swanton was on the ice Tuesday night as he looks to crack the Parkland U18 Rangers roster. Known as a solid stay-at-home defenceman with some offensive upside, Swanton recorded 11 points in the regular season last year with the U15 Rangers and he added three assists in the playoffs.
The Rangers are coming off their most impressive run in more than 20 years and they will be busy over the next couple of weeks.
A tournament in Souris is combined with an exhibition game on September 20 at Credit Union Place against Yellowhead. The team will also play their annual Blue vs White intrasquad game next Thursday. Making the jump up from U15 to U18 is a daunting task for many as the pace and physicality increases but Swanton is just looking to keep it simple to find success.
"I just want to play how I'm playing and I need to keep it simple," said Swanton. "I have to make that good first pass and don't do anything crazy."
Swanton said he's in the zone right now and he is very pleased with how he's playing.
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It was a low scoring affair on Tuesday as the Dauphin Kings opened their preseason with a Parkland battle.
Dauphin scored just once in a 2-1 overtime loss against Swan Valley. Ethan Williment scored Dauphin's lone goal in the game while Nathan Braun and Cole Sheffield both saw action in net for Dauphin.
Braun went 10-for-11 and Sheffield went 11-for-12.
Deepkaran Hans and Aman Power scored for the Stampeders, Power's was the overtime winner.
Next up for Dauphin is their lone home preseason game, Wednesday night against the Wisconsin Lumberjacks.
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