www.pgcitizen.ca | Wednesday, March 10, 2010 11

JIM SWANSON, Sports Editor 250.562.2441 Ext. 400 DIRECT SPORTS LINE: 250.960.2764 sports E-MAIL: [email protected] Time for Team to beat the girls UNBC confirmed as top seed for nationals, fan bus in the works to shine Jason Peters team in for much of the medal game at the NSC, Mount Citizen staff season but dropped down to No. 8 Royal of beat Champlain Female midget after they lost their last two regu- 79-67. The T-wolves, who were the Keep the Falcons from taking lar-season games to the T-wolves. No. 8 seed, made it to the bronze- flight. In the playoffs, the Mariners beat medal game but fell 116-105 to Al- hockey teams That will be the first task for the UBC Okanagan in the semifinal gonquin College of Ottawa. UNBC Northern Timberwolves round but then fell 84-65 to UNBC ■ A 55-seat UNBC fan bus will descend on men’s team at the Cana- in the final. It appears three losses be making the trip to Calgary. Past dian Colleges Athletic Association in their final four games was members of the Timberwolves will Coliseum national championship tourna- enough to keep the Mariners out also attend nationals, as will UN- ment. The Timberwolves will face of nationals. Instead, their poten- BC president Dr. George Iwama. Jason Peters the Fanshawe College Falcons of tial spot went to Fanshawe, which Citizen staff London, Ont., in their opening of Technology (Edmonton), Cégep lost 59-48 to Humber in the On- Women’s field set game, scheduled for the afternoon de Sainte-Foy (Sainte-Foy, Que.), tario playoff final. The Sheridan College Bruins of The Thompson-Okanagan of Thursday, March 18. The T- Mount Saint Vincent University In the last set of weekly CCAA Oakville, Ont., are seeded No. 1 Rockets or the Vancouver Fu- wolves, winners of their past 21 (Halifax), Champlain College rankings, released just days before for the CCAA women’s basketball sion. One or the other is expect- games, are the No. 1 seed and the (Sainte-Lambert, Que.) and SAIT. the various provincial champi- national championship tourna- ed to parade a provincial ban- Falcons are No. 8 in the eight-team UNBC, Humber, NAIT, Sainte- onship tournaments, VIU was ment, which will be held in Kelow- ner around Prince George ice event. Nationals will be played at Foy and Mount Saint Vincent are ranked sixth and Fanshawe was na. Other teams that qualified, in later this week. the Southern Alberta Institute of playoff champions from their ninth. The Mariners are appealing order of their ranking, are Dawson That doesn’t mean the Bursey Technology in Calgary. leagues. Champlain is the other the CCAA’s decision to leave them College, SAIT, host UBC Okana- Buryn Cougars won’t be throw- UNBC head coach Mike Raim- wildcard team and SAIT got a out of the national gathering. gan, Cégep de Sainte-Foy, Mount ing everything they’ve got at bault spent time on Tuesday berth as the host club. For the Timberwolves, who host- Saint Vincent University, Leth- trying to win a championship ti- gathering information on the If the Timberwolves win their ed last year’s nationals at the North- bridge College and Camosun Col- tle themselves. The Cats are Falcons, who qualified for the first game, they will meet either ern Sport , there will be a lege. Camosun, which beat the hosting the B.C. Hockey Female tournament as the second of Mount Saint Vincent or Sainte-Foy sense of familiarity at these ones. UNBC Northern Timberwolves 57- Midget ‘AAA’ Championship, a two wildcard teams. in a March 19 semifinal. Counting themselves, four teams 56 in the semifinal round at six-team tournament that starts The other participants, ranked Notably absent from nationals are making back-to-back appear- provincials, was handed a wild- today at the Coliseum. second through seventh respec- are the Vancouver Island Universi- ances in the tournament. The others card berth in nationals. In the B.C. “Obviously our goal is to win the tively, are Humber College (Toron- ty Mariners of Nanaimo. The are Humber, Mount Saint Vincent final, Camosun lost 69-67 to UBC whole thing,” said Cougars head to), the Northern Alberta Institute Mariners were the top-ranked and Champlain. In last year’s gold- Okanagan. coach Jason Garneau. “The stars will have to align for us to do that. We’re going to have to play our best hockey of the year. But, especially in fe- Blades sharpened, routines ready male hockey, if you get a hot goalie, they can carry you all the way through. We’re count- Jason Peters ing on our goalies to be our Citizen staff best players and everyone else Jennifer Migabo just might flip has got to step up their games if she lands her double flip com- to match.” bination. The Rockets and Fusion were Migabo, a 17-year-old member league powers during the season. of the Spruce City Skating Club, They finished with 14-3-1 records has yet to successfully complete and took first- and second-place the technically-challenging jump respectively in the standings. Most in the heat of competition. She’ll of the Rockets players hail from get her chance during the next few Kamloops and Kelowna, while the days in Kamloops, site of the Pacif- Fusion players are from all over ic StarSkate championships. Greater Vancouver. The double flip combo is the The other teams in the tourna- third leap in Migabo’s free skate ment, in order of their regular-sea- program. son finishes, are the Kootenay “It’s a big jump for me,” said Mi- Wildcats (8-6-4), Fraser Valley gabo, a seventh-year skater who Phantom (7-10-1), the Cougars will be entered in the gold (5-11-2) and the Vancouver Island triathlon category. “I’m still trying Impact (0-15-3). to get it done in competition. After The Cougars, who feature the that, (the program) is pretty rou- top players from the northern tine. My first three jumps are my part of the province, will play hardest — not even necessarily the the first game of the tourna- hardest, just the biggest points.” ment today at 10:30 a.m. The meet, which will bring to- against the Wildcats. gether skaters from across the “We’re competitive with them province, starts on Thursday and — I think it’s a good way to runs through Sunday. start the tournament for us,” Migabo’s free skate will last for a said Garneau, whose club has little more than three and a half gone 1-1-1 against the Wildcats minutes and will unfold to this season. “They’re a good Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. team and well-coached. We During Pacific StarSkate, she’ll al- need solid goaltending, our de- so do a creative skills routine and fence has to be on their game, an interpretive program. keeping everybody to the out- Migabo is coached by Alex side. (The Wildcats) have a cou- Sergeev. When Migabo does ple skilled forwards that can her free skate — which will put the puck in the net. have eight jumps, four spins “Our forwards have to keep and a series of footwork se- their game simple, drive wide, quences — Sergeev will be gain the zone and just get close at hand and will be look- Eight members of the Spruce City Skating Club will be in Kamloops for the Pacific StarSkate competition, which pucks on the net — crash the ing for a shining performance. runs from Thursday to Sunday. In the back row, left to right, are Joelle Gagné, Katie Dakus, Jennifer Migabo and net and try to get a couple “She’s trying to do everything Katya Sergeev. Jolene Laviolette, left, Danielle Sidsworth and Soleil Gagné are in the middle row and Allie greasy ones past their goalie,” Bursey is in front. Garneau added. she can,” he said. “I believe her Citizen staff photo quality is very good. Footwork is The two the her main thing — footwork and really perform it,” she said. “Even attempt at the double flip because ly hard at getting them centred Cougars will be relying upon spins. She has improved just amaz- though it’s simple, it’s a challenge. I my other jumps have been pretty and fast. And she has also worked are Prince George’s Megan ingly with her footwork.” have to be able to skate through it consistent lately,” said Gagné, in really hard at her jumps, getting a Spooner and Williams Lake’s Another Spruce City athlete who without dropping my arms and her 11th season of figure skating. little more height in them, which I Courtney Durand. The 16-year- will be in Kamloops for Pacific without getting tired. I’ll have to re- Gagné’s coach is Megan Condon. think will really pay off.” old Spooner will get the start StarSkate is 18-year-old Joelle ally force myself to go through the “I think she’s quite capable of a Other Spruce City skaters who against Kootenay and the 17- Gagné. She’ll compete in the jun- whole program without giving up.” good performance in Kamloops,” will be on the ice at Pacific year-old Durand will get the ior silver division and will do the Gagné’s biggest jump is also the Condon said. “She’s worked pretty StarSkate are Katie Dakus, Katya call when the Cats take on the free skate only. double flip. It will be the seventh hard this year and I’m expecting Sergeev, Jolene Laviolette, Impact tonight at 7. “We made it fairly simple this year and final one of her performance. lots from her. She’s got really, real- Danielle Sidsworth, Soleil Gagné “After that, we’re going to go so I can show off my personality and “I’d like to at least have a good ly nice spins and she’s worked real- and Allie Bursey. with whoever we feel is playing the best,” Garneau said. “If Megan shuts the door against the Koote- nays and Courtney plays well Howse stars in Connolly’s return, Bourke’s home debut against the Island, then we’ll have a decision to make. Hopefully Citizen staff legs, right to Bourque. The 15-year- wrister that beat Stremmel on the broke the back of the Cats when he that’s the case.” old from Spruce Grove calmly put a side. Later, on a Chilliwack snapped home a off a faceoff Offensively, two of the key It wasn’t a win, but fans of the shot past Chilliwack goalie Lucas power play, Howse accepted a cen- win by Chilliwack. It was Howse’s producers for the Cougars are Prince George Cougars had a cou- Gore and started to celebrate the tring feed from Roman Horak and second consecutive hat trick against Fort St. John’s Robyn Murphy ple significant reasons to cheer first goal of his WHL career. went post-and-in on Stremmel. the Cougars this season. and P.G.’s Taya Garneau. Mur- Tuesday night at CN Centre. Prince George’s good start was Just when the Cats looked like Dylen McKinlay hit an empty net phy generated a team-high 16 During a 7-4 loss to the Chilli- wiped out when the Bruins replied they were out of lives, James Do- for Chilliwack before time expired. points in 18 games and Garneau wack Bruins, highly-touted with two goals of their own before browolski snapped a pass from Nick Connolly was playing just his had 14 points in 16 games. Dur- prospect made his the first period was done. First, Buonassisi past Gore. The goal came 13th game of the season, and his ing the tournament, secondary home-ice debut for the Cougars Chilliwack Jeff Ein- on the power play, with just 4.8 sec- first after he sat out for 39 in a row offence will have to come from and scored two goals. Also, the horn capitalized on a feed from onds left in the middle frame. because of ongoing hip problems. people like Kendra Young, Kyan- long-injured got Howse and hammered home a In the third, Kevin Sundher ex- During the game, he often looked na Prazma, Cassie Decker, back into game action and was in shot from the top of the right face- tended the Bruins’ lead to 5-2 like he had missed no time at all. Deane Carlson, Kelly Williams fine form, thank you very much. off circle. Later, defenceman Bran- when his shot through traffic He was the same shifty guy on his and Dayna Denman. Unfortunately for the Cats, Chill- don Manning — another Prince caught the top corner, blocker side skates, with the same impressive Other team members are Stacey iwack forward and local product George product — got free on a on Stremmel. Youngsters Wilson stick skills around the net. As the Duncan, Draizen Taphorn, Megan Ryan Howse once again burned shorthanded breakaway and Dumais and Bourke sparked the game wore on, he did wear down Watt, Carly Bursey, Alana Duncan, his hometown team. Howse fired a scored on a backhand after goal- Cats with goals later in the period slightly, a matter of conditioning. Kelcie German, Kiara Goldenberg, hat trick and added one assist. tender Hudson Stremmel missed and the score was suddenly 5-4. The loss was the 55th regula- Phairyn Lancaster, Brittanie Ney Bourke and Connolly played on a on an attempted poke-check. Bourke refused to take much tion-time setback of the season for and Bethany Roy. line together and, on their first In the second, Howse hurt the credit for his two-goal night. the Cougars. That tied a Round-robin games will wrap shift, combined for the first goal of Cougars by scoring two goals, his “Both goals, for sure, I didn’t re- franchise mark for futility. In their up on Saturday afternoon. The the night. Moments after Connolly 42nd and 43rd of the season. On ally do too much of the work,” he first season in Prince George, top two teams will battle for the had a shot blocked, Parker Stan- the first one, he turned a Prince said. “It was all the pass.” 1994-95, the Cats went 14-55-3. B.C. championship that night, field fed a pass through Connolly’s George turnover into a bullet of a Almost predictably, Howse finally Currently, they sit at 11-55-1-2. starting at 7:30.