CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The UPEI basketball Panthers meet their UNB rivals tonight and Saturday in the first Atlantic University Sport (AUS) action here this year after opening the regular season on the road last weekend.
Greg Gould, one of the top coaches in the AUS, has fashioned a women’s team that thinks it can challenge for the conference crown and they got off to a great start with a split against Saint Mary’s on the road.
Fifth-year standout Kiera Rigby led the way last week in the 58-36 victory with 19 points and her supporting cast of Jane McLaughlin, Karla Yepez and Carolina Del Santo makes this UPEI team a championship threat. Add to this group, Reese Baxendale, an impressive rookie guard from Sussex, N.B., and talented Jenna Mae Ellsworth, who just joined the team after the soccer season, and there's good reason to think championship. It's a long season and barring an injuries, it could happen.
I hear good things about new men’s coach Darrell Glenn, who has plenty of experience in the Toronto scene with teams like Humber and Seneca College. Although they lost twice on the road to SMU, he has a solid nucleus with a pair of big boys in Stefan Vujisic and Milo Sedlarevic and guards like Samy Mohamed and Amin Suleman.
There’s a number of new faces on the club, guys like Dakelle Brooks and Bryce Corless, so tonight and Saturday is a great chance to see the club in action in what appears to be a rebuild year for coach Glenn.
The women play at 6 p.m. tonight and Saturday with the men hitting the court at 8 p.m.
Hockey
On the university hockey front, the Jekyll and Hyde hockey Panthers, who played great last Saturday night losing a 3-2 nail-biter at home to first-place UNB, entertain the Dal Tigers tonight and St. FX Saturday at 7 p.m.
If the Panthers can land a quality defenceman at the Christmas break, a guy that can eat up big minutes like Ryan MacKinnon, the Panthers can scare any of the top clubs. Dal is tied with UPEI at 2-7-1 while St. FX is ranked fourth in the nation behind Alberta, UNB and Saskatchewan, but is coming off overtime and shootout losses to SMU and Acadia last week.
The Panthers have a lot of firepower and strong play from a third-line of R.T. Rice, Gabe Guertler and Beau McCue has given the club depth it has never had.
The Panthers are a lot like the Toronto Maple Leafs in that any extended time in their own end usually ends up with a blinking red light. Regardless, these two games should be entertaining.
Basketball
The new-look Island Storm opens its season at home next Saturday night at Eastlink Centre against the St. John’s, N.L., entry in the National Basketball League of Canada.
The Storm has signed Frank Nitty, a six-foot-two shooting guard out of California, who was the MVP in the summer Drew League in Los Angeles where many current NBAers played. His credentials are outstanding.
The Storm, in my view, is much stronger than last season with talent and size.
Quick hits
Also on the local front, Dr. Brad Campbell, vice-president of the junior hockey Islanders, and his buddy Paul Murnaghan took Mexico resident Fernando Gonzalez, a dental manager, to his first ever hockey game last week, and he was excited asking “when is the fourth period starting?”
At last Saturday's UPEI game, I overheard ex-Columbus Blue Jackets play-by-plan man, George Matthews, whisper to Yousef Hashmi, “a short-handed goal against UPEI and on the short side is called what?”
“A double bogey,” laughed Youie.
Mike Kennedy is making a comeback as a hockey coach. He is the new coach of the Montague Stallions, the Island senior team that will be playing (hopefully) in the Allan Cup next spring. They have standouts like Chris Doyle and Randy Cameron and Mike is now trying to recruit ex-NHLers Jason MacDonald, David Ling and Brad Richards. Could it happen?
Harness racing
Live harness racing continues Saturday at 2 p.m. with a 14-dash card with the $2,400 top class going in the finale and it includes Adkins Hanover, Woggy Rocks, Goliath Reigns, Simon Said, Czar Seelster, Elm Grove Zaboom, The Big Bite, Smiley Bayama and Likely to Win.
The harness racing spotlight up-country was on the Harrisburg Sale, which started Monday, and there were numerous Island buyers, including Howmacs Farm boss Blaine MacPherson, who collared Clare Hall Hanover, a Well Said filly for $17,000.
Anthony MacDonald and The Stable Ca landed three fillies by Somebeach for around $150,000, a Muscle Hill colt from a world champion family, two well-bred Muscle Massive trotters out of strong families for $22,000 and $18,000. He also landed a Sweet Lou half-sister to Don MacRae's Big Boy Dreams p, 1:49 ($575,000) for $37,000 and a Bettors Delight from the family of the great Bolt the Duer p, 1:47 ($1.8 million). Local owner Jim Gorman landed a Bettors Delight filly for $22,000 while Kevin Harvey took home a Well Said filly for $25,000. Natasha Campbell of Winsloe signed for an Western Ideal colt for $13,000.
Islander Ricky MacPhee, who played a major role when Carl Jamieson enjoyed great success in Ontario Sire Stakes, has also joined The Stable. It's great to see all the Islanders together.
At Woodbine, Ellis Park (James MacDonald) has the outside six post in the $34,000 top class with the likes of Easy Lover Hanover, Fool Me Once, Fine Diamond and three others.
I was saddened to report the passing of Pete MacDonald, who worked for many years with Mike MacDonald at Blue Bonnets and with Christoforou Stable in Ontario. My condolences to Allan, Gordie, Ernie and all connected.
Also veteran horse owner John Thompson, whose top class pacer Nogreatmischief beat the open class here not that long ago, passed away after a brief illness. Johnny was originally from St. Peters and was a Second World War veteran. To his wife Marie, sons Alan and Brian and daughters Anne, Jane and Sheila, my condolences.
Pigskin picks
The NFL heads into Week 10 and the surprise teams Philadelphia Eagles and LA Rams keep on winning. Let's take a look at some of the more interesting games:
Seattle Seahawks (5-3) at Arizona Cardinals (4-4) – The Seahawks were upset at home by the Washington Redskins last week, but I don't see Seattle and QB Russell Wilson losing two in a row. Give up six points and take Seattle.
New York Jets (4-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) – Ageless Josh McCown has been terrific for the Jets, who upset a good Buffalo Bills team at home last week. The Jets will even their record at 5-5 with another road win.
Green Bay Packers (4-4) at Chicago Bears (3-5) – The Bears are playing hard-nosed, tough football every week and young QB Mitchell Trubisky is smart and learning every week. Minus Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are just another team. Take the Bears at home in a tight one.
Cleveland Browns (0-8) at Detroit Lions (4-4) – The Lions have a great passing game with QB Matt Stafford and receiver Golden Tate, and the Browns have a porous secondary. Even Premier Wade, gets this one right.
Dallas Cowboys (5-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-4) – It's the same as last week: if Ezequiel Elliott plays, the Cowboys win. If he doesn't play, I'll play the Falcons.
Fred MacDonald's column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at [email protected].
