LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: Lucas Canning’s shootout goal – his third of the evening – capped off the 4-3 victory over the Saint Mary’s Huskies at the Keating Centre. Ryan MacGuire and Aaron Brown also scored in the shootout for the X-Men, who moved ahead of the Huskies in the AUS standings with the win. Canning earned Gabriel Pizza Player of the Game honors for his highlight-filled night, while STFX netminder Patrick Leaver and Saint Mary’s goalie Ben West were the second and third stars respectively, with Leaver making 28 stops in the win and West turning aside 51 as the X-Men fired 54 shots his way. The X-Men are back in action tonight hosting the Acadia Axemen at 7. The X-Women are on the ice this afternoon, as they play the Huskies in Halifax at 3 pm.
In Basketball, the Saint Mary’s Huskies fought a close win 73-71 over the X-Women at the Homburg Centre. The X-Women were led by a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double from Shannon Neita, while Kristine Cooper added 15 points and seven assists off the bench. The X-Women loss drops their record to 6-2 on the season. On the men’s side, Saint Mary’s guard Jasha’jaun Downey poured in a career-high 41 points, as the Huskies defeated the X-Men 100-86. The X-Men were led by their All-Canadian guard D. J. Jackson who scored 20 points and added four assists, while Matt Pennell chipped in 17 off the bench, and Phoenyx Wyse added 15 points and seven rebounds. The X-Men are now 5-3 so far in the season.
STFX are back on Coach K Court tonight hosting the UPEI Panthers. The women tip off at 6, followed by the men at 8.
Junior B: The Antigonish Bulldogs pulled out a 6-5 win over the Eskasoni Eagles. The Strait Pirates were not as fortunate, as the Capstone Colts outscored them 10-2 at the Shearwater Arena. Tonight, the Bulldogs are in Membertou to face off with the Junior Miners – puck drops at 7:30.
Seniors League: The CB West Blackstone Knights were trounced 8-1 by the County islanders. Tonight, it’s the PC Pipers v East Hants, and Bulldogs v Bearcats – both games begin at 7:30.
U15: Today, the Wearwell Bombers face the Truro Bearcats at 4 pm, then the Novas host Dartmouth at 5 in the Antigonish Arena.
U18 Major: The Weeks Majors tangle with the CB West Islanders in Port Hood at 6.
Rural League: Tonight at the Arena, it’s the Outlaws vs the Warriors at 7, followed by the Panthers vs St. Croix at 8:30.
Maritime Major Girls U18 League: The Northern Subway Selects & CB Lynx are part of a tournament at Credit Union Place in Summerside, PEI. The Lynx had two wins on Friday, 5-4 over the Western Flames and 10-2 over the Fundy Kraken. The Selects were also victorious, defeating the Western Wolves 5-2. Action begins today with the Selects vs the Moncton Rockets at 8 am, with the Lynx & Capitals tangling at 2. Play continues through Sunday.
The Dr. JH Gillis Regional Royals Girls Volleyball team is hosting regionals this weekend. CEC, Hants East, Northumberland and North Nova join the Royals in competition. Games continue today with the semi finals beginning at Noon.
On Friday, Antigonish resident & Dr. J.H. Gillis Regional High graduate Brenda Farrell was inducted into the Kennesaw State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Brenda attended Kennesaw State from 1995-1998 on a full athletic softball scholarship, leading the Owls to back-to-back national championship titles, three total D2 World Series appearances, and an overall 198-22 record over her four years. Her 0.42 ERA in the 1998 season still stands as the all-time school record.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Jordan Staal scored twice in a 4-3 Carolina Hurricanes victory that put a damper on Eric Comrie’s first game as the Winnipeg Jets’ starting goaltender. Comrie was replacing star netminder Connor Hellebuyck, whom the team said was undergoing arthroscopic surgery for a knee problem dating back to training camp. He’s expected to be out four to six weeks. The former backup made 24 saves for Winnipeg.
Abby Boreen scored 1:26 into overtime and the Vancouver Goldeneyes rallied to edge the Seattle Torrent 4-3 and collect the first win in franchise history. It was the inaugural game for the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s first two expansion teams, and an enthusiastic sellout crowd of 14-thousand-958 took in the game at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum.
Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, Oklahoma City had a 33-4 run and the defending champion Thunder routed the Utah Jazz 144-112 in N-B-A Cup play to improve to 16-and-1 and push their winning streak to eight. Isaiah Joe scored 16 points and Jaylin Williams made five threes for a season-high 15 points for Oklahoma City.
Nikola Jokic had 34 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Canadian Jamal Murray added 26 points and 10 assists as the Denver Nuggets held on to beat the Houston Rockets 112-109. Jokic, who scored 24 points in the second half, finished 11 of 20 from the field. Tim Hardaway Junior had 12 points off the bench for the Nuggets.
Cooper Flagg scored a career-high 29 points, Naji Marshall hit the go-ahead three-pointer against his former team with 30.7 seconds left and the Dallas Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-115 in N-B-A Cup play. The three-pointer by Marshall, who played four seasons with New Orleans before signing with Dallas in July 2024, put the Mavericks ahead 116-115.
Nic Claxton had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for his first NBA triple-double and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 113-105 for their first victory in the N-B-A Cup in-season tournament. Michael Porter Junior scored 33 points, and Noah Clowney had 19 to help Brooklyn snap a nine-game losing streak against Boston. The Nets improved to 3-and-12 overall and 1-and-2 in N-B-A Cup play.
Friday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Carolina 4 Winnipeg 3
Buffalo 9 Chicago 3
Minnesota 5 Pittsburgh 0
Boston 2 Los Angeles 1 (OT)
PWHL
Toronto 2 Minnesota 1
Vancouver 4 Seattle 3 (OT)
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Sherbrooke 3 Cape Breton 1
Moncton 8 Saint John 4
Halifax 5 Baie-Comeau 4
Shawinigan 4 Blainville-Boisbriand 2
Rouyn-Noranda 4 Drummondville 1
Val-d’Or 6 Gatineau 2
Quebec 6 Newfoundland 1
Rimouski 3 Victoriaville 1
NBA
Toronto 140 Washington 110
Cleveland 120 Indiana 109
Brooklyn 113 Boston 105
Miami 143 Chicago 107
Dallas 118 New Orleans 115
Phoenix 114 Minnesota 113
Denver 112 Houston 109
Oklahoma City 144 Utah 112
Portland 127 Golden State 123
Saturday’s Games (All times Eastern)
NHL
Columbus at Detroit, 1 p.m.
St. Louis at N.Y. Islanders, 3:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Florida, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at San Jose, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Montreal, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Washington, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Nashville, 8 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Utah, 9 p.m.
Dallas at Calgary, 10 p.m.
Vegas at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
PWHL
New York at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League
Val-d’Or at Blainville-Boisbriand, 4 p.m.
Halifax at Chicoutimi, 4 p.m.
Rouyn-Noranda at Gatineau, 4 p.m.
Newfoundland at Quebec, 4 p.m.
Shawinigan at Victoriaville, 4 p.m.
Sherbrooke at Cape Breton, 6 p.m.
MLS Conference semifinals
Los Angeles FC at Vancouver, 9:30 p.m.
NBA
L.A. Clippers at Charlotte, 1 p.m.
New York at Orlando, 5 p.m.
Atlanta at New Orleans, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.
Washington at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Memphis at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sacramento at Denver, 10 p.m.