This Week in Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics

In hockey, the Kings Hockey team will play two home games this weekend as they take on the Portage College Voyageurs and fight to stay at the top of the conference. The game on Friday will be a normal 7 p.m. start with the Saturday game being in the afternoon at 1 p.m.

Lastly, the basketball teams will kick off the home schedule with two games against what RDP says is a very tough SAIT Trojans team. As the Queens look to continue their five-game winning streak, they will take on the Trojans at 6 p.m. with the men putting their winning streak on the line following the end of the women’s game.

RDP Athletics is reminding the public to stay tuned to their social media platforms for a daily post up until this Saturday from one of the athletes regarding mental health as this is the last week of the Make Some Noise for Mental Health event.

Basketball

Queens (8-6) vs SAIT Trojans (8-5)

Friday, January 27 at 6 p.m. at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre
Saturday, January 28 at 6 p.m. in Calgary

Queens Basketball is now above .500 and riding a five-game winning streak after two great wins against the Ambrose University Lions. The Queens have really turned it around after starting the season 0-3, as they are now 8-6.

Head Coach Avery Harrison said he takes full responsibility as the coach of the team for how the team started the season.

“We are a totally different team. It is fun to watch. The biggest change was I got off their backs and let them play. I didn’t do a good enough job coaching in the first semester and was mad at myself. We got some great responses from the players in a feedback session with the coaches which forced change and led to the team being more successful,” he said.

However, the schedule does not get any easier as they’ll battle with the SAIT Trojans this weekend, who sit right behind them in what is a very tight South Division. Between first and seventh place, there is just a six-point difference. The Queens will be in Red Deer on Friday and travel down to Calgary for the second weekend in a row on Saturday. Both games start at 6 p.m.

Kings (8-6) vs SAIT Trojans (7-6)

Friday, January 27 at 8 p.m. at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre
Saturday, January 28 at 8 p.m. in Calgary

The Kings are following in the Queens footstep, or the other way around, either way, both teams are playing well as the men are also riding a five-game winning streak. But these two wins against the Ambrose University Lions this past weekend did not come easy for them as one of the games needed overtime. It was a tight one, but the Kings pulled through with a win. Now, they got a huge test ahead of them as they take on the SAIT Trojans, who are looking much different than they did in the first semester which saw the team only win three games but have won four of their five games to start the winter semester.

Saturday night’s player of the game Eduardo Crespo said their team won the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Championship last year, so they are always going to be a tough matchup.

“They have good players, probably not the same chemistry that they had last year, but they are still doing well. They got players who can score at any time on the court. We want to be able to shut down these players which means we got to put in a lot of work during practice this week,” he said.

Crespo completed his night with 34 points on Saturday, which included the tying basket to send it to overtime. The Kings will start their weekend in Red Deer and then travel down to Calgary for a rematch with both games starting at 8 p.m.

Hockey

Queens (7-3) vs Olds College Broncos (2-8)

Thursday, January 26 at 7 p.m. in Olds
Saturday, January 28 at 7 p.m. at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

After dropping a 3-2 contest against the NAIT Ooks in their lone game this past weekend, the Queens will be back on the ice with two games this week against the Olds College Broncos. Together with Olds College, RDP Athletics will be hosting a collaboration mental health event that will start with the game on Thursday night in Olds for their Make Some Noise for Mental Health event and then end with the polytechnic’s Bell Lets Talk event. RDP officials say the purpose of collaborating with the central Alberta institution is to emphasize that there is strength in unity as both schools are a part of the ACAC, which includes 15 other post-secondary schools, 2,500 student-athletes, and many coaches that can all come together to promote mental health in a more positive light.

The Queens will play on Thursday evening in Olds and then have a day off before facings the Broncos in a rematch on Saturday evening. Puck drop just after 7 p.m. for both games.

Portage College Voyageurs (3-13-1) at Kings (10-6-1)

Friday, January 27 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, January 28 at 1 p.m.

As the Kings Hockey team struggles to win on home ice in the 2023 year, they will be tested this weekend as they face the Portage College Voyageurs in back-to-back home games. Earlier on in the season, the Kings split the weekend (5-3W, 3-2L) with the Voyageurs in Lac la Biche. However, they now will face them in the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre where they have lost two straight games with 10 goals against and just four goals for.

Head Coach Trevor Keeper says they are playing very well and have defeated some very good teams lately.

“They play hard. They forecheck and they hit. Up until the past couple of weeks, we were undefeated at home and now we are playing sloppy, especially on Saturday nights. This week with the quick turnaround on Saturday, we will have to be dominant and get our home mojo back,” he said.

The Kings will play at 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon with both games in the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Volleyball

Queens (7-6) vs SAIT Trojans (7-6)

Friday, January 27 at 6 p.m. in Calgary
Saturday, January 28 at 6 p.m. at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

With a victory on Saturday night in Calgary, the Queens got their first win of the 2023 year after falling to the Ambrose University Lions on Friday evening in five sets. The second match was very different as the Queens came out of the gate fast and dominant as they swept the Lions three straight to take the match. However, ahead of them is yet another tough test in the SAIT Trojans this weekend as the Queens sit tied in second place with the Trojans in what is a very tight race for a playoff spot in the South Division. As of right now, four points is the difference between second place and sixth place. With most teams still needing to play five or six matches, any team has a chance to secure a spot in the ACAC Championships.

Head Coach Talbot Walton explained that consistency needs to be better in the team.

“I think we need to be more consistent from the service line which puts them out of system a bit more. Our service receive needs to be a little more structured so we can run a better offense and separate the opposing blockers to give our hitters a prime opportunity for a kill,” said Walton.

The Queens will play their second straight match in Calgary on Friday at 6 p.m. with the same start time on Saturday evening in Red Deer at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Kings (12-1) vs SAIT Trojans (4-9)

Friday, January 27 at 8 p.m. in Calgary
Saturday, January 28 at 8 p.m. at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

The Kings continue to prove their dominance over ACAC competition as they extend their winning streak to double-digits now with their 10th straight win. However, it was not easy as five of the seven sets played, they were competing alongside the Lions. In the other two sets the Kings outplayed Ambrose and proved they are a force to be reckoned with.

Head Coach Aaron Schulha said as they battle with the Trojans, the team’s service pressure component will need to be better.

“During every match, we talk about having a sense of pride in winning the serve and receive battle because we know how physical we are at the net. Ultimately, the game of volleyball comes down to serve and pass which is something we talk about a lot over the season,” he said.

The Kings will be in Calgary on Friday to take on the Trojans before heading home for a rematch on Saturday evening with both matches starting at 8 p.m.

by rdnewsNOW Staff

This Week in Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics

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