RDP Athletics weekend recap

• Friday, February 17 | 6 pm at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

The women’s basketball team kept their winning streak alive as they capped off their regular season with a win against the Concordia University Thunder, who was ranked number eight on the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rankings. This game saw guard Sandra Garcia-Bernal (Academic Upgrading) break the ACAC single-season record for steals by a player. Entering the game, she had 114 steals and finished with seven on the night to beat the previous feat of 115 by Marie Lupe of the Olds College Broncos (2014-2015).

At the end of the game, the Queens graduated multiple players as they leave the program where they are graduating from their academic program or transferring to another institution to continue their schooling. One of those graduating players was Stauffer native Amy Szymanek (Bachelor of Education) who was awarded the player of the game. Szymanek finished with 13 points in her last game at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Kings (13-8) vs Concordia University Thunder (5-15)

• Friday, February 17 | 8 pm at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

The Kings joined their fellow Queens and finished their season off with a win over the Thunder on Friday night with the final score being 77-63. As this was their last regular season game as well, they held a special graduation ceremony for long-time Kings basketball player Kevin Szymanek (Business Administration), who has played for multiple coaches in the six years he attended Red Deer Polytechnic. He was awarded the player of the game to honour his multiple years committed to the Kings Basketball program. He also had two points and two rebounds.

The Kings will host a play-in game at 12 pm in Red Deer on February 25 against the Medicine Hat College Rattlers. If they win this game, they will move on to battle with the SAIT Trojans in Calgary on the following day with a spot in the championships on the line.

Hockey

Queens (12-3-1) vs SAIT Trojans (2-15)

• Friday, February 17 | 7 pm at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

• Saturday, February 18 | 2:45 pm in Calgary

The Queens Hockey team had a tough start to their opening game of the weekend against the SAIT Trojans. They would give up the opening goal and did not generate any quality scoring chances in the first period. However, the Queens started the second period off on the right foot with a goal two minutes into the frame on the power play from forward Jailyn Bablitz (Bachelor of Education). The women’s hockey team would score two more unanswered goals, both from forward Madison Sansom (Social Work). She now has a goal in six straight and a point in nine consecutive games.

Trojans goaltender POV shot on net. (RDP Athletics)

They would follow this up with a 4-0 shutout victory in Calgary in a rare afternoon game on Saturday. Goaltender Izzy Palumbo stopped 18 shots for her third shutout of the season. Forward Molly Flynn (Bachelor of Education) was awarded the player of the game with a tip-in goal on the afternoon. Forward’s Brenna Reid (Bachelor of Kinesiology), Madison Sansom and Arilyn Toews (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) were awarded the other three goals in the shutout victory.

Kings (16-5-1) vs NAIT Ooks (10-8-4)

• Friday, February 17 | 7 pm in Edmonton

• Saturday, February 18 | 7 pm at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

After a successful weekend, the Kings clinched first place in the conference and will have a bye to the semi-final of the playoffs. But the men had to play from behind for half of the game on Friday night in Edmonton but found a way to come back and win it in overtime 5-4. The game-winning goal was scored by Ryland McNinch (Bachelor of Education) off a one-timer only seconds into the overtime period. Forward Nolan Doell was awarded the player of the game with his two points on the night.

Wozney wrist shot against NAIT. (RDP Athletics)

The Kings would follow this up with an Arik Weersink 17-save shutout, who was awarded the player of the game for his efforts. In what felt like a very odd game with just one goal and a couple of penalty minutes throughout the first half of the game, the Kings would find their form and the back of the net three more times to win it 4-0. Forward Erik Miller (Business Administration) had two goals, while McNinch added a shorthanded goal and forward Reegan Doig (Open Studies) rounded the goal-scorers for the Kings on Saturday night.

Kings and Queens Indoor Track

February 18 – hosted by Red Deer Polytechnic in the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

It was a successful weekend for the Indoor Track team that saw five first-place finishes which includes two from Jenica Swartz (Bachelor of Science) and two from Ethan Duret (Bachelor of Commerce). The 4x400m Kings relay team also took first place at the event, dethroning the Lethbridge College Kodiaks who were the champions at the Running Room Grand Prix #1 in Edmonton.

Ethan Duret Grand Prix 2. (RDP Athletics)

Other notable finishes include second-year Myah Cota (Open Studies) who finished in third place in the opening event of the Grand Prix, the 3000m. Justine Larson (Bachelor of Education) joined Swartz on the podium in the 1000m with a third-place finish. The Kings and Queens 4x200m teams both completed the race in second. Daniel Szucs (Bachelor of Business Administration) got a bronze medal in the 1500m and to cap off the afternoon, a silver finish was awarded to the Queens 4x400m relay team.

These results placed the Kings and Queens in first place overall as they prepare and train for the ACAC Championships at the Butterdome in Edmonton on March 18-19.

by RDP Athletics

RDP Athletics weekend recap

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