LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: The X-Men football team cruised to a 29-9 victory over the Mount Allison Mounties at Alumni Field in Sackville. X-Men QB Silas Fagnan went 23 of 36 with 193 total passing yards, bringing him to 7129 career passing yards – third overall in AUS career passing and setting a new St. FX record. Ben Hadley’s two field goals put him tops in X-Men career field goals with 60. The 4-3 X-Men conclude their regular season at home against the Saint Mary’s Huskies on Saturday, October 26th.
In Moncton, the Aigles Bleues defeated the X-Women hockey team 4-1. The X-Women return on Friday to host the UPEI Panthers at the Keating Centre.
In soccer, the UNB REDS fought to a 2-2 draw with the X-Men, which was just enough for the REDS to secure a spot in the AUS Championship. The X-Men had already secured a first-round bye. The championship begins Thursday in Fredericton, where the X-Men will take on either Dalhousie or Cape Breton in the semi-finals Friday. On the women’s side, the X-Women and REDS played to a scoreless draw. The REDS have clinched a first-round bye in the AUS championship tournament being held in Antigonish. The X-Women, with a 5-4-3 record, took the final playoff spot and will face third-place Acadia to begin the tournament on Thursday.
In pre-season tournaments, the X-Men basketball team defeated UQAM 67-63, while the X-Women topped UNBC 80-75. The two teams wrap up today – the X-Men face Toronto Metropolitan at 1 pm, while the X-Women face the host McGill squad at 3.
Junior B: The Strait Pirates host the East Hants Penguins at 4:30 in Port Hawkesbury, the Scotians face off with the Capstone Colts at 6 pm in Trenton, and the Bulldogs host Membertou at the Arena at 7:30 tonight.
Maritime League: The Pictou County Weeks Crushers lost 6-4 to the Truro Bearcats.
U15: It was a 3-2 victory for the Bombers over the Hurricanes, while the Novas were shut out 4-0 by the Gulls. This morning, it’s the Novas & the Truro Bearcats at the Antigonish Arena. Puck drops at 11:30 am.
U16 AAA: The Cabot Highlanders picked up their second win of the season, 4-2 over the Thunderbirds. Today, the Highlanders host the Saint John Knights at 1 pm in Port Hawkesbury.
U18 Major: The showcase tournament continues at the Wellness Centre. On Saturday, the Weeks Majors doubled the Bathurst Northern Moose 6-3, while the CB West Islanders lost 6-3 to Fredericton. Playoffs begin at 10 am.
High School: The Dr. J.H. Gillis Royals fell 7-5 to the Northumberland Nighthawks in Westville. In Port Hood today, it’s Dalbrae Academy vs North Nova at 4.
Maritime Major Female League: The Northern Selects now share the league lead with the Greenfoot Capitals after defeating them 2-1 in overtime in Pictou.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Juan Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the visiting New York Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday. Soto, acquired in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres in December, moved the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing. Giancarlo Stanton added a two-run homer for the Yankees, who won the best-of-seven series 4-1.
Jordan Eberle scored 47 seconds into overtime and the host Seattle Kraken knocked off the unbeaten Calgary Flames 2-1. Chandler Stephenson also scored for the Kraken, who have won three straight and improved to 4-and-2. Blake Coleman scored for the Flames, who slipped to 4-0-and-1.
The Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators were winners in other N-H-L games involving Canadian teams. Vancouver spoiled the Philadelphia Flyers’ home opener with a 3-0 victory, while the Senators edged the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Elsewhere, the Dallas Stars beat the visiting Edmonton Oilers 4-1, the New York Rangers topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1, and the New York Islanders outlasted the visiting Montreal Canadiens 4-3 in a nine-round shootout.
Real Salt Lake scored twice late in the second half to defeat the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 in Major League Soccer action. Ryan Gauld had given the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead in the 58th minute, but Diego Luna tied it in the 73rd minute and the Caps had an own goal 10 minutes later. With the loss, Vancouver will have to face the Portland Timbers on Wednesday in a do-or-die wild-card game before the first round of playoffs kick off.
C-F Montreal is heading to the Major League Soccer post-season. Caden Clark scored a goal and set up another as Montreal defeated visiting New York City F-C 2-0 on Saturday to clinching a playoff berth. Josef Martinez also scored with Montreal needing at least a draw in the matchup. Montreal climbed to eighth in the Eastern Conference and will host Atlanta United in a wild-card matchup on Tuesday.
For the first time since 2019, the W-N-B-A championship will come down to a winner-take-all game. This one will be in New York on Sunday night. The Minnesota Lynx staved off elimination with an 82-80 win over the New York Liberty on Friday to force a Game 5. Since the league switched to a best-of-five format in 2005, seven other series have gone the distance. The home team has won five times, including in 2019.
Saturday’s Scoreboard
NHL
Seattle 2 Calgary 1 (OT)
N.Y. Islanders 4 Montreal 3 (SO)
Vancouver 3 Philadelphia 0
Ottawa 5 Tampa Bay 4
Dallas 4 Edmonton 1
N.Y. Rangers 4 Toronto 1
Detroit 5 Nashville 2
St. Louis 4 Carolina 3
Buffalo 4 Chicago 2
Minnesota 3 Columbus 1
Washington 6 New Jersey 5 (OT)
Florida 4 Vegas 3 (OT)
Utah 2 Boston 1 (OT)
MLB Playoffs Championship Series – American League
New York Yankees 5 Cleveland 2 (10 innings) (N.Y. Yankees win best-of-seven series 4-1)
CFL
Toronto 38 Ottawa 31
B.C. 27 Montreal 3
MLS
CF Montreal 2 New York City FC 0
Real Salt Lake 2 Vancouver 1
Houston 2 LA Galaxy 1
Austin FC 3 Colorado 2
Nashville 3 Chicago 0
Charlotte FC 3 D.C. United 0
Miami 6 New England 2
Columbus 3 New York 2
Atlanta 2 Orlando City 1
Cincinnati 2 Philadelphia 1
FC Dallas 2 Sporting Kansas City 1
Los Angeles FC 3 San Jose 1
Minnesota 4 St Louis City 1
Portland 1 Seattle 1
Sunday’s Schedule (All times Eastern)
MLB Playoffs Championship Series – National League
New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:08 p.m. (L.A. Dodgers lead best-of-seven series 3-2)
NHL
Pittsburgh at Winnipeg, 3 p.m.
Colorado at San Jose, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 8 p.m.
NFL
New England vs Jacksonville at London, 9:30 a.m.
Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Houston at Green Bay, 1 p.m.
Miami at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.
Seattle at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Tennessee at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Carolina at Washington, 4:05 p.m.
Las Vegas at L.A. Rams, 4:05 p.m.
Kansas City at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh, 8:20 p.m.
WNBA Championship Series
Minnesota at New York, 8 p.m. (Best-of-five series tied 2-2)