LOCAL SPORTS
AUS: The AUS Soccer Championships are on this weekend. The X-Men advanced to the finals, defeating the Capers 4-1. The title match against UNB will be played at 4 pm Sunday in Fredericton. A heartbreaker for the X-Women – after advancing with a double overtime win over Acadia, they led for most of their semi-final, before UNB tied the match 1-1 in the last minute of regulation play. The REDS then went on to get the victory on penalty kicks. UNB will play Cape Breton for the title at St. FX Stadium Sunday at 1 pm.
In hockey, the X-Men extinguished the UNB REDS’ hopes of another undefeated season with a hard-fought 4-3 overtime victory at the Aitken Centre. Raegan Wiles was the overtime hero, scoring less than a minute into extra time. Wiles was named Tim Hortons Player of the Game. The loss snapped UNB’s 57-game winning streak, including regular season, post-season and exhibition games going back to March of 2023. The X-Men will be in Moncton tonight to face the Aigles Bleus at 7 pm.
The X-Women snapped a four-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over the UPEI Panthers at the Keating Centre. Gabriel Pizza Player of the game Tea Pearce scored the opener midway through the first period, while Landyn Pitts capped off the game with an empty net goal with three seconds left in the game. The X-Women continue their homestand tonight at 7 against the St. Thomas Tommies.
The X-Men football wrap up the regular season at home against the Saint Mary’s Huskies. Kickoff is at 2 pm.
The St. FX Cross County teams are in Newfoundland for the AUS Championships. The 8K Races begin at 12:30 our time.
Junior B: In action Friday night, the Antigonish Bulldogs outscored the Pictou County Scotians 5-1, while the Strait Pirates won 4-3 in overtime against Membertou. The Pirates are on the road to face the Brookfield Elks at 4 pm today.
Maritime League: The Pictou County Weeks Crushers are in Yarmouth to face off with the Mariners at 7 pm.
U15: The Novas host the Valley Wildcats at the Arena at 5, while the WearWell Bombers visit the Gulls at 6:45.
U16 AAA: The Cabot Highlanders take on the Fundy Thunder at 7:40 tonight at the Pictou County Wellness Centre.
U18 Major: The Cape Breton West Islanders visit the Sydney Rush at 2 in the first of a home-and-home this weekend. The Pictou County Weeks Majors visit Dartmouth to play Steele Subaru at 7:45.
High School: North Nova defeated Dalbrae Academy 4-2 last night in Trenton. Tonight, the Dr. J.H. Gillis Royals face Dalbrae at 7 in Port Hood, while North Nova takes on the Tigers in East Hants at 7:30.
Maritime Major Female League: The Northern Selects are taking part in an exhibition tournament this weekend in Pictou County. Their first match is against the Mount Academy Saints at 10:15 this morning at the Wellness Centre, then at 4:15 this afternoon they face off with the Western Flames at the Hector Arena in Pictou.
Rural League: Two games tonight at the Antigonish Arena: Pleasantdale vs Heatherton at 7, followed by St. Croix vs the County Outlaws at 8:30.
NATIONAL SPORTS
Freddie Freeman hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history with two outs in the 10th, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-3 win over the visiting New York Yankees in a dramatic opener. Battling a sprained ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch, dropped his bat, and began his trot to a roar from the sellout crowd. Game 2 is tonight.
Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his fifth career shutout in the Oilers’ 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each had a goal and an assist as Edmonton snapped a two-game skid. Viktor Arvidsson tallied three assists for the Oilers.
Tomas Hertl and Keegan Kolesar scored within a minute of each other late in the third period, propelling the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa centre Adam Gaudette scored two goals in the loss.
Scottie Barnes scored 27 points, Jakob Poeltl had 19, and the Toronto Raptors beat Philadelphia 115-107 to snap a seven-game losing streak against the 76ers. It had been nearly two years since Toronto’s last win over Philadelphia. Toronto hits the road for the first time this season when it visits Minnesota tonight.
Kicker Lewis Ward went five-for-five on field goals as the Ottawa Redblacks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 37-31 win over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats. While the Tiger-Cats’ season is over, the Redblacks will travel to Toronto next Saturday to face the Argonauts in the East Division semifinal.
Lionel Messi walked off the field a winner in his M-L-S playoff debut. Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba had the goals and Inter Miami beat Atlanta United 2-1 in Game 1 of a best-of-three Major League Soccer playoff series. Messi had an assist on Alba’s go-ahead goal in the 60th minute.
Friday’s Scoreboard
MLB – World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers 6 New York Yankees 3 (10 innings) (Los Angeles leads series 1-0)
NHL
Vegas 6 Ottawa 4
N.Y. Islanders 4 New Jersey 3 (OT)
Nashville 3 Chicago 2
Edmonton 4 Pittsburgh 0
CFL
Ottawa 37 Hamilton 31
Edmonton 31 Toronto 30 (OT)
NBA
Orlando 116 Brooklyn 101
Cleveland 113 Detroit 101
Toronto 115 Philadelphia 107
New York 123 Indiana 98
Atlanta 125 Charlotte 120
Chicago 133 Milwaukee 122
Houston 128 Memphis 108
Golden State 127 Utah 86
L.A. Lakers 123 Phoenix 116
New Orleans 105 Portland 103
MLS Playoffs
Miami 2 Atlanta 1 (Miami leads best-of-three first-round series 1-0)
Saturday’s Games (All times Eastern)
MLB – World Series
New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:08 p.m. (Los Angeles leads series 1-0)
NHL
Detroit at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
Minnesota at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Utah at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.
St. Louis at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Anaheim at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Washington at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Florida at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Columbus at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Carolina at Seattle, 10 p.m.
San Jose at Vegas, 10 p.m.
CFL
Winnipeg at Montreal, 3 p.m.
Calgary at Saskatchewan, 7 p.m.
NBA
L.A. Clippers at Denver, 5 p.m.
Boston at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Cleveland at Washington, 7 p.m.
Miami at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Orlando at Memphis, 8 p.m.
Houston at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.
Dallas at Phoenix, 10 p.m.
Sacramento at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
MLS Playoffs – Best-of-Three First Round
Colorado at LA Galaxy, 11 p.m. (Start of series)