Area Aug 9: Warriors 3-0; IceDogs ink import; Merrittville results
Anthony Kelly. Photo courtesy Kevin Miller, Nitroman Media
The Welland Warriors are off to a perfect 3-0 start at the inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship in Orlando, Fla.
The Warriors closed out their round-robin portion of the tournament defeating the Africa and Middle East team 72-63. Standout Alexis Wright earned a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds while Emma Koabel added 15 points and Lara Cook 10 points.
Canada earlier topped China 65-44 as Koabel netted 16 and Cook 10. The also defeated Mexico 63-20 as Koabel had 23 and Natalie Picton nine.
Canada plays South America Friday at 11:30 a.m. in their first game of the playoffs.
ICEDOGS SECURE SOPA
The Niagara IceDogs have signed Kyen Sopa to a standard player agreement. The IceDogs selected Sopa in the first round (36th overall) of the 2018 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Sopa, a 17-year-old left winger, spent the past season with Bern U20 in the SC Junior A league. The Swiss-born player represented his country at IIHF U18 Hockey Championship in April, finishing with six points in six games. With Bern U20, he scored 21 goals and collected 35 assists in 41 games. He also represented Switzerland at the World Junior A U19 Championship, collecting a goal and an assist in four games.
“We are thrilled at this signing today,” IceDogs general manager Joey Burke said. “Kyen is the player we had targeted ahead of the Import Draft. We know we are getting an impact forward who is a high character individual and will fit in nicely with our group. This is a new era in IceDogs hockey and with that comes an improved focus on the Import Draft.”
MERRITTVILLE RESULTS
Ryan Susice of Ransomville, N.Y., won his first Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series event Monday at Merrittville Speedway’s Civic Holiday Extravaganza.
Also winning for the first time was Kyle Inman of Derian, N.Y., who won his first Bellinger Electric Inc. Lightning Series Event for the David Chevrolet Sportsman Division, and Vittoria’s Ryan Beagle, who took his first Hoosier Stock Victory.
The only repeat winner was Niagara Falls’ driver Anthony Kelly, now a four-time winner in the Central Fabricating & Welding 4 Cylinder Division.
“It’s really special,” Susice said. “This race is always one we mark on the calendar. Just to be out here and competing is awesome, but I just had a feeling tonight. I knew we had an awesome car, as long as everything worked out tonight, we made the right moves, I thought we could put it here [Victory Lane].”
The Samco Designs Low Cash Dash was won by Scott George over Cameron Tuttle in an exciting six-lap battle.
Saturday, August 11, the Niagara Employment Help Centre will present a Bobcat of Hamilton Weekly Racing Series Event and the annual Kid’s Box Car Races.
Grandstands open at 5:30 p.m. with races beginning at 7 p.m.
On Sunday, Aug. 12, action resumes with the Seaway Mall presenting Motorized Mayhem that features the 100 lap Vansickle Pet Valu & Groomingdale’s Enduro by Niagara College.
Grandstands will open at 11 a.m. with racing set to start ay 1 p.m.
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