Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Mikey Balhan Sports
Home Blog Page 3920

Reilly, Lions’ defense dominate Stamps for first win

CFL Editor
-
0
Reilly, Lions’ defense dominate Stamps for first win

CALGARY — A big passing performance from Michael Reilly and a dominant showing from the Lions’ defence guided BC to a 15-9 road win over the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night to kick off Week 2.

 

After being named starter ahead of Nathan Rourke shortly before kick off, the 36-year-old veteran stepped up with a big opening half to put BC in control early — showing no signs of being hindered by the sore elbow. A young Lions defence took care of business to keep Bo Levi Mitchell and the Calgary offence out of the end zone, racking up three sacks and four interceptions.

 

Calgary’s defence managed to force a pair of turnovers in the second half, and Rene Paredes‘ second 48-yard field goal of the game cut the Lions’ lead in half at 12-6. But BC’s KiAnte Hardin picked off Mitchell in the end zone, and a final interception from Jalon Edwards-Cooper secured the Lions’ first win of the season.

 

Reilly finished the opening half with 231 passing yards en route to a 342-yard performance with a 79 per cent completion rate. He also added a one-yard rushing score to help his team bounce back from its Week 1 loss to Saskatchewan.

 

Bryan Burnham and Lucky Whitehead led the Lions receivers with 121 and 108 yards, respectively. Running back James Butler scored a two-point conversion, and kicker Takeru Yamasaki added a pair of field goals and a single.

 

Linebacker Boseko Lokombo led BC with six tackles, a sack and an interception.

 

Mitchell was picked off four times for the first time in his CFL career, finishing with 290 passing yards while falling to 0-2 for the first time.

 

After forcing a two-and-out early in the first quarter, BC proceeded to move down the field through the air. Reilly connected with Shaq Johnson for a first down to get things started, and his next completion went for a 20-yard gain to Whitehead.

 

Lions receiver Lemar Durant kept the chains moving with a 12-yard catch-and-run, but the Lions fell just short of a touchdown when a Reilly pass went over the head of Burnham in the end zone. The Lions got on the board after a 22-yard field goal attempt from Yamasaki went wide and through the end zone for a point.

 

Mitchell and the Stamps’ offence showed signs of life on the ensuing drive, as the quarterback launched a pass down the field to Richie Sindani for 35 yards. But the Lions’ defensive front stepped up a few plays later, stuffing backup quarterback Michael O’Connor on third down as he attempted to move the sticks on a QB sneak.

 

The Lions’ offence took over, and Reilly opened the drive with a 61-yard deep shot to Burnham down the left side of the field. But BC was forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal from Yamasaki following a strong defensive stand.

 

Calgary responded with a 48-yard field goal from Paredes after Mitchell connected on a 30-yard pass to Kamar Jorden, cutting the Lions’ lead down to a single point.

 

But Reilly and company continued right where they left off, as the gunslinger quickly completed a 43-yard pass to Whitehead. Reilly then hooked up with Whitehead two plays later for a 13-yard gain, and Butler added 18 combined yards on back-to-back runs.

 

Reilly finished the scoring drive off with a one-yard QB sneak across the goal line, and an ensuing two-point conversion run from Butler put BC up 12-3 after a review.

 

A leaping 26-yard catch from Markeith Ambles gave Calgary some momentum on the following drive, but it would be short-lived. The Stamps were ultimately forced to punt after Lions defensive end Obum Gwacham brought down Mitchell for his first career CFL sack.

 

The Stamps generated another spark of momentum in the final minutes of the first half when Malik Henry returned a punt 42 yards, with Lions punter Jake Ford making the desperation tackle. But the Lions’ defence stepped up again to eliminate Calgary’s touchdown hopes, as a big eight-yard sack from defensive end Tim Bonner was followed by an interception from Marcus Sayles.

 

Calgary got the ball to start the second half, but the relentless Lions defence forced another punt from Cody Grace. Whitehead and Burnham then gained a pair of first downs, but Chris Rainey couldn’t get anything going for BC in the run game. The Stampeders forced a turnover on downs when Raheem Wilson prevented Rainey from gaining any ground on third down.

 

The Stamps’ defence added another turnover in the third quarter when defensive back Royce Metchie stripped the ball away from Durant, but the Lions silenced the crowd and got the ball right back on an interception from Lokombo two plays later.

 

Calgary cut BC’s lead in half with another 48-yard field goal from Paredes, but the next drive saw Hardin come through with a leaping interception on a Mitchell pass intended for Hergy Mayala in the end zone — his first career CFL pick.

 

Calgary received a small spark with just under six minutes to play when Henry had another solid punt return, but the Lions’ defence refused to break once again and forced a 20-yard field goal from Paredes. Yamasaki missed a late 43-yard field goal attempt, but Calgary’s comeback hopes faded with just over a minute to play when Mitchell’s pass was picked off by Edwards-Cooper in his first career CFL start.

 

The Lions will host the Edmonton Elks next Thursday at 10:00 p.m. ET, while the Stampeders will host the Montreal Alouettes next Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Bombers defeat Argos for Second-Straight win

CFL Editor
-
0
Bombers defeat Argos for Second-Straight win

WINNIPEG – After heading to the locker with a lead at the half, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers survived a surge of Toronto momentum to win.

 

Building off their success last week, Zach Collaros and the Blue Bombers offence looked to be in mid-season form. Winnipeg opened the night’s scoring after Collaros connected with Rasheed Bailey mid-way through the first quarter for a 35-yard touchdown. After the Bombers drew first blood, Toronto tried to claw back during the third, but time would expire as the Bombers would go on to win 20-7.

 

Through the air, Collaros and the Bombers offence made it look easy. Completing his second-straight game with over 200 passing yards, Collaros appeared to gain confidence as the game progressed. For Toronto, it was a different story.

 

After a lackluster first half that saw the Argos go to the dressing room with only 70 passing yards, an interception forced by Jamal Peters to start the second half looked to be the boost they needed.

 

On the ensuing Argos possession, McLeod Bethel-Thompson would overthrow DaVaris Daniels and force the Argos to punt. That would be the end of the night for the starting signal-caller as Ryan Dinwiddie would trot out Nick Arbuckle, in hopes a different presence could fuel a comeback.

 

During his first drive that started around mid-field, Arbuckle’s precision passing going 4/4 for 30 yards gave Toronto a new sense of confidence on offence. After marching their way down to the 30-yard line, John White would rumble his way into the end zone to get the Double Blue on the board.

 

While this sudden surge of momentum certainly provided the Argos sideline with some much-needed juice, it was short-lived. After collecting a hand-off from Arbuckle, Bombers linebacker Jesse Briggs knocked the ball out of White’s hands, giving Winnipeg the ball.

 

On the following Winnipeg possession, Collaros would make Toronto pay as he found Nic Demski in the end zone to cushion their lead late in the game.

 

With their backs on the walls and time their enemy, Arbuckle would throw a costly interception giving Winnipeg the ball on the Argo 30-yard line.

 

After failing to find the end zone for the third time, the Bombers would send one through the uprights off the foot of Tyler Crapinga, releasing the remaining air out of the Boatmen’s sails.

 

To add insult to injury, the final moments of the fourth quarter did not get any better for Toronto as Willie Jefferson was able to strip the ball from Arbuckle’s hands, ending their chance to find the end zone.

 

Similar to last week’s outing against the Calgary Stampeders, penalties were the Achilles heels of the Toronto Argonauts. Recording 13 for a total of 112 yards, their inability to string along drives and keep the momentum on their side was costly at times as Winnipeg was able to capitalize. Their eagerness to get into the Winnipeg backfield was taken advantage of, but they were able to do it. The Toronto pass rush took the Collaros down twice and in the process was able to hold Brady Oliveria, who was coming off a 126 yard game against Hamilton, to only 29 on the night.

 

As for Winnipeg’s defensive performance, they were able to hold Toronto to a combined 289 yards on offence and a single touchdown.

 

Both of these two teams will meet again in just over a week’s time as Week 3 will see them at BMO Field for the Argonauts home opener.

Bengals waive Three Players

NFL Editor
-
0
Bengals waive Three Players

The Bengals today waived WR Reece Horn, WR Riley Lees and TE Pro Wells.

 

Lees and Wells are both rookies, and signed as college free agents with the Bengals in May. Horn, a first-year player, had signed with the Bengals as a free agent on July 26.

 

Cincinnati’s roster now stands at 85 players.

Match Recap: Black & Gold come up short against Chicago Fire FC on the road

MLS Editor
-
0
Match Recap: Black & Gold come up short against Chicago Fire FC on the road

Luka Stojanovic’s goal with less than 15 minutes remaining lifted Chicago Fire FC to a 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew at Soldier Field on Sunday evening.

 

It was the second win in a row for the Fire, whose unbeaten streak is now at four ahead of a season-long six-match road trip while the Crew is winless in the Club’s last four matches.

 

Neither goalkeeper was called into action until the 23rd minute as Gaston Gimenez’s attempt from beyond the box was easily handled by the Crew’s Eloy Room. In the 42nd, Chinonso Offor had a dangerous opportunity in front of the Columbus net that was ultimately snuffed out.

 

Meanwhile, the Crew had a strike from Darlington Nagbe, which he put inches wide of the target in the opening minutes, but the Crew failed to pose a serious first-half threat to the hosts outside of that.

 

Chicago’s defense was tested in the early stages of the second half as a Columbus side looking to end a three-match losing streak found themselves on the front foot coming out of the locker room. But the Fire saw a chance go by the wayside just past the hour mark as Fabian Herbers received a deflected ball in the box and fired it right into the arms of Room. They had an even better chance in the 72nd minute, but a header by Robert Beric was pushed over the bar by Room.

 

But the breakthrough for Chicago finally came in the 77th minute through Stojanovic, whose third goal in two matches made it a 1-0 Fire lead. Shouts for a handball in the box by the Crew were ultimately for naught as Video Review confirmed the call on the field.

 

Despite several close calls by the Crew in stoppage time—including a great save by Bobby Shuttleworth and a shot off the woodwork—the Fire held on for back-to-back wins for the first time this year.

 

Next up, Columbus travels to the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday, August 18 for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff.

MATCH RECAP: Seattle Gets Back in the Win Column, Dominates Portland 6-2 in Cascadia Clash

MLS Editor
-
0
MATCH RECAP: Seattle Gets Back in the Win Column, Dominates Portland 6-2 in Cascadia Clash

Fredy Montero and Raúl Ruidíaz both bag braces as Sounders FC defeats Portland, while Rave Green tie most away regular-season goals scored in team history; Back up to second in the West, Seattle prepares for quick turnaround, traveling to FC Dallas on August 18 and Columbus on August 21

 

PORTLAND, OREGON – In a memorable performance in a rivalry stretching back to 1975, Seattle Sounders FC (10-3-6, 36 points) defeated the Portland Timbers (7-9-2, 23 points) on Sunday evening at Providence Park by a final score of 6-2. Fredy Montero and Raúl Ruidíaz each recorded a brace in the 113th all-time meeting between Seattle and Portland. It marked the first match in a stretch of three road games in seven days for Seattle, as the club travels to face FC Dallas on Wednesday, August 18 (5:30 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Prime Video, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM) and the Columbus Crew on Saturday, August 21 (2:30 p.m. PT / FOX, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

 

Montero put Seattle on the board first in the 13th minute, poaching a loose ball in the six-yard-box after a dangerous cross from Alex Roldan was punched away by Portland goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. He completed his first-half brace in the 29th minute, receiving a ball from João Paulo at the top of the area, cutting inside and lofting a curving shot into the top far corner of the net. The pair of scores give Montero six goals on the season and 67 across all competitions for Seattle, the most in club history. Montero has now scored seven goals in regular-season play against Portland, good for second all-time, tied with Raúl Ruidíaz.

 

The home side responded quickly, with Sebastian Blanco breaking away and scoring on a deflected ball that bounced over Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland in the 32nd minute. The Timbers evened the score early in the second half, with George Fochive barely beating Cleveland with a bouncing shot after the goalkeeper stopped Portland’s initial attempt from distance.

 

Ruidíaz’s second-half brace began in stunning fashion in the 55th minute, scoring directly on a free kick after Nicolás Lodeiro was fouled just outside the area. With both Lodeiro and Ruidíaz lining up over the ball, the Peruvian smashed a right-footed shot into the far corner over a motionless Ivacic. The second goal also came from a free kick, with Lodeiro’s initial shot saved and Ruidíaz pouncing on the rebound to make it 4-2.

 

Jimmy Medranda made it 5-2 in the 77th minute with a sensational volley from about 20 yards out following a corner kick from João Paulo. It marked the second goal scored for the Colombian this season. Nicolas Benezet made his Rave Green debut in the 87th minute and scored four minutes into stoppage time off a through ball from Cristian Roldan to bring the final score to 6-2.

 

MATCH NOTES

 

Sunday’s match was the 113th all-time matchup between Seattle and Portland dating back to 1975 and their days in the North America Soccer League. Seattle Sounders FC is now 56-42-15 all-time against Portland. In the history of U.S. professional soccer, no two teams have met more.

 

Seattle is now 14-10-7 all-time against Portland in MLS regular-season play.

 

Six is the most away goals Sounders FC has scored since it recorded six strikes against Chivas USA on August 25, 2012.

 

The eight combined goals on the night matches the most tallies between Seattle and Portland in regular-season MLS play. The other instance was on April 5, 2014, a contest that ended in a 4-4 draw at Providence Park.

 

Tonight’s six Seattle goals are the most strikes Portland has allowed at home since the team’s founding year in 1975.

 

After being called off last year due to the pandemic, the Cascadia Cup Council recently determined there would be a Cascadia Cup champion in 2021, with tonight’s match being the first in that competition. The Cascadia Cup is an annual competition between Seattle Sounders FC, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

 

The road team has won eight of the last 10 matches in the rivalry, dating back to 2018.

 

With tonight’s result, Seattle moves to second in the Western Conference standings on 36 points, one point behind Sporting Kansas City and one point ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

 

With his goals tonight, Fredy Montero is now second all-time in regular-season scoring against Portland with seven goals, tied with Raúl Ruidíaz. Clint Dempsey leads this category with nine goals in 12 games.

 

In addition to the goals notes above, Montero has also scored twice against Portland as a member of Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

 

Tonight also marked Montero’s fifth and sixth goals of the season in regular-season play this year, and his second and third goals against Portland. He found the back of the net in the 79th minute on May 9 at Providence Park. The Colombian has a club-leading 67 goals in all competitions.

 

Raul Ruidíaz’s opening goal was his first direct free kick strike for the Rave Green. His two goals tonight mark his sixth and seventh tallies the rivalry in eight regular-season appearances, and ten goals in all competitions, putting him level with Roger Levesque for most all-time dating back to 1975.

 

Ruidíaz’s brace puts him on 13 goals for the campaign in 19 regular-season appearances. He is one goal ahead of the New England Revolution’s Gustavo Bou in the MLS Golden Boot race.

 

With seven saves tonight, Stefan Cleveland ties the record for most saves in the rivalry in MLS regular-season play. Stefan Frei recorded seven saves on June 28, 2016 and Donovan Ricketts and Steve Clark have each also recorded seven stops for Portland.

 

With his two assists tonight, João Paulo is now second in MLS in assists with eight. The Brazilian also assisted on Montero’s goal in the first matchup of the season between the two sides.

 

Brian Schmetzer kept the same starting group as Tuesday’s Leagues Cup matchup versus Tigres UANL that saw the Sounders cruise to a 3-0 victory. Raúl Ruidíaz started up top, with a four-man midfield of João Paulo, Kelyn Rowe, Cristian Roldan and Fredy Montero. Alex Roldan played at the right wingback position opposite Brad Smith. Yeimar, Xavier Arreaga and Shane O’Neill played in a three-man back line. Stefan Cleveland got his 13th MLS start in goal this season.

 

MATCH SUMMARY

 

Seattle Sounders FC 6 – Portland Timbers 2

Sunday, August 15, 2021

 

Venue: Providence Park

Referee: Jair Marrufo

Assistants: Frank Anderson, Kathryn Nesbitt

Fourth Official: Baldomero Toledo

VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero

Attendance: 25,218

Weather: 90 degrees and clear

 

SCORING SUMMARY

 

SEA – Fredy Montero 13’

SEA – Fredy Montero (João Paulo) 29’

POR – Sebastian Blanco (Felipe Mora) 32’

POR – George Fochice 52’

SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz 55’

SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz 72’

SEA – Jimmy Medranda (João Paulo) 77’

SEA – Nicolas Benezet (Cristian Roldan) 90+4’

 

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

 

POR – Larrys Mabiala (caution) 54’

POR – Dario Zuparic (caution) 66’

SEA – João Paulo (caution) 69’

POR – Cristhian Paredes (caution) 76’

 

LINEUPS & STATS

 

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Cleveland; Alex Roldan, Xavier Arreaga, Shane O’Neill, Yeimar, Brad Smith (Jimmy Medranda 62’); João Paulo (Nicolas Benezet 87’), Cristian Roldan, Kelyn Rowe (Nicolás Lodeiro HT); Raúl Ruidíaz (Danny Leyva 90’+2’), Fredy Montero (Josh Atencio 63’)

 

Substitutes not used: Spencer Richey, Ethan Dobbelaere, Reed Baker-Whiting, Will Bruin, Abdoulaye Cissoko

 

Total shots: 15

Shots on goal: 8

Fouls: 10

Offside: 3

Corner-kicks: 2

Saves: 7

 

Portland Timbers – Aljaz Ivacic; Josecarlos Van Rankin (Bill Tuiloma 87’), Caludio Bravo, Dario Zuparic, Larrys Mabiala; Sebastian Blanco (Cristhian Paredes 63’), George Fochive (Deigo Valeri 73’), Diego Chara, Yimmi Chara (Jaroslaw Neizgoda 87’), Dairon Asprilla (Marvin Loria 73’); Felipe Mora

 

Substitutes not used: Steve Clark, Pablo Bonilla, Renzo Zambrano, Zachery McGraw

 

Total shots: 21

Shots on goal: 9

Fouls: 11

Offside: 1

Corner-kicks: 5

Saves: 2

Minnesota Wild Signs Kevin Fiala to a One-Year Contract

NHL Editor
-
0
Minnesota Wild Signs Kevin Fiala to a One-Year Contract

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed forward Kevin Fiala to a one-year, $5.1 million contract for the 2021-22 season.

 

Fiala, 25 (7/22/96), recorded 40 points (20-20=40) and 43 penalty minutes (PIM) in 50 games with Minnesota in 2020-21. He added two points (1-1=2) and led the team with 22 shots on goal in seven Stanley Cup Playoff contests. Fiala led the team in game-winning goals (5), shots on goal (162), power-play points (14) and takeaways (41), ranked second in scoring, goals and power-play goals (6) and fourth in assists. The 5-foot-10, 198-pound native of St. Gallen, Switzerland, tallied 26 points (11-15=26) in his final 22 games of the regular season. He ranked tied for seventh in the NHL in third period goals (11). Fiala recorded a season-best, seven-game point streak (5-6=11) from March 25 – April 7 and tallied his first career hat trick and a career-high four points (3-1=4) against Colorado (4/7). He collected his 100th career assist at Arizona (4/19) and skated in his 300th career NHL game at Colorado (2/24).

 

Fiala owns 198 points (91-107=198), 168 PIM and 56 power-play points (21-35=56) in 337 career NHL contests during seven seasons with Nashville (2014-19) and Minnesota (2019-21). He has recorded 12 points (9-3=12) including three GWG in 29 career Stanley Cup Playoff matches.

 

Minnesota acquired Fiala from Nashville in exchange for Mikael Granlund on Feb. 25, 2019. He was selected by Nashville in the first round (11th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Sharks sign Seventh overall Selection William Eklund

NHL Editor
-
0
Sharks sign Seventh overall Selection William Eklund

SAN JOSE, CA – San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the club has signed center William Eklund (@WilliamEklund72) to a standard entry-level contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

 

The 18-year-old center registered 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) with Djurgardens IF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), setting career highs in his second season in goals, assists, points, and games played. He led the SHL juniors in goals, finished second in points, and was tied for second in assists and his three game-winning goals was tied for first on his Swedish club. Eklund was named the SHL Rookie of the Year and the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year. In the SHL, he has registered 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 60 games.

 

Prior to his SHL career, he has appeared with Djurgardens junior teams, recording 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 44 games in the SuperElit (J-20), and in the Allsvenskan juniors, he posted 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 31 career games. During the 2018-19 season, he helped Djugardens to a Bronze Medal in the SuperElit league, and held the best faceoff percentage (64%) in the J-18 Elit. In 2017-18, he helped his J-18 team to a Gold Medal.

 

The five-foot-ten, 172-pound native of Haninge, Sweden was selected by San Jose in the 2021 NHL Draft (first round, seventh overall).

Flames sign Goaltender Tyler Parsons

NHL Editor
-
0
Flames sign Goaltender Tyler Parsons

Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames announce today that they have signed goaltender Tyler Parsons to a one-year, two-way contract.

 

Parsons, a native of Mt.Clemas, Michigan is entering his fifth season in the Flames organization. He was originally selected by Calgary in the second round (54th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. The 23 year old goaltender has played 81 professional games in the AHL and ECHL. The former OHL all-star won the 2016 Memorial Cup with the London Knights and a gold medal with Team USA at the 2017 World Junior Championship.

 

TYLER PARSONS – GOALTENDER

 

BORN: Mt.Clemas, MI                        DATE: September 18, 1997

 

HEIGHT: 6’1″                          WEIGHT: 185 lbs.

 

CATCHER: Left

 

DRAFTED: Second round (54th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft

 

TERM: One-year, two-way

 

AAV: $771,750

The Montreal Alouettes release Alexandre Dupuis

CFL Editor
-
0
The Montreal Alouettes release Alexandre Dupuis

Montreal, – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Monday that fullback Alexandre Dupuis was released. He was signed by the Alouettes last June.

 

Dupuis started his CFL career with the Toronto Argonauts in 2014, after the team drafted him in the fourth round (36th overall) that spring. He then played with Edmonton from 2017 to 2019.

Alouettes Injury report – Monday

CFL Editor
-
0
Alouettes Injury report – Monday

Montreal, – The following is the Montreal Alouettes injury report for Monday, August 16, 2021:

 

Dante Absher (WR), Hip, full participation

Cameron Artis-Payne (RB), Healthy Scratch, full participation

Chris Favoroso (DL), Foot, limited participation

Cameron Lawson (DL), Healthy Scratch, full participation

Patrick Levels (DB), Finger, Hip, limited participation

Chris Schleuger (OL), Healthy Scratch, full participation

Tony Washington (OL), Achilles, full participation

1...3,9193,9203,921...3,996Page 3,920 of 3,996

Contact us: info@sportsgamingjournal.com

* PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED AT THIS SITE IS FOR NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. ANY USE OF THIS INFORMATION IN VIOLATION OF ANY FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL LAWS IS PROHIBITED.

FOLLOW US

TODAY"S TOP CATEGORIES

© Copyright 2024, Sports Gaming Journal. All rights reserved.