A spot in the playoffs is still a reality for the Keyano Huskies Men’s Volleyball team. The guys swept a weekend series in Lakeland versus the Rustlers, winning 3-1 (15-25, 25-15, 30-28, 25-15) on Friday and 3-1 (18-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-22) on Saturday. The Huskies are now 3-5 and currently sit 5th in the ACAC North/South Division.

The women split their matches versus Lakeland, losing Friday in four sets 23-25, 21-25, 25-14, 17-25 while bouncing back for a Saturday sweep 25-17, 25-19, 25-18. The women are also now 3-5 and tied for fourth.

The Fort McMurray Oil Barons gained two points on the Grand Prairie Storm Friday night, then gave them right back on Saturday. Trailing the Storm by six points for second spot in the AJHL North Division, the home side doubled up the visitors 4-2 Friday night at the Casman Centre. Fort McMurray had goals from trade deadline day acquisition Gui Glasspoole, James Issacs, Chad Golanowski and Branden Gracel. Joey Quattrocchi stopped 19 of 21 shots he faced for his 16th win of the season. The win gave the Oil Barons 69 points on the season.

Saturday was a different story completely with the MOB managing just five first period shots while a goal late in the frame by Grand Prairie’s Travis Dunstall was the eventual game winner, final score 3-0 Storm.

Fort McMurray play it’s second to last home game of the season on Wednesday when they host Bonnyville at 7:30.

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With less than two weeks until Vancouver, Whistler and Canada welcome the world for the 2010 Winter Olympics, Fort McMurray played host to a pair of former Olympians this weekend.

Jeremy Roenick and Stubby Clapp.

J.R was in town as part of the 2010 Scott Safety AJHL All-Star Game hosted by the Fort McMurray Oil Barons at the newly named Casman Centre. The weekend began with a regular season tilt between the MOB and the first place Spruce Grove Saints. The game was tied at 2-2 after a very entertaining back and forth first period but the visitors scored two unanswered goals in the second before adding two more to the Oil Barons lone third period tally to win 6-3 and extend their lead atop the North Division standings. Roenick, an NHL icon and two-time Olympian including a Silver medal at the ‘02 Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, dropped the ceremonial first puck before taking in the game from the VIP sky box where he was joined by TSN’s Dan O’Toole and several lucky Mix 103.7 employees.

Clapp, is one of the best and most well known names in Canadian baseball. The infielder made it to the big leagues in 2001 with the St. Louis Cardinals but only managed to stay up for 23 games. But that doesn’t matter much to the Windsor, Ontario native who says the greatest times in his career where when he took the field with his country’s name across his chest, and he worn the Red and White at the highest possible levels. Twice represent Canada at the Summer Olympics in 2004 in Athens and then again four years later in Beijing. Clapp also played for Canada at the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic. The reason Clapp was here was the future of baseball. He was the latest addition to a growing list of big leaguers to visit Fort McMurray and host a Winter Camp for the Fort McMurray Minor Baseball Association, following names like Lou Pote and Scott Richmond.

Good work on the parts of both the Oil Barons and FMMBA for putting on great events this past weekend and by bringing in sports icons.

The best players from across the Alberta Junior Hockey League made the trip up Highway 63 last weekend to play in the 2010 Scott Safety All-Star Game. Team North was included four Oil Barons: defenceman Brad Stebner was given the “C”, fellow blueliner Mason Conway, rookie forward Markus Gerbrandt and Branden Gracel, the leagues top scoring centre.

As is in any all-star game, the competition was wide away, quick and with very little hitting. The crowd at the newly named Casman Centre was quit early as the South side scored four unanswered goals in less than nine minutes. But the North fired back and by the end of the first the lead was down to 4-3 for the South. Less than three and a half minutes later it was a 4-4 hockey game. Both sides then traded goals to make it 6-6 before the North netted a pair in the final three minutes of the period to take a 8-6 lead into the third.

Things went south for the South in the third as the North All-Stars scored twice in a row to extend their lead to 10-6. The South responded with back-to-back goals of their own but following a flurry of late third period goals the North All-Stars celebrated a 14-9 victory in Fort McMurray.

The Captain Stebner led the local All-Stars with a goal and three assists while Gracel chipped in three helper, Conway had two assists and Gerbrandt notched a lone goal.

Between periods the teams also competed in an entertaining shoot out.

Keyano Huskies rookies continue to impress as men’s volleyball player Matt Hebert was recently named ACAC player of the week for January 18-25, 2010.

Hebert led the Huskies with 15 kills in last Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the NAIT Ooks. The win was Keyano’s first of the North/South Conference season.

Fort McMurray forward Branden Gracel reached the 80 point plateau last night as the Oil Barons won their third straight doubling up Bonnyville 2-1.

Trailing the Pontiacs 1-0 in the first, the 19-year old Calgary centre assisted on Chad Golanowski’s 18th goal of the season, fourth as an Oil Baron, to tie the game at 1-1. It stayed that way until 15:11 in the second when Gracel netted his 28th on the powerplay with Golanowski and Brad Stebner picking up assists. MOB goaltender Jesse Kallechy made 24 saves for his 16th win of the season, taking over the team lead after being tied with Joey Quattrocchi who has 15 victories.

Tonight Fort McMurray faces first place Spruce Grove who edged Grand Prairie 3-2 Friday night. The Saints have dominated the Barons all season, winning all four previous contests and outscoring Fort McMurray 13-2. The Oil Barons and Saints will square off again next Friday in Fort McMurray as the MOB host the 2010 Scott Safety AJHL All-Star Weekend. The All-Star game goes Saturday January 30th at 3:30 pm at the newly named Casman Centre.

The Fort McMurray Oil Barons completed a pair of trades on deadline day yesterday.

The MOB sent the rights of Tyler Gron to the Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) for the rights of 20-year old Brooks Robinson and future considerations. Robinson, a 5′11, 185 lbs forward was leading the Spruce Kings with 16 goals, 39 assists and 55 points in 40 games this season. He’s also familiar with Fort McMurray, having played 35 regular and playoff games for the Grand Prairie Storm during the 2008/2009 season.

Fort McMurray also acquired 17-year old Gui Glasspoole from the Okotoks Oilers in exchange for defenceman Bray Ryan. Glasspoole is a big 6′2″, 185 lbs rookie forward who played in two games for the Oilers last season and until the trade was on the WHL’s Medice Hat Tigers roster, recording one point in five games.

It was an up and down few days for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.

Prior to Friday nights game versus the Sherwood Park Crusaders, the AJHL announced that MOB rookie forward Markus Gerbrandt had been selected to replace the injured Shawn Bates of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the 2010 All-Star Game. Fort McMurray will host the best of the leagues North and South divisions on January 30, 2010 at Thickwood Heights Arena. Four Oil Barons will now suit up in front of their home town fans: Gerbrandt, an 18-year old left winger from Edmonton, fellow forward Branden Gracel, defenceman, MOB captain and local product Brad Stebner and blueliner Mason Conway.

Fort McMurray then had their three game losing streak snapped by the Crusaders who managed a 1-0 win thanks to a 36 save shutout by netminder Patrick Terriss. Oil Barons goalie Joey Quattrocchi was named 2nd Star after saving 29 of 30 Sherwood Park shots. The loss was the first for Fort McMurray since December 19, 2009, while marking the first time they failed to score since September 19, 2009.

Things didn’t get any better today as the MOB were blanked again, this time by the league leading Spruce Grove Saints who blanked the Barons 2-0. Fort Mac is now tied for second in the North with Grand Prairie.

Hey Fort McMurray,

Mix 103.7 FM will be your source for 2010 Winter Olympics as I will be in both Vancouver and Whistler for the duration of the Games. If anyone else is going to be there send me an email @ lslade@mix1037fm.com because I’d love to get in touch with you and hear your experiences.

Just 34 days left!

Leithan