The tournament got off to a bang on Sunday, as clubs sprung forward to play 2 games at 10 AM on Sunday. The Slam were prepared for a tough game, as BC Development was eagerly attempting to gain their first tournament win. The Slam jumped up by 6 points to end the 1st half, and never looked back.

On the other court, both Alberta teams faced off in a Battle of Alberta. Harvey the Hound couldn’t make it, so the appearance of multisport coach Saskia Bjornson at the sidelines had to suffice. The clubs played a low-contact game as both understood their respective roles; to conserve themselves for the ranked/medal games to follow.

The third match of the day featured an all-female officiating crew; the sport has been working to encourage a more diverse range of officiants, and it was great to see on International Women’s Day. Team BC started out strong and took a three point lead briefly in the opening minutes, but a series of errors ultimately forced them to spend the rest of the game chasing Denolm Stephens and the rest of the Bighorn squad.

The Final
The Portland Pounders and the Alberta Roughnecks had yet to face each other during the tournament, as the Pounders’ strong Friday meant they didn’t play at all on Saturday. Both clubs were practically perfect during the opening half and traded goals in a fast and wide open game. Alberta utilized Branden Troutman for the entire game while alternating between lines of Rob MacIssac – Ken Hicks – Jeff Dow and an all-female lineup of Ashley Munroe – Kasey Aiello – Lana Cicko. Alberta effectively shut the door in the 4th quarter as the latter line contained Portland’s Justin Beaver and made transitioning into the offensive zone a new kind of nightmare. Brendan Troutman was involved in the majority of Portland’s turnovers and he proved himself to be the impact player of the tournament. 

As always, this tournament could not happen without our fans, the generous work of volunteers, the organizing committee, and considerable logistic support. 

Awards
MVP – Branden Troutman
Troutman’s speed and defensive awareness was tough to contain. He read the play well and quashed offences consistently, and was a strong component of the line that ultimately won the Alberta Roughnecks the tournament.

High Pointer – Justin Beaver
Justin Beaver maneuvers well in his chair and accelerates quickly. He is very difficult to contain and can hit hard enough (and with enough frequency) to rattle opposing players.

Low Pointer – Kasey Aiello
Aiello read the play well, joined the offence reliably, and made very very few errors. She created space for offence and supported well.

Clutch – Joel Ewert
Joel Ewert’s BC squad probably didn’t excel as they’d hoped, but he was a big part of the lineup that remained competitive despite their tough schedule. He was incredibly impactful in their back-to-back games and that’s why he’s our clutch player of the tournament.

Thanks so much to all our sponsors and supporters, Save On Foods, Haus, Murphy Battista, Nandos, Richmond Sport Hosting, Clif, BC Rehab Foundation, Wheelchair Rugby Canada, Chairstuff, viaSport, Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, and PriceSmart.

Thanks for joining us, and we’ll see you again next year!

BC’s A Squad had a tough Saturday, as a combination of wins and losses in perfect sequence caused them to play three games in four hours. Their relatively short bench didn’t help their cause, as many players including Jessica Kruger, Joel Ewert, and Peter Isherwood played nearly full games without rest. They were 1-2 during the stretch, taking both losses to Justin Beaver, Jake Wheeler, and the rest of the undefeated Portland Pounders.

The Pounders played both of their games against Team BC, and took full advantage of their longer bench. Justin Beaver, the highly maneuverable 3.5 was absent for long stretches of their final match as Portland will want him well rested for the finale match at 2 PM.

The Seattle Slam played an excellent game against Team BC today, but were unable to beat an exhausted BC club. BC barely had time between games to eat some excellent Nandos and get back to the bench to face off against a veteran squad that included player/coach Jeremy Hannaford, Michael Lykins, and Mike Summerson. The game was decided in a thrilling finish in which Brian Moore hit the goalpost coming across the line in their final possession, negating the point and effectively smothering Seattle’s chance at a tie.

A win still eludes BC’s Development squad, as they’ve dropped all three games of the tournament. Join us tomorrow morning as they’ll have the opportunity for a rematch against the Seattle Slam squad that bested them this morning.

The Vancouver Invitational couldn’t happen without the support of the community partners to whom we are forever grateful. Thank you so much to Murphy Battista, viaSport, and the Province of British Columbia for your generous contributions.

It was a great day to be the Wild Rose province, as Alberta clubs went 3-1 on the day, defeating every team they faced. The Alberta Bighorns got thing started in the morning, beating Team BC in the most exciting game of the tournament. They held Team BC to a tight lead, never losing sight of a possible victory.

They took their first lead of the entire game with only seconds remaining on the clock, and finally overwhelmed the club they’d hounded for the majority of the game. Because of their roster makeup, the Bighorns utilized a balanced lineup throughout the game and received strong play from Denolm Stephens, Kyle Riva, and Kendall Winter.

They’d finally meet their match at 4 PM, when they faced off against the Portland Pounders. The club didn’t disappoint in their only match of the day, edging out Alberta as the game wore on. This game was a bit of a nailbiter, as both clubs made critical errors that only served to convince the crowd that the game could go either way.

The Alberta Roughnecks won both games today, edging out both the Seattle Slam and BC’s development squad with generous point spreads. The club is led by Branden Troutman, a former wheelchair basketball alumni who has national team experience and a considerable future ahead of him. The club ran the most diverse lineup of the day and afforded considerable court time to every player in the roster. They have more females in their lineup than any other roster in attendance this year, and notably ran a line featuring all three at the same time. The Roughnecks are surely the team to beat right now.

Join us tomorrow morning to watch the Seattle Slam faceoff against the hometown BC-B. Admission is by donation and there may not be a better way this weekend to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the 2010 Winter Olympics than from within the gorgeous Richmond Olympic Oval. See you soon!

The Vancouver Invitational is presented with the help a whole bunch of great sponsors and supporters, including the BC Rehab Foundation, Save On Foods, and Clif.

We are only moments away from the start of the Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament. This club tournament is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the province; it has featured athletes like Duncan Campbell (the co-inventor of the sport itself), Trevor Hirschfield (decorated Paralympian and high performance coach), and Daisuke Ikezaki (MVP at the 2018 World Championships).

This year, this tournament is happening at the same time (and in the same building) as the 2020 IWRF Paralympic Qualification Tournament. That tournament features seven teams battling to obtain the final two slots available in the 2020 Paralympics.

Because of the (competing?) wheelchair rugby tournament, the Invitational will largely take place on Court 2. You can follow the action via the weblog, or come out and watch the games live at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Admission is by donation, and the beer garden (proudly sponsored by Haus Beer) opens at 11:30 AM. Come join us!