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!

We had an awesome final day at the 2018 Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament. Things got off to a great start with Team-B winning the opening game of the day. Jeff Scott helped Rod “The Bod” Bitz and prospect Brandon Perger get their first win of the tournament over the Alberta club that had beaten them on Saturday afternoon.

In the afternoon, BC-A just couldn’t keep up with Alberta’s A squad, but the tournament provided some very good looks of up-and-coming prospect Joel Ewert. On the other court, the Seattle Slam won a very narrow victory in double overtime against the Portland Pounders. This USQRA standoff was a highlight of the tournament and drew a large and loud crowd. Seattle manages to leave the tournament unscathed with a 4-0 record.

Thanks to Nando’s for providing today’s (awesome) lunch.

The final match of the game featured Team Ontario and Team Quebec; both clubs are stacked with Canadian national players looking to hold bragging rights over one another. Quebec managed to stay right alongside Ontario for the first half, but Ontario’s longer bench allowed them to dictate the tempo and control much of the play though the 2nd. Congratulations to head coach David Willsie and his squad for their A-division tournament victory.

At the conclusion of the tournament, awards were given to Kip Johnson of the Portland Pounders (Best Picker), Jeff Scott of Team BC (Most Heart), Trevor Hirschfield of Team BC (Clutch Performer), and, of course, Patrice Simard of Team Quebec as the Vancouver Invitational’s Most Valuable Player.

We could not put on a tournament of this calibre without the generous aid of our supporters. We can’t thank them enough for being part of the parasport community, and are in their debt. Thanks so much to Postmark Brewing, Ceilis Modern Irish Pub, Viasport, Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, Richmond Sport Hosting, Hollister International, Chairstuff, Save On Foods, Clif, Cobs Bread, Freshii, Nando’s, Murphy Bautista, the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association, Costco, Superstore, Canadian Tire, and, of course, we would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia.

Thank you all, and we look forward to seeing you again at the 2018 Canada Cup Wheelchair Rugby Tournament.

If you cannot attend the games in person, just a heads up that we have a liveblog! Check out Court 1 and Court 2. Head on over to stay up to date on scores, hits, and all the latest gifs. This morning we saw Team Ontario easily best Team BC while Quebec slowly earned their win against Zak Madell and Team Alberta.

If you are in the area, head on over! We were just listed as one of Vancouver’s hottest events by funnyman Daniel Chai and Daily Hive. Tickets are by donation, and we’re only a Skytrain and a quick walk away.

See you soon!

After missing out on last year’s tournament, Alberta will return to the Vancouver Invitational with their A1 phenom, Zak Madell. Taking time away from the San Diego Sharp Edge, Madell is inarguably the best high-point Canadian player and was the primary offensive producer for the Canadian national team at the London and Rio Paralympics.

While Zak Madell is the sole  representative with Paralympic experience, he’ll be alongside Branden Troutman, a highly touted prospect who carries the same wheelchair basketball background. Troutman will likely be pushing for a national team trip to Tokyo for the Paralympics in 2020. He had an impressive first season with Team Canada, and continues to improve.

Fellow Roughnecks player Denolm Stephens, will be expected to add some youth to their lineup, 2017 Canadian All-Star Rob McIssac will be depended on for strong defense and smart picks/screens.

The Roughnecks are Alberta’s provincial A team. Alberta has a growing wheelchair rugby community, and its been suspected that Red Deer will soon get a regional club. This is a strong group of players, and will have high expectations coming into this  tournament.

Alberta’s B Team, the Bighorns are also competing and will be led by Paralympic medalist Allan Chartrand (who also played in BC for a couple years).

Bonus video: Check out Zak talking about the Vancouver Invitational with recent BCWSA communications hire, Nathan Bragg.

Japan played fantastically at the tournament, winning every one of their five games. They faced stiff competition on Sunday, facing off against a powerhouse Team Ontario for the final match of the tournament. Ontario held them to a 2 point lead through much of the 1st half, and pressured Japan to make mistakes in their own end. By the end of the 3rd, however, Japan showed the strength of their longer bench and forced a series of pass interceptions that Ontario was unable to recover from. Head coach Kevin Orr was beaming as Yukinobu Ike andMasayuki Haga headed up to collect the coveted trophy.

Team Ontario likely has no regrets about leaving this competition with a second place finish. Under the direction of Team Canada Asssistant Coach and former national team athlete Dave Willsie, they outmanoeuvred tough clubs like the Seattle Slam and the Portland Pounders on their way to the finals. They should head home proud.

In the bronze medal match, the Seattle Slam made quick work of the Portland Pounders. After a closely contested (55-53) win over the Pounders on Friday, they set the tone early by playing aggressively and intercepting a lot of Portland’s inbound passes. Paul Walston and Daisuke Ikezaki were largely responsible for this, and Portland’s defence struggled to contain them.

We’ve had a wonderful time with you ladies and gentlemen over the past three days, and were able to engage many of you here, through our Instagram feed, our Facebook page, and of course, on our website.

As you can imagine, putting on a tournament of this calibre is a real challenge, and we rely on our awesome sponsors to keep things running smoothly. We’d like to acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia. We’d also like to thank Postmark Brewing for keeping the crowds in good spirit and Superstore, Pomme Natural Market, PriceSmart Richmond, Safeway, and Save-On Foods for providing meals to our athletes and volunteers. Thanks so much!

We’d also like to thank Richmond Sport Hosting, Murphy Battista, ViaSport, the Sheraton Hotel, Chair Stuff, Run Inn, Wildwood Landscape, & Maintenance, and Addaday. We couldn’t do this without sponsors like you. Thanks for being part of our team.

See you all next year!

And what a tournament it’s been.

We definitely saw the pack separate a bit in the 2nd day of the Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament, with both Seattle and Ontario obtaining losses. Seattle has looked like the better club, especially with the heavy minutes being put up by Daisuke Ikezaki (of the Japanese national team) who has been playing with his training club. Ontario managed to defeat them 56-46 in their final match of the day, using a deeper lineup with five Canadian national team members including Mike Whitehead, Patrice Dagenais, and and Travis Murao. With the win, Ontario will face off against Team Japan in the gold medal match at 1 PM.

These two clubs have already met; they faced off in an early afternoon match on Saturday, and Japan took a nine point spread for a commanding win. Japan has been dominant throughout the tournament, and is the only team to go undefeated throughout the tournament. Yukibobu Ike, who has played heavy minutes for Japan, was offered some rest by Team Japan yesterday. Head coach Kevin Orr was quick to relieve his starter, as Japan rolled over Portland 61-45.

Portland will face off against Seattle in the bronze medal match. Seattle narrowly defeated Portland on Friday – this battle of American clubs will be one worth watching.  Seattle has only lost once in the tournament; they fell to Team Ontario in their final match yesterday.

Haven’t been out yet? This is the last day to watch some really great teams playing right in Vancouver’s backyard. Come join us! Admission is by donation.

As you can imagine, putting on a tournament of this calibre isn’t easy, and we rely on our awesome sponsors to keep things running smoothly. We’d like to thank Postmark Brewing for keeping the crowds in good spirit and Superstore, Pomme Natural Market, PriceSmart Richmond, Safeway, and Save-On Foods for providing meals to our athletes and volunteers. Thanks guys!