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!

The Vancouver Invitational is back for its 21st year with six of the best wheelchair rugby teams in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

Come cheer for Team BC and BC Development as they take on rivals from Alberta, Seattle, and Portland.

You can catch all of the action live at the Richmond Olympic Oval starting on Friday, March 6.

Admission is by donation. All spectators will have access to the 2020 IWRF Paralympic Qualification Tournament.

Follow BC Wheelchair Sports on Facebook and never miss an update!

The Ontario Thunder and Portland Pounders both added another title to their collection as the Vancouver Invitational came to a close on Sunday.

Back-To-Back for the Ontario Thunder!

The Ontario Thunder won their 2nd consecutive Vancouver Invitational title and finished the tournament undefeated following a close 58-56 victory over the Lightning in Sunday’s all-Ontario clash.

Thunder defender Patrice “Pico” Dagenais took home this year’s MVP honors following a fantastic tournament.

Quebec finished in 2nd after a 54-40 win over Team BC, and Alberta powered their way into 3rd place with a 67-59 win over Germany in a high-scoring and fast-paced match to close the tournament. 

Eight’s Great for Portland.

The Portland Pounders are D2 champs after defeating the Seattle Slam 50-42. Portland’s attacking trio of Justin Beaver, Jake Wheeler and Seth McBride proved to be too tough for Seattle to stop in the victory. The Pounders now have a D2 title to go with their seven D1 victories and Pacific Northwest bragging rights heading into their home tournament in April.

In the 3rd-place match, BC Development won 44-32 over the Alberta Bighorns for their win of the tournament. Both squads used their whole bench as they worked to fine-tune line-ups ahead of this summer’s 2019 National Championships-Powered by Vesco, in Ottawa.

Thank You

The Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament wouldn’t be possible without help from our incredible supporters: the Government of British Columbia, Wheelchair Rugby Canada, Richmond Sport Hosting , Richmond Olympic Oval, Sheraton Vancouver Airport, Postmark Brewing, viaSport, Boston Pizza Ackroyd, CLIF BAR, Pomme Natural Market Port Coquitlam, Save-On-Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Nando’s Garden City, Murphy Battista LLP, ChairStuff and Ceilli’s Richmond.

A huge thank you also goes to all of the hardworking volunteers who made the 2019 Vancouver Invitational a great success.

Results and Awards

D1
1. Ontario Thunder (5-0)
2. Quebec (3-2)
3. Alberta Roughnecks (3-2)
4. Germany (2-3)
5.Ontario Lightning (2-3)
6. Team BC (0-5)

D2
1. Portland Pounders (5-0)
2. Seattle Slam (3-2)
3. BC Development (1-4)
4. Alberta Bighorns (1-4)

MVP: Pico Dagenais (Thunder)
Most Heart: Josh Holton (BC Development)
Clutch Performer: Zak Madell (Alberta Roughnecks)
Best Picker: Trevor Hirschfield (Team BC)

After two days of intense competition at the Vancouver Invitational, the Ontario Thunder clinched the D1 title and the Portland Pounders and Seattle Slam booked their place in the D2 final!

D1: Thunder Guaranteed 1st Place with a Day to Play

 

With two more wins on Day 2, the Ontario Thunder clinched the top spot in the round-robin tournament. 

They opened their day with a 50-34 win over Team BC in which all of their players got on the court. Teenage rookie Rio Kovaks had a great game for the Thunder and showcased his potential against his fellow up-and-coming athletes from BC. 

The Thunder had a tougher test in the evening’s feature match-up with Team Germany.  The Germans knew that a win would keep their title hopes alive and brought great intensity to the match. 

Their experience would ultimately prove to be the difference maker, as they used several crucial offensive adjustments to stretch their lead and ended up with a 57-49 win to clinch back-to-back titles. 

Messy Middle

While the D1 title is already decided, a wild Saturday means there are still plenty of bragging rights up for grabs in D1. 

After an 0-2 start on Day 1, the Alberta Roughnecks beat Quebec and BC on Saturday to push their way into the 3rd place with a game left. The team was particularly impressive in a 59-45 win over Team Quebec. 

While the Roughnecks rose, the Lightning crashed on Day 2. They had two tough losses falling 63-52 to Germany and 57-50.

Despite being without a win, Team BC continues to show great improvement. After a couple of lopsided losses on Friday, they put together a pair of gritty performances in competitive matches on Day 2. 

Standings

Team	Wins	Losses	Tries For	Tries Against	Try Differential
Thunder	5	0	279	243	+36
Quebec	3	2	259	242	+17
Germany	2	2	243	202	+41
Alberta	2	2	224	219	+5
Lightning	2	2	224	223	+1
BC	0	5	199	285	-86

D2: Pacific Northwest Rivals Continue to Roll

Portland and Seattle are set to meet in a 2nd consecutive Vancouver Invitational final. Saturday saw Portland defeat BC Development twice, winning 52-28 in their final pool match and 39-35 in a much tighter semifinal.  

After dropping their semifinals, BC Development and the Alberta Bighorns will meet in Sunday’s 3rd place game. 

 

Sponsor Shout-Out 

 

We’d like to send a huge thank you to Murphy Battista LLP and ChairStuff for supporting the Vancouver Invitational and providing Saturday’s lunches for all the athletes and volunteers. 

 

Webcast

 

You can watch yesterday Germany vs Ontario Thunder match here

 

Hey Everyone! You’ve been asking for it and we’re delivering.

We’re partnering with the Richmond Olympic Oval and Playsight to bring you two featured matches from the 2019 Vancouver Invitational.

Canadian Paralympian Byron Green will provide play-by-play and analysis during two of the tournament’s most anticipated match-ups. Tune in on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Saturday Night: Ontario Thunder vs Germany

Tip-off: Saturday, March 9th at 5:30pm PST/8:30pm EST/
Sunday: 02:30 CET (For our European Viewers)

Link (Live at 5pm PST/8:00pm EST/02:00 CET)

The defending champs from Ontario take on our European visitors from Germany in what should be a highly entertaining clash. Can the Thunder avenge the Lightning’s earlier loss or will Germany rise back up the standings? Tune it to find out.

Sunday Afternoon: Alberta vs Germany

Tip-off: Sunday, March 10th at 1:30pm PST/4:30pm EST/22:30 CET

Link (Live at 1pm PST/4pm EST/ 22:00 CET)

The 20th Vancouver Annual got off to a roaring start on Friday and even included an overtime match. Read on to find out about all of the big stories from Day 1.

Ontario Undefeated

It was a fantastic first day for Ontario as both the Thunder (2-0) and Lightning (2-0) powered past their opponents.

David Willsie’s Lightning squad opened the day with a hard-fought 67-59 win over the Alberta Roughnecks. The high-scoring match featured plenty of quick tries and big hits as Ontario’s balanced approach got the best of Alberta’s hi-lo lineups.

They followed up that win with a 54-45 win over the hosts, Team BC.

Not to be outdone, The Thunder also won out on Friday. They opened their title defense with a 59-50 over Quebec and a close 56-51 win over Alberta. The father and son duo of Rio and Nick Kovacks made their debuts in the teams two victories.

Overtime Thriller

Quebec and Germany needed overtime to decide the most exciting match of the day!

Quebec got off to a quick start and had an 8-5 lead early on. Germany buckled now and created a couple crucial turnovers to tie it at 12 by the end of the 1st quarter.

From the point, the two sides exchanged leads and went back and forth, with neither team able to take full control in the 32 minutes of regulation.

In overtime, 1.5 Yanick Racicot came up with a pivotal steal for Quebec. This gave them a two-try lead that they wouldn’t give up, finishing on top 63-61.

For the Germans, Marco Herbst was a real difference maker. He scored plenty of tries and applied tremendous pressure on defense.

For the victors, Anthony Letourneau was a standout player. He continuously attacked the defense and found creative ways to get open in space.

Both teams are now 1-1, with three games left to play.

Portland take control in D2

The Portland Pounders avenged last year’s loss by defeating the Seattle Slam 46-42 on Friday. Both teams used balanced attacks with multiple scores and went back and forth in a closely contested match.

Rookie Justin Beaver has emerged as One to Watch through Portland’s first two games. While he’s still learning the game, he’s already an impact player at this level and was especially impressive in Portland 49-25 rout over the Alberta Bighorns.

Standings

Here are the standings after Day 1

D1

Team	Wins	Losses	Tries For	Tries Against	Try Differential
Thunder	5	0	279	243	+36
Quebec	3	2	259	242	+17
Germany	2	2	243	202	+41
Alberta	2	2	224	219	+5
Lightning	2	2	224	223	+1
BC	0	5	199	285	-86

D2

Team	WINS	LOSSES	Tries For	Tries Against	Try Differential
Portland Pounders	2	0	95	73	+21
Seattle Slam	1	0	90	67	+23
Alberta Bighorns	1	1	71	80	-9
BC Dev	0	2	52	94	-42

Full results and tomorrrow’s schedule are available here

Sponsor Shout-Out

Thank you to Nando’s on Mccleland Road for providing Friday’s fantastic lunches for our athletes and hardworking volunteers.

Last up in our team profiles are the two teams in the black and blue. They’re the ones with the fans in the stands, its the home team. It’s Team BC and BC Development.

History at the Vancouver Invitational

As the hosts, BC has competed at every Vancouver Invitational. In 2014, the team made history by becoming the first Canadian province to win the Vancouver Invitational.

Five-time Paralympian and current head coach Ian Chan led the charge for the title-winning side taking home MVP honors following a 56-53 triumph over Ontario.

After over a decade of contending for titles, Team BC is now in more of a rebuilding phase. The future looks bright though thanks to a group of exciting young players and the pressence of a few skilled veterans.

Watch Out For!

Trevor Hirschfield: The co-captain of Team Canada is one of the world’s best wheelchair rugby players. Opposing playmakers MUST be aware of where he is at all times. Otherwise, he’ll steal the ball before they even know what happened.

Joel Ewert: At only 19-years-old Prince George’s Joel Ewert has already spent four seasons with the provincial team. The NextGen athlete is known for his strong aerial game. Deceptively quick, he rely more on agility than pure speed, but still finds ways to get the job done.

Brandon Perger: The 2018 Canadian Wheelchair Rugby Rookie of the Year is making the step up to D1. The Kelowna native improves with each tournament that he plays in and gives BC another offensive option.

Max Arsenault: Local fans should get to know the 18-year-old from New Brunswick who has quickly become a key player for the BC Development team since moving to Vancouver in September. The NextGen Athlete and UBC student

Learn more

To learn more about BC Wheelchair Rugby, check out www.bcwheelchairsports.com or contact us today

Thank You

Thank you to Murphy Battista LLP. for once again supporting the Vancouver Invitational Wheelchair Rugby Tournament