The Merritt Secondary School senior boys rugby team improved its season record to 3-0 with a hard-fought 12-5 road win over the previously unbeaten Westsyde Whundas on Tuesday.
The Panthers scored all of their points in the first half against Westsyde with tries by Matt U’Ren and Clay Torgalson and a converted kick by Ben Cunningham.
“It was a tough battle, but our forwards kept the ball in tight,” coach Nathan Brigden said. “One of the highlights of the game was the five or six tackles in succession by Torgalson late in the second half that prevented Westsyde from scoring a second try.”
Last Thursday, the senior boys rugby team easily disposed of the Sahali Sabres at home, 24-5.
On a cold, windy day, the Panthers scored 17 unanswered first-half points before putting things in cruise control for the remainder of the contest against the Sabres. Tries were scored by U’Ren, Torgalson, Geoff Goetz and Daniel Poulin. Cun-ningham was successful on two converts.
The MSS senior boys team played an exhibition match against Gleneagles Secondary from Van-couver on Wednesday. The score of that game was not available at press time.
Next week, the Panthers have a busy schedule. They host the St. Ann’s Crusaders on Tuesday, then travel to Kamloops on Thursday for a rematch with the Sabres.
SPORTS SHORTS
Aabye wins Oliver 10K; Bedard third female
Hans Aabye of Merritt continued his torrid run of success on the weekend, winning the Oliver 10K race on Sunday.
Aabye’s time of 35 minutes flat was 50 seconds better than the second-place finisher, Graham Hood from Kelowna.
Another Nicola Valley runner, Marie Josée Bedard, was second in her age group and the third female finisher overall in a time of 44:07.
A total of 131 runners took part in the Oliver 10K event, the fifth stop in the Interior Running Association’s Canadian Tire Road Racing Series.
MSS girls soccer hosting 14-team tournament
This weekend will be extremely busy for the Merritt Secondary School girls’ soccer squad as it welcomes 13 out-of-town teams to the annual ‘Test of Mettle’ tournament.
A total of 40 games wil be played at four different venues around town, starting at 11 a.m. on Friday and finishing at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.
The host Panthers play their round robin games on Friday at 11 a.m., 12 noon, and 3 and 4 p.m., all at Merritt Secondary School.
Thunder win, lose and tie on opening weekend
Nicola Valley Thun-der lacrosse teams began their 2013 season at home and on the road this past weekend.
In Armstrong, Liam Kelly and Marco Camastro registered hat tricks in an 11-3 win by the Thunder peewees over the host North Okanagan Legends.
Other scorers for the victorious peewee side were Gordon Ware and Austin Hawkins (two each), and Nicholas Anscomb. Colton Macaulay picked up the win in net.
In Salmon Arm, a late goal with just 12 seconds left in regulation time allowed the Thunder bantams to escape with a 5-5 tie against the Shuswap Outlaws.
Nicola Valley marksmen in the closely-contested game were Travis Simon (2), Mack Stead, Jesse Landerkin and Fred Ware. Kaelen Lester performed admirably between the pipes.
At the Shulus arena on Sunday, the Thunder midgets couldn’t make an early 2-1 lead hold up as they fell to the visiting Outlaws 5-3.
Nicola Valley scorers were Marcelo Bose (20) and Lane Antoine.Nathan Lund was stellar in net.
Lacrosse games at home this weekend feature the peewees versus Penticton on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and Shuswap on Sunday at 12 noon, as well as a pair of tyke games against North Okanagan teams on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Elementary basketball championships on Friday
Thirteen teams representing six area elementary schools will take part in the annual SD 31 championships at Central (girls) and CMS (boys) schools on Friday.
Action gets underway at 9:15 a.m. and runs until the conclusion of the championship games mid-afternoon.
