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Soccer

NSL PHOTO Halifax Tides’ Cho so-Hyun (left) and Ottawa Rapid’s Jung Minyoung race to the ball in Week 1 action. The two club’s clash for the third time this season in a much-anticipated Friday matinee tilt.

Around the NSL: Vancouver rising; a tale of three strikes; Tides turning

Grace Anne Paizen 5 minute read Yesterday at 7:47 PM CDT

Welcome to an early edition of View from Row Z! There’s a fantastic Friday night match-up in the works and it would be remiss to not give the contest a proper hype up before kickoff.

Before getting into that, let’s give some credit where credit is due: Vancouver is finally rising in the ranks.

Once again head coach Anja Heiner-Moller threw Jessica Wulf into the net and again the Japanese phenom proved the right choice.

Wulf withstood 16 shots from AFC Toronto with the Rise managing just six. The young goalkeeper also survived all five corners from the Mighty Maroons and only relinquished a goal in the second minute of added time to Richmond Hill, Ont., product Cloey Uddenberg’s foot.

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Local Sports

Oak River Dodgers pitcher Anthony Friesen delivers a pitch to Brandon Cardinals hitter Brady Nault during South West Baseball League action on Sunday afternoon at Andrews Field. (Perry Bergson/The Brandon Sun) May 24, 2026

Oak River strikes late to top Cards

2 minute read Preview

Oak River strikes late to top Cards

2 minute read Monday, May. 25, 2026

The Oak River Dodgers started strong and ended strong as they overcame a four-run deficit to beat the host Brandon Cardinals 10-8 during South West Baseball League action on Sunday afternoon at Andrews Field.

The Dodgers raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but in what proved to be a wild afternoon at the ballpark, the Cardinals were up 7-3 after three complete innings.

After both teams scored once in the fourth inning, the Dodgers posted three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings as the bats of the Cardinals went cold.

Riley Shamray earned the victory in relief of Dylan Schrader and Ty Paddock, allowing just one hit in 3 2/3 innings of work, while striking out five. Anthony Friesen came in for the final batter for the save.

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Monday, May. 25, 2026

Basketball

BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Sea Bears guard Teddy Allen (right) passes the ball while River Lions forward Kameron Warrens covers him during first quarter action.

Sea Bears feast on River Lions

Ben Little 4 minute read Preview

Sea Bears feast on River Lions

Ben Little 4 minute read Saturday, May. 23, 2026

It was a magical night at Canada Life Centre — both as the theme night, and for the roaring crowd of 6,700. Fans had much to cheer about as the Sea Bears recorded their third win of the season, downing the Niagara River Lions 97-71.

The club remains unbeaten at home this season.

A three-pointer from Winnipeg’s own Simon Hildebrandt opened the first quarter.

From the tip-off, the Sea Bears’ physicality seemed to overwhelm the defending CEBL champions, earning five steals and holding the River Lions to under 30 per cent shooting from the field in the first quarter.

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Saturday, May. 23, 2026

Basketball

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Nathan Bilamu (left) drives against Niagara River Lions forward Nathan Cayo.

Sea Bears feast on River Lions

Ben Little 3 minute read Preview

Sea Bears feast on River Lions

Ben Little 3 minute read Friday, May. 22, 2026

It was a magical night at Canada Life Centre — both as the theme night, and for the roaring crowd of 6,700. Fans had much to cheer about as the Sea Bears recorded the third win of the season, downing the Niagara River Lions 97-71.

The club remains unbeaten at home so far this season.

From the tip-off, the Sea Bears’ physicality seemed to overwhelm the defending CEBL champions, earning five steals and holding the River Lions to under 30 per cent from the field in the first quarter.

Winnipeg recorded 38 points in the opening frame, shooting 58.3 per cent the field. Teddy Allen’s three first quarter assists led a total of nine for the Sea Bears, who recorded nine points off of turnovers.

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Friday, May. 22, 2026

Soccer

KEVIN SOUSA / NSL Montreal’s Noémi Paquin (right) celebrates teammate Elyse Bennett’s (left) goal Sunday against AFC Toronto. Bennett has had a goal a game so far — including two in the season opener — for the Roses.

Around the NSL: Vancouver falling, Bennett’s boot, Montreal still perfect

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Vancouver falling, Bennett’s boot, Montreal still perfect

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Friday, May. 15, 2026

IT’S fine and dandy to be accused of being a broken record, because… to go from the best to the worst? In one season? What’s up with that, Vancouver Rise?

Do the Calgary Wild also have zero points so far this season? Yes. But no one was necessarily expecting the Wild to come tearing out of the gates.

The defending Matheson Cup champions? Yeah, fans were expecting more from them — and rightly so.

The Rise led the league in clean sheets last season. Goalkeeper Morgan McAslan recorded nine shutouts and received the 2025 Golden Glove award.

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Friday, May. 15, 2026

Sports

JASON HALSTEAD / ASSINIBOIA DOWNS Jockey Antonio Whitehall rides Prime Suspect to a Wednesday night victory at Assiniboia Downs.

Jockey Whitehall hot out of the gates

George Williams 5 minute read Preview

Jockey Whitehall hot out of the gates

George Williams 5 minute read Friday, May. 15, 2026

Jockey Antonio Whitehall and trainer Steve Keplin Jr. exploded out of the starting gate in the first week of the live racing season, and now Whitehall is going to have some tough decisions to make.

The three-time leading rider won impressively aboard two three-year-olds this week, both of which could be headed for the Manitoba Derby. Whitehall won the sixth race on Tuesday by 4 ¼-lengths aboard former Santa Anita runner Classico for trainer Mike Nault, and won the third race on Wednesday just as impressively by six lengths aboard former Oaklawn Park runner Prime Suspect for Keplin.

Whitehall declined to comment on which horse was better — for obvious reasons — and both could take slightly different paths to the $125,000 Manitoba Derby on Monday, Aug. 3. This should be fun to watch, as both horses appear to be loaded with talent.

Make sure to watch the replays on both horses, but especially on Prime Suspect, who looked like he was shot out of a cannon at the top of the stretch. Pay special attention to his action and watch how his legs devour the ground in the stretch. Imagine an excavator propelling itself forward at 40 m.p.h.

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Friday, May. 15, 2026

Soccer

DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the ticket pricing by comparing the World Cup fixture list to a series of Super Bowls kicking off up to four times each day.

World Cup trolling takes to the air

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Preview

World Cup trolling takes to the air

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Friday, May. 15, 2026

You know you’ve done something very, very foolish when an airline is trolling you.

People don’t generally like airlines. Or, they’re at least apathetic to them — relying on the check-in staff, flight attendants, pilots and actual planes to get them from one place to another, preferably safe and sound and with a modicum of dignity.

The soaring price of jet fuel, a consequence of the pumpkin patch baby’s Iranian adventure, and resulting rise in fares has only made the carriers even more unpopular.

They know it. They also know they’ve still got a healthier brand, somehow, than FIFA.

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Friday, May. 15, 2026

Baseball

JIM PIERCE / BOSTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS Boissevain’s Danika Nell pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings as Boston University clawed back to avoid an upset against the Lafayette Leopards in the first game of the Patriot League softball championship last Thursday.

Boissevain’s Nell pitches Boston back to NCAA Division 1 regionals

Thomas Friesen 5 minute read Preview

Boissevain’s Nell pitches Boston back to NCAA Division 1 regionals

Thomas Friesen 5 minute read Thursday, May. 14, 2026

There’s a chance Danika Nell goes pitch for pitch with softball’s first million-dollar player this weekend.

The Boissevain native and her Boston University Terriers are off to NCAA Division I regionals in Lubbock, Texas — home of NiJaree Canady and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Regionals are the softball equivalent of the first weekend of basketball’s March Madness, with the top 16 ranked teams hosting a four-team double-elimination tournament for a spot at Super Regionals the following weekend.

The Terriers open the weekend against No. 6-seed Ole Miss on Friday at 1 p.m. CT.

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Thursday, May. 14, 2026

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