Gameday in 5

A look to the week ahead — and a recap of the week that was (Nov. 21-27) — for London’s teams and athletes.

(Photo courtesy London Bandits).

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London Knights

The Knights continued to roll last week, as a pair of wins gave the team eight in their last nine contests. London kicked off the weekend with a 4-0 win over the Kitchener Rangers. Connor Federkow got the offense going in the first period, scoring what turned out to be the game-winner less than 7 minutes into the game. Up 1-0 to start the second the Knights’ offense scored three times in the period. Ruslan Gazizov scored 24 seconds into the period, while Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk added goals later in the frame. The Knights held the Rangers to 28 shots on goal, with Brett Brochu stopping them all for the shutout.

London’s offense continued to be solid Sunday in a 4-2 win over the Oshawa Generals. The Knights got off to a fast start in that contest, with Sean McGurn scoring the icebreaker at the 5:10 mark in the first. Denver Barkey extended the lead to two less than three minutes later. The Generals scored late in the first — and then grabbed the momentum by tying the score early in the second. But it was London who came through down the stretch. Ben Bujold scored the eventual game-winner with 1:55 left in the second, and then Easton Cowan added an empty netter to seal the deal.

Up next:

The red-hot London Knights (13-7-1-0) enter a new week just three points behind Owen Sound (with two games in hand) for tops in the Midwest Division. They have an extra busy 4-game week ahead …

Tues. Nov. 29 (7:00pm vs. Guelph Storm)
Wed. Nov. 30 (6:30pm @ Erie Otters)
Fri. Dec. 2 (7:00pm vs. Niagara IceDogs)
Sun. Dec. 4 (4:00pm @ Mississauga Steelheads)

London Nationals

The Nationals had a successful week, winning both of their games to remain in top spot in the Western Conference. They started the week strong by beating the Strathroy Rockets, 6-2, on Wednesday at the Western Fair District. London scored twice in each period and never trailed in the contest. Jaden French scored the icebreaker at the 1:19 mark and Bradyn Santavy scored the team’s second goal of the opening period. With a 2-1 lead to start the second, Santavy scored his second of the game, while Dylan Dundas extended the Nats’ lead to 4-1 later in the period. The Rockets responded late in the frame, but the Nationals shut them out in the third while also scoring twice more (Brayden Thompson, Jacob Julien) to secure the win.

London’s second game (Saturday) was much closer, as the team battled to beat the Komoka Kings, 3-2, on the road in a shootout victory that took eight rounds to decide. Down 1-0 early in the first, Lucas Chard tied things at a goal apiece with a power-play marker just past the 15-minute mark. The Kings responded and took the lead back late in the first, but after a scoreless second period, Owen McGowan tied the game at 2 in the third. Neither team was able to score in overtime, and so it went to a shootout. The teams exchanged goals in just two of the first seven rounds. In the eighth, the Nats’ McGowan scored and Carter Froggett stopped the Kings’ attempt by Chris Coulter to seal the win for London.

Up next:

The Nationals (19-3-1-1) are still tops in the Western Conference entering a new week, three points ahead of St. Marys (and with a game in hand). On Friday, in addition to their regularly scheduled game against LaSalle, they’ll finish the contest that was suspended earlier this year due to injury. London leads 5-4 midway through the third period in that one.

Wed. Nov. 30 (7:00pm vs. Sarnia Legionnaires)
Fri. Dec. 4 (2:30pm @ LaSalle Vipers) (plus completion of previously suspended game, Nats ahead 5-4 in 3rd period).

Western Mustangs

Though the Mustangs didn’t play in the big game Saturday (Laval beat the University of Saskatchewan, 30-24, in an exciting, hard-fought national football championship game in front of 8,420 fans at Western Alumni Stadium), the team did have a number players earn honours during Vanier Cup Weekend.

Seven players, in fact, were named All-Canadians for their strong performances during the 2022 USports football season. Offensive linemen Elliot Beamer and Phil Grohovac earned First-Team status for their roles in helping Western boast the country's leading running attack. Keon Edwards, the running back who benefited most, was also a First-Team All-Canadian. He led the nation in rushing during the regular season, amassing 1,032 yards. The Hec Crighton finalist reached 100 yards in all 11 games he played this year.

Savaughn Magnaye-Jones was also named a First-Team All-Canadian. Western's top receiver, he was third in USports with 9 touchdown catches and finished top 10 in receiving yards. Daniel Valente Jr., meanwhile, was the Mustangs’ fifth First-Team All-Canadian selection (and a finalist for Stand-Up Defensive Player of the Year). He had five interceptions, 16 tackles and a sack during the regular season. Western also had two Second-Team All-Canadian selections -- Zack Fry, another member of the offensive line, and Rob Panabaker, a defensive back who was second in USports (behind only Valente Jr.) with four interceptions during the regular season.

London-Western Track & Field

Connor Black and the London Bandits won gold at the Canadian Cross Country Championships. In a dominant performance, the Bandits (of London-Western Track & Field) placed four runners in the top 8 to capture the Men’s Open 10k team title Saturday in Mooney's Bay, Ottawa. Black won individual gold in a time of 29:38, 11 seconds ahead of Vancouver’s John Gay. The Bandits’ Phil Parrot-Migas placed 4th, while Jeremy Coughler was 7th and Mike Tate 8th.

London Western Track & Field also topped the team podium in the U20 Men’s 8k event, with Heath McAllister (6th) and Tristan Coles (11th) leading the way. The top finishers for the club in the U18 Boys 6k and U18 Girls 4k were Ian McAllister (7th) and Paige Marchant (15th), respectively. Meanwhile, Western University alumna (and former Mustangs coach) Julie-Anne Staehli continued her rise in the sport by winning the Women’s Open 10k event (34:12), a full 22 seconds ahead of fellow Olympian Natalia Hawthorne (the pair both competed in the 5,000m event at the 2020 Tokyo Games).

London Lightning

Teams in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBLC) had to submit their Protected Player Lists last week, and the London Lightning’s six players included: Amir Williams, Jermaine Haley Jr., Cameron Forte, Chris Jones, Terry Thomas and Jordan Burns. Per league rules, the Lightning now retain the rights to the aforementioned six players should they choose to return to the league for the upcoming 2023 season.

Forte, Williams and Thomas were named as three of the starting five on the NBLC’s All-League First Team last year, while Jones was named to the Second Team. Thomas was also Sixth Man and Canadian Player of the Year, while Haley joined him on the All-Canada Team.