Victoria sports shorts: Hockey players to NCAA; Royals opening night; Sarah Kaufman to fight for MMA title and more

Juan de Fuca awards scholarships

The Juan de Fuca Minor Hockey Association awarded scholarships to nine players last week.

Graduating high schoolers Taylor Bourne, Graham Cronk, Alanna Kirtay, Lisette Lockhart, Adrian McLaren, Eric Palliser, Spencer Preece, Justin Richard and Jesse Sidaway were celebrated at the Lookout Lounge of Juan de Fuca?s recreational complex.

Each player was given a $1,500 scholarship grant towards their chosen post-secondary programs in? recognition of above average academic achievement, and their hard work and determination exhibited on and off the ice.

Nine Wave players to rep B.C.

Nine players from the Vancouver Island Wave rep program and local club soccer teams will play for B.C. this summer.

Greater Victoria?s under-13 player Sean Pearse (Gordon Head-Saanich Fusion), U14 players Max Branyik (Gordon Head-Saanich Fusion), Mackenzie Cole (Gorge) and Liam McManaman (Cordova Bay-Saanich Fusion), and U15 players Dory Blakely (Bays United), Ben Avila (Gordon Head-Saanich Fusion) and Josh Cuthbert (Lakehill-Prospect Lake) will all wear B.C. colours.

Josh and his brother Elliott (U13) are heading to the mainland in September to join the Vancouver Whitecaps residency program fulltime.

Highlands player tops among NAIA

Kate Johnson is coming home with her hands full after an award-winning college baseball season.

The 21-year-old Highlands resident was named to multiple awards, including player of the year for the Dakota Athletic Conference, as first baseman for the Jamestown College Jimmies.

Johnson, who graduated from Lambrick Park?s baseball academy and Devils Fastball Club, finished her third year of colllege ball as a first team all-star for the entire Association of Independent Institutions conference of the NAIA, as well as being a Dakota conference first team all-star and gold glove winner.

Johnson hit .378 with 10 home runs and 59 RBI, and set two school records, one for her 22-game hitting streak and another for hitting eight RBI in one game.

She will return to Jamestown for her final year of eligibility.

Cougar making jump to NCAA

Josh Wyatt is making the rare jump from junior B to the NCAA. The Victoria Cougars forward won a scholarship deal to play hockey for Weber State University in Utah for the 2012-13 season.

Weber is a Div. 2 school in the NCAA?s? American Collegiate Hockey Association conference.

Few Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League players go directly to the NCAA. Coach Mark Van?Helvoirt expects more Cougars to announce college commitments in the coming weeks.

Wyatt played four years in the VIJHL. He?ll study law enforcement and criminal justice.

On Friday, Wyatt's teammate Steven Axford committed to playing B.C. collegeiate hockey at Okanagan College.

Royals select Czech goalie

The Victoria Royals selected Czech Republic goaltender Patrik Polivka at 14th overall in Wednesday?s 2012 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

Polivka is 6-foot-tall, 168 lbs., and was born in 1994.

The Royals picked one other player, Swedish defenceman Rasmus Bengtsson, at 74th overall. Bengtsson is a Florida Panthers draft pick (taken 59th in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft). He played in the (junior A) U.S. Hockey League last year with the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

WHL teams can carry two import players. The regular season starts Sept. 21.

Sarah Kaufman gets her fight

It?s on.

Victoria?s darling of mixed martial arts, Sarah Kaufman, will fight Rhonda Rousey for the Strikeforce bantamweight (135 lbs.) title on Aug. 18 in San Diego.

Kaufman was the first to win the belt in 2010. Rousey is the current title holder. The fight will last five rounds.

Fastpitch call tourney alumni

Former Victoria area men?s fastball players are invited to take part in an alumni pickup game, 1 p.m. Saturday (June 30) at MacDonald Park in James Bay.

Players are encouraged to bring their vintage jerseys and hats. The game is part of this weekend?s Doug Smithson Memorial tourney.

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Source: http://www.saanichnews.com/sports/160896345.html

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