It’s my Parting Shot for my reactions to the headlines from the last two days in the Star-Phoenix Sports Section…..

Today’s headline…Canadian women’s Olympic team is built on winning chemistry. My reaction…The question becomes, can chemistry overcome speed, skill and youth? The latter three aspects were shown by the U-S women’s team as they decisively swept the four-game Rivalry Series from the proud Canadian squad. That Canadian team, dotted with decorated veterans, has their window for winning major women’s hockey titles closing on them – and fast! I want to believe that the Canadian ladies can get it done again, but I fear the American gals are the favourites going into Milan next month!

Now, I’m not using the other two headlines from today’s paper because I dealt with the completion of the Saskatchewan women’s and men’s curling championships back on Monday in this space. So, I resorted to going back to Tuesday’s paper for the other two headlines, so…

First Tuesday headline…Small-town Magrath knocks off Winnipeg-Dakota for first-ever title. Reaction…the community of about 25-hundred people is one of many small Alberta towns south of Lethbridge, just north of the international border, that produces great athletes. Nearby Raymond, Alberta, has more C-F-L players per capita than several towns of similar size in the rest of Canada – the Ralph brothers; Brock, Brett and Jimmy – plus multiple-time All-Canadian offensive lineman Lloyd Fairbanks. The point I’m making is, by winning the Bedford Road Invitational Tournament this past weekend, Magrath, Alberta, proved that size doesn’t matter when it comes to how big a town is in order to be competitive in elite sports!!

Last Tuesday headline…Ugly head hit in P-W-H-L got a lot of attention, Tejralova got a major, game misconduct, then a two-game suspension for check. My reaction…three years into its existence and the Professional Women’s Hockey League decision to include body checking in the game, that had never been in play at the international level, has amped up the competitiveness and intensity and brought some questionable on-ice behaviour that has been a part of the men’s game, right or wrong, for a long time! Good on the P-W-H-L for acting swiftly and meting out supplementary discipline against a female player who lost her cool and decided to play dirty in getting her revenge! Play on, ladies!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!