Burnaby-based Focus Volleyball Club brought home three medals from the Canadian championships last week.
Focus Blur won the gold medal in the 18-and-under boys’ Division 1 Tier 3 final.
Focus Stealth, a 14U boys’ team, was a runner-up in the Div. 1 Tier 3 category.
The Focus Strikers 14U girls’ team placed third in the Div. 1 Tier 2 group.
A host of other Burnaby clubs placed in the top 5 in their respective divisions, including four more 14U girls’ teams.
In the 17U age division, Focus Xplosion boys and Focus Blitz girls were fifth in Div. 1 Tier 2. Burnaby’s Apex Avalanche and Apex Xplosion girls placed in their respective Div. 1 Tier 4 and Div. 2 Tier 2 categories.
AHL Stars knock off Calder Cup champs
Brendan Ranford helped the Texas Stars to the Western Conference final in the American Hockey League Calder Cup playoffs.
The New Westminster Salmonbellies 2014 draft pick tallied his seventh goal of the playoffs for the Stars in a 3-2 Game 5 overtime win over the defending champion Grand Rapids Griffins on May 16.
Texas defeated Grand Rapids in six games and will take on the Toronto Marlies in the conference final, beginning on Friday.
Back with Giants
Clint Thornton was approved for a third season as head coach for the Northwest Giants Major Midget Hockey League season.
Thornton led the Giants to consecutive regular season league titles in 2012 and ’13.
Young man river
Northwest Giants major midget forward Justin Szeto signed on with the Langley Rivermen of the junior A B.C. Hockey League for next season.
The 17-year-old Szeto finished third in league scoring this season with 77 points, including a league-best 52 assists in 40 games.
