Local Sports

Important learning moments can come at any time, but often under duress. The Burnaby Central Wildcats have gained a lot of valuable experience this season in preparation for the senior boys Quad-A Lower Mainland basketball tournament.

Aldo Bruno has what Jim Benning can only hope for — a playoff date. The Grandview Steelers launch the Pacific Junior B Hockey League playoffs tonight (Wednesday), 7:15 p.m. at the Burnaby Winter Club, in a best-of-seven against the Richmond Sockeyes.

The Burnaby Central Wildcats went into the senior girls AAA Lower Mainlands looking for a bounce. The scrappy No. 3 team from the Burnaby-New West league got it in the opener, but took a hit Monday night.

The Canadian women’s soccer team put themselves in a very strong position to move on to the CONCACAF women’s Olympic qualifying semifinals, thanks to an impressive 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago last week in Group B action.

The New Westminster Hyacks corralled the Burnaby-New West junior girls championship title with a 48-28 victory over the Burnaby South Rebels last week.

They brought the youth. They also went home with the medals.

Sitting in the catbird seat, the Burnaby Lakers savoured the moment Wednesday for just a few seconds before letting the rest of their Western Lacrosse Association brethren know the obvious.

They come from across the Lower Mainland, bringing their passion for hockey onto the Moody Park ice once a week. Canada’s national winter sport bonds them and unites them. So does the fact that each player is visually impaired or completely blind.

The Grandview Steelers are glad to find a warmer, more forgiving February on the calendar.

Victor Montagliani isn’t afraid of a big job. The Burnaby native threw his hat in the ring officially Monday for the president of CONCACAF, the governing body that oversees soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean.