Gift Lake Bears repeat as Accord Cup champs

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The Gift Lake Bears won the 10-team Metis Settlements Accord Cup Slo-Pitch tournament again. The tourney was held over the Labour Day weekend in Lac La Biche.

Five of the eight Metis settlements in Alberta sent teams: two from tournament host Buffalo Lake, two each from Kikino and East Prairie, three from Gift Lake, and one from Elizabeth.

The final game was an all Gift Lake affair, as the Bears rolled over the Renegades 16-2 in what one Renegade dubbed the "battle of the cousins." All players on the two teams are related in some way, he said, so bragging rights count for as much as the three-foot high trophy and championship jackets.

The Accord Slo-Pitch Tournament was initiated last year in High Prairie, with the Bears emerging as the top team. They defended their championship with ease, beating Buffalo Lake Lightning 14-4, Elizabeth Settlement 15-1, East Prairie C-Connection 18-1, Kikino Young Guns 15-4, and Kikino Lone Pine Lakers 16-6. All their games, including the championship win over the Renegades, were ended by the 10 run "mercy rule."

The Gift Lake Renegades also went through the preliminary round of the tournament undefeated, beating Buffalo Lake Thunder 15-12, East Prairie Selected Few Jrs. 16-6, East Prairie C-Connection 14-8, Gift Lake Carter Cross 8-4, and Kikino Lone Pine Lakers 10-9.

In other final round action, the Lone Pine Lakers took third with a 21-6 win over fourth place C-Connection, and Elizabeth Settlement took fifth spot with a 19-11 win over sixth place Selected Few Jrs.

Four Bears were named to the tournament all-star team: Pitcher Kelly Cunningham, catcher Erin Laderoutte, second base Burl Cunningham, and short stop John Giroux. Other all-stars were: third base Andrew Lamouche and left field Hector Lamouche of the Renegades, center field Brandon Heron of Buffalo Lake Thunder, right field Calvin Cardinal of Elizabeth, rover Hazel Cunningham of East Prairie C-Connection, and first base Michelle Cardinal of Kikino Lone Pine Lakers.

The tournament MVP was Kikino Lakers' Ron Trembley, and the top coach was Doug Bellrose of East Prairie Selected Few Jrs.

The Gift Lake Bears will be looking for a three-peat next summer when they host the third annual Metis Settlements Accord Cup in High Prairie.