News & Results

Vandals take AFL honours

Larry Fisher
Wednesday December 20, 2006

The Lloydminster Vandals did their share of winning on the field this year, and in turn several of their key players were winners at the Alberta Football League’s annual awards night.
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Their stingy defence led the way with safety Brad Ollen, cornerback Matt Loveseth, linebacker Travis Levitsky, and defensive tackle Devin Dow all being named First Team All-Stars, while slotback Ken Fisher received hardware as a Second Team All-Star.
“It was awesome to see those guys get the recognition they deserved,” said Vandals coach Chris McKenna, adding there were others who narrowly missed out on awards. “It’s a tough league with a lot of really good players. We had a lot of guys that played hard every game and were in the running for awards, but didn’t end up winning, and we are just as proud of them.”
Ollen, A.K.A. Mr. Everything for the Vandals, also earned the nod for Special Teams MVP as well as Second Team punter, place-kicker, and punt returner.

“Brad’s a stud,” said McKenna. “It’s amazing how hard he plays. He’s not a big guy, but he’s very valuable and we’re lucky to have him.”
Ollen would gladly trade all of these individual accolades for an AFL championship ring, but looking back on the season that was, he can’t help but be proud of his personal accomplishments.
“I was happy with the season I had,” said Ollen. “The better I play myself the better the team will ultimately do, and I focused all year on doing my job to the best of my ability.”
Ollen, and the other award winners, were integral parts of the Vandals’ success this past year and they are all expected back in the fold for the 2007 season. The team finished the 2006 regular season at .500, for the second year in a row with a record of 4-4-1, before losing 39-3 to the Calgary Gators in the quarterfinals.
“Getting these awards is just the next step to getting better as a team,” said McKenna, who will also assume the offensive coordinator duties next year. “I am going to spend probably 75 per cent of my time with the offence. I will be calling all the plays and that will be a change, but hopefully it will help take us further.”

Vandals are AFL All-Stars!

November 21, 2005

The Vandals are once again well represented on the Alberta Football League All-Star team for the 2005 season. The Vandals defence proved to be one of the best in the AFL and the All-Star selections reflect that, but there was also one pick from the Vandals Offence and two picks from special teams.

2005 AFL All-Stars

1st Team Offence:

QB - Jordie Holton - Stallions
TB - Kent Turner - Stallions
FB - Matt Squires - Wolfpack
SB - Mike Leason - Wolfpack
SB - Evan Kaluta - Gators
WR - Landon Klassen - Stallions
WR - Hughes Audet - Wolfpack
OL - Travis Matlock - Stallions
OL - Mark Owens - Drillers
OL - Ian Hundeby - Vandals
OL - Gord Schroder - Stallions
OL - Jim Lightfoot - Wolfpack

1st Team Defence:

DL - Teigan Milne - Gators
DL - Sheldon Southgate - Wolfpack
DL - Dave Henderson - Buccaneers
DL - Jordan Murray - Wolfpack
LB - Darrell Grassl - Vandals
LB - Jeff Moodie - Wolfpack
LB - Lazar Valev - Wolfpack
LB - Yuri Wishloff - Stallions
DB - Jason Adams - Buccaneers
DB - Kenny Watt - Wolfpack
DB - Brock Preibe - Longhorns
DB - Brad Ollen - Vandals
DB - Derek Kappel - Vandals

1st Team Special Teams:

KR - Dave Cavanagh - Vandals
PR - Landon Klassen - Stallions
PUNTER - Brad Ollen - Vandals
PLACE KICKER - Tyler Fulmek - Drillers
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2nd Team Offence:

QB - Darryl Leason - Wolfpack
RB - Rod Bailey - Wolfpack
FB - Kirk Kroshinski - Bucs
SB - Terry Eldridge - Wolfpack
SB - Bryan Ritten - Bucs
WR - Adam Donovan - Bucs
WR - Mike Oakley - Stallions
OL - Sean Fewster - Gators
OL - Shane Cogbill - Bucs
OL - Micheal Mosca - Wolfpack
OL - Tim Mottershead - Stallions
OL - Paul Bailey - Bucs

2nd Team Defence:

DL - Guillaume Petite - Stallions
DL - Garin MacKay - Stallions
DL - Derek Graff - Longhorns
DL - Tim Mottershead - Stallions
LB - Vernon McCarty - Gators
LB - Winston Ford - Longhorns
LB - Tyler Boyd - Drillers
LB - Real Bouchard - Stallions
LB - Jon Blocksom - Bucs
DB - Andy Fearon - Gators
DB - Dylan Armstrong - Marauders
DB - James Kostuk - Drillers
DB - Tyler Weber - Drillers
DB - Jeremy Tomlinson - Vandals

Vandals 2005 Award Winners

The Vandals celebrated the 2005 season and gave out awards honouring their top players this year on Saturday, September 10 at Boston Pizza in Lloydminster.

Most Improved Player:    Brian Denniston

Most Dedicated Player: Glen Dembicki

Rookie of the Year:      Defense:   Derek Kappel
                               Offense:   Ken Fisher

Lineman of the Year:   Defense: Matt Fisher
                                Offense: Vance Rendle

Special Team M.V.P.    Brad Ollen & Dave Cavanagh

Offense M.V.P.           Jason Benjamin

Defense M.V.P.           Brad Ollen

Player's Choice:          Darren Mokuruk

Congratulations to all of the award winners!

The Vandals Football Club would also like to thank all the sponsors, volunteers, and everyone that helped out on and off the field. Last, but certainly not least, a big thanks to the fans! We have enjoyed playing in front of our boisterous home crowd this season and we hope that you have enjoyed watching us play.

See you in Spring 2006!

Vandals Season Ends in Red Deer

August 14, 2005
The Lloydminster Vandals first ever AFL playoff game ended with disappointment Saturday, as the hometown Red Deer Buccaneers won 23-10. The Bucs took advantage of some big plays to hold a 14-0 lead at halftime but the Vandals answered back in the 2nd half. A TD pass to Darrell Grassl and a Brad Ollen field goal made it 16-10 in the 4th quarter before a long TD to Red Deer's Brian Ritten sealed the game for the Bucs.

The Vandals would like to thank their boisterous contingent of fans who made the trip to Red Deer and outcheered the home team!

Vandals Miss Out on Home Playoff Game

August 7, 2005
The Vandals ended the 2005 regular season with a trip up to Grande Prairie to face the Drillers. This game had huge implications for both teams: a Drillers win would lock up 2nd place and a first-round playoff bye; while a win by the Vandals would get them a home playoff date in the first round.

The Vandals came out firing and led 16-0 in the second quarter. But Grande Prairie soon figured the Vandals out and rallied to score 37 unanswered points. With this loss the Vandals stay in 5th place and head to Red Deer for the Playoff Quarter Finals next Saturday.

Vandals silence Thunder

July 31, 2005
The Vandals were in desperate need of win Saturday as they traveled to Calgary for a tilt with the Thunder. Near 30º temps and a short bench made for a challenge on the hot turf of McMahon Stadium. This was the make up game from June 18 and it had some playoff implications for Lloydminster.

The Vandals got off to a fast start as the defence pinned Calgary deep and, after a fumble recovery by LB Dave Cavanagh, gave the offence the ball inside the Thunder 20 yard line. The Vandals cashed in on a 2-yard TD plunge by FB Brian Denniston but had the extra point blocked to make it 6-0 early.

A nice punt return gave the ball to the Vandals 'O' with great field position, and they scored their second major on a run by RB Chris Seewalt. 13-0 Vandals was the score at halftime.

The Vandals defence played solid, shutting down the Thunder attack and causing turnovers. The defence got 3 INTs and 3 fumble recoveries. Leading the way for the defence was LB Ed Rogers with 5 tackles (4 solo) and a sack, and CB Matt Loveseth with 1 INT and 3 solo tackles. Other INTs went to LB Darrell Grassl and CB Brian Gauthier; fumbles recovered by WR Glen Dembicki, S Brad Ollen, and Cavanagh.

Near the end of the 3rd quarter, a deep pass for a touchdown to Thunder RB Deifante Walters closed the score to 13-7.

The Vandals needed to respond and they did by tearing up the ground game. Seewalt had a season high with 17 carries for 100 yards while his running mate Nathan Yanko had 3 carries for 17 yards and 1 catch for 16 yards. Leading Vandals receiver was SB Ken Fisher with 4 catches for 45 yards. QB Benjamin ended up 7 of 18 for 91 yards, 4 carries for 20 yards, 1 INT, and 1 sack.

After marching the ball 80 yards down the field, Jason Benjamin capped it off with a QB keeper for a TD.

A missed Brad Ollen field goal attempt for a rouge made the final score 21-8 Vandals over the Thunder. Despite the miss, Ollen had another solid game as he launched 5 punts for an average of 48.8 yards/punt and a 70 yard long!

Saturday's result moves the 5-3 Vandals into 5th place in the AFL standings with one game remaining in the regular season. Next up: Vandals @ Grande Prairie Drillers (6-2); August 6

Vandals maul Marauders

June 26, 2005
The Vandals continued their extended home stand Saturday as they hosted the 1-3 Medicine Hat Marauders at Armstrong Field.

The Vandals came out on a roll by moving the sticks on offence and effectively stopping the Marauders attack, but some undisciplined penalties and few defensive breakdowns proved costly. QB Jason Benjamin had a stellar day going 23-36 for 269 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT- a new Vandals record. His favorite target was WR Darren Mokuruk who caught 8 balls for 169 yards and 3 TDs- also a new Vandals record! The Marauders hung in with some big plays including a long TD pass to SB Dallas Sopko just before the end of the first half to keep the score very close.

The Vandals started to pull away in the second half as QB Benjamin mixed up the plays and really spread the ball around. There were 3 different RBs with 3 carries or more as well as 7 different receivers with at least 2 catches! SB Ken Fisher had a solid game hauling in 6 catches for 84 yards and a TD. On the ground, RB Chris Seewalt led the running attack with 22 yards on 6 carries.

The Vandals defence showed some vulnerability for the first time this season as some poor communication led to another receiving TD by Marauders' SB Sopko, who played a great game for the Hat. The defence did come up with 4 INTs, however, to push their league-leading total to 17 picks in 4 games!

The special teams also came through again for the Vandals as replacement kicker Matt Loveseth went 2-3 on field goals hitting from 30 and 32 yards and replacement punter Dave Cavanagh had 10 punts for an average of 36 yards/punt. There were also a few huge special teams blocks and tackles in this physical game.

With the win the 3-1 Vandals are now in sole possession of 3rd place in the AFL.

Next up: the vaunted Edmonton Stallions come in fresh after a week off and a big win over the Calgary Wolfpack. Game time is 4pm Saturday, July 9 at Armstrong Field.

Vandals eat up the Gators

June 13, 2005
The Calgary Gators brought the swamp with them- or at least the weather- when they travelled to Lloydminster on Saturday afternoon to tangle with the Vandals. It was a muggy afternoon that threatened rain all game but never developed. What did develop was a highly entertaining game in front of 200+ fans at Armstrong Field.

The first half was a defensive struggle with both teams unable to get much going on offence. Despite being hemmed into their own end a few times, the Vandals defence held and only gave up a single to make the score at halftime 1-0 Gators. Vandals DB Derek Kappel, who had a monster game, kept the Gators out of the endzone with a timely INT just before halftime.

In the second half, play loosened up a bit as both offences got something going. Vandals starting QB Jason Benjamin ran the offence well despite only being 6 of 17 for 98 yards. Vandals LB #13 Darrell Grassl made a great play to pick off a Brian Harrison pass and return it 35 yards to the Gators 1 yard line. From there the Vandals punched it in to go up 7-1. A single and another Kappel INT gave the Vandals a short field and they converted to go up 15-1. From there the Gators fought back, drove the field and scored on a Steve Biscette rushing TD and it was 15-8. After exchanging TDs again, the Vandals defence was tested late in the game when the Gators were driving for the tying score. A Gators fumble was recovered by the Vandals, and they scored a single to clinch it.

Vandals pivot Benjamin threw for 1 TD and ran for another while RB Chris Seewalt (7 carries, 38 yards) ran for a TD and WR Darren Mokuruk caught a TD pass. SB Ken Fisher had another solid game catching 4 balls for 56 yards.

The defence played another solid team game led by: DB Kappel with 7.5 tkls (7 solo), 2 INTs (0 yds return), 1 fumble recovery, and 1 sack; LB Grassl with 6.5 tkls (4 solo) and 1 INT (35 yd. return); and CB Jeremy Tomlinson with 6 tkls (5 solo), and 1 INT (40 yd return).

The Vandals play their first road game of the season next Saturday when they travel to Okotoks to play the Calgary Thunder.

Vandals vs. Wolfpack

June 5, 2005
The Vandals showed that they were ready to play when the defending AFL champion Calgary Wolfpack came into Armstrong Field for an off-site home game on Saturday afternoon. The 'Pack were travelling light for this game and the Vandals took advantage of the manpower edge. The game turned out to be a battle right to the end. Wolfpack QB Daryl Leason had an off-day going 26 of 45 for 328 yards 1TD, 6 interceptions and 1 sack. The Vandals D came from all directions. LB Darrell Grassl had a solid game with 5 tackles and 2 INTs. S Brad Ollen led the Vandals defence with 10.5 tackles (8 solo) and 1 INT for a TD. LB Dave Cavanagh had 6 tackles (5 solo) and 1 INT for a TD. DB Derek Kappel had 8 tackles (6 solo), 1.5 for losses and a knockdown. DB Dirk Treptow (3.5 tkls) and CB Jeremy Tomlinson (2 tkls, 1 KD) got the other INTs. LB Paul Amundrud got the lone sack for the Vandals. Wolfpack RB Rod Bailey had a big game with 213 yards and 2 TD's on 20 carries. CB Rob Sakires had an INT for a TD late in the first half to put the ‘Pack up for good. Offensively the Vandals were unable to get anything going against a wiley Wolfpack D. Vandals QB Heath Williamson went 12-31for 125 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT and ran 4 times for 22 yards. RB Chris Seewalt had 11 carries for 55 yards. SB Ken Fisher was the Vandals leading receiver with 8 catches for 91 yards. SB Ed Rogers (2 rec, 18 yards) had the lone offensive TD. Next up the 1-1 Vandals host the 2-0 Calgary Gators on Saturday June 11, 4pm at Armstrong Field.

Vandals open season vs. expansion Longhorns

May 31, 2005
The Lloydminster Vandals opened their 2005 Alberta Football League campaign against the expansion Wainwright Longhorns on Saturday with a solid 25-0 victory. The Longhorns made an impressive debut despite eventually going down to defeat.

Check the media articles section on the right for the complete game story.

Next up: Defending AFL Champion Calgary Wolfpack - 4pm Armstrong Field

Superbowl Party

February 7, 2005
The Vandals' Superbowl Party went down last Sunday at BP's Lounge and was a great time! This event served as the kickoff for our 2005 recruiting and fundraising season. The Patriots showed what it takes to win the big game, coming up with some clutch plays throughout. Hopefully the Vandals will get their chance to make some big plays in the AFL playoffs in 2005!

Grey Cup Party

November 22, 2004
The first annual Vandals Grey Cup Party was a rousing success! Although the Grey Cup participants were not exactly who we wanted, a good time was had by all. Thanks to everyone who attended and especially to those who took part in the halftime festivities!

Next up: SuperBowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005

Vandals Year-End Banquet & Awards Night

The Vandals Banquet & Awards Night was held on Saturday, September 25 at BP's Lounge in Lloydminster. The event was well attended and everyone had a great time!

Awards

Boston Pizza Offensive MVP: Nathan Yanko
Boston Pizza Defensive MVP: Travis Levitsky & Matt Loveseth
Trophy Gallery Special Teams MVP: Dave Cavanagh
Lineman of the Year - Offense: Ian Hundeby
- Defense: Chad Lauinger & Louie Watt
Most Improved Player: Glen Dembicki
96 FM Most Dedicated Player: Rob McNeil & Jeremy Tomlinson
Player's Choice Award: Glen Dembicki

Congratulations to all of the award winners!

Vandals Go Out With A Bang!

August 22, 2004
The Lloydminster Vandals ended their season Saturday with a 30-14 home field win against the Grande Prairie Drillers. It was a cold and rainy day at Armstrong Field, forcing the Vandals to rely on their running game. TB Nathan Yanko had 28 carries for 155 yards and 1 TD while FB Travis Levitsky had 6 carries for 29 yards and a TD. Grande Prairie had a short bench and the Vandals took advantage by running right at them. The Vandals O-line dominated the line of scrimmage for the second week in a row.

Drillers QB Neil Wilson trotted in for a TD before the half to make the score 16-6 but the Vandals came out firing in the 3rd Quarter. SB Derek Seib used some timely blocks to reach the endzone on a 36-yard running play. Derek's brother, SB Blake Seib, also added a TD when Vandals' QB Dembicki found him with a nice pass on 3rd down. Dembicki ended up 7-16 for 72 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, and 1 sack.

The Vandals defence had another solid game, keeping the potent but undermanned GP offence off the field and scoring their first safety of the season. Leading the way was LB Travis Levitsky with 7.5 tackles, James Ambrus with 6.5 tackles and NT Louis Watt with 4 tackles and a sack. The Vandals secondary had a good day as well: CB Matt Loveseth had 4 tackles, 1 INT and 2 pass defences, HB Dirk Treptow had 5.5 tackles, and HB Tyler Voss had 2 tackles and 2 pass defences. CB Jeremy Tomlinson also had an INT in the 2nd Quarter that was disallowed on a penalty.

All in all it was a total team effort for the Vandals who finish with a record of 2-6-1 in their inaugural season. A big thanks goes to the crowd of nearly 100 people who braved the wet and cold to support their team!

Congratulations and best of luck to the Drillers for making the playoffs in their first season, the only expansion team to do so! They travel to Calgary next Saturday to take on the Gators in the AFL Quarterfinal.

Vandals Lose A Heartbreaker!

August 15, 2004
The Lloydminster Vandals were looking to keep their playoff hopes alive Saturday when they hosted the Calgary Thunder at Armstrong Field. The Thunder came in with a short bench but played a solid game despite their numbers. The Vandals offence finally got some flow and, except for a few hiccups, managed their best output of the season.

The first half belonged to the Vandals who moved the ball efficiently on the ground and in the air but could not get the job done in the red zone. TB Nathan Yanko had his best game of the season, running for 137 yards on 24 carries behind the stellar blocking of the Vandals O-line. QB Glen Dembicki went 8-16 for 124 yards and looked relaxed behind the O-line despite throwing 4 INTs. TB Dirk Treptow got both TDs for the home side on nice runs and things were looking good as the Vandals went into the 4th Quarter with a 12-6 lead.

However, the Thunder showed their experience as they made good on a long drive to take the lead 13-12 with only 3 minutes to go. The Vandals defence dominated for good portions of the game but couldn't stop the Thunder in the end. LB Travis Levitsky had a solid game for the Vandals D as did Safety Dave Cavanagh. Turnovers were deadly for the Vandals: 4 INTs and 2 fumbles were the difference as the Thunder went on to a 20-12 win. The loss officially eliminated Lloydminster from the 2004 AFL playoffs.

The Vandals now hope to play spoiler in their last game of the season Saturday, August 21 when they host the playoff-bound 4-4 Grande Prairie Drillers.

Vandals Swamped By Gators

August 10, 2004
The Vandals made their final road trip of the season on Sunday as they took on the Gators at the Calgary Rugby Union. The Vandals had their usual light travel roster that was made even lighter by game-ending injuries to 2 players early in the contest. Although the Vandals kept the game close for the first half, they eventually ran out of gas and were shutout 43-0 by the swamp-dwellers.

The Vandals offence started out well moving the ball effectively between the tackles but was unable to sustain any drives. TB Nathan Yanko had 6 carries for 32 yards behind the blocking of FB Travis Levitsky. Some early success through the air could not put any points on the board and was soon snuffed out as the Gators defence ended up with 2 INTs. QB Glen Dembicki had a solid game despite the numbers and WR Darren Mokuruk led the receivers with 2 catches for 45 yards. Backup Jason Benjamin saw his first action of the season at QB in the 2nd half and, despite not having any backups, the Vandals O-line played a solid game and didn't allow any sacks in the game.

Defensively, the Vandals had a tough time containing the balanced Gator attack led by QB Brian Harrison. The Vandals secondary seemed confused by the multi-receiver sets that the Gators used and got beat all game long. Safety Dave Cavanagh was everywhere for the Vandals recording 11.5 tackles including 9 solo as well as stripping the ball from a Gators receiver for a slick fumble recovery. Kudos to the Vandals linemen and 'backers who played most of the game both ways against a tough Gators team.

The Vandals now look to next Saturday, August 14 when they host the 2-5 Calgary Thunder - game time 5pm at Armstrong Field.

Wolfpack Puts On A Football Clinic

July 27, 2004
The defending National Champions Calgary Wolfpack came to town Saturday to take on the Vandals at Armstrong Field. The Wolfpack is an offensive juggernaut, averaging over 50 points a game so far this season, but their defence has also proven a force to be reckoned with. The Vandals got a first-hand look at both sides of the ball as the 'Pack served up a 52-3 drubbing.

The Wolfpack's vaunted offense was led by the Leasons- Darryl at QB and Michael at SB- who kept it all in the family and racked up yards 155 yards all over the field. The Vandals defence started out strong limiting the Wolfpack to a field goal on their first possession and picking off a pass on the second possession. CB Jeremy Tomlinson got his 5th INT of the season when he stepped in front of a pass meant for Wolfpack WR Hugues Audet. It was downhill from there as the Wolfpack methodically dismantled the Vandal defence with some precision passing and a good mix of run plays. ls defence played with pride and made the Wolfpack earn their yards as well as delivering some big hits on Wolfpack receivers. LB Darrell Grassl led the Vandals with 8.5 tackles.

Offensively, the Vandals had a tough day against the big and quick Calgary defence. There seemed to be no room to pass or run as the Vandals put up their lowest offensive totals of the year. A 29-yard INT for a TD by Wolfpack LB Gomeya Cooper in the 3rd Quarter pretty much summed up the day for the Lloydminster offence. K/P Brad Ollen hit from 24 yards to provide the only points for the Vandals.

The Vandals now get a bye week before heading to Calgary to meet the Gators August 8.

Vandals Get First Win In Franchise History!

July 19, 2004

The Vandals got their first ever win as they met up with the Edmonton Icemen on Sunday. It was a scorching hot day at Coronation Park but the Vandals would not be denied as they played a solid game all around for the 33-0 victory. The heat coupled with a short bench for the Icemen gave the Vandals a distinct advantage in this one.

Leading the charge once again was the Vandals defence who, after a bit of a slow start, turned up the heat on the Icemen offence and forced 6 turnovers. CB Jeremy Tomlinson had 3 INTs for 46 yards and 3 tackles while LB Darryl Grassl and LB Vince Lefebvre had one INT and 2 tackles each. LB James Ambrus had 1 fumble recovery and 3.5 tackles; DE Chad Lauinger had 2 sacks and 4 tackles, while LB Paul Amundrud and DE Trevor Nielson had one sack each. Leading the Vandals in stops was LB Travis Levitsky with 13 tackles!

Offensively, the Vandals had a good showing as well. QB Glen Dembicki was 11 of 21 for 123 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT/1 sack. WR Darren Mokuruk had 2 TDs on 3 catches for 42 yards and WR Phill Hotchkiss had 4 catches for 62 yards. TB Nathan Yanko led the Vandals in rushing with 13 carries for 89 yards, while FB Brian Denniston had 4 carries for 20 yards and a TD. FB/TB Travis Levitsky had 4 carries for 37 yards. K Brad Ollen had another solid outing: 4-6 on field goals (1 blocked)with a long of 39 yards and some booming punts for an average of 39 yards/punt.

The Vandals now prepare for the AFL’s top team and defending National Champion Calgary Wolfpack, who visit Armstrong Field Saturday July 24 for a 5pm start.

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Vandals Get First Point vs. the Razorbacks!

July 12, 2004
The Vandals travelled to Calgary to meet the Razorbacks Sunday, in a tilt between two winless teams. Nothing much was settled as the game ended in a 7-7 draw. The game was sloppy by both teams and turnovers snuffed out a lot of chances.

First ever Vandals home game was a doozie!

June 27, 2004
It was a great evening for football Saturday as the Red Deer Buccaneers came to the Border City for the first-ever Vandals home opener. The 2-0 Bucs came surging into town off of a big win in Red Deer last weekend while the Vandals were playing at home for the first time and looking to atone for a rough loss last week.

The game was a spirited and hard-hitting affair but the Bucs showed their experience winning 26-7 under the hot sun at Armstrong Field. The Vandals' Offense couldn't seem to get on track in the first half thanks to the blitzing Buccaneers D. The Vandals Defence played tough, but Red Deer took advantage of some big plays to build a 23-0 lead at halftime.

QB Glen Dembicki got the passing game going a bit in the second half hitting WR Darren Mokuruk 3 times for 50 yards and a nice 30 yd TD. But the running game couldn't find any room against a solid Red Deer defence.

On Defence, the Vandals' front seven was relentless recording 3 sacks. DB Dirk Treptow had a big game with 2 INTs, 62 INT return yards, and 2 Tackles. DT Louie Watt had 11 Tackles, and 1/2 sack; LB Paul Amundrud had 6.5 tackles and a sack, LB Darrell Grassl had 8.5 Tackles and LB James Ambrus had 7.5 Tackles.

Thanks to everyone for making the Vandals home debut a success! The Vandals now get a week off, then go on the road for 2 games before their next home date July 24 when the high-flying Calgary Wolfpack comes to town.

Vandals Get Bad Rugburn and a Good Shellacking!

June 20, 2004
In an early-season rematch, the Vandals headed up to the turf of Foote Field to take on the Edmonton Stallions for the second time in 3 weeks. After a disappointing loss in the first game of the season, the Stallions made some changes and showed their calibre in a 56-0 drubbing of the Vandals. The Vandals had a short bench from the start, but some injuries to key players put even more pressure on the remaining players.

The Vandals put in a gutsy effort in the loss playing hard to the final whistle despite most players playing both ways and on special teams. It had to be 30 degrees on the Foote Field turf Saturday and the Vandals were certainly feeling it. However the usual suspects made their presence known: Levitsky with some great play on DL, Yanko leading the team in rushing and receptions, O-line & D-line asserting themselves against some tough Stallion opponents, the Defence with some nice stops and heads-up plays, Dembicki and receivers hooking up on some nice pass plays.

The Stallions took advantage of a decimated Vandals lineup to rack up the yards on offence- RB Nathan Connor chalked up 160 yds and 4TDs, QB Willy King had big yards in the air and on the ground, receivers Gladden, Oakley and co. all did their thing. Defensively, the Stallions looked very tough with one of the best front 7s in the league and a suddenly ballhawking secondary that snared 5 INTs (Plante with 3 alone!)

The Vandals look to regroup, get some players healthy, and get a better result in the Home Opener against Red Deer June 26.

Vandals Media Kick-Off

June 17, 2004
The Vandals hosted their Media and Sponsor Kick-Off at BP's Lounge June 16. Thanks to the media and sponsors who attended and made this event a big success.

Vandals Let One Get Away In Medicine Hat

June 14, 2004
In their regular season first game ever, the Lloydminster Vandals made the trip to Medicine Hat for a date with the Marauders June 12. The bus trip was not kind to the Vandals who came out flat, allowing a rushing TD by Marauders RB James Seeley on the first drive of the game. 2 INTs by the Vandals defence in the first half kept the game close, but the Hat's offence rolled to a 13-3 halftime lead. Vandals Kicker Brad Ollen made a beautiful 43 yd. field goal to get the visitors on the board.

The second half saw the Vandals regain their composure and start to repel the Marauders vaunted ground game. By the time Derek Seib scored on a 71 yard pass play from QB Glen Dembicki in the Fourth Quarter, the Vandals had taken control of the game's momentum. On the next possession Seib ran 74 yards for a TD only to have the play called back on a questionable holding penalty. After some deliberation by the officials the ball was spotted deep in Marauders territory. The Vandals had 4 chances to score inside the the MH 10 yd line only to fumble on the goal line with 4:20 left and have the Marauders recover. That play essentially ended the Vandals threat and handed them a 23-10 loss.

Vandals Show Well In Pre-Season Tilt

June 3, 2004
The Vandals played the Edmonton Stallions in a pre-season tune-up on May 29, losing 28-7. There was no kicking game in the controlled scrimmage format, which gave both teams a chance to concentrate on their offence and defence. The Vandals lone score was an interception return by Darrell Grassl. The Stallions scored 3 times on the ground and once on an interception return as well.