The Alberta Roughnecks had just moments to score the game-winning goal at the Wheelchair Rugby National Championships in Ottawa on Sunday.
The Ontario Thunder had tied it up, giving Edmonton Roughneck Branden Troutman about five seconds to get the ball up court before the buzzer. He fired the ball to Jared Funk, who with a no-look pass over the head, tossed it to teammate Zak Madell.
Madell flew over the goal line, clinching the 63-62 win.
“It was back and forth right from the word ‘go,'” Head Coach Bruce Crosby told CBC News. “The last second … we got the ball down the court and we got a lucky catch and a lucky pass and we were able to pull it off before the final buzzer.”
The victory marks the first time Alberta has claimed the national title.
For those that missed it! ?<br><br>Here’s the moment of brilliance ? that won the Alberta Roughnecks the Division 1 Championship ? <a href=”https://t.co/wwn8DWgLii”>pic.twitter.com/wwn8DWgLii</a>
—@WCRugbyCanada
The Thunder have won it seven times over the past 11 years, including last year in Calgary where they defeated the Roughnecks in the final.
“There was a lot of inexperience and it showed in the last few minutes of the game,” Crosby said.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for every situation that we knew would possibly come up in the championship game last year. But this year we did … Everybody was healthy, everybody was ready to go.”
Zak Madell (left) scored the game-winning goal in the final on Sunday. (Malcolm Bernstein/Wheelchair Rugby Canada)
Troutman, 20, said Sunday’s victory tastes just a bit sweeter after last year’s loss.
“It was a learning experience last year for sure. We knew we had a solid chance this year to come out on top,” he said.
“With great teamwork and effort and positivity around the bench, we happened to come out on top with beating Ontario in their home province. So that was a really special thing to be a part of.”
The Alberta Roughnecks won the national title for the first time over the weekend. (Lynn Connell)
Crosby hopes the win brings more attention to Alberta’s wheelchair rugby athletes. Troutman said he’s hoping for broader exposure of the full-contact sport in general.
“I hope people can understand it more and watch it more,” he said. “And hopefully it will become a more popular sport throughout the common household.”
Troutman plays wheelchair rugby for Team Canada, and will travel to Lima, Peru this summer for the Parapan American Games.