was just trying to stay tough and hold my line, but

LAKE LOUISE, Alta. -- Whether the track is bumpy, smooth, icy, or fluffy, Dominique Maltais is a contender on all snowboard courses. The consistency that has produced three consecutive overall World Cup titles in snowboard cross continued Saturday in Lake Louise, Alta. Maltais was second in the big final to Lindsey Jacobellis of the U.S. at the Sportcheck World Cup. Her second podium in as many World Cup races vaulted Maltais into a familiar position at the top of the overall World Cup standings. "Im looking to be fast on every kind of course," Maltais said. "Technical stuff was one of my weaknesses in the past and now its one of my strengths. I think right now, every kind of course Im doing well. "One of strengths is to be consistent and I showed it again today." Maltais was second in the season-opening World Cup in Montafon, Austria, earlier this month. The 33-year-old from Petite-Riviere-St Francois, Que., won bronze in the 2006 Winter Olympics and is a medal contender again in Sochi, Russia, in February. Maltais dominated her quarter-final and semifinal. She lost ground to Jacobellis on the first turn and couldnt run the American down before the finish line. "Even if its a second place Im really satisfied," Maltais said. "I want to step it up for the next couple of races and keep improving myself and be at my top level in Sochi." In snowboard cross, also called boardercross, athletes race a course of bumps, rolls and turns in heats of four with the top two advancing to the next round. Similar to short-track speed skating, crashes are common and boarders can come from behind to win if the leaders go down. Helene Olafsen of Norway took bronze and reigning Olympic champion Maelle Ricker of Squamish, B.C., was fourth in the womens final. In the mens final, Jarryd Hughes of Australia, Konstantin Schad of Germany and Alex Deibold of the U.S. won gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. Calgarys Chris Robanske and Rob Fagan of Squamish were eliminated in the quarter-finals, while Kevin Hill of Trail, B.C., went out in the round of 16. Ricker battled from behind to finish second in her semifinal and join Maltais in the championship round. But the 34-year-old crashed early in the final to fall out of medal contention. "I definitely wish I could re-wind and re-do that big final," Ricker said. "I was on a Sunday drive, but its Saturday afternoon. "I was so slow out of the gate. I bumped with Helene, but it was really minor and I went down. I must have not had my weight on my board properly, knocked me the wrong way and I was on my bum." Lake Louise was Rickers first World Cup of this season. A mild concussion suffered during training for Montafon sent her home before the race. So Ricker admitted to feeling nervous for her first final of the season. She was in trouble early in the semifinal, but generated speed off a banked turn to rocket from fourth to second and advance. "That was a tough race and Im happy I was able to step up and push myself because I needed that," Ricker said. "I needed to be aggressive and go for it." Jacobellis qualified for the U.S. Olympic team with her victory. A broken thumb on her right hand was encased in a purple cast. "Im having a hard time getting good pulls out of the gate because I broke my thumb last race," Jacobellis said. "I really was dependent on working the features to try and get back out ahead. "We were definitely bumping and grinding in the first two turns. I was just trying to stay tough and hold my line, but I could hear everyone behind me. You knew you had to ride with no mistakes." Hughes won the gold in the first mens final of his career. "I just had as much fun as I could and it came together," the elated Australian said. "I just hope I can keep the momentum going through to Sochi." Ricker, Maltais and Robanske have qualified for Canadas Olympic team. Ricker won the womens world title earlier this year. Robanskes victory on Blue Mountain near Collingwood, B.C., last season was the first by a Canadian male since 2007. In 70 career World Cup races, Maltais has stood on the podium 33 times and won 11 of those races. She has said the Sochi Games will probably be her final Olympics. "Shes been training, working so hard in the gym, so hard on snow," Ricker observed. "Shes an amazing athlete and its all paying off for her. Its a great testament to how shes preparing for each race. Its definitely something to look up to, respect and learn from." The snowboard cross team races World Cups in Vallnord, Andorra, and Veysonnaz, Switzerland, in January. The X Games in Aspen, Colo., is their final event prior to the Winter Games. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Cheap Seattle Mariners Jerseys . 3 seed Phillip Kohlschreiber from Germany. Defending champion Marin Cilic also reached the semifinals -- his fourth in Zagreb -- defeating fellow Croat Ivan Dodig. German qualifier Bjorn Phau beat Dudi Sela of Israel to reach his first semifinals in nearly five years. http://www.cheapmarinersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-jay-buhner-jersey . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. Cheap Mariners Jerseys . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer. Wholesale Mariners Jerseys . Bach, a 59-year-old German lawyer, was elected Tuesday as president of the International Olympic Committee. He succeeds Jacques Rogge, who stepped down after 12 years. Bach, the longtime favourite, defeated five candidates in a secret ballot for the most influential job in international sports, keeping the presidency in European hands.(The Sports Network) - Max Scherzer has a tough act to follow. The Detroit Tigers turn to baseballs lone 20-game winner this season tonight as they try to leave Boston with a 2-0 edge over the Red Sox in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. Scherzer topped the majors with a 21-3 record over 32 starts this past regular season, posting a 2.90 earned run average. He followed up with a pair of victories over Oakland in the ALDS, winning a Game 1 start before notching a win in relief last Tuesday in Game 4 to force a final fifth game in the set. The right-hander threw seven innings of two-run ball with 11 strikeouts to open the series, then yielded a run over two innings in relief. Scherzer, who has a lifetime postseason ERA of 3.64, doesnt expect the relief appearance to impact him tonight. "Oh, not at all. Im on normal rest, pitching Game 2, so Im fully ready to go. Arm feels good. My relief appearance was just needed," he said. Scherzer, 29, has posted a 7.02 ERA over eight career meetings with the Red Sox, but split two starts versus them this year with a solid 2.57 ERA. While Scherzer led baseball in wins, teammate Anibal Sanchez led the American League in earned run average and he kept the Red Sox off the board in a near no-hitter on Saturday night as the Tigers took Game 1 by a 1-0 score, holding Boston to just a single hit. Despite the shutout loss, Boston worked Sanchez as he threw 116 pitches over six scoreless innings. Sanchez walked six and struck out 12. Al Alburquerque, Jose Veras and Drew Smyly followed with two hitless innings and Joaquin Benoit came on in the ninth to protect the 1-0 lead and the no- hitter. Benoit struck out Mike Napoli to begin the frame before Daniel Nava punched a single into center field. "I wasnt thinking anything about the no-hitter at that point," Nava said of his final at-bat. "It was still a 1-0 game. We had been battling all night and hadnt gotten anything to fall. Fortunately, I got that one to fall." The Red Sox had the tying run on base despite having just gotten their first hit, but Benoit settled down to get Stephen Drew to fly out before an infield popout by Xander Bogaerts ended the game. "Besides the no-hitter, the mmost important thing is to win," said Sanchez.dddddddddddd"Especially in this series. In a short series, winning is key to getting ahead." Jhonny Peralta plated the games only run in the sixth, while Sanchez, Alburquerque, Veras, Smyly and Benoit racked up a franchise-record 17 strikeouts. Jon Lester was a hard-luck loser, giving up just one run on six hits and a walk over 6 1/3 frames for the Red Sox, who were shut out in a postseason game at home for the first time since Game 5 of the 1918 World Series. Boston will now try to split the first two games of this series at home before heading to Detroit for Game 3 on Tuesday. "I think well be ready to go (Sunday) night. If you havent been around us this year, we have the ability to put tonight behind us and well be ready to go," said Boston manager John Farrell, who turns to Clay Buchholz in Game 2. The 29-year-old righty was limited to just 16 starts this season due to a neck and shoulder issue, but still went 12-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 16 starts. He missed three months between June 8-Sept 10, going 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts to close the regular season. "In the starts that hes made since coming off the DL, theres still been a little bit of a building component, building his stamina and endurance inside of a given day," said Farrell of his starter. "But the touch and feel to secondary pitches are consistent to pre-injury. "And I think coming out of particularly the last three starts, where weve been able to get him over a hundred, 110 pitches on each of those outings, I think he comes away with greater confidence on the physical side of things." Buchholz made the second start of his postseason career last Monday, getting the start in Game 3 versus Tampa Bay. He did not factor into a 5-4 loss, giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks over six innings. He did not face the Tigers this year, and is 2-1 with a 3.58 ERA in eight lifetime meetings. Boston and Detroit have been playing one another since 1901, but amazingly this is the first postseason matchup between the charter AL clubs The Tigers were 4-3 against the Red Sox in 2013, winning three of four at Comerica Park in June and dropping two of three at Fenway in September. ' ' '