Wolves savor division championship without a Cup bid

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Transition is in sports from Winter to Spring/Summer sports in high school, college, and professional.

The Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks failed to make the playoffs this year. It became painfully obvious in the last few weeks that their absences were likely. Yes, wait until next year. Optimism persuades the attitude of wait until next year.

The Chicago Wolves minor league hockey team captured another division championship in an abbreviated season. Several weeks ago the American Hockey League decided to forego the playoffs because of COVID-19 threats so there will be no Calder Cup awarded this year for the playoff champion. The Wolves won their fourth division championship in the last five seasons and led the league in goals scored per game and in goal differential. The Wolves ended with a 21-9-1 record, well ahead of second place Iowa and Grand Rapids and Cleveland. Rockford was sixth in the six-team division.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Steel, based in Geneva, continues its excellence in search of a United States Hockey League playoff championship in a series against Fargo. The Steel finished in first place in the six-team Eastern Conference. Fargo was in a three-way tie in the eight-team Western Conference. Most seasons have been abbreviated in their schedules because of COVID-19..

College Spring sports are moving toward completion. In high school sports, boys gymnastics and boys and girls water polo will conclude this month. The final date will be June 19 for baseball, boys and girls lacrosse, girls soccer, girls softball, boys tennis, boys and girls track and field, and boys volleyball. Wrestling will end June 12 without State tournament play.

The Waubonsee Community College baseball team has played some exciting games in the Region IV Division III and just as important played well more than 40 games.

The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs continue their bids to be playoff teams. The Sox last week had the best record in Major League Baseball and with good pitching will remain relevant all season. In site of the loss of talented hitters due to season-ending injuries, the Sox prove that pitching remains the most essential element of the game.

Both the Cubs and Sox have reached one-fourth of the regular season of 162 games following last season’s 60-game schedule due to the virus.

Change of seasons? With release of the Chicago Bears’ schedule we can think of the Autumn game in May. Yes, the seasons do overlap.

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