The Flying Sparrows won the league on the last evening of competition, edging out The Mississippi MoJo and The SLP Orioles by a single point.

It was a dream regular season for Jon Keseley, Johnny Arundel and the Flying Sparrows. ‘The Sparrows of Summer” finished their 2015 campaign with an impressive 8-1-1 record, good for 17 points and the top spot in the table. The Sparrows played a strong team game that paid off all season. Jon Keseley finished third in the race for the golden ball (the league’s top scorer) with 31 goals. Johnny Arundel found himself in the top five with his more than respectable 22 tallies.

The 2015 Sparrows were anything but a two trick pony. Second year forward Nate Condon found the back of the net 20 times. Condon has made the transition from hockey to rink bandy look easy, controlling the ball with speed at both ends of the ice. While Johnny, Jon and Nate are all difference makers, it was the Sparrow’s defense that was likely the reason for their league championship. Greg Olson, Adam Meyer, and Lucas Whelan all logged big minutes while anchoring the defense as well as contributing offensively, and it has been widely reported that Jeff ‘Chief’ Arundel is considered the best over 50 player in the game.

The 2015 Cannon Cup playoffs are underway, and the Semifinal matchups have been set. Thursday, August 13th at Augsburg Ice Arena the Mississippi MoJo, SLP Orioles, Flying Sparrows, and Spanky’s United take the ice looking for a ticket to the Cannon Cup Final. The evening’s first match-up is at 8PM featuring The SLP Orioles and The Mississippi MoJo. The MoJo squeaked by a feisty Edina Yaks club in overtime 7-6 in their semifinal match-up, while The Orioles dispensed with Sirius BC in convincing fashion 9-3.

The nightcap pits the USRBL League Champion Flying Sparrows against a streaking Spanky’s United squad. Spanky’s took down the 2014 Cannon Cup Champion Minnehaha Maulers in a decisive 10-4 victory. Charlie Lindgren is heating up in the nets, making Spanky’s very difficult to beat. The Sparrows survived a Quarterfinal scare against Dynamo Washburn, holding on for a 4-3 victory with tight defense being played on both sides.

We invite all our bandy fans and supporters out to the rinks, come see the best rink bandy North America has to offer. The Semifinals will be Thursday, August 13th at Augsburg College, with the Cannon Cup being awarded Tuesday, August 18th at Bloomington Ice Gardens. See everyone at the rink!