Shad Powers

1 week ago | desertsun.com | Shad Powers

For the first time this postseason, the Coachella Valley Firebirds are hitting the road as their Pacific Division semifinal against the Abbotsford Canucks moves north of the border. The best-of-five series is tied 1-1 after the Firebirds' thrilling 5-4 overtime win on Saturday and the remaining games will take place Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in Abbotsford. All three games begin at 7 p.m., and Sunday's Game 5 will only be played if necessary.

1 week ago | desertsun.com | Shad Powers

The Coachella Valley Firebirds' Jacob Melanson looks like a hockey player straight out of central casting. He has a line of horizontal stitches across his right ear that looks like the top half is sewn onto the bottom half. His nose is twice its normal size and there are bruises to go along with it, but it's kind of hard to tell where they stop and start. But on Saturday night, after scoring the game-winning goal in a season-saving win for the Firebirds, that face was beaming.

1 week ago | desertsun.com | Shad Powers

Ava Otteson of Palm Desert and Jack Reardon of Xavier Prep were named the Desert Empire League MVPs, but it's possible that Palm Springs' Aidan Staton may have had the best day at the Palm Desert pool on Friday. Staton was fast in the pool, picking up a pair of wins — the 50-yard title in 21.86 seconds and the 100-yard butterfly in 52.67 — but his smoothest move happened outside the water. He used the DEL meet as the forum for a promposal.

1 week ago | desertsun.com | Shad Powers

The Abbotsford Canucks looked like a team that entered the playoffs having won 16 of its last 18 games as they immediately seized control of the Pacific Division semifinal series with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, picking up a 3-1 win at Acrisure Arena on Thursday night. The Canucks already had the home-ice edge over the Firebirds in the best-of-5 series, and that advantage grew stronger as Abbotsford scored three quick goals in the first period to grab control of the game and never let go.

2 weeks ago | desertsun.com | Shad Powers

Coachella Valley High School tennis standout Edgar Diaz added more patches to his varsity jacket on Wednesday as the junior completed his second straight undefeated league season with a Desert Valley League title, and he did it with a little help from a tennis Hall of Famer. Desert resident and tennis icon Rosie Casals read about Avila's 2024 DVL title in The Desert Sun and took an interest in his career. After contacting his coach, Casals and Avila began hitting together.