, scoring eight and assisting one of Russias 18 goals.

CALGARY - Canada made home-track advantage count with a triple-medal performance in World Cup luge.The host country won silver and bronze in womens singles as well as bronze in mens doubles Friday at Calgarys Canada Olympic Park.Calgarys Alex Gough finished second and Arianne Jones third behind reigning Olympic champion Natalie Geisenberger of Germany, who won for a fourth time in as many races to start the season.Canadas mens doubles team of Tristan Walker and Justin Snith were third behind a pair of German sleds. Germans Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken also improved to 4-0 to top the World Cup doubles standings. Their countrymen Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, who are also the reigning Olympic and world champions, placed second.After getting shut out of the medals in their first two World Cups on the road this season, it was a banner homecoming for Canada.Its such a fantastic, unbelievable day for us, Gough said. It just reinforces this program is going in the right direction and we have everything we need to be competitive in this sport.The 27-year-old skipped the first two World Cups this season to remain in Calgary and concentrate on her first-year engineering studies at the University of Calgary.So Canadas most decorated luger earned her 18th career World Cup medal in her first race this season.Its just positive reinforcement that making a choice to go back to school and taking a bit of time away was the right decision for me, Gough said.I didnt lose anything and Im as competitive as I was when I left the season last year and I look forward to going back to competing.Mens singles and a new sprint event for men, women and doubles will run Saturday.Canadas depth of talent in womens luge continues to deepen with four in the top 10 on Friday.Joness medal was the first of her career. Calgarys Kim McRae was seventh and Jordan Smith ninth.World Cup luge returned to Calgary after a three-year hiatus.Gough made history in 2011 when she became the first Canadian to win World Cup gold at COP. Prior to that, the only Canadian medallist there was Tyler Seitzs bronze in 2002.So the triple-medal day was significant in Canadian luge history. Head coach Wolfgang Staudinger had spoken earlier in the week of his teams Olympic hangover.Canada finished fourth three times in Sochi, Russia, in February, to fall just short multiple times of the countrys first Olympic medal in luge.Gough was fourth among the women, Walker and Snith were fourth in doubles and along with Sam Edney, they all finished fourth in the new team relay. Staudinger saw a cloud of Sochi still hovering over his team to start this season.We had lots of meeting, many meetings where I said guys, wake up. The Olympics are over. Keep working because this is not a self-running business, Staudinger said. This week they finally started working and waking up and I am very happy with the result.This is a great day today and Im very pleased with the results, but I also know once you hit Europe this will probably be a little tougher again. Looking at this competition, a lot of people made mistakes. We used our advantage and maximized it.The petite, five-foot-four Jones is at a disadvantage in a gravity sport. The 24-year-old has been in a battle to hold onto Canadas third female spot on the World Cup team.Sitting fourth after her first run, Jones took advantage of a mistake by Olympic silver medallist Tatjana Huefner of Germany and claimed bronze in front of friends and family.Ive had tons of runs here. I know how to drive these lines, Jones said. I just tried to push it, push my position to the furthest I could and go out of my comfort zone a little bit.I know in my comfort zone I can come in that top-10 range so I said hey, lets see what I can do pushing my comfort zone today and this is a pretty good result from that.Geisenberger continued to dominate womens luge posting a two-run time of 1:33.860. Gough was .058 behind and Jones .414 behind.In general, its difficult to beat Alex Gough, but its very difficult to beat Alex Gough in Calgary, Geisenberger said.Walker and Sniths first World Cup medal this season felt even more sweet because of whom they beat to get it.The Canadians edged Latvian brothers Andris and Juris Sics for third in 1:28.014 in what was a reversal of Olympic mens doubles. Eggert and Benecken posted a two-run time of one minute 27.806 seconds ahead of their teammates Wendl and Arlt in 1:27.845.The Latvians were third in Sochi to hold Walker and Snith off the podium by five hundredths of a second.There might be a little bit of extra satisfaction there, Snith said Friday.Calgarys Snith and Walker, from nearby Cochrane, Alta., had a breakout season in 2013-14 with their first World Cup medal — a silver in Whistler, B.C., just over a year ago.The 23-year-olds have also been Canadas anchor leg in the relay. Canada won relay silver at the 2013 world championship and have collected several World Cup medals.Walker and Snith were not at all pleased with their performances in the first two events this season. They crashed in the season-opener and were ninth last week in Lake Placid, N.Y.So Snith called their result Friday at Canada Olympic Park a relief.This was more of what I expected from the both of us rather than the first two World Cups where we, for our expectations, greatly underperformed, he said.The Canadians finished in the medals despite a pair of start times that were outside the top 10. They made up speed with their driving and the right equipment set-up.We were kind of hoping coming from last season with a first podium ever and being so close at the Olympics that we would be up there pushing for medals, Walker said.This just proves its possible for us to do it and really nice to turn around that slow start of the season.WinSport Canada, which operates Canada Olympic Park, began offering $5,000 bonuses in 2012 to Canadian athletes who finish among the top three at the venue in any World Cup sport.So Gough, Jones, Walker and Snith all qualified for the Sarah Burke Award given in memory of the freestyle skier who died of injuries from a training accident.By finishing in the top 15 sleds in their respective events, the Canadians also qualified to race a new sprint event Saturday. The sprint is the same as a regular race except the clock starts after the first turn and the fastest to the finish wins. Nike Vapormax Panske . The Packers, Lions and Bears were a combined 35-15 and as long as Jay Cutler can say healthy, all three could make the playoffs in 2012. Vapormax Plus Pánská . - Jayden Hart scored once and set up two more as the Prince Albert Raiders downed the host Red Deer Rebels 5-3 on Tuesday to clinch the final Western Hockey League playoff berth. http://www.vapormaxlevne.cz/ . The 23-year-old restricted free agent appeared in all 48 games last season, finishing second among all Sabres skaters with 15 goals and 34 points. Vapormax Plus černé . - Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot an 8-under 64 on Friday in modified alternate-shot play to increase their lead to three strokes in the Franklin Templeton Shootout. Vapormax Plus Cz .C. -- Clemson celebrated a senior class Saturday that brought the program back as a national contender.England kick off their Euro 2016 campaign on Saturday as Roy Hodgsons side face Group B opponents Russia in Marseille. The Three Lions arrive into the tournament as the only team to have won all of their qualifying fixtures, and have since claimed victories over Turkey, Australia and Portugal in their warm-up games.Despite concerns over their performances in the recent friendlies, England are the in-form nation heading into the tournament - but questions over Hodgsons team selection continue to dominate the pre-match build-up, as England look to claim their first win in an opening game at the European Championships. Roy Hodgson has attacking options in Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy Wayne Rooneys role in the starting XI has been up for discussion, with Russia coach Leonid Slutsky claiming the England captain is not the player that he was, but the Manchester United striker insists he is fully focused on the task ahead.You can sense the excitement around the team and around the team hotel, and I think you sense that excitement around the country, he told FATV. YOUR England XI against Russia We reveal the England XI which should face Russia, according to Sky Sports readers... Certainly the fans are doing that but the players are doing exactly the same. Were the ones going out on the pitch and were the ones who have to go and do it, so hopefully we can and well give everyone good memories.Russias 6ft 5in striker Artem Dzyuba has been touted as a potential dangerman, having netted nine times in 18 international appearances, but England defender Chris Smalling says he is relishing the challenge. Beware of the giant Sky Sports profiles Russia striker Artem Dzyuba We have been watching videos this week. He [Dzyuba] is a big guy and it will be a physical battle, Smalling said.Thats something in the Premier League we face week in week out so I enjoy it. Russias Igor Denisov will miss Euro 2016 Russias preparations have been hampered by numerous injury problems, with midfielder Igor Denisov one of five notable absentees from their squad, joining Alan Dzagoev, Denis Cheryshev, Yuri Zhirkov and Oleg Kuzmin on the sidelines.Slutsky, who took over from former England coach Fabio Capello last August, has opted to replace the injured Denisov with Zenits Artur Yusupov - who was on holiday in the same Monaco hotel as the Russian side when he received his call-up. Englands best stats-based XI Heres Englands best XI to face Russia, according to the stats... I was planning to fly back to Moscow (on Monday), Yusupov told UEFA.com. I didnt even have my football boots with me and none of my kit. I had to borrow from [Russia midfielder] Roman Neustadter.After being on holiday for 14 days, of course it is difficult to get down to work. I dont really know myself what state I will be in.Team newsEngland defenders Smalling and Ryan Bertrand suffered minor knocks during training earlier in the week, but both players are expected to be available for the clash at the Stade Velodrome. Ryan Bertrand missed England training on Wednesday, but is expected to be fit Up front, Hodgson has a selection dilemma as forwards Harry Kane, Rooney and Jamie Vardy will all be vying for a starting spot - with the latter likely to start on the bench on Saturday evening, according to newspaper reports.Spartak Moscows Denis Glushakov is a doubt for the game and will likely face a late fitness test, while Krasnodars Dmitri Torbinski did not train this week and could miss out in Marseille.ddddddddddddPaval Mamaev is in contention to replace the injured Denisov, but the Krasnodar midfielder says coach Slutsky has not detailed for certain anything about central midfield.Opta statsSince the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia and England have met twice - in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. England won at Wembley (3-0) whilst Russia won in Moscow (2-1).Englands last game against Russia/USSR at the Euros was in 1988. The Soviets were victors in the group stages (3-1). Their only previous encounter in the tournament was in 1968, which England won 2-0 (third-place final). Watch Englands football team train for the last time before their Euro 2016 opener against Russia Meanwhile, England are taking part in their ninth European Championship finals. They didnt qualify the last time the tournament was held in France (1984).The Three Lions have never made it past the semi-finals at the Euros. They finished third in 1968 and were knocked out in the semis by Germany in 1996. England have been knocked out on penalties in three of their last four Euros (1996, 2004, 2012). Euro 2016 predictor Plot how the tournament will pan out with the Sky Sports Euro 2016 predictor… USSR included, this is Russias 11th European Championship finals, the second most after Germany (12).As the Soviet Union, they won the first ever European Championships in 1960. They beat Yugoslavia 2-1 after extra-time in the final. They have lost their subsequent three Euro finals: 1964, 1972 and 1988. Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring against Russia in 2007 Russia have only kept two clean sheets in their last 15 games at the European Championships (v Greece & Sweden in June 2008).Dzyuba was directly involved in 50% of Russias goals in the qualifying campaign, scoring eight and assisting one of Russias 18 goals. Only Gareth Bale (82%) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (58%) had a bigger impact on their teams goals among the 24 qualified nations.Paul Mersons predictionWhich England team are going to turn up? The one that played against Portugal? That was a shockingly terrible performance. Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane played full-backs, England never kept the ball and they were set up all wrong. It was unreal. Im going to be patriotic and back England to win, but theyve got to improve. Mersons Euro predictions Paul Merson tips England to beat Russia in their opening game.... PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 to England (Sky Bet odds 9/2)BettingEngland are odds-on at 10/11 with Sky Bet to make a winning start to their Euro 2016 campaign against 100/30 shots Russia with the draw trading at 23/10. Roy Hodgsons men are 4/5 to top Group B and 9/1 fourth favourites to win their first major trophy in 60 years. Harry Kane to score in a win for the Three Lions is 3/1 (from 2/1), one of eight big match Price Boosts. Check out the match odds here. Follow England v Russia - and every game at Euro 2016 - with our live blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps. ' ' '