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* r THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 28,2004 PAGE 11 www.durhamregion.com Canabtan Statesman Glarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 January 28,2004 mfodurhamiegmn.com Sports Shorts . JAN. 28, 2004 Roy's Enterprise Toros finish season with wins CLARINGTON - The Clarington Roy's Enterprise Toros completed the novice A season with a pair of wins to finish in fourth place, j In a game against the Cobourg Cougars, the Toros came out on top, beating the home team by a score of 2- V. On home ice the Toros were again successful, dumping the Lindsay fyluskies by a convincing score of 5-2. ' The final two wins of the regular season pushed the Toros into fourth place overall in a division of 12 teams. 4fter playing 24 games in the regular season the team's record stood at 15- 6-3. Leading the team in statistics for the final two games of the season were Marco Azzano, Devin MacLean, Aaron Woods, Chad Hibbert and Jùsh Lucas who each compiled a +2. • The Toros traveled to Bolton to participate in the Bolton Kinsmen Novice Hockey Tournament, collecting collecting a win in three outings, ji In the first, game, Clarington defeated defeated Milton 7-1, but the offence dried up in a 7-0 loss to Owen Sound and a 2-0 defeat to Barrie. Timothy Cordery and Devin MacLean played well for the Toros during the tournament. tournament. ;l Back in Clarington, the Toros began the playoff schedule with a home game against the Ajax Knights. Strong defensive play by Calvin Ruddy and Ty Smith and great offensive offensive play by Jakob Holub assisted the Toros in beating the Knights by a . spore of 4-0. Goaltender Matthew Jones recorded the shutout. Country Cottage reaches finals of Silver Stick « f ■ • . - 1 ... ; . ; PELHAM - ' The .iClaringtdn' Country ÇottageT^îôvicè : AË Torosi ! traveled to Pelham to take part in the North American AE Silver Stick Championship, advancing to the final before bowing out 4-2 to the Long Island Island Royals from New York State. ■ In round robin play the Toros downed the Newmarket Redmen 4-2, lost to the Dallas Penguins 5-1 and defeated defeated the Fort Wayne Selects 7-1. In an elimination game, the Toros downed the Redmen 4-3. In the semifinals semifinals the Toros beat the Florida Ellen- ton Eels 4-1. Scoring goals and assists in the tournament were Josh Nieuwen- huis (5-4), Dean Staikopoulos (5-5), Dylan Cowle (four goals), Zachary B'ellisle (2-5), Jerrick Bahor (2-2), Brody Warrren (1-2), Owen Clarke (1- 2), Jake Walker (1-1) and Calvin Lep- i^zera (1-1). Ian Colby collected two assists while Corey Broome, Braden France, Zachary' Bonura, Lucas Gibson Gibson and Quinten Carfagnini had one each. < Goaltenders Josh Cole and Steven Gaitens played extremely well. liaing and Rohr midgets Cruise to win over Barrie ; CLARINGTON - The Clarington Laing and Rohr Toros started off the nfcw year with a decisive 5-2 victory over Barrie in midget AAA play. ! The Toros dominated the game with a great team effort, not giving Barrie a chance to create any opportunities. opportunities. Goals came from Alex Henderson Henderson (3), Jake Garland and Alec Hamilton. Hamilton. Assists went to Henderson and Hamilton with two each and Garland with one. Adam Philippe played a great game, keeping Barrie off the sporesheet until the third period. The following day the Toros visited visited Belleville where they were on the losing end of a 5-2 score. Garland scored both Toro goals with assists to Hamilton and Donald Sanderson. Newcastle Andrew Street keeps on improving i NEWCASTLE - The Newcastle Andrew Street Hockey house league team improved its novice record to 6- 7 with a 3-1 win over Munroc Auto Glass. ; Kyle Armstrong led the way offensively offensively with two goals, while MC Clements added the third goal and an assist. Other assists went to Matt Gibson Gibson (2) and Chandler Brown. Playing solid in goal for Newcastle was Ben Choiniere, Season can't end soon enough With nothing left to play for, Eagles are anxious for playoffs BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE - Ho-hum. Whoever would have guessed that a Bowmanville Eagles team would be bored with hockey at this point in the regular season? But that's the way the Eagles performed performed in their most recent outing, a 2- 2 overtime tie against the Lindsay Muskies. And really, who could blame them? This time of year used to be an exciting, exciting, if not anxious period for the Eagles, Eagles, as they scrambled to collect as many points as they could down the stretch to ensure a spot in the playoffs. Now, with an incredible regular season, the best in team history, nearing an end, points are meaningless. Firmly entrenched in second place in the East Conference of the Provincial Provincial Junior A Hockey League, it matters matters not what the Eagles do over the final three games of the regular season. "We're working hard, but we're facing facing some desperate teams. Every team we face is playing playoff hockey because because there's such a battle in this conference," conference," said coach Curtis Hodgins. Indeed, while the top two spots have been locked up by Wellington (78 points) and the Eagles (64) respectively, respectively, it's positions three through 10 that offer intrigue. Particularly the bottom four, where just four points separates seventh through 10th, with Syracuse (40), Lindsay (40),'Peterborough (39) and Port Hope (38) shuffling positions on a nightly basis. , If the playoffs were to begin tomorrow, tomorrow, the Eagles would draw seventh •place Syracuse (based on wins), but aren't'packing their passports yet. In fact, playoff matchups may not be decided decided until the final night.of the season,, i ! next Tuesday, when ■ Peterborough en- tertains Port Hope. ,, - ,. isi .V,; $2 , ;j6 g X The top eight teams advance to the East Conference playoffs, while ninth place shifts to the North/South Conference Conference to round out the teams there in a convoluted playoff system. Tenth place is eliminated from contention. Directly behind the Eagles things JASON LIEBREGTS/ Statesman photo Brad Dormiedy (24) of the Bowmanville Eagles and Andrew Clements of the Lindsay Muskies battle for a loose puck during Sunday's 2-2 overtime tie. are just as tight, with Kingston (51), Cobourg (50), Trenton (46) and Bancroft Bancroft (44) still faced with'opportunities to move up, or down, pending the outcome outcome of the final weekend. So with nothing to gain, it's under- , standable why,;the-Eagles ,came out .of j tljie, weekend witfojuÿvii iSingle,, point, ; including a 5-4 loss to the Sting on Friday Friday in Trehfdh,"leaving them with a 28- 10-4-4 mark with three games remaining. remaining. While the rest of the teams in the conference, aside from Wellington, have something to play for, motivation is an issue with the Eagles, who can yawn in the face of boredom until the post-season commences. "We're trying to keep motivated and energized but (the players) are human and they know we're not moving up or down (in the standings)," admitted •Hodgins. ,, "We!ve got some, things fo tïihte ir tip; we're sloppy in some areas, but Ifôhmot too worried about it." The Eagles will play three times in four days to conclude the season, visiting visiting Wellington Friday, hosting Peterborough Peterborough Sunday in a matinee game at 2:30 p.m. and traveling to Cobourg , Monday. THE SCOOP - Brad Dormiedy and James Neal scored in the 2-2 tie for the Eagles, who were down a pair of goals two minutes into the second period before battling back. Mike Kavanagh, Kavanagh, Mike McKenzie and Matt ■ Caruana drew, assists.;Jn the loss to ;) ! Ttenten>-Justin Caruana (2), Jeff Oke alld Sean Brackin were the marks- 1 men...Goaltender Joel Whitmarsh has carried the bulk of the load of late while rookie Daniel Goulding nurses a knee injury...The arm injury to Neal wasn't as serious as first anticipated, as he contributed a goal and looked strong against Lindsay. Generals continue climb up the ladder Four-game winning streak coming at the right time BY BRIAN McNAIR Staff Editor OSHAWA - Momentum is a wonderful wonderful thing to have in sports. And, right now, the Oshawa Gener- . als have it big time. Dan Turple, making the Kingston Frontenacs regret trading him away as part of a six-player blockbuster on Halloween, Halloween, made several key saves early and then watched his teammates take control from there, as the Generals blanked the Frontenacs 4-0 before 3,284 at the Civic Auditorium. It was the fourth win in a row for both Turple, who has taken the starting role and run with it, and the Generals, who improved to 17-21-8-1 and moved into sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, two points back of the 19-20- 5-2 Frontenacs. "I'm feeling really .good, feeling comfortable, and it's helping my confidence," confidence," says Turple, who is standing every bit as tall as his 6-foot-5 frame allows. allows. "The guys are playing great in front of me, so it's making my job pretty pretty easy." Turple made a nice glove save on Bobby Hughes in the first period, helping helping the Generals escape with a 1-0 lead, but saved his best for early in the second, second, when he robbed Milos Schejbal and Derek Lyons point blank in quick succession. Goals from Chris Hulit (13th) and Adam Berti (14th) four minutes apart midway through the second all but put the game away. Tobias Whelan (10th) opened the scoring on a power play in the first and Tyler Donati (8th) closed it out in the third. "We're doing a lot of good things," says George Burnett, Oshawa's coach and general manager. "We're blocking shots, we're using the boards. I thought we worked hard for our goals and when we made mistakes, Dan was outstanding outstanding in the net. That's a good team win." Indeed, the Generals were full marks for the win, Turple or no Turple. They played hard from beginning to end, cut down on defensive miscues, and scored goals that left fans breathless. Passes from Ranger and Donati, for example, left little work for Whelan and Berti on their respective goals. "You look at the emergence of kids like Donati and (Andrew) Gibbons, guys who are staring to play with a lot more confidence," Burnett says. "When, they start to play with a bit of confidence, confidence, you're able to do more things, attempt attempt more things, and when you have some success, the confidence grows." Turple will get the start again at home' against the Erie Otters Otters Friday (7:35 p.m.) as Burnett continues continues to go with the winning hand. But with games in Belleville Saturday (7:15 p.m.) and back home against the Kitchener Rangers Sunday afternoon (2:05 p.m.), Ryan Gibb might get back in there regardless regardless of outcomes. "I've had maybe a little bit of a different different mindset coming into the last four games, just trying to relax and play my game," says Turple, knowing each win Dan Turple would get him another start. "It seems to be working." GENERALLY SPEAKING: The Generals outshot the Frontenacs 12-4 in the third period and 35-26 all told-Ttyler Donati, Adam Berti and Paul Ranger each had two points in the game...Dan Turple is now eighth in the OHL in goals against average at 2.69 and 12th in save percentage at .909. The shutout against Kingston was his second second of the season, both coming with the Generals...Oshawa has moved two points ahead of both Brampton and Sudbury and four up on the Peterbon- ough Petes, who are currently out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture...Burnett expects to have Justin Donati back from a knee injury this weekend. The news isn't so good for Clay McFaidden (separated shoulder) or Gary Friesen (broken nose/concussion), nose/concussion), who are both out at least another month...Ryan Bowness is back from an upper body injury, but isn't at full strength and didn't play much Sunday, although lie did earn an assist...The Generals have matched their longest winning streak of the season with four, all coining at home. LOSSA forces teams to play by the rules Right decision not always the most popular It's an admittedly frustrating part of sports at any level, let alone high school competition. Consider the case of Eastdale Collegiate's Collegiate's senior boys' hockey team. The Eagles finished the regular season with an impressive 8-1-3 record: good enough for first place in a highly competitive competitive cast division. Not so fast. It seemed a student's transfer number had not been properly filed, which'meant for three games, Eastdale was technically using an ineligible ineligible player. Once the omission (call it a clerical error) was discovered in early December it was immediately rectified and the player continued to play. The spoil's conveners were content to let the matter slide, LOSSA, the parent parent body of high school sports for both Paul Futhey of Durham Region's school boards, was not. The result: three wins became losses, first place became sixth and Eastdale, it would be correct to say, became became annoyed with this turn of events. This may be hard for some to believe, believe, but both the conveners and LOSSA had justifiable reasons for doing what they did. In the case of the former, they recognized what was an honest oversight. This wasn't cheating. In the case of the latter, it, unfortunately, unfortunately, can't be that simple, Being the body that it is, LOSSA can't afford to be that flexible. A similar paperwork issue arose with the G.L. Roberts senior senior boys' soccer team, dutifully reported reported by the school's own athletic director. director. A third had to do with Denis O'Connor and its football team. All three situations were paperwork issues on students' transfer numbers. Accidents, all of. them, yet each team , was disciplined accordingly. Harsh? Yes. Unfair? No. Technicality or not, rules are rules and the point of having them at all is put into question if they're not followed, followed, These rulings may seem chintzy. Indeed, Indeed, given there were not one but three separate occurrences, it might be an idea to adopt some sort of measure to prevent this from happening again - because who's to say it won't? We all make mistakes. After all, issues may appear black and white hut often are coloured in indistinct shades of grey. Ultimately, Eastdale's case is one where the quote "it's an unfortunate situation" situation" is a legitimate and accurate description, description, not some outworn postgame cliche normally used to describe everything everything from bungled plays to injuries to single digit attendance figures. Fortunately for Eastdale; the Eagles still have a shot at the LOSSA title, They can still control their destiny. That, in itself, is important. In sports, there's an implicit understanding understanding that there arc things which can be controlled, like effort and discipline, and things which can't, like officiating, weather or obnoxious fans. The Eagles have survived what couldn't be controlled, controlled, "We're using it as motivation, that's for sure," commented Josh French, Eastdale's head coach, So they should. The playoffs start next week and the question of LOSSA supremacy will be settled by the teams, on the ice. Like it should be.