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I PAGE 14 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ DECEMBER 15, 2004 QTfjC Caitilbinu Statesman ♦ sportsdurham; 4 : .com Brian McNair ti f ! s S' S' ,z- >--4' 1 4 V /■' Mp»' r,: Dunlops: success story Three months into their triumphant return to the ice, the Whitby Dunlops have surely impressed the most pessimistic hockey lan. In fact, "the only fear is the Dunlops are too strong for some of the teams in the Eastern Ontario Senior A Hockey League, cruising to such convincing wins of 16-2 and 18-6 and averaging to score nearly nine goals per game while compiling a 16- 3 record. But, while half the games seem to be over as quickly as they begin, the fans can't seem to get enough of the explosive club. Crowds at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre routinely hover in the 1,000 range for the Saturday evening gigs. It's something that hasn't gone unnoticed by the players. "It's great," says Justin Cardwell, the league's scoring leader. "When you come to the rink and you've got eight, nine hundred hundred fans in the rink, it's awesome. It's a big part of it." Many of the fans are no doubt there to see Cardwell weave his magic with captain Peter MacKellar and Joe Van Volsen, a line that is far and away the best the league has to offer. They don't just score goals in bunches; they leave jaws agape in doing so. "If you put the three of them together, there's 30 years of pro experience and probably two or three hundred pro goals," says Steve Cardwell, Justin's father and the team's vice-president. "If you envision a league where you had that type of talent on every team on a tegular basis, it would be unbelievable hockey" , . ; When the'team sprung to life early this year, president Mike Làmg and everyone on the executive spoke proudly of creating creating a family, atmosphere; both yvithin and beyond the playing ranks. ; For the most part, that too has been accomplished. Quite apart from the fact there are two brother acts on the team -- Justin and Malt Cardwell, Joe and Mike Van Volsen -- and numerous other family connections throughout the organization, the team seems to have bonded with its fans, some of whom have fond memories of the 1958 world championship squad. As in any family, there are squabbles. But while the Dunlops lost a father figure when coach Bill Purcell resigned, the players players have stuck together and continued a winning streak, now at 12 games, despite their obvious disappointment. "It's never fun when someone leaves their post, but that's hockey and we've all been through it many years in pro," says Scott McCrory. "You've got to learn to roll with the punches otherwise you won't be playing long." McCrory is a prime example of putting putting the team -- or the family -- above himself. Although a former OHL scoring scoring champ with the Oshawa Generals,, McCrory, without complaint, has dropped back to defence numerous times this season, season, knowing it offered the best chance at winning. It will be interesting to see where the Dunlops go from here, as they'll no doubt crave stronger competition on the ice, and try to fend off competition for fans when the NHL returns. In the meantime, check out a game. If you like goals, you won't be disappointed. si m. t iMj A.J. Groen/The Canadian Statesman Bowmanvillc Eagles goaltender Dan Goulding makes one of his 19 stops Sunday night, foiling Kyle Hughey of the Peterborough Bees on this chance from in close. The Eagles won 4-1, making it a perfect weekend after opening with a convincing 10-2 decision in Bancroft on Friday night. Name game David Ross following in the footsteps of brother Jon with Bowmanville Eagles BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE -- It's difficult enough being a rookie on a junior hockey team, but when the coach can't even get your name right, the prospects of sticking around very long are slim. But that basnet been the case with David Ross. The Bowmanville Eagles forward strikes an eerie resemblance on the ice to his brother Jon, a former member of the hockey club who served as captain in his final season before heading off to the University of Ottawa. Ottawa. The fact the younger Ross chose to wear number six, the same number worn by his brother, make flashbacks to a few years back inevitable. "I've called him Jon a few times, but I'm out of that habit now," laughs coach Curtis Hodgins at the case of mistaken identity. "It took a few weeks, and he didn't say too much." Most rookies don't. "I just kind of went along with it," shrugs Ross. Through 31 games this season, Ross has certainly made a name for himself. This past weekend he scored the opening opening two goals in a 10-2 route of the Bancroft Hawks on Saturday night, and added another on an accurate shot to the far side on Sunday, as the Eagles rolled the Peterborough Bees 4-1 at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. Complex. The victories improved the Eagles to 20-8-3-0, as they prepare to host the Lindsay Muskics (9-18-2-3) tonight in a rare Wednesday home game at 7:30 p.m, With his three goals, Ross boosted his totals to 9-5-14 through 31 games, as his ice time and points have steadily increased since the beginning of the season. Flames tops in Whitby tourney Turn the tables on Kingston in championship game WHITBY -- The Clarington J&M Tire Bantam A Flames won the Whitby Wolves tournament, edging Kingston in the championship game. The Flames defeated Sudbury 2-1 and Gloucester 3-1, suffered a 2-0 setback to Kingston, but had enough points to make it to finals, In a rematch with Kingston in the finals, the Flames turned the tables to David Ross Joh Ross Cut "I just wanted to have a good season, work hard every night and do what I do best," says Ross, a 16-year-old Bowmanville Bowmanville resident, who attends Grade 11 at Bowmanville High School. "Definitely "Definitely being out there a lot has boosted my confidence." From the outset of training camp, Hodgins knew he had an "intelligent, two-way player" in Ross, who could step right into the lineup and make a contribution. "He's just as good in the offensive zone as he is the defensive zone, and for a 16-year-old, that's usually not the case," Hodgins says. "That's the one thing we noticed right away, that he's very responsible, so we knew we would be able to use him in a lot of situations." As for the parallels with the his brother, brother, Jon had 8-17-25 totals in his rookie season in 1999-2000, numbers David „should .come close to. But it was Jon's • third season where lie blossomed, sery- j ing as captain and leading the team in scoring with 28-33-61 totals. Through three seasons in an Eagles' uniform, .Jon amassed 48-66-114 numbers in 134 regular season games. "If (David) turns out to be the player Jon was, that will be great for us," says Hodgins. Little brother doesn't mind the comparisons. comparisons. "I came pretty much every Sunday night to watch Jon play," says David of attending games from 1999-2002. "They say we play a lot alike and I guess that's a good thing." The Scoop STRANGE BUT TRUE -- In a strange move, Peterborough pulled starting goal- tender Ty Legrow in favour of Mike Knowles when Bowmanville Eagles forward Colin Baker was awarded a penalty shot in the second period. Knowles made the save, promptly returning to the bench as Legrow went back in immediately after. STRANGE BUT TRUE 2 -- In another bizarre move, Knowles made his way to the bench in the first period, thinking there was a delayed penalty being called against the Eagles. Once he arrived at the bench, teammates shoved him back out onto the ice to return to the goal area. MAKING AN IMPACT -- Paul Michael Rivest continues to impress, named the game's first star after scoring scoring twice and adding an assist in the win over Peterborough. Scott Freeman Freeman also scored, while Baker chipped in two assists. Just about everybody picked up at least a point in the 10-2 Paul Michael Rivest win in Bancroft, including goaltender Dan Goulding Dan Goulding, who was credited with a pair of assists. Goulding was also named the Player of the Month for the East Conference for November. The second- year netminder posted a 7-0 record with an average of 1.14, helping the Eagles to a perfect 10-0-0-0 record for the month. 1 •' oojg GIRLS EtoeeCEY L. L_1 --fi re 8TH ANNUAL Itournamenti *> win the championship 2-1. Goaltenders Beth Blakely and Kristen Kristen lwanczyx played excellent hockey throughout the tournament. Points went to Megan Smith (2g, 1 a), Melissa Marchaient (lg,2a) Sarah Doiri- on (2g), Brianna Hunt ( lg, I a), Nancy Burt (2a) Marsha Crydcrman (lg) and Olivia Greentrec (la). Following the tournament, the Flames managed a 2-2 lie with the Oshawa Panthers, Panthers, Scoring lor the Flames were Crydcr- man and Lindsay Campbell, with an assist to Liz Thomas, Blakely was solid in net. ] BANTAM TV, lAMPiorw >004 w -w/ W; Submitted photo The Clarington Bantam A Flames exaeted some revenge on Kingston in the championship game of a tournament in Whitby. Alter dropping a 2-0 setback to Kingston in preliminary play, the Flames came up with a 2-1 decision in the final. durtiamregton.com Browning headlines strong skating cast Celebration on Ice tour returns to ' Oshawa Saturday BY BRIAN MCNAIR Staff Editor OSHAWA -- One would think Kurt Browning has mastered his nerves by now. After all, to perform a flawless figure skating routine is among the most difficult difficult accomplishments in all of sports -- and Browning's four world titles is proof enough he has perfected his craft. And yet, if truth be told, Browning admits he felt a few butterflies when the Celebration on Ice tour brought him to Oshawa a year ago. "It's funny, you'll do eight shows in a row and your ninth is in front of friends: and all of a sudden you're nervous,". Browning recalls of last year's Oshawa date, in which he performed in front 1 of good friends Brad and Sharon Bell; "It's like Murphy's law. If you're going to miss, you're going to do it when yours friends are there." Not only did he miss, but he recalls "turfing it" right in front of them and; nearly landing in their laps. 1 The good news is Browning will bé back to give it another go this Saturday,-■ when the Kleenex Celebration on Ice ; returns to the Civic Auditorium at 7:30; p.m. ' Although Elvis Stojko will not be: among those also returning, the cast is! another impressive one with the likes of' Brian Orser, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Jennifer Jennifer Robinson, Joannie Rochette, Cynthia Phaneuf, Jeff Buttle, Shawn Sawyer and acrobats Vladimir Besedin and Oleksiy Polishuck performing. "Last year was the first time in a. very long time that I went to markets F hadn't been to in years," says Browning, 1 including Oshawa as among his favou-' rites. "The response from thè audience,: it was so much more of an intimate setting. It felt like we were back in the '90s. It's a lot of fun to perform those shows." Twelve years removed from an impressive impressive amateur career, the 38-year-old- Browning is keeping busy both on and' off the ice these days. He and, wife Sonia, a Principal with the National Ballet of Canada, are juggling hectic careers with parenting their 16-month- old son, Gabriel. "Our life is pretty crazy," says Browning, Browning, speaking on a cell phone at Pearson International Airport. Browning says he performs at about 50 shows per year now, including 17 with the Celebration on Ice tour this season. Although that is fewer than in the past, he is filling the gap with choreography choreography and other pursuits. For the first time in about a decade, Browning is also working with a coach again, spending about 10 hours a week making sure he is sharp for the shows. "The older you are, the harder you have to work," he says. "We're incredibly incredibly lucky to have that audience in Canada and we work our darnedest to keep them." Tickets range in price from $37.50 to $107 and can be purchased through tick- etmaster.ca, by calling 905-433-9494 or in person at the Civic box office. ITW-PMC gets three of four CLARINGTON - ITW-PMC and Newcastle #2 exchanged a pair of goals in a 2-2 tie in Clarington Recreational Hockey league bantam play. ITW's Shayne Jackson provided a goal and set up Chris Hepditch for his marker, Mitchel Van Winkle contributed an assist. Newcastle's goals were scored by Kurtis Norton and Matt Jarman, with assists going to Evan Wallace and Jesse Lovitt, In the nèxt outing ITW-PMC blanked • Eastsidc Mario's 5-0. Van Winkle led the charge with two impressive goals, with other strikes going to Chris Hep- ditch, Jesse Taylor and Brendan Barlebén, Shayne Jackson set up two of the ITW goals and Danny Amott set up another. A strong physical game by Jesse Thylor emphasized the importance of keeping your head up.