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PAGE 14 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ NOVEMBER 30,2005 durhamregion.com Brad Kelly Winning follows Jackman around If success follows Jason Jackman around Ihe way it did during his junior hockey days, then the Port Perry MoJacks are in for a long and prosperous run this season. The two -- success and Jackman -- were synonymous not so long ago for the Bowmanville resident, who played a season season with the Oshawa Legionaires before moving on to the Guelph Storm, where he spent four productive years from 1994-98 that included three trips to the OHL final, one championship, and the luxury of experiencing all of the hoopla of not one, but t\yo Memorial Cups. Despite not being on the winning side in either of the two tips to the national championship, just making it that far is a dream many junior hockey players never get the opportunity to realize. "Obviously winning the OHL championship championship (1997-98) to cap off my four years was the biggest highlight. Guelph brought me back as an overager and we only lost one game to Ottawa during that playoff run," remembers the 28-year-old, who is spending this winter as an assistant assistant coach with the Jr. C team in Port Perry. Three out of the four years of his OHL junior career produced a highlight of some sort, ;Cppsi, d F- >< - • 1994-95 - As a rookie, he contributed 35 points onTteami that was led by Jeff O'Neill of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had 124 points, and Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks, who was just behind with 119 points. Guelph lost in the OHL final to Detroit four games to two. • 1995-96 -- Reached the OHL final again, losing four games to three to the Peterborough Petes. But, because Peterborough Peterborough hosted, the Memorial Cup that year, Guelph was given an automatic berth in the tournament. It was a tournament tournament they would sooner forget, scoring just twice in three round robin games. • 1997-98 -- Defeated Ottawa four games to one to win the OHL championship, championship, advancing to the Memorial Cup in Spokane, Washington. After eliminating the host 2-1 in the semifinal, Guelph dropped a 4-3 overtime final to Portland. The coach of that Guelph team was George Burnett. "That tournament in Spokane, we made a solid run at the Memorial Cup," he says with one of those 'what if' kind of tones. From there,' it was off to the University of Guelph for four years and two years of minor pro, which brings him back around to where he is at now. The coach of the Gryphons that first year at Guelph was Marlin Muylaert, who was named the new bench boss of the MoJacks this summer. An innocent conversation the two had a couple of years back about coaching resulted in a phone call to Jackman, and an offer to join the MoJacks. The two have clicked, as the MoJacks have a 15- 2-0-2 record. "It's a big transition," says Jackman of being behind the bench and not on it. "Coming off playing, I still want to be out there, but I have to take a step back. "I really like it though. I'm learning a 1 lot " Learning and winning, just like his junior days. Brad Kelly's column appears every third Wednesday. E-mail bkelly@ditrhamre8ion.com Crow's Sports battles back NEWCASTLE -- Newcastle's Crow's Sports bounced back from a rocky start to tie Schooners Fish & Chips In Clarington Recreational Hockey League Peewee play. Down 5-1 with under six minutes to play, Newcastle came on with four unanswered goals to tie the game at 5-5. Nick Mulders clinched the tie and had the hats off with his third goal of the game with just under two minutes to go. Brandon Denney was also Instrumental to Crow's comeback with two goals and an assist, with lone assists to Alex Mountenay and Corbin . Jason Liebregts/Metroland Durham Region Media Group The Durham Christian School senior boys' volleyball team won the OFSAA A gold medal. Team members include, front row, from left: Bob VanEnge^ James Semplonius, Shayne Petrusma, Jesse, DeVries, Colin VanNiejenhuis; back row: Brad VanHartingsveldt, Justin Corvers, Ryan Talsma and Reuben, Wilms. Durham Christian ! wins provincial volleyball title BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor CHELMSFORD, -- There could be some debate as to the exact moment the Durham Christian High School senior boys' volleyball team knew they could become provincial champions. Some would argue that it wasn't until Saturday afternoon, when the OFSAA A gold medals were placed around their necks after a straight sets victory over Chesley in the finals of a-three-day tournament near Sudbury. Others might point out that the real ization of winning came as far back as last year, following, of all things, a loss in'the OFSAAquarterfinals. Whatever the case, this much is certain: certain: the best A team in Ontario resides in Bowmanville. "This is something we thought we could do right from the end of last year," said coach Tammy Dibbits of her team's drive for gold. "I said that if anything is going to happen, this is the team that is going to do it." Durham Christian, seeded third heading heading in to the provincial tournament, proved they were by far the class of the field, culminating with a straight sets 25-22, 25-21, 25-20 victory over Chesley Chesley in the gold medal match. "We knew coming in that we could do this and that it was possible," said Justin Corvers, an 18-yeaf-old Grade 12 student from Newtonville who served as one of the captains of the team. "At no time did we doubt that we could take it." Durham Christian waltzed unscathed through pool play, mowing down King (Christian, Harrow, Manitoulin and Rideau in two straight on each occasion occasion to advance to thé medal round. In the quarterfinals they eliminated Le Caron by identical 25-16 scores, and then suffered their only blemish on a clean record, dropping the first set 16- 25 to Goderich in the semifinals before bouncing back with 25-19,15-7 wins to advance to the championship match. "The group of guys we had all worked well and the talent was there. Our teamwork teamwork came through," noted Corvers. Looking back on the entire season, Durham Christian won a tournament at phomore jinx Ross, Freeman and Goodchild making their mark with the Bowmanville Eagles BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor . BOWMANVILLE -- Disregard any notion of a sophomore jinx where Scott Freeman, David Ross and Kyle Good- child are concerned. The trio have picked up right where they left off after closing out their rookie season with the Bowmanville Eagles,., and then some, The linemates were instrumental in a couple of weekend wins, helping the Eagles to a 6-1 victory in Lindsay on Friday over the Muskies, followed by an 8-3 yawner on home ice Sunday afternoon afternoon against the Kingston Voyageurs. Combined, the three put up 10 points, were a threat to score each time they were out, particularly Sunday, and continue continue to stay among the front runners in the league-wide scoring race. Freeman sits 10th with 15-29-44 totals, Ross is 17th with 12-29-41 numbers while Goodchild isn't that far behind at 17-16- , 33. "That line has more chemistry than any other line I have seen here," said coach Curtis Hodgins following Sunday's lopsided lopsided victory over Kingston. "They read off each other and complement each other well. Jason Liebregts/Metroland Durham Region Media Group David Ross (6) of the Bowmanville Eagles crashes the Kingston net during Sunday's 8-3 win on home ice. "We threw them together at Christmas last year, and they turned out to be one of our best lines." That magic continued into this, season when the three lined up together, giving opponents absolute fits in the offensive zone, but also mindful of getting back to contribute defensively as well. "They aren't all offence. They are the first guys back on the backcheck, which I really like." What couch wouldn't? See EAGLES page 15 Tl the University of Toronto that hostj AAA and A AAA schools, won a|pier hosted by Redeemer University^ lege and finished second at a Christian schools tournament in London. i "I can only think of two times;';»! practice whenT got frustrated .withja lack of work ethic," said Dibbits of tfie season. "These guys were- a dream fo coach on and off the court, showed a ljjit of respect to each other and the othjfr teams.'"::' ! ' ' ' a As for plans to repeat, the team does return five players, but for now, Dibbits is just, happy to enjoy the -success of winning OFSAA this year. v "I'm just going to enjoy this one first"' she said with a laugh, before adding, "The boys were talking about a repeat on the way home. I'd love to see it happen happen and that's what we will shoot for.'? Generals ' ; no ■! reason j to smile À . . jj Nasby loses two j| teeth, Oshawa t loses two games i BY BRIAR MCNAIR 1 Staff Editor , OSHAWA -- The tooth fairy can now attest to the fact the Oshawa Genera^ aren't getting much in the way of Iuc|: this season. ijj Not to make excuses for the General^, who are quite deserving of their last place standing in the Ontario Hocke 1 League, but they certainly don't hav; good fortune smiling down on them ver r often either. Just ask Bret Nasby. After the Generals' best defencemt i took a puck flush to the face Fridt 1 night, resulting in two lost teeth, tl : Ottawa 67's immediately scored, or of three unanswered goals in the thin period of a 7-5 Ottawa win. ; Nasby was gamely back in the lined Sunday at home against the Mississau IceDogs, only to watch-- through a visor -- the Generals drop a very wf nable game, 4-1 to the next worst tea in the OHL. ' It was a game the Generals may we) have won if not for the remarkable plqj of Mississauga goalie Michael Ouzas. ! "If we had a couple of bounces w could have ended up winning the game See GENERALS page 18 l'