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Page 12 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ April 5,2006 durhamregion.com Brad Kelly Time for our May Madness Annual 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament set for May 13 Catchy heading, eh! No, it's not original, but imitation is the highest form of flattery. And while the sports staff here at the paper can't emulate emulate the skills of players on the court, we can create the excitement and drama that accompanies a basketball tournament from our perch on the sidelines. March Madness has concluded at the university level south of the border with Monday's finale, but May Madness is on the horizon here in Durham Region. The sports staff here at the newspaper is in the midst of preparations for our 3rd Annual This Week 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, set for Saturday, May 13 at Durham College in Oshawa. Is there any interest in such a tournament? tournament? Well, based on the number of ' teams that have entered the previous two, the answer is a definitive yes. As well, based on the number of phone calls into our department the last few days, th^s. year's tournament could be the biggest biggest yet. A number of parents, have called over the past few days looking for some extra information prior to tip-off, and we are an obliging bunch. The tournament is for boys and girls in grades five through eight, with three games guaranteed, as well as a trophy or medallion for all players advancing through to a championship game. Each team is required to have four players on the team, three on the court, while the fourth serves as scorekeeper, Teams substitute substitute in and out as they see fit, trying the best they can to attain equitable floor time for each player.. Games are to 35 points; or a 25 minute maximum, with teams guaranteed at least three games during the day. Teams must enter the age division of the oldest player on their team. For instance, if a team has three Grade 5 players and one Grade 6 player, they must enter the Grade 6 division. The team captain will be notified of the starting time of the first game once the registration deadline of April 28 passes. Registering for this year's tournament is easy. Registration forms will run periodically periodically in upcoming editions of the newspaper for your convenience. All you need is four players, including a captain, a team name, the $50 registration fee, and you are all set to compete. How serious is the competition? Well, some of the teams were very skilled, while others were well dressed, complete complete with matching coloured T-shirts. The common denominator is that they all wore smiles. All that's left is to schedule some outdoor practices in the driveway to get your team prepared. The deadline for registrations is Friday, Friday, April 28. Team captains will be contacted the week of the tournament to inform them of starling times for their team's first game. For more information about the tournament, tournament, contact me at 905-579-4400 ext. 2254. Brad Kelly's column appears every third Wednesday. E-mail: hkeliy@durhamrefiion.com Dunnies a step closer to Allan Cup Baker scores four goals as Whitby finishes off Dundas Jason Liebregts/Metroland Durham Region Media Group Bowmanville Eagles forward Dustin Ekelman (22) was watched closely by St. Michael's Buzzers player Brock Sawyer (24) during Sunday's playoff game at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. The Eagles had an early lead, but in the end, dropped a 4-2 decision and were eliminated in the fifth game of the best-of-seven semifinal semifinal series. Eagles m Bowmanville eliminated in semifinal BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE - One of the strengths the Bowmanville Eagles enjoyed all season long over most of their opponents turned against them on Sunday night, resulting in their exit from the post-season. That, and the fact they were beaten by a better team. The depth of the roster that carried the Eagles to an East Conference championship championship this season started to evaporate in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League semifinal series against the St. Michael's Buzzers, with the best-of- seven ending in five games. Four wins in a row by the Buzzers, after dropping the series opener in double overtime, has them moving on to the final and the Eagles relegated to the sidelines. "We were in trouble tonight and held on for as long as we could," said Eaglës coach Curtis Hodgins shortly after his team was eliminated 4-2 in Game 5 at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Com- • plex. "Those goals in the third period, a lot were mistakes by our defencemen. We hung on for as long as we could but got beat by a better team," Things actually looked promising for the Eagles through two periods, scoring the first goal on a David Ross tally on the power play in the first period, marking marking the first time in the series the Eagles scored the first goal of a game. That lead held until the third, when fatigue and miscues began in the defensive zone. Already without rearguards Craig Woods (broken collarbone) and Tyler Brown (knee), David Shaw and callup Corey Besson (from the Jr. C Port.Perry Mojacks) both sustained shoulder injuries injuries in the first period and were unable to return. That left just four defencemen to carry the load, and it wasn't enough against the speedy Buzzers. "If there was one player of. the 22 that I would have picked that we couldn't afford to lose it was Craig Woods," said Hodgins of the 18-year-old who logged a lot of icetime because of his poise and composure. The visitors scored twice in a span of See PLAYOFF page 13 . BY BRIAN MCNAIR Staff Editor WHITBY - Chances are the Thunder Bay Bombers will more closely resemble resemble the Real McCoys than did Dundas. > The Whitby Dunlops will find out for certain beginning Friday at the Iro-i quois Park Sports Centre, where they will begin a best-of-three series against Thunder Bay to determine this year's Ontario representative in the Allan Cup Senior A national championship. The Dunnies moved one step closer to the prestigious tournament by finishing finishing off the Dundas Real McCoys in Game 4 of their best-of-five series Monday, Monday, claiming the Robertson Cup with a resounding 7-2 victory. Although nobody seems to know exactly exactly what to expect from the Bombers, who don't play in a league and hadn't released their roster as of Monday, the mere fact they won the Allan Cup a year ago suggests the task ahead for the Dunlops Dunlops is daunting. "Apparently they've prit together an awesome team and they won it last . year, so we know we've got to expect an amazing team, better than the team we beat out tonight," said Ron Baker, ^^hortly after scoring four goals Monday. ■^^<jpd ; coach Mike Posavad: "They're the defending Allan Cup champions, so they've been here before and they know what they have to do to win. But, we've had guys at other levels of hockey who have done the same thing." If Baker can continue, playing like he has in these playoffs, (the Dunnies' chances will greatly increase. More accustomed to setting up captain Peter MacKéllar, Baker was the triggerman Monday, staking the Dunlops to a 5-0 lead with the only goal of the first period and a natural hat trick in the second. "Every dog has his day," he said. "I had the chills as soon as I stepped on the ice, seeing the home crowd and just being so excited to play this game. Everything just seemed to bounce for me, everything was just going my way. I got lucky." Goalie Matt Baiser, who had watched See DUNLOPS 13 ~~ Bowmanville loses four players to graduation BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE - It's a harsh statement, statement, but it's a reality in junior hockey. Once the season is over, it's out with the old and in with the new. Brad Dormiedy Heart and soul player who led by example as team captain. The old, in this case, are the players with 1985 birthyears on the Bowmanville Bowmanville Eagles, who watched not only their season, but their junior hockey careers wind down in the final seconds of Sunday's Sunday's loss to the St. Michael's Buzzers. Captain Brad Dormiedy, goaltender Rick Miller and forward Paul Michael- Rivest were in the lineup for their final junior game, while defenceman Tyler Brown was forced to watch from the stands, nursing a knee injury sustained in Game 4. Rick Miller Goaltender was added at the trade deadline for his experience. experience. Dormiedy, the heart and soul of the hockey club, averaged just under a point per game this season, notching 16 goals and adding 28 assists in 45 games. He gained notoriety through the season, and especially in the playoffs, for his tremendous tremendous work ethic on the penalty kill. "This program started to turn around when he came into this organization and that's no accident," said coach Curtis Hodgins of his prized leader. "He's a classy young man with great leadership. He played his best hockey in the last two Paul-Michael Rivest Broughtvalue that didn't always show up on the scoresheet. games and I'm going to miss him." Miller was a late season acquisitii obtained to give the Eagles some exj rience in net for what was supposed be a long run in the playoffs. He fill that role in his second go-round w the hockey club, leaving to play Jr. B Thorold for two seasons before return! to the Eagles in his final year of eligih ity. "He did what he could," said Hodgii See PLAYERS page 13 Tyler Brown After missing missing a season, the defence- man added a calming Influence. Influence. M METROL 2006 1 on 3 Basketball Presented by METROLAND DUEM-MiM REGION MEDIA GROUP Call sports editor Brad Kelly for information. 905 579 4400 ext. 2254 This Week eCanahian States in a it » news advertiser • CniifS-lotitnal • durhamregion.corr