www.georgetownraidersjra.com GEORGETOWN JUNIOR A PLAYOFF GAME OF THE WEEK GEORGETOWN TOYOTA GEORGETOWN JR. A RAIDERS vs BRAMPTON CAPITALS Wednesday, February 27, 2008 8:00 pm Mold-Masters SportsPlex (Alcott Arena) 16 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, February 27, 2008 SPORTS & LEISURE While they were ecstatic and somewhat relieved to be holding a 2-0 series lead over the Brampton Capitals, the George- town Raiders also recognized after Monday nights comeback overtime win that theres plenty of work left to do. The Raiders finished just two points ahead of the Capitals in the OHA Provincial Jr. A Hockey Leagues West Division standings and the clubs went 3-3 against each other during the regular sea- son, so there wasnt much surprise that the first two games in the best-of-7 matchup were closely-contested affairs that featured some nastiness as well. Georgetown needed some superb net- minding from veteran Marc Stuart, who blocked 29 of 30 Capital shots, to score a 4-1 win in game on Saturday, then defend- er Scott Levitt ripped a shot from the point 31 seconds into overtime on Monday in Brampton for a 5-4 Raider vic- tory, in which they never led until the game was over. Game three of the series is set for tonight (Wednesday) at the Alcott Arena beginning at 8 p.m. I just put in on the net and kept it low, like we were talking about during the intermssion, said the 20-year-old Levitt, of St. Catharines. Thats a big win for us and Wednesdays another big game because wed like to finish the series as soon as possible to get ready for the next opponent, but at the same time were not taking (Brampton) for granted because were only half way there. Four times in game two, the Capitals enjoyed a one-goal lead, but the Raiders, who outshot the hosts 42-38 and scored three power-play markers, came back on each occasion. Michael Paolo, Tom Jefferson, Evan Zych and Lukas Ciotti tallied for Georgetown in regulation time. In the series opener on Saturday, first star Kyle Essery scored for the Raiders just 43 seconds into the contest but the hosts didnt seal the outcome until the late stages of the third period, having to kill off what seemed like an endless string of penalties along the way. Georgetown took the lead 2-1 midway through the middle frame on a deflected point shot on the power play by Andrew Bathgate, who ended up with a three-point night. Late goals by Trevor Branning and Paolo brought relief to the Raider special teams, which faced a nine-minute short- handed situation to begin the third period after Anthony Luciani was assessed insti- gator and aggressor penalties for jumping a Brampton player during a scrum. It was like splitting hairs with Brampton through the season and both games of this series could have gone either way, said Raider head coach James Richmond. Stuey didnt have his best game (Monday), but our defence played well and to have the forwards coming back in such a small rink really helped too. Game four of the series will be played Thursday night in Brampton starting at 7:30 p.m., with game five, if necessary, in Georgetown Saturday at 7:30 p.m. In the other West Division series, Oakville defeated Milton 4-1 in the first game of their series on Sunday evening. Raiders OT win provides two-game lead Winger Lukas Ciotti of the Georgetown Raiders converts a two-on-one pass from teammate Marcus Pryde and beats Brampton Capital goaltender Taylor Hewson with the equalizer just over seven minutes into the third period of Mondays playoff game at Memorial Arena. The visiting Raiders pulled off a 5-4 OT triumph and will host game three of the best-of-7 divisional semifinal series tonight (Wednesday) at 8 p.m. Photo by Eamonn Maher VS. Georgetown leads series 2-0 Game 1: Georgetown 4, Brampton 1 Game 2: Georgetown 5, Brampton 4 (OT) Game 3: Tonight at Alcott Arena, 8 p.m. Game 4: Thursday, Feb. 28 at Memorial Arena (Brampton) 7:30 p.m. Game 5: Saturday, March 1 at Alcott Arena, 7:30 p.m. (if necessary) Game 6: Monday, March 3 at Memorial Arena (Brampton) 8 p.m. (if necessary) Game 7: Wednesday, March 5, at Alcott Arena, 8 p.m. (if necessary) EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Georgetowns senior Rebels cap- tured their 11th Halton Secondary School Athletic Association girls vol- leyball title in the past 13 years last Thursday, sweeping away their rivals from Oakville-Trafalgar again in the final match at Sheridan College. And the junior Rebels were also victorious in their Halton champi- onship showdown, dramatically ral- lying to beat Burlingtons Assump- tion in three hard-fought sets. Georgetowns seniors were sched- uled to host Hamiltons Cardinal Newman late Tuesday afternoon in the best-of-5 Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference finals, with the winner moving on to the OFSAA championships, to be held in Scarborough March 4-5. Coach Sheri Nairns squad raced out to 4-1 and 10-4 leads in the opening game of the Halton final, taking advantage of some unforced errors by the Devils. The Rebels took a 20-12 advantage when an OT spike went out of bounds and, though the Devils won eight of the next 12 points, Georgetown held on for the five-point victory. High school roundup Rebels tops in Halton See REBELS, pg. 17 At the Cold Creek Silver Stick qualifier in Belleville, the North Halton Twisters finished runner-up in the 11-team bantam BB divi- s ion, bowing out to the Ottawa Valley Thunder in the final, despite allowing just five goals in five games. league playoffs against Rochester. Preliminary round North Halton 3, Kingston 0: Jennifer Eady (2G); Shauna Costello (G); Sarah Digiallonardo, Amanda Larade (A). North Halton 5, Sarnia 0: Stefania Villeneuve, Delaney McQueen, Courtney Quinn (G, A); Costello, Megan Wain (G); Lindsay Logan (A); Vanessa Hartwick (2A). Ottawa Valley Thunder 3, North Halton 1: Logan (G); Villeneuve, Laura Brooks (A). North Halton 3, Woodstock 0: Wain, Hilary Cosmo, Rebecca Woolford (G); Costello, Villeneuve, Hartwick, Jennifer Eady (A). Semifinals North Halton 5, Petrolia 0: Villeneuve (G, 3A); Sarah Digiallonardo, Lindsay Logan, Megan Wain, Delaney McQueen (G); Mackenzie Rees, Amanda Larade, Shauna Costello (A). Championship Ottawa Valley Thunder 2, North Halton 0 Regular season North Halton 4, Burlington 1: McQueen, Villeneuve, Woolford, Costello (G); Quinn (2A); Logan, Digiallonardo, Wain, Brooks (A). Twisters second at Silver Stick