The Acton free Wednesday January 20 Quote from trw world of sport Trie Minor Hockey League Is trying out a new system of scheduling this year one they hope will prove satisfactory Purpose of tho system is to keep teams even those eliminated from playoffs playing group hockey right up until the end of March Beginning this week the league schedule will be interrupted for three weeks so that teams may participate In an M H A qualifying round which will declare winners in each of three classifications AAA AA and A to ad vance to the 0 M H A playoffs Since Acton is the only town in the league local teams receive a bye Into the playoffs This year teams eliminated from OMHA playoffs will return to league play Immediately Group games will continue until the week of school winter holidays when play will cease again so that alt teams can participate in tournaments Following tournament week TriCounty league playoffs will commence Teams previously ousted from OMHA play will still have a crack at a league trophy Acton teams will take part in the second half of the schedule but will not enter league playoffs since they are already B group champions In past years a consolation series has been organized for playoffs but it has proved far from satisfactory Participation has been on a voluntary basis and several teams refused to enter the series Some of those that did entcrf ailed to meet game commitments and a number of players treated the games as exhibition affairs and resorted to unnecessary roughhousc tactics Have option Teams that keep winning in 0 A play of course will not not be required to revert to group play until such time as they are eliminated However they will have the option of playing both series at the same time providing they first meet their OMHA playoff commitments League officials have also adopted a very sensible system of scheduling for the second half of the season The top seven teams in each age group will play against each other and the bottom four in each division will battle it out In most of the five groups from novice to juvenile a very noticeable division occurs between the seventh and eighth place teams More often than not four towns Acton Hespeler and Preston hold down the bottom four spots Grouping teams of approximately the same calibre should make for close exciting contests The new system is being given a trial run this year If it fails league execs will have to go back to the drawing board but if it succeeds is we think it will interest in minor hockey will continue until the end of the season and will not fade for teams ousted from OMHA play as it has previously Two area hockey teams who moved up a class in the 0 HA this year are finding the competition very tough in their new leagues Georgetown Raiders are wallowing in the cellar of the Niagara District Intermediate A loop and are gathering very little fan support Raiders competed in the Central A Intermediate B league for the past two season Milton Merchants who helped form the brand new Mid- junior B league after several successful seasons of Junior C play are currently holding down fourth place in the five team Western division of the league Merchants have been drawing between and fans a game which is not to be sneezed at but it doesn t match the huge gates games between Merchants and the now defunct Georgetown junior Haiders used to produce a few years ago The two towns continue to produce some of the finest hockey talent in the province nevertheless Georgetown native Paul is having his best NHL season as a winger with Vancouver Canucks while brother Jan is making headlines with Tulsa Oilers of the Younger brothers Dick and Dean both stars with Georgetown bantams are making fans wonder about the possibility of all four brothers playing in the NHL at some future time Pete a Milton boy meanwhile has been helping keep Omaha Knights on top of the seven team with his brilliant McDuffe is being groomed by the Rangers to replace Ed Giacomin when he retires Several Georgetown and Milton minor hockey grads are making names for themselves with junior A and college hockey squads we well Among the Georgetown are Kudrasovs Kitchener Rangers Ron Toronto Marlboros Paul Majors Mike Cummins University and Dave McNenemy Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy New York Milton grads include Craig Brush Cornell University Doug Maurice Miljour and Tom Gooding Rensselaer Bob Lee Michigan Tech and Keith Sheridan College THIS TRIO could succeed Yvan Dave Keon and Bobby Orr In Right now it Just beginning of a long career for Paul March- ment Mark Emond and Jocko GarUm Hockey school instructor Jim James stands behind Staff Photo Lions look sharp Acton Juveniles turned in a topnotch effort to tic the triple A Beef Kings 1 1 In a County thriller at tho community centre Thursday night Solid defensive play by both teams highlighted the contest Willie played a game In the Acton Score early All the scoring in the game took place In the opening 56 seconds Bill Field scored from Gord Williams at the second mark and John tied it up for seconds later on a pass from Ron Robinson Saturday night in Lions suffered a defeat Bill Field and Gord Williams were the Acton marksmen lions lost the services of Charlie Gldden who broke a finger In the game Goalie Craig Is already sidelined with torn shoulder muscles Workout Coach Ken and manager Carl Timbers will have their squad working out this week in preparation for the M A playoffs lions gained only two wins and a tie in the first half of their TriCounty schedule but lost five games by a margin of one goal Novices lose Jeff Shields Acton A B novices were to have played minor novices here Saturday afternoon but the team failed to show for some reason Novices play minor team In Guelph this Saturday and have an exhibition game against a team from South Peel scheduled for the community centre Sunday afternoon at 12 Coach Barry received some bad news this week when he learned Jeff Shields one of the teams top forwards underwent an appendectomy and is now a patient in Guelph General Hospital Jeff unfortunately will probably miss the rest of the season His teammates coach assistant coach Gus Holmes and manager Don Van Fleet wish him a speedy recovery I BEGINNERS give It their beat effort during their Unto on the ice Slnfl Photo Hockey School draws record enrolment A record enrollment of 103 youngsters has forced Acton hockey school into two nights Instead of one this year Hall the group now take instruction nights between at the community centre The other half takes to the lec Tuesday nights at the name time represents an increase of over Inst year Jim unburn former recreation director got the school started In the early CO a lYcsent rcna manager Harold Acton Minor Hockey head conch Jim James figure skating teacher Glen and George are instructors this year Instructors teach the tots skating fundamentals In order to prepare them for house hockey Beginners with no previous skating experience arc allowed to push a chair Ice first until they ore steady enough on their skates to use a hockey stick girls Joined the school this year which could be a sign of even changes in I than have been witnessed In the past few old rcgory James Jim a son Is the youngest tot enrolled lleulnlrnllon fee Is or ISO per family If there are two or more from Oil name family enrolled Youngsters get total of hours Ice time which out to about 15 cents a night 11 e Is u profit Monty received simply for tl lee time Next ye Mr hopes a of instru Hon can be drawn up for Hit entire season YOUNGS oul pushing a chair around the fee until re steady enough to use a hockey stick Staff Photo Midgets host Ancaster Sports Bruce Sears to guide 1971 junior boxia Rams Acton Midgets will I oat Ancaster In an exhibition game tomorrow Thursday night at Midgets have completed tho first half of their TriCounty league schedule and are now awaiting word of their first opponent In playoffs The locals won only four games out of but have improved considerably of late Since December they have knocked off first place Brampton and shutout both Preston and Couch Jim James and manager Dill Knight feel their lads arc reaching their peak Just at the right time Minor Hockey is a nujor community affair Slow your I during Minor Hotkey Week Sat rdny January 23 to Saturday January Acton Rains junior lacrosse club proudly announced this week the appointment of Scars coach for the season BRUCE SFARS New Rom Coach Bruce learned and played all his lacrosse In the Long Branch area of Toronto which has long been a lacrosse hot bed In Ontario He ended a lengthy playing career in I960 with the Port Credit Sailors when they won the Mann Cup emblematic of the Canadian Senior lacrosse championship Coached Monarch After retiring as a player Bruce moved on to coaching and referencing in both minor and Junior lacrosse From he coached one Ontario championship team and went to the Ontario finals on two other occasions with minor teams from Branch In he coached Long Branch to a fourth place finish In the 11 team OLA Junior A league From to 1970 he In both the and the OLA Hockey coach Bruce and his wife moved to Tldey Ave In Acton one year ago Besides lacrosse Bruce is also Involved In minor hockey In Acton He coaches a team In the legion town league In Bruce with his wide and varied lacrosse background the Hams executive feel they have found the Ideal coach to lead the Hams to tho Ontario championship Lacrosse meet Howard Alan Hall and Ron McKnlght will represent Acton Rams at the annual meeting of the Ontario Lacrosse Association at the Seaway Hotel in Toronto this weekend SALE CONTINUES ON ALL SPORTS EQUIPMENT to 25 off BUY NOW AND SAVE Sports Comer Mill St E Acton OMHA reclassifies Fergus and Elmira Ontario Minor Hockey Association entries from Fergus and Elmira have been moved up to the A series for towns with a population of more than and less than The two towns were previously classified B morethan300Oand less than 5000 Reclassification of the towns is of interest to Acton minor hockey fans since and Fergus have provided most of the first round playoff opposition for Acton minor teams for the past four years Acton remains in the M H A B classification Elevate New Hamburg Also of interest to local fans is the elevation of New Hamburg from to B which has aroused speculation Acton teams might square off with New Hamburg in the first round of playoff this year New Hamburg Fergus and Elmira are all members of the nearby WaterlooWellington group Acton teams play in the TriCounty group Hespeler Minor Hockey officials were pleased to learn Ajax has been moved from A up to Hespeler bantams forced Ajax to the sixth game of the best of seven series MEET THE TANNERS frank Anthony has provided reliable back up nctmlnding for the Tanners for the past three seasons An Acton Minor Hockey Association Frank was named MVP in the Acton industrial league last year leading the industrial league in goals against average Frank and wife Marie live on the farm he works at R IJmehouse Newfoundland native Ed Hlllier never played organized hockey until he moved to Acton four years ago In his first season as a Tanner last year tallied eight joals and three assists in 11 games He was also Acton industrial scoring champ last year Ed Is an employee of Materials and Construction He lives In town with his wife Brenda and their dainjiler THIS WEEK IS WORTH 15 Next home game Friday January 22 Durham Your Home Team is Sponsored By Berdmore Co Limited SPORTS CORNER MODEL CAR CONTEST Jan 21st to Feb Choose Your Category Under 10 Years of Age to Years of Age Over Years of Age PRIZES TROPHIES CAR KITS COME IN NOW AND REGISTER Mill St E Acton 8532160 SPECIAL OFFER REPEATED PRICES FROM Free Coffee FREE RIDES Come Out Saturday Sunday January 23rd 24th and Test Drive The Charmer The Ultimate in Driving Comfort SEE THE BOASKI ON DISPLAY COMPLETE LINE OF CLOTHING ACCESSORIES Before You Buy Test Drive the Red One BoaSki ONTHESPOTFINANCING NO DOWN PAYMENT SPORTS EQUIPMENT LTD Ml LES EAST OF ACTON ON NO HIGHWAY PHONE 853