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Georgetown Herald (Georgetown, ON), January 18, 1989, p. 15

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THE HERALD Wednesday 18 1KB Page 15 NOTICE GEORGETOWN HONDA Guelph SI Phone for Details 8731818 Sports and I Recreation 111 1 OR US HOURS S pm HO Saturday 9 am6 pm the HERALD ATHLETE OF TOE WEEK BU Andrews of the Acton midget boys ball team accounted for over Halt of his teams total output as he hooped points In leading AHS to a dramatic win over White Oaks Wildcats last week If you Know of someone deserving Athlete of the Week recognition call the Herald Raiders extend streak Although they didnt need it the Georgetown Raiders got a little help from their friends last weekend Raiders took care of their own business by winning both games in a twomatch home stand while two other Central Ontario B league west division clubs helped the Raider cause as well Georgetown knocked off first- place Etobicoke Capitals on Saturday and coupled with a 75 win over on Fri day the four points were enough to lift the Raiders back into third spot in the Beven team group two points up on Streetsville Derbys 3432 Meanwhile Blades helped the Raiders by edging secondplace Burlington Cougars on Sunday after Mimico also did Georgetown a favor by upset ting Streetsville on Saturday It was a good weekend said Raider coach Peter Sturgeon We got a good effort from everyone I thought the defence played really well and our forwards were com ing back to help out Two wins next weekend could put us into a posi tion for second place Raiders host Streetsville on Fri day a club they definitely have to stay ahead of to pose as serious contenders for second spot The two recent wins extended Georgetowns current unbeaten streak to six games just three shy of the ninegame string they put together before Christmas RAIDERS 3 Don Cruise Travis Cole Brian Gendron and Chris Lee scored for the Raiders who the wests leaders in the first period and in the second scored two third period markers but Georgetown refused to let the Capitals get any closer than Chuck Loreto now leading Raider scorers with points pick- Continued on Page Bob Tost to receive Hockey Heritage award Mr Jr B gets the nod ByPAULSVOBODA Herald Sports Editor Bob Tost will tell you he wasnt a very good hockey player Thats one of the reasons I wanted to get involved in hockey says the Georgetown native I just wanted to be involved the game And involved he became Now after 30 years of involve ment with almost every level of hockey in Georgetown Robert Bob Tost is being honored for his outstanding contributions to the local puck scene On Mar at Holy Cross Auditorium the Georgetown Hockey Heritage Council will pre sent its 1989 GHHC award to Bob Tost It seems funny said Tost relaxing at his Byron Street home last week Once youre out of the game you think youre forgotten Its quite an honor association with hockey in Georgetown is definitely not soon to be forgotten And its also fitting that the acknowledged Mr Junior Hockey of Georgetown should receive the towns highest hockey accolade in Last summer the current junior B executive voted to retire the Gemini nickname and green and gold colors which had adorned Georgetowns Central Ontario Jr B league teams since the club was organized in 1975 Tost was one of the founding fathers of the Gemini flagship which marked Georgetowns return to junior B hockey after an absence of about 10 years Prior to that Georgetown had briefly ic ed a junior B squad in the OHA Looking back The provide 30 years of hockey memories in Georgetown but among the most favorite for Bob Tost and his wife Marlene are those documenting the origin of the Gemini in 1975 Bob original GM of the fledgling Jr program and involved with the Gems for 10 years will be honored on Mar as recipient of the 1989 Georgetown Hockey Heritage Award Herald photo It was exciting said Tost smiling at the fond recollection of that first unforgettable year We started with nothing We didnt even have a skate lace Sometimes we wouldnt know where our next dime was coming from After seven years as Gemini GM Tost would serve as vice- president and president of the club leaving the organization after 10 years in involvement in hockey started much earlier however when the Gemini was still a future not yet realized in Georgetown After playing house league and industrial hockey in Georgetown during his youth Tost joined the Saturday morning hockey league forerunner of todays house leagues as a coach He spent 12 years behind the bench in bantam hockey before joining the Georgetown Minor Hockey Associations support group in I960 While Tost enjoyed every minute of his minor hockey days he says he gets a kick out of seeing some of his tyke players now grown up with their own children he readily ad mits the halcyon days of the early Gemini were his most exciting times in hockey Everything was brand new to us he said We had a good first year making the second round of the playoffs and the crowds were excellent Everyone was hyped up about seeing the new team Georgetowns juvenile entry had gone to the OMHA finals the two previous seasons losing both times to London and Tost said there was plenty of local talent available with which to stock a junior squad We only used four import cards that first year he said It was a tough sell competing against Georgetowns perennial seniorintermediate powerhouse the Raiders but Tost said the town came out for both teams We played under the shadow of the Raiders who were a very hot team be recalled We played backtoback with them and we survived Part of that survival meant com plete commitment to the organiza tion by virtually all members It was a 12month lob said Tost The Gemini became a family af fair for several people including the Bobs wife Marlene cut the between period oranges for the players and washed the towels Bobs two daughters Elaine and Diane both worked at Arena during home games and son Glenn was playing minor hockey at the time We got into a fair amount of debt but the merchants were great to us and at that time a lot of groups were out looking for sup port recounted Tost We were the third guy to go knocking on peo ples doors Youd have the GMHA the Raiders and then us But while there been a lot of feet- shuffling and head scratching the people always came through It mustve been hell being a business on Mam Street in those days Bob laughed The Gems averaged about 200 fans a game at spanking new Alcott Arena and the first coach was Paul Robinson a star player on Georgetowns OHA Jr C cham pionship squad in 1968 He worked hours said Tost He was from the Gerry Inglis school of coaching Inglis coached the Jr C champion Raiders and I remember hed pull some good stunts when we were on the road Wed take the home teams end of the ice and wed even take their box Once in the playoffs against we told them we were going to move our part of the series to the old Memorial Arena We thought wed throw a screw into them There was no glass around the sideboards and the fans could real ly go crazy m there Dixie said if we moved from Alcott they wouldnt come up After one particularly sorry ef fort at home Robinson kept the Gems on the ice after the loss and put the players through a full prac tice session The players girlfriends were up in the stands yelling at him Tost chuckled It was certainly the most ex citing time I spent in the game he says Therewasnosecurity We were in debt after our first year but we made it all up in our seventh year when we went to the league finals and lost to Streetsville he said We thought we did a good job So do the members of the GHHC PauPs Call Paul Svoboda Herskf Sports Editor Its guys like Bob Tost who make the hockey world go round After nearly 20 years in the minor hockey system Bob jumped and landed with both feet into a fledgling new Jr B kettle in 1975 known as the Georgetown Gemini Over 140 people in town responded to a- contest and Bob admits to being a tad bit sad when the Gem moniker and green and gold col ors disappeared last summer We didnt need to hear this malarky about the Gemini name not meaning anything be said last week while reflecting on his 10year hitch with the Jr Bs Theres no championship ban ners banging from the rafters but there might not be any for a while yet While there were certainly some lean years Bob and the ear ly Gemini executive guided the squad to the Central Ontario league finals in and despite losing the series to Streetsville the Gems managed to pay off their debts Among Bobs cherished memories are those Involving streaking hockey players and scouting goose chases that took him and coach Paul Robinson from here to Timbuktu Rookie initiation one season saw Gemini newcomers streak nude from the Beer Store to another location on Guelph Street They had to touch at least one other store window on the way grinned Tost Then there was a car waiting to pick them up A scouting foray to Stroud left Tost out in the cold during another season Wewanted to sign this kid from Stroud Jr Cs and their organization was so mad they wouldnt even let us into their rink said Tost We eventually got him though While strapped to pick bis all- time Gemini lineup Bob recalls each season had its outstanding personalities One season Stevensons Mens- Wear donated an article of clothing to every player who scored a he recounted Why Larry Peterson practical ly had an entire wardrobe by the end of the year Today Bob says Junior need to make the second round of playoff s to make any real profits Its tough for smaller towns like Milton and Georgetown be says The Import and territory rules need to be changed so smaller towns can compete Youve also got to have a strong minor hockey system Bob attributes todays drop in minor hockey registration to the myriad activities available to kids now When I was growing up we were right back outside on the ice playing after wed just finished practising at the rink Hes not much on CAHA coaching certifications I know guys with badges up their sleeves who cant coach and he thinks I the mandatory facemask rule has invited more unnecessary Hes not sold on the Penalty Free Sweepstakes If Im I coaching a midget rep team and we win the penalty free sweepstakes then were in last I place We had some wild and nights he mused about those formative Gemini years But it i was fun

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