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22 The IFP · Halton Hills, Thursday, March 22, 2012 SPORTS & LEISURE Baker tired of seeing Reds By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Georgetown's Kevin Baker has seen Reds in the past two trips to the Canadian university men's hockey championships and the all-star centre is looking for a better outcome in his fourth and final year with the Western Mustangs. The business management major arrived in Fredericton Tuesday with his Mustang teammates in preparation for this weekend's Cavendish University Cup tournament hosted by the defending CIS-champion University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, who eliminated Western from the nationals in both 2009 and 2011. Baker, who was recently named to the OUA West Division first all-star squad after finishing seventh in league scoring with seven goals and 30 assists in 28 regular-season games with the fourth-ranked Mustangs, said he's looking forward to getting another shot at UNB, winners of the national title on four occasions. "There are a lot of us (Mustangs) in the same boat in that we've been together since my first year and this will be it for those guys," said Baker, who turns 25 next week. "Hopefully we can finally beat UNB. They're always tough to play, especially at home like we found out last year (in a 4-0 semifinal loss). But the great thing about this tournament is that it comes down to one game and anything can happen. We lost to (the VReds) in the finals in my first year and then again last year. No matter who you play, every team is good out here." The 27-6-3 Mustangs will open the six-team tourney Friday night against either the topseeded 26-5-3 Varsity Reds or the sixth-ranked 24-11-2 UQTR Patriotes and then Western will play one of the above-mentioned teams Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in a semifinal contest that will be broadcast nationally on Rogers Sportsnet. The final is set for 8 p.m. Sunday, also set to air on Sportsnet. After a solid five-year Ontario Hockey League career spent with Owen Sound, Sudbury and Oshawa, Baker passed on some professional tryout offers to study at Western and play for the Mustangs, for whom he's 44 goals and 86 assists in 110 games. He has also scored six goals in eight playoff starts in this post-season, teaming up with linemate and OUA leading scorer Keaton Turkiewicz to be one of the more dangerous tandems in the CIS. The Mustangs advanced to the OUA championship a couple of weeks ago at home in London against Montreal's McGill and were beaten 4-1, but still qualified for the nationals as Ontario league finalist. "I'll graduate this year, but I'd still like to keep playing hockey somewhere," added the Brampton native, who moved to Georgetown South with his family seven years ago. "There hasn't been too much (interest) from (pro teams) yet. We're just focused on the nationals right now and see what happens after it's over." Kevin Baker of Georgetown South has enjoyed another all-star campaign with the Western Mustangs and they are among six men's teams vying for the Cavendish University Cup this weekend in Fredericton, N.B. The high-scoring centre is in his last year at Western and this will be his third trip to the nationals. File photo Bulldogs, Northmen strike affiliation deal those seasons, highlighted by an Ontario and Canadian Founders Cup championship in 2010. "This is something that was long overdue," The Halton Hills Jr. B Bulldogs and the Oran- said Northmen head coach Matt Sawyer. geville Jr. A Northmen have come to an agreeent "We are looking forward to working closely on an affiliation for the 2012 Ontario with a first-class Junior B organizaLacrosse Association season. tion like Halton Hills. This will also Prior to the 2011 campaign, the OLA give us a chance to get some of our made it official that Jr. A teams had the drafted players into their organizaoption to affiliate with a second team. tion and gain valuable playoff experiThe Northmen have an automatic afence and continue develop the strong filiation with its hometown Jr. B councharacter and work ethic that makes terpart and last year affiliated with our team what it is." Newmarket as a second team. The Northmen will open their "We're pleased and genuinely excited season on Friday, May 11 at home to affiliate with the premiere Jr. A orgaagainst the Toronto Beaches, while nization in the country," said Bulldogs the Bulldogs, who have been pracpresident & GM Mike Hancock. tising in Scarborough the past few MIKE "With the success we've had with weeks, will get things rolling on SatHANCOCK such a young team, we wanted our urday, April 28 in Nepean. players to have a place to advance to MCGOURTY JOINS ROCK: The that would continue in their development to the National Lacrosse League's defending champion next level." Toronto Rock have signed Georgetown resident The Northmen have advanced to the Ontario and former Jr. B Bulldog Adam McGourty to its Jr. A final for the past five consecutive seasons three-player practice roster Wednesday, pending and captured three consecutive provincial titles league approval. from 2008 to 2010, as well as back-to-back CanaThe 21-year-old defender was a third-round dian Minto Cup Champions in 2008 and 2009. pick of the Washington Stealth in the 2011 NLL The Bulldogs themselves have also had their Entry Draft. McGourty, at 6-foot-2 and 180 fair share of success over the past five seasons, pounds, spent the past four seasons with the making the Ontario Jr. B final four in each of Brampton Jr. A Excelsiors. By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Raiders will be busy Four games in five nights gets the Ontario Junior Hockey League semifinal playoff underway between the Georgetown Raiders and the Stouffville Spirit this week. The best-of-7 matchup between the OJHL's West and North division champions began last night (Wednesday) in Georgetown and switches to Stouffville Thursday, followed by back-to-back tilts this weekend. For updates after each game, visit the www.theifp.ca. OJHL North/West Conference Best-of-seven final series Game 1 Wednesday, March 21 @ Georgetown Game 2 Thursday, March 22 @ Stouffville, 7:30 p.m. Game 3 Saturday, March 24 @ Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. Game 4 Sunday, March 25 @ Stouffville, 7:30 p.m. x-Game 5 Wednesday, March 28 @ Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. x-Game 6 Thursday, March 29 @ Stouffville, 7:30 p.m. x-Game 7 Saturday, March 31 @ Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. x-if necessary