The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Thursday, D ecem ber 18, 2014 - The IFP - H alton H ills - w w w .theifp.ca Page 37 SPORTS 'Quoteunquote' 'We're going to get aggressive again going into the new year.' Steve Highfield, HHAUG co-chair -- see pg. 38 By Kevin Nagel The Burlington Post Ben Morris (left) of the Burlington Cougars pictured in an Ontario Junior Hockey League game against Stouffville earlier this season. The 17-year-old rookie forward was expected to be released from hospital this week after suffering a terrifying throat injury in a game on Dec. 5. Photo by Eric Riehl/Metroland Media Morris going home after surgery Ben Morris is going home. The Burlington Cougars' centre, who was struck in the throat in a game on Dec. 5, was expected to leave St. Michael's Hospital this week after recovering from surgery last Fri- day. Seven days after the Georgetown native fractured his larynx on a hard snap shot from about eight feet away, doctors operated, im- planting a titanium plate in the process. The injury occurred following a face-off in the Cougars' end of the ice during Burl- ington's home game at Appleby Ice Centre against the Orangeville Flyers. "(Surgery) went very well," said the team's general manager, Rob Radford. "(The titanium plate) he'll have for the rest of his life. It will allow that part of the larynx to heal properly and then act as a re-enforce- ment." Radford doubts Morris, who attends Blyth Academy in Burlington, will play again this season, but wouldn't be surprised if he re- turns to the ice as soon as he is able. "He's still got some healing to do but knowing Ben, I can't see keeping him out of it," said Radford. The GM, who suffered a similar injury dur- ing his playing days as a goalie, said the recov- ery period for Morris probably will last longer than the duration of this season. "But after being out for a week (Morris was in an induced coma to help reduce swelling), the thought was he'd be in the hospital a lot longer, too," said Radford. The injury occurred when Morris fell to his right after taking a face-off. The Orangeville defenceman shot the puck, hitting an unsus- pecting Morris. "It would have been a shot on net if it hadn't hit Ben," Radford said. "I don't know of any equipment that would have prevented it." Morris is one of the many 1997-born play- ers on the Cougars, the youngest team in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. "We want him back on the team," Radford said. "He's the kind of kid you want -- a good student, works both ends of the ice -- he's a good reflection of what our team could be." Awaiting the starter's signal, the race favourites for the annual Egg Nog Jog in Terra Cotta this past Sunday were all business as they embarked on the hilly 10.8-km course, joined by close to 600 runners of all ages and skill levels from around south-central Ontario. Pictured above, the eventual top three overall finish- ers in the race are poised at the front of the field: Winner Andrew Yorke (bib # 598), runner-up Ehab El Sandali (603) and Terra Cotta's own Nicholas Schwass (486, third place). Photo by Sue Sitki Yorke rolls to Egg Nog Jog victory Conditions were nearly perfect for the 32nd- annual Egg Nog Jog on Sunday in Terra Cotta as a field of close to 600 runners took on the challenging 10.8-km course. Guelph's Andrew Yorke crossed the finish line first, nearly a minute ahead of runner-up Ehab El Sandali of Toronto, in a time of 35 minutes and 10 seconds. The top local finish- er was Terra Cotta's Nicholas Schwass, who was third overall in a time of 39:25 and Tim Shannon of Georgetown was ninth in 42:52. Monica Lau of Oakville was the first female finisher in 45:31, while Kristin Schwass of Terra Cotta was fastest amongst Halton Hills residents in 49:20, good for second place in the women's 50-54 age group. Prognosis good for junior hockey player NEW LOCATION 312 GUELPH ST., GEORGETOWN 905-877-2296 www.georgetowntoyota.com January 3, 2015 7:30 pm at Mold-Masters SportsPlex Georgetown Raiders vs. Trenton Golden Hawks Next home game Thirteen-year-old Helene Carle of Georgetown qualified for her second consecutive National Championship at the Skate Canada Challenge elimi- nation round held in Pierrefonds, Que. earlier this month, at which 54 of Can- ada's best novice women each contest- ed for one of the 18 coveted spots. Building on her win at the Central Ontario Sectionals held in George- town last month, Carle had a disap- pointing short program at the Skate Canada Challenge, but delivered a season's-best free program to earn an overall score of 92.62 points, plac- ing her 10th at the qualifying compe- tition for nationals. The Skate Canada Champion- ships will be held in Kingston Jan. 19-25. Carle qualifies for Skate Canada Championships HELENE CARLE