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'Cats sniper apologetic after sparking 4-3 win It's not often you will hear a player apologize for scoring a hat-trick and helping her team pull out a last-minute victory, but Gabby Kosziwka had an admission to make after the Acton Bearcats beat the T.A. Blakelock Tigers 4-3 on Wednesday afternoon. "That shift was a little too long," said the 15-year-old Kosziwka, a Grade 10 student. "We had them down in their end for a while and we knew we could score." Despite being shorthanded at the time, Kosziwka and fellow Bearcat forward Amanda Schroeder buzzed around the T.A. Blakelock goal, looking to break a 3-3 tie. Kosziwka just missed scoring on at least a halfdozen chances during that shift, then the Limehouse resident finally wristed in the clinching goal with just over two minutes remaining in the third period. The win improved Acton's record to 3-4 in the Halton high school girls' hockey league standings and it's likely that the Bearcats will qualify for the region's A/AA playdowns next Kyle Fraser of the Streetsville Derbys tries a wraparound scoring attempt on Georgetown Raiders' goalie Ryan Gibb on Tuesday night at the Vic Johnson Community Centre. A sparse crowd watched the Derbys post an important 2-1 win in the OHA Provincial Jr. A Hockey League's West Conference. Photo by Eamonn Maher Raiders drop close one to Derbys as home-ice begins to slip away Home-ice advantage in the opening round of the OHA Provincial Jr. A Hockey League playoffs is slipping out of the grasp of the Georgetown Raiders and their road record this season isn't cause for much optimism. The fifth-place Raiders looked lacklustre in dropping a 2-1 decision to the sixth-place Derbys on Tuesday at the Vic Johnson Community Centre, bringing Streetsville to within three points of Georgetown in the West Conference standings. Each club has nine games remaining in the regular season, with the 19-15-4-2 Raiders playing six of those away from home, where they're just 610-2-1. Streetsville's Ryan Silveira netted the winner early in the third period on a breakaway deke past Raider goalie Ryan Gibb after a defensive miscue. Wade Finegan's second-period marker was the lone shot of 30 by Georgetown to beat Derby goalie David Wilson, a former Raider. With the loss, the Raiders are four points behind Burlington and six back of Oakville in the race for third spot in the conference. The Derbys, who will host the Royal Bank Cup Canadian championship tournament in May at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, did not have deadline acquisitions Steve Tamaridis from Toronto and Buffalo's Brent Alexin in the lineup against Georgetown on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the OHA has been investigating an off-ice incident that occurred after a game last week in Hamilton between the Raiders and the host Red Wings. Members of both coaching staffs got into an altercation in a hallway of the Chedoke Arena and while police did not attend or lay charges in the incident, it's expected that the OHA will announce its ruling today. "It was an unfortunate incident, but I can tell you we didn't initiate anything," said Raiders' director of player personnel Peter Mavroudis. "We were simply trying to leave the rink when a member of Hamilton's coaching staff blocked our exit and confronted (Georgetown assistant coach) Blaine (McCauley)." The Raiders will travel to Burlington to face the Cougars tonight and will host the Bramalea Blues Saturday at the MoldMasters SportsPlex Saturday beginning at 7:30 p.m. Georgetown also has a road game Monday against the Mississauga Chargers in Port Credit. --By Eamonn Maher, staff writer month after exams are completed. "Today, everyone was up for the game and as long as we play like that and put in the effort, we'll be happy," said Acton coach Bruce Andrews. Jody Howard also scored for the `Cats, with Kaitlyn Andrews and Calli Andrew supplying strong defence for the home side. Kosziwka has accounted for the lion's share of Acton's goal scoring this season and she is also a standout on her Brampton midget AA club team. "My goal is to get a scholarship," said Kosziwka, who is also a provincial champion in beach volleyball. Last week, Kosziwka scored four goals and added an assist but the Bearcats were outgunned 8-5 by Iroquois Ridge. Jody Howard added a goal and two assists for Acton and Hayley Halls helped set up three of the Bearcat markers. Next up for the Bearcats is the Ice Gardens tournament at York University Feb. 6-7. --By Eamonn Maher, staff writer Acton Bearcats' forward Gabby Kosziwka has terrorized defenders and goalkeepers this season with a deft stickhandling and scoring touch in Halton high school girls' hockey and she struck for three more goals on Tuesday, spearheading a 4-3 comeback win over Oakville's T.A. Blakelock Tigers at the Acton Arena. Photo by Eamonn Maher