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16 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, October 18, 2006 SPORTS & LEISURE New game `sticking it' to hockey `dinosaurs' look at the material that Hockey Canada has supplied," said Lewis, referring to the 35-minute instructionTraveling across southern Ontario al DVD and written information. to spread the word about Hockey "There is also a shared respect element Canada's mandate to establish a new to this where the refs won't be the standard of play and rules emphasis in scapegoat if the coach hasn't taken the amateur hockey, Georgetown's Bryan time to educate his players. Nine out of Lewis has a message for those 10 times the complaints occur because "dinosaurs" who fail to adapt to the they don't understand what it is that they've done wrong, or had taken little changes. "Buy in, or it's bye-bye," said Lewis, effort to try to understand." At this point in the season, Lewis the former director of officiating for the National Hockey League and cur- added, awareness is the big stumbling block. Some OPJAHL teams failed to rent Hockey Canada instructor. With the regular season now under show up to a pre-season league meetway for most amateur hockey teams, ing to discuss the new initiative and players, coaches and spectators will Lewis noted that some of those clubs are now struggling in the standings notice that the because of the game is being offinumber of power ciated in a dramatplay goals they're `Nine out of ically different surrendering. style than in past 10 times the Georgetown Jr. years. The motto complaints A Raiders' head is, "It's a New coach Blaine Game" and the occur McCauley took it a two main points because they step further, invitare: ing his older · The stick will don't underbrother Wes, who not be allowed to, stand what it was hired on as a in any way, impede a player's is that they've done wrong, or full-time NHL official referee prior to progress, and; had taken little effort to try to last season, to go · It is imperaover the guidelines understand.' tive that coaches teach the players --Hockey Canada instructor with the players during a pre-seathat the stick can son practice. Bryan Lewis only be used to Through their first play the puck. 14 regular season Lewis admits to games, the Raiders being "old school" in his hockey upbringing, but pointed to the exciting appear to have adapted well, for the hockey produced during last season's most part, averaging about 25 minutes NHL playoffs, where infractions such in penalties per game-- if a fight-filled as obstruction were rarely seen after contest with Burlington isn't included. "We watched the Hockey Canada the league's post-lockout crackdown. DVD, and I didn't realize there were As an OHA supervisor, Lewis addressed several junior hockey teams nine different ways you could hook before the season and spoke to the someone," joked Blaine McCauley. Georgetown Referees' Association "Wes was able to give us some helpful about the new guidelines. He said that hints. If you're chasing someone with officials who don't adhere will find the puck and you bring your stick up, themselves getting fewer assignments you immediately have the referee's and that the deterrent of the power attention. In practice, we've been play will force coaches and players to stressing to our players to keep their sticks down. With the team we've adapt or be left behind. built, we want to play an aggressive, "In fairness to the officials, players high-tempo game that's on the edge, so and coaches, there's a lot of reprogram- you're going to take some penalties ming to do, but from what we've seen, it's a pretty simple process when you See NEW, pg. 17 EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Georgetown Raiders' leading scorer Adam DeJong nearly caught Oakville Blades' goalkeeper Matt Hoyle out of position during the second period of their OPJAHL contest on Friday at the Dominion Twin Rinks. The 16-year-old Hoyle recorded the victory as his teammates rallied from a two-goal third period deficit to beat the Raiders 6-4. Photo by Eamonn Maher Crunch time ahead for Raiders EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Division titles aren't won in October, but the OHA Provincial Jr. A Hockey League schedule for the Georgetown Raiders over the next couple of weeks will likely go a long way in determining the club's fortunes for the remainder of the 2006-07 campaign. On Thursday, the second-place Raiders begin a stretch of eight games in which they'll face seven teams with better-than-.500 records. They're in Brampton tomorrow (Thursday) and then host the first-place Capitals Saturday at the Mold-Masters SportsPlex starting at 7:30 p.m. Georgetown is seven points back of the 13-2-1-0 Capitals with three games in hand, while four teams, Hamilton, Oakville, Burlington and Streetsville, are right on the heels of the Raiders. "We're going to find out if we're for real or if Brampton has really overtaken us," said Raiders' director of player personnel Peter Mavroudis. "I think we've played down to our competition at times and we can be better as a team. Five on five against Oakville on Friday, we dominated." The 9-2-1-1 Raiders looked to be in full control in the third period of their game in Oakville, leading 4-2 before penalty troubles and unlucky bounces allowed the defending West Conference champion Blades to reel off four straight goals and claim a 6-4 triumph. The Blades went 4 for 21 with the man advantage, outshooting Georgetown 53-33, spoiling a brilliant night by goalkeeper Keaton Hartigan. The Raiders, who were 3 for 11 on the power play, received goals from Adam DeJong, Wade Finegan, Jeremy Whelan and Adam Pomroy. Fifth-year centre Rob Sgarbossa sat out with a one-game instigator suspension from the previous week against Streetsville and his penalty-killing prowess was noticeably absent Friday. Blades' defenceman Cody Goloubef notched a hat trick for the home side-- all coming on the power play. Last-place Bramalea paid a visit to the Alcott Arena on Saturday evening, and while they kept the outcome in doubt through the first 40 minutes, the Raiders found their stride in the final period, scoring six times to record a 10-3 win. Kyle Schwende (3), Ryan Torres, DeJong, Sgarbossa, Whelan, Ryan Ford, Finegan and 15-year-old rookie blueliner Spencer Metcalfe supplied the goal scoring. The Raiders were scheduled to play Monday night in Buffalo, but the game has been rescheduled after last week's snowstorm. NOTES: Georgetown's Deron Cousens has been selected to play for Team Canada West at the inaugural World Junior A Hockey Challenge Nov. 6-12 in Yorkton and Humboldt, Sask. The 19-year-old defenceman is in his second season with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and will attend Michigan Tech University next year on a scholarship. Also entered in the tournament are Team Canada East, Russia, Belarus, Germany and Slovakia. Cousens has five goals and eight assists in 14 games so far with the Vees, who are ranked sixth in Canada with a 12-2-0-0 mark...Defenceman Adam Pomroy quit the Raiders after being a healthy scratch on Saturday...Georgetown property Ryan Lee is playing defence for the Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League. (Eamonn Maher can be reached at emaher@independentfreepress.com) NOW OPEN Boston Pizza Georgetown is now fully renovated and looking forward to serving you!