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Local Raider enjoying the moment the ones who brought that long Raider streak to a halt on Jan. 26 with a 6-2 victory. Georgetown won the season series 3-1-2. As the lone Georgetown resident playing for "Burlington plays tough but if we play our the Raiders on the eve of another playoff push, game, personally I don't think they have enough winger Jon Southgate knows the expectations of to beat us," Southgate added. "If they want to use the local supporters, with anything short of a intimidation to try to get us off our game, we'll let banner-hanging ceremony to be viewed as a dis- them take penalties and make them pay for it." appointment. Goaltending promises to be an interesting The 20-year-old Southgate is in his third year matchup in the best-of-seven series, with veteran with the Raiders and he's gone from passenger starters Keaton Hartigan of Georgetown and status in his rookie campaign, when Burlington's Oliver Wren backed up by Georgetown made it all the way to the the very capable Marc Stuart and Eddie Royal Bank Cup semifinals, to a regular Davey, respectively. The Cougars are contributor on the 2006-07 squad, scorled on the blue line by 6-foot-4, 225ing 12 goals and 17 assists while misspound Josh Shrum, named the West ing just two games all season. Division's defenceman of the year, placFittingly, it appears that Southgate ing second in team scoring with 67 will be reunited with fellow longestpoints. Georgetown's backline corps, serving Raiders Wade Finegan and Rob headed up by Matt Thomson and Ryan Sgarbossa on one of the forward lines Lee, was bolstered by the late-season when their first-round OHA Provincial acquisitions of much-needed left-handJON Jr. A Hockey League playoff series with ed shots in Evan Zych from Milton and SOUTHGATE Burlington starts this weekend. Having Collingwood's Justin Wakewich. witnessed several other Raiders finish After shooting mostly blanks in their their junior eligibility over the past two seasons, second-round playoff series loss to Hamilton last Southgate would love to go out on a winning note. year, the Raiders addressed their offensive short"Everything happens so fast in your last year, comings with some big signings during the sumyou just want to cherish every minute of it," said mer, such as Kyle Schwende, Ryan Ford and the second-year University of Guelph bus- Adam DeJong. Ten players on this season's roster iness/human resources student. "The potential is reached double digits in goal scoring, but the there for this team, the firepower is definitely Cougars held the edge over Georgetown in both there. People say we've got holes in our roster but goals for (259-250) and goals against (180-158), it's good to see how we've started to get things crediting the hiring of a personal trainer for their going during the last part of the year. We just best campaign in a decade. have to be more consistent." "Other years we might have one guy with 50 The fourth-place 31-12-3-3 Raiders finished points," said Cougars' coach Wes Wiseman, whose just one point ahead of Burlington in the team has five this year. "It will be a lot harder to shut OPJAHL's West Division standings and at one down than it has in the past. And the good thing is stage enjoyed a 16-game win streak, which we didn't just go out and buy some 20-year-olds. It's included the Newmarket Showcase Tournament been young players like Cory Conacher (22 goals, championship in late December. But the 30-12-4- 62 points), a guy who has come up through the sys3 Cougars won 10 of their last 12 games and were tem and has come into his own." EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer