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8 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,January 18, 2011 SPORTS & LEISURE Raiders tuning up for playoffs By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer There's been a bit of a revolving door on the Georgetown Raider defence corps this year and the team's lone local native is one of just two blueliners left standing since the season began. Georgetown's Alex D'Oliveira, who starred for the Mississauga Reps on their run to an Ontario Hockey Federation midget AAA title last spring, is now seeing a regular shift in his rookie campaign with the Raiders, playing alongside veteran Matt Chiarantano during Saturday's 6-3 victory over the visiting Aurora Tigers. Making the transition from minor hockey to the Ontario Jr. Hockey League has taken some time, the 17-year-old Georgetown District High School student admits, but is confident he can earn a spot amongst the Raiders top six rearguards heading into next month's post-season. "We've been trying to get the right fit for our defence and get the right chemistry in the room as well as on the ice," said the 6-foot-1, 215-pound D'Oliveira, who attended the Ontario Hockey League training camp of the Sarnia Sting last summer as an undrafted free agent. So far with the Raiders, he has four goals and three assists in 35 games. "We didn't end up 2010 in the best way, but we've been picking up our play the first few games of 2011 and it's kind of been a fresh start for ALEX us. Now we're D'OLIVEIRA just trying to fine-tune things for the playoffs." The 27-12-3 Raiders were in Hamilton Monday night for a key matchup with the Red Wings as those two clubs and Oakville battle for second spot in the OJHL's West Division. Against Aurora and former Raider bench boss James Richmond, Evan Rodrigues scored twice in the first period and went on to notch a hat trick on the night. Justin Basso potted his league-leading 40th of the season, with singles also going to Scott Wilson and Tyler Walsh. Raider head coach & GM Greg Walters was furious during a time out called late in the third period after the Tigers scored two soft goals to cut into what was a 5-0 advantage at the second intermission. "For 40 minutes, we were a very good team and then we came out in the third period and fell asleep," he said. "We've been playing well the last four or five games, even if we didn't win all of them, but we just want to keep getting better going into the playoffs. The standings are so tight that we can't afford to take a period off here and there." Walters made one final move before last week's roster cutdown deadline, picking up 18-year-old forward Nick Marinac from Streetsville. The 5-foot-7, 160-pound Burlington native was second on the Derbys in scoring with 21 goals, 27 assists and 60 penalty minutes in 40 games played in 2010-11. Later in the week, the Raiders host the Mississauga Chargers Saturday at the Alcott Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m. and those two teams will meet again Monday in Malton. Defenceman Nathan Domagala of the Georgetown Raiders searches for the rebound in front of goalie Michael Nishi and Aurora Tiger captain Brett Priestab during their Ontario Jr. Hockey League contest Saturday at the Alcott Arena. The Raiders prevailed 6-3 for their second straight victory. Photo by Eamonn Maher Triple flip nets Gerrits World Cup personal best Building on an already prosperous 2010/11 campaign, freestyle aerial skier Travis Gerrits placed 10th at Mont Gabriel, Quebec Sunday-- his best-ever finish on the World Cup circuit. That was due in large part to a personal-best qualifying jump, in which the 19-year-old rural Actonian executed a triple flip-- with a full twist in each-- to near perfection. He secured the highest air and form scores of the entire field and came away with 116.23 points, advancing to his first World Cup final. His combined score was also a new personal record. "I was looking to put two good jumps together, and I did," said the up-and-coming aerialist, who's considered a bonafide contender for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. Gerrits is now ranked 20th on the World Cup stage and sits atop the NorAm rankings. He's in Lake Placid this coming weekend to continue a hectic World Cup schedule, which wraps up with trips to Moscow and Belarus in early March. Zone champs Two bantam boys' teams from the Club at North Halton met up in the A-side final game (pictured at left) at the Ontario Curling Association zone playdowns this past weekend in Shelburne. The local teams, skipped by Ben Bradley and Eric Bradey, respectively, both qualified for the OCA bantam regional tournament set for this weekend in Chesley. Bradley's team also includes Darryl Ward, Alex Wharram and Ryan Brown, while the rest of Bradey's rink consists of Jamie Waters, David Jones and Connor Rumfeldt. Submitted photo LEASING & FINANCIN G FROM ON SELECT 2011 MO DELS WINNER EVENT EVERYONE'S A Honda START THE YEAR WITH A WIN BR B ING HOME H BRING ONE OF OUR AWARD WINNING MODELS TODAY Canada's passenger car 13 p years in a row 0.9%(oac) #1 selling 2011 CR-V BEST RESALE VALUE Kelley Blue Books Car & Driver 10 Best for a record 25 times es C 2011 CIVI 2011 CR-V 2011 ACCOR D www.georgetownhonda.ca Serving Georgetown for over 30 years! getown 905-873316 Guelph Street, Georgetown 905-873-1818 905-874-3021 HONDA