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The speedy winger was held off the scoresheet in the Lightning‘s opening game of the 1993â€"94 season, Wednesday,as the team lost 2â€"1 to New Jersey Devils. + _A 10â€"kilometre run Oct. 24 at Mountsberg Conservation Area will be "Strictly for the Birds." ; That‘s the fitting title of the ace that will take place along ounstsberg’s lake shore and Korest trails, beginning at 11 a.m. ‘ _ You‘ll recall that Zamuner signed with the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agentâ€"â€" then went on to finish fourth in team scoring as a rookie. Well, he‘s back with the Lightning this yearâ€"â€"once again as the only Oakville product curâ€" tently playing in the Natlonal Hockey League. Rob Zamuner can only hope to have a season like he did last year. The first is entitled A Noâ€" Nonsense Discussion of Sport Psychology, with Pat Healy, Canada‘s national sailing coach. For information and to register ‘vall the Mississauga Sports Council at 896â€"5853. Now in its third year, the series consists of six monthly evening workshops, each focussing on different topics, to teach area coaches, athletes and parents the latest techniques in coaching and methods to improve athletic performance. ROB‘s BACK Ten of Canada‘s top coaches, trainers and sports specialists will be on hand for the 1993â€"94 Sports Seminar Series in Mississauga, beginning Oct. 26. Justin Barney scored three goals, Ryan Son Key, David Peacock and Daniel Priceâ€"Owen two each. Taylor DeWal and Drago Stojkovie also scored. SPORTS SEMINAR Oakville Lightning opened their boys underâ€"11 indoor seaâ€" son with an 11â€"1 victory over Burlington. LIGHTNING STRIKES All proceeds go to the new entre for birds of prey that is ow under construction. A 2 km un for children will take place he same day. _ About 300 runners are expectâ€" d to participate in the two vents. Top male and female 10 runners will each receive a heck for $100. , _ Mountsberg Wildlife Centre is bcated on Milborough Line, ;tween Guelph Line and ighway 6, one kilometre north f Campbellville Rd. _ 336â€"1158 for information. ARM Walker said "there‘s someâ€" thing wrong with the system" when the Blades have to give up a quality player in order to get one who wanted to play in his hometown. Worse is when that player is someone like MacDonald, a wellâ€"liked; skillâ€" ful rearguard. She didn‘t play against the Red Devils just as she didn‘t play in the team‘s season opener, a 23â€"14 win a week earlier over Milton. This is fine, too, she says. She just wants to learn as muchas she can to be ready for when her turn comes, either this year or next year. But to teammates and coach Al Tanner she‘s just a secondâ€"string defensive _ backâ€"â€" which is just the way Gervais would like it. An equal. "There‘s nothing I want to prove," she said _ after _ the Wildcats‘ 29â€"7 loss to Oakville Trafalgar, Wednesday at White Oaks. "This is just something I wanted to do." Rick MacDonald‘s final game for the Oakville Blades was a good one. Less than 24 hours after setting up two thirdâ€"period goals in the Blades first win of the Provincial Jr. A Hockey League season, 5â€"4 over Streetsville Derbys Tuesday, MacDonald was sent to Milton Merchants to complete a trade for Jud Richards. Richards, an 18â€"yearâ€"old Oakville native, had been place don waivers by the Ontario Hockey League‘s Oshawa Generals, then claimed by Kitchener Rangers, which wanted to send him to their Milton affiliate. But the Blades wanted him and the 6â€"footâ€"1, 190â€"pound wanted to play here. And while all parties are happy with the transaction, Blades general manager Murray Walker was still hurt at a) being forced to make the deal in the first place, and b) having to give up MacDonald, who was in his second year with the team. She doesn‘t want extra attention and would probably have preferred if this story weren‘t even written. She just wants to play football and if she‘s a girl, well, so what? Michelle Gervais is, indeed, a girl. Fifteenâ€" yearsâ€"old, Grade 10 and the first female to play high school football in Oakville. "You can see the shock on their face," Gervais says with a nervous laugh. "They‘re thinking, ‘She‘s a girl!" She will leave her helmet on, the better that no notices her flowing blond hair. She seldom says anything and will usually look away. Invariably, though, players look past the bars on the helmet and notice that No. 2 on the White Oaks Wildcats junior football team is different. It is tradition following a high school football game to shake hands with the opposing team. Players on each side pass each other single file, offering a cursory nod or a friendly "good game." This is the part Michelle Gervais hates the most. By JIM WILSON Beaver sports editor Blades make trade after first win Underneath all that padding is Michelle Gervais, breaking the gender barrier with the White Oaks football team 5 t 2. Gervais says she had planned on trying out for the team as early last year and spent much of the summer training on her own. True to word, she joined close to 60 others at practice at the start of school last month. "I was scared at first, but I did it," she said. "I just gave it my best shot." "Michelle came in and said she had always wanted to play," recalled Tanner. "There was nothing in the rules saying she couldn‘t, so I said "I still have so much to learn. It‘s hard, really hard...(but) I‘m really enjoying it." Richards spent two years in the OHL among a couple of teams before winding up in Oshawa. He is expected to add experience, toughness and discipline to a youthful Oakville defence. MacDonald, who was not happy about leaving the Blades, Walker said, fed Cory Waring for the winning goal with 6:33 to play in Tuesday‘s win in Streetsville. Waring scored on a twoâ€"onâ€"one break to give the Blades their first win after three losses to start the season. Minutes earlier, he assisted on Jason Slaney s power play goal that snapped a 4â€"4 tie. Derbys made it close 7 =â€"â€" when Ron Murphy added a powerâ€"play marker with 14 secâ€" onds left. But, said Walker, the Merchants insisted upon him and "We had to give up something to get something. We had no choice." That left Gervais on the 40â€"man, er, lC lle person, roster. She is only 5â€"footâ€"5 . ,| , , #4], 3nd slim, but is a good athlete (she‘s WH th played rep soccer and competed in figâ€" ure skating and swimming), possessâ€" ing above average speed. "She‘s really worked hard," said Tanner, noting size isn‘t allâ€"important at the junior level. Tanner concedes he was surprised when the girls showed up (although several girls tried outâ€"â€" and ultimately madeâ€"â€"the school wrestling team last winter). He was also surprised at the recepâ€" tion Gervais has received from the boys on the team. "She definitely deserved to make it. There was no preferential treatment at all." "They‘re amazingly good about it," he says. Gervais, as well, has kind words for her teamâ€" mates. Instead of resentâ€" ment, they have been very "supportive," she says. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1993 PAGE 21 yes. But I told her she would have to do everything the boys do, drills etc." She was joined by two other girls. One lasted just the first practice; the other was a late cut. Goals by Shane Stephens, Matt Honchar, Matt Interbartolo and Kent Williams had supplied See BLADES, Page 22 "If we played every game like we do the first period, we‘d win the Centennial Cup," said Walker. Blades once again had a sparkling firstâ€"period and once again collapsed in the second period. Wednesday, Oakville Trafalgar built up a 22â€"0 lead before the Wildcats got on the board with a 60â€"yard kickoff return by Irwin Dopwell. Tim Bakker scored three touchdowns and Dave Hyland the other for the Red Devils. She has missed only one practice, although she cut short a couple because of a Charley horse. Gervais dresses in a separate change room before joining the rest of the team on the field â€"â€"or the bus that takes them to away games. The same, however, wasn‘t quite true of her parents. It took a little more persuasion to get their approval, she admits. They‘ll be pleased to learn she has no intenâ€" tion of trying out for the senior team.