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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 2006 39 Wood's goal lifts STA to OFSAA gold By Herb Garbutt penalty kicks in the last six years, came over to offer some tips. "Where do you want to shoot?" lana Wood stood nervously "Right." along the sidelines, watching "Make sure to look to the left. And as the shootout that would just do it like you're passing the ball." decide the Ontario high school girls' With the ball in place, Wood stepped soccer AA championship unfolded. up. She looked to the left, brought her Wood and her St. Thomas Aquinas leg back and then..... teammates held hands as their Raiders "I think I closed my eyes," the 16teammates answered each shot by the year-old said. St. Joseph's Lady Rams. After five What she didn't see was the goalie shooters, nothing had been decided. biting, diving to the left. What she didEven a switch to a suddenn't see was her kick going "I was praying death format did little but to the right. heighten the tension -- Jess (Barrett) What she did see was and Wood's blood pres- would finish it the ball hitting the mesh at sure. With each shooter, off. I was hoping the back of the net. And Wood's chance of stepping it wouldn't get to she'll never forget what she to the line increased. saw next. me." With the score tied 6-6, "I turned around and Taryn McKenna turned everyone was running Alana Wood away a shooter from the toward me. It was so St. Thomas, Ontario incredible to see the smiles school and Wood was relieved. That on everyone's faces," recalled Wood. "It gave Jessie Barrett, a Grade 12 veteran was the most incredible feeling of with a silver medal from two years ear- accomplishment for the team." lier, the chance to win gold for the "Everyone lost their minds," Barrett Raiders. Like Wood, Barrett was wish- added. "We were all crying. It was a big ing the shootout was over long before mess but it felt awesome." it got to her. There were almost tears for an "I was praying Jess would score to entirely different reason. After Andrea finish it off," Wood said. "I was hoping Adamic and Katherine Dziedzic gave it wouldn't get to me." Aquinas a 2-0 lead in the final, St. No such luck. The St. Joseph goalie Joseph's rallied and scored twice from made a good save to prolong the agony. scrambles in front of the Raiders' net. After McKenna made another save "I think we got a little too confident to give her team a chance to win, up 2-0," Adamic said. Wood's worst nightmare was realized When two 10-minute overtimes when she heard her name called. The didn't decide the outcome, it set up the Ontario championship was now resting dramatic victory for the team that on the shoulders of a player who entered OFSAA as the seventh seed in received spot duty throughout the sea- the 20-team tournament. son. A player who had been given some "We always start the season saying more playing time during the Ontario `This is the year we bring home the Federation of School Athletic gold,'" said Andrea Adamic, who led the Associations championship tourna- Raiders with five goals. "To actually do ment in Peterborough because a team- it, it's amazing." mate was sick. A player who was not The victory earned Aquinas its firsteven in the starting lineup for the final. ever OFSAA gold medal in any team A player that didn't even have a posi- sport. tion, playing everywhere but goalie at "It's probably one of the most excitOFSAA. ing experiences of my life," said defendAnd all Wood could think about was er Gillian Knap. "It was really emotionthe last penalty kick she took as a 10- al and knowing that no other team has year-old house leaguer -- a missed ever done it makes it that much more kick that lost her team the game. special." Teammate Karalyn De Rosa, who The Raiders were undefeated in pool had taken an infinite number more See Aquinas page 41 OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER SAFE: Holy Trinity's Jessica Decock slides into third base during Wednesday's Halton high school girls' softball semifinal at River Oaks Park. The Titans' strong season came to an end with a 9-7 loss to the Nelson Lords. Titans' resurgence ends in semi Girls' softball team with plenty of returnees next year By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The Holy Trinity Titans' arrival as a Halton high school girls' softball contender may have been unexpected but it's something their opponents had better grow accustomed to. After winning just two games last season, the Titans were a perfect 6-0 in league play this year. Despite not having a single Grade 12 student on their roster, the Titans' first playoff run proved to be a successful one, even if it came up a couple wins short of the ultimate goal. The Nelson Lords, who were also looking to reach the Halton final for the first time, rallied from a 6-0 deficit to edge the Titans 9-7 in Wednesday's semifinal. Georgetown downed the T.A. Blakelock Tigers in the other semi, setting up a Nelson/Georgetown clash in yesterday's final. Trinity's first loss of season Though it's always tough when your first loss ends your season, the Titans were able to take solace in what they had achieved. "We've come a long way since last year," said shortstop Sabrina di Bella, who singled, tripled and scored twice. "I'm proud of what we've accomplished." With pitching playing such an important role in softball, the arrival of Grade 9 students Kristen Keenan and Diana Saturno certainly played a role in reversing the team's fortunes. The Titans allowed the second-fewest runs (21) in the 21team league. Keenan pitched four shutout innings against Nelson as the Titans jumped in front. Saturno held the Lords in check in her first inning but the Titans defence committed three errors in a fourrun frame that cut Trinity's lead to 6-4. The long 10-batter inning seemed to tire Saturno and the Nelson bats caught up to her, adding five more in the fifth. "It was a little disappointing," Keenan said of the loss. "One inning can make the whole game." Titans built early lead It looked like that inning might be the first as the Titans scored three times thanks to singles by Keenan and di Bella. Keenan doubled home Misty Hammel in the third. All those runs came off Nelson starter Jenn Riddell, who chalked up 10 strikeouts -- including the last five batters she faced -- in four innings of work. "We really hadn't seen anything like that all year," di Bella said of the speed of Riddell's pitches. "I figured when we hit off her fast pitches it was going to go well," Keenan said. The Titans extended their lead to 6-0 in the fourth when Jessica Decock doubled home a run and later scored. The Titans defence was just as a big reason for See Solid page 40 CANLAN ICE SPORTS ­ OAKVILLE · SUMMER HOCKEY CAMPS 2006 · LIMITED SPACES IN EACH CAMP. DON'T DELAY! · VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR WEEKLY OFFERINGS REGISTER TODAY 905-845-6989 www.icesports.com