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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday December 13, 2006 - 41 Centre Winter Mississauga-Oakville Bridge League And The American Contract Bridge Bridge For Beginners...87:45, beginning January 15 weeks, $139.00 Monday evenings Lessons Wednesday afternoons 1:30, beginning January 17 For "Rusty" Players...8 weeks, $139.00 th th Monday mornings 9:45, beginning January 15th Wednesday evenings 7:45, beginning January 17th Bridge Games For Newer Players Thursday mornings weekly at 9:15 beginning January 4th Please call (905) 820-5728 www.raynerbridge.com Christmas & New Year's Eve Dances! at the Burlington Social Club CHRISTMAS PARTY Dine and dance at our Annual Christmas Dinner and Dance NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY Party with us this New Year's Eve! HERB GARBUTT / OAKVILLE BEAVER Sunday December 10th, 2006 6:00 pm to 12:00 pm $20.00 per person (no membership required) SHARPSHOOTER: Trevor Elliott, the Oakville Blades' leading scorer, fires a shot at Hamilton Red Wings goaltender Cameron Talbot Monday in Hamilton. The Blades won 4-0, snapping the Red Wings' 11-game winning streak and extending their own to 11. Sunday December 31st, 2006 Dinner at 6:00 pm Dancing Until 2:00 am $47.00 per person (no membership required) Young goaltending tandem has Blades atop Jr. A standings Oakville blanks Red Wings in conference showdown By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF For more info contact 905-681-0128 5100 South Service Road, Unit 14 Se r vice Rd. Appleby Line HAMILTON -- In their most important game of the season, it might have been surprising to see a 16-year-old rookie goalie getting the call for the Oakville Blades. Of course, the other option was a 17-year-old rookie netminder. While most teams, especially those with championship aspirations, insist on a veteran between the pipes, the Blades have shot to the top of the Provincial Jr. A Hockey League's West Conference with two first-year netminders. With a limit of two 16-year-olds, few teams are willing to use one of those spots on a goaltender who is unlikely to play significant minutes. But while Oakville had both goalies from last year's conference championship team eligible to return, it opted instead to go with two unproven rookies. Both sported impressive credentials. Matt Hoyle posted a 1.93 goals-against average with the Toronto Marlies and was drafted by the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League while Kori Coelho had a 1.64 goals-against average as he helped the Markham Waxers win an OMHA midget championship. Still, there was some concern. "I'd like to say I wasn't nervous but I was, a little bit, until I saw them perform," said Trevor Elliott, who leads the Blades with 51 points. "These two kids have been unbelievable. It doesn't matter who's back there." While they may still be rookies, you can drop the unproven tag. Monday night in Hamilton, Hoyle, the only 16-year-old goalie in the conference, stopped 23 shots to blank the Hamilton Red Wings 4-0 for his second shutout of the season. Two nights earlier, Coelho came within three minutes of his second Jr. A shutout as the Blades routed Georgetown 8-1. "I'm just lucky to get the chance to play," Hoyle said Monday after the Blades extended their winning streak to 11 games. "I just want to try my best to improve." He's certainly done that. After a shaky start in which he went winless in his first three games, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound netminder has gone 16-3-0 with a 2.99 goals-against average and .896 save percentage. Hoyle has now beat the Wings, who had their own 11-game winning streak coming into Monday's game, in his last three starts. Although Coelho has played half as many games, he has yet to allow more than three goals while posting a 10-1-0 record. His 1.82 goalsagainst average leads the league and his .921 save percentage ranks fifth. Together, Hoyle and Coelho have helped the Blades allow the second-fewest goals in the conference and sixth-best in the 35team league. The duo has had to contend with an everchanging lineup in front of it, too. But, despite their evolving lineup, the Blades roll on. Despite working five new players into the lineup in recent weeks, the Blades have won 17 of their last 18 games. "It's kind of surreal," Elliott said. "We're playing so well. We've had a lot of tough games but we're finding a way to get it done." That's what they did Friday as they rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the final 10 minutes to edge Burlington 5-4 in overtime. Newcomer Anthony Pototschnik scored with under two minutes to play to make it 4-3 and Bryan Peters -- recently returned from a concussion injury -- tied the game with 40 seconds remaining. Elliott then sealed the victory in overtime. "That really set the tone for the whole weekend," Elliott said. A night later against Georgetown, Domenic Monardo had a hat trick and Nick McParland had three points, while Lindsay Sparks, the only Blades' player younger than Hoyle, had three assists. Monday, McParland and Brent Clarke scored less than two minutes apart midway through the opening period to spot Oakville a 2-0 lead. Monardo and Daniel Calitri put the game away with second-period goals. -- Herb Garbutt can be reached at sports@oakvillebeaver.com. blowoutsales.ca ca MAINWAY ARENA where extreme value rules THE THIRD ANNUAL CHRISTMAS GIFT BLOWOUT !!! SAVE UP TO 80% BLOW OUT PRICING Quantities Limited 3 DAYS ONLY! 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