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Sports Oakville Beaver By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2007 27 Late goal lifts Eagles in hockey showdown Team commitment paying off for Abbey Park controlled the play throughout much of the game. Butler said early in the year that his team needed to work on The Abbey Park Eagles are going to its defensive play after surrendering great lengths to make this season suc- seven goals in its first three games. Over its next seven games, it allowed cessful, in more ways than one. Abbey Park's boys' hockey team will only nine goals. However, the improved defensive travel to the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany during the upcoming play has been undermined by a lack of March Break. On the ice, meanwhile, a finish in the offensive end. Blakelock strong team commitment is paying off has scored just two goals in back-toback losses, dropping the Tigers to 6-2in victories. "We've got a young team but a very 2. That's already more losses than Blakelock suffered all of hard-working team," said last year when it went 13Eagles coach Larry "I've never had a 1-0 on its way to the Rinaldo. "I've never had a team where the Halton final. team where the attendance attendance for Butler still believes his for practice has been this practice has been team has the talent to do good. They want to get on this good. They no worse than reaching the ice and play." the Halton semifinal. "There's been a lot more want to get on Abbey Park would also like effort in practice and the ice and play." to be in the final four after games," added defenceman winning for the fourth Eric Salveson. "Everyone's Abbey Park coach time in five games to Larry Rinaldo giving 110 per cent." improve to 6-3-0. And that effort carries After dropping two 4-0 decisions to through until the final buzzer, the Eagles proved Tuesday, when Salveson Blakelock in pre-season and tournament drove to the net to bang in Andrew games, Tuesday's victory showed the Kavanagh's rebound with two seconds Eagles are improving. Abbey Park was remaining to give the Eagles a 2-1 win particularly good on the penalty kill as over the T.A. Blakelock Tigers at Glen its strong forechecking gave the Tigers fits as they tried to set up their attack. Abbey Recreation Centre. "We're a good skating team," Moore Rinaldo's biggest concern is preventing his players from trying to do said. "A lot of other coaches comment too much, such as limiting Salveson's on that. We're not a big team so we're not going to knock people around, but forays deep into the offensive zone. "I've been trying to hold back we are a fast skating team." After taking a 1-0 lead on Jamie more," Salveson said. "Mr. Rinaldo McKeown's goal late in the opening doesn't like it when I do that." But on this day, there were no com- period, the Eagles faced a full twoplaints, not from Rinaldo and especial- minute, two-man Blakelock power play ly not from Abbey Park goalie Evan in the second. The Eagles' strong Moore, who held his team in the game penalty killing, anchored by Brandon with spectacular saves throughout. In Smith, Rick Giesebrecht, Garrett Kirk, the third period alone, Moore slid Salveson and Kavanagh, allowed the across the net to stop Adam Fiddler's Tigers only one shot on net by applying one-timer, turned aside Will Joyce, relentless pressure on their opponents. The Tigers would eventually tie the who was left alone in the slot, and made a good save on Kellan Lain game with four minutes to play, finally beating Moore on Mike Morrison's shot breaking in on the wing. "Their goalie played exceptionally from the point that found its way well," said Blakelock coach Ken Butler. through a crowd and caught the top corner. "In fact, he stood on his head." -- Herb Garbutt can be reached at The inability to beat Moore proved to be frustrating for the Tigers, who sports@oakvillebeaver.com. RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER FLURRIES: Snow flies as Abbey Park's Rick Giesbrecht (left) and T.A. Blakelock's Jesse Martin jostle for position in Tuesday's Halton boys' hockey game at the Glen Abbey Recreation Centre. Brad Salveson scored with two seconds to play to give Abbey Park a 2-1 victory. Five locals named OHL all-stars Five local products have been selected to play in the Ontario Hockey League's all-star game Jan. 31 in Saginaw, Michigan. Four of the five will suit up for the East Conference, led by the league's top two scorers, Tyler Donati of the Belleville Bulls and John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals. They will be joined by Stefan Legein of the Mississauga Ice Dogs (see Saturday's paper for more on Legein) and Trevor Cann of the Peterborough Petes. Sam Gagner of the London Knights will be the lone representative on West Conference squad. Donati, in his fourth year in the league, has 38 goals and a league-leading 82 points, both career highs. He recorded his 250th career point last week against Owen Sound. Tavares, last year's OHL and CHL rookie of the year, leads the league with 44 goals and is second to Donati the league scoring race. The 16-yearold's 81 points in 40 games has already eclipsed the 77 points he put up in his first season. Legein, who played in Wednesday's CHL Top Prospects Game, is enjoying a breakthrough season with 26 goals and 45 points in 42 games. Prior to this season Legein had 10 goals and 24 points in 108 career games. Cann also played in the Top Prospects game in Quebec City and is rated as the top North American goalie for this year's NHL draft. Despite facing an average of more than 43 shots per game with the Petes, he has a 3.49 average and .913 save percentage. Gagner sits fourth in the OHL scoring race with 71 points despite missing more than two weeks while helping the Canada win a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Sweden. CANLAN ICE SPORTS ­ OAKVILLE PA DAY HOCKEY CAMPS Friday, February 2nd Halton Public & Catholic School Boards REGISTER TODAY 905-845-6989 $59.00 + GST www.icesports.com