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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 30, 2007 - 31 Red Devils done in by late try in girls' rugby title contest By Jon Kuiperij However, the Red Devils were unable to convert on any of their three penalty kicks, perhaps in part BURLINGTON -- With the because of a stiff crosswind. increased parity in Halton high school OT made several determined girls' rugby, there is little margin for defensive stands near its own goal error. line during the game, particularly to That was evident Monday after- end the first half as the whistle blew noon in Burlington as the Oakville with Bateman mere feet away from a Trafalgar Red Devils were denied their score. seventh regional title in the past eight Reaume, however, provided the years, falling 7-0 to the winning points on a broOFSAA-bound Robert "When you have ken play. opportunities, Bateman Wild. "I found a gap and OT carried the play you have to capiwent for it," said the 18most of the first half, talize and you year-old, in her fifth seawhen the wind was at its have to minimize son with the Wild. "I back, but was unable to wanted this so bad. So cash in on several prime your mistakes." many years we've come in Co-coach scoring opportunities. second, and it's always Jacquie Bale-Pece That came back to bite been to OT. All that motithe Red Devils as the Wild's Danielle vation just came together." Reaume broke a scoreless tie with 10 Bale-Pece, who co-coached the minutes remaining in regulation, team with Drew MacArthur, felt reaching the OT goal on an individual Bateman had an experience advaneffort up the middle of the field. tage on her youthful squad. The Red "When you have opportunities, you Devils had only two returning Grade have to capitalize," said Red Devils co- 12 starters from last year's Halton coach Jacquie Bale-Pece, "and you champion team. have to minimize your mistakes." "We are a very young team that OT, which hammered Bateman 34- stood toe-to-toe with that very senior 5 in last year's Halton final, came out team from Bateman," she said. "Any strong Monday and did not allow the given day, I think it could have gone Wild to cross midfield until the 20- either way." minute mark. The Devils were hampered by the BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY: An Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils player (right) grabs onto a Robert Bateman Wild opponent during Monday's Halton high school girls' rugby final in Burlington. Bateman won 7-0. absence of prop Ingrid Merry, who was in Europe the past two weeks and did not return home until Monday night. OT went 5-1 in regular-season play, losing its opening game before winning five consecutive contests and then blanking the Burlington Central Trojans -- the team that defeated the Red Devils in the opener -- 8-0 in the regional semifinal. Bateman will represent Halton at the provincial AAA/AAAA championships, scheduled for June 4-6 in Toronto. Both the Wild and Red Devils competed in last year's tournament, when Halton had two entries as OFSAA host. More top-10 Tavares claims CHL's player-of-the-year award finishers at GHAC track A number of local athletes were omitted from last week's listing of top-10 finishers at the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference (GHAC) track-and-field championships in Burlington. All were competitors in 100-metre and 200m distances, events in which the top six in each semifinal qualify for the final. Finishing in the top 10 in their event semifinals were Holy Trinity's Chandrika Dawkins (ninth, midget girls' 100m) and Mark Fisher (ninth, junior boys' 100m), Abbey Park's Lauren Freeman (seventh, junior girls' 100m) and Taylor DiMarco (tenth, senior girls' 200m), T.A. Blakelock's Mike Lee (seventh, junior boys' 200m) and Mohi Ahmed (eighth, midget boys' 100m), Loyola's Stephanie Novielli (eighth, junior girls' 200m) and Mercedes Algernon (tenth, junior girls' 200m), King's Christian Collegiate's Graeme Scott (eighth, junior boys' 200m), Oakville Trafalgar's Lauren Crawford (tenth, midget girls' 200m) and Iroquois Ridge's Tanisha Woods (tenth, midget girls' 100m). The Beaver regrets the oversight. Top-five finishers at the GHAC meet advanced to the south regional championships, which will begin tomorrow in St. Catharines. The top four finishers in each event at regionals will qualify for the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships, scheduled for June 7-9 in Ottawa. John Tavares' trophy case continues to grow. Having already become the youngest winner of the Ontario Hockey League's MVP award, Tavares was chosen as the Canadian Hockey League player of the year Saturday over Medicine Hat defenceman Kris Russell and Acadie-Bathurst forward Mathieu Perrault -- the Western Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League finalists, respectively. SPORTSBRIEFS By winning the award, Tavares joins a select group of players that includes the likes of Joe Sakic, Mario Lemieux, Pat Lafontaine, Eric Lindros, Brad Richards and Sidney Crosby. And with two years before Tavares is eligible for the NHL draft, he could join Crosby as the only two-time winner of the award. Tavares already has an impressive junior hockey resumé. He was named the CHL's rookie of the year in 2006 and has scored 117 goals in 132 OHL games over his two seasons with the Oshawa Generals. This past season, he broke Wayne Gretzky's record for goals by a 16-year-old when he paced the OHL with 72. He also finished second in the league scoring race with 134 points. CHAMPION COACHES: A team of Oakville Soccer Club coaches recently won the championship of its indoor Division 2 league, defeating the Boniek All-Stars in the final. Centre, downing the Mississauga Tomahawks 11-7 to improve its record to 9-0-1. Harry Hristopoulos recorded a hat trick and added two assists for the Buzz, which also got two-goal efforts from Josh Barrick and Spencer Taugher. Josh Ruys, Connor Gamble, Braden Gallant and Kristian Johansen rounded out the scoring, and Cam Watts contributed three assists. Harrison Hristopoulos and Watts shared time in goal for the Buzz, with Watts credited with the victory. Oakville's undefeated mark will be tested tomorrow when it visits the 10-0 Green Gaels in Clarington. The Buzz will return home Friday for an 8 p.m. date with the Scarborough Saints at Glen Abbey. OSC coaches win league title If they are questioned by their players this season, Oakville Soccer Club coaches have proof they know what they are talking about. A team of the club's coaches recently won the championship of its indoor Division 2 league, defeating the Boniek AllStars 3-2 in the final at Oakville Sports Centre. OSC president Neil Brown scored a pair of goals and U8/U9 technical director John Evans added a single for the team, which was sponsored by Finnegan's Wake. Buzz unbeaten at halfway mark Halfway through the Ontario Lacrosse Association junior B regular season, the Oakville Buzz has yet to taste defeat. Oakville posted its ninth consecutive win Friday at Glen Abbey Recreation