32 Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca Adam Campbell Broker of Record 905-844-4444 B R O K E R A G E I N D E P E N D E N T LY O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2008 Scary weekend for Blades Forwards Guzzo, Ribeiro suffer serious head injuries during wins over Milton, Mississauga By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Hitting the brakes Less than a year after watching one of their players break his neck during a game, the Oakville Blades were forced to endure two more scary incidents last weekend. Oakville forwards Steven Guzzo and Matt Ribeiro both went down with serious head injuries in Provincial Junior Hockey League action. Guzzo suffered a Grade 2 concussion Friday at Joshua's Creek Arenas after taking a hit Steven Guzzo to the head against the Milton IceHawks, while Ribeiro was checked from behind into the boards Saturday in Mississauga and went into convulsions while lying on the ice. Both players are expected to make full recoveries and rejoin the team later this season. Blades head coach and general manager Carlo Coccimiglio said the Ribeiro injury reminded him of a game last year in Hamilton, when Oakville's Domenic Monardo suffered a cracked vertebra in his neck after being hit from behind. Monardo has since rehabilitated from the injury and is playing this season for the Aurora Tigers. Coccimiglio was also coaching high school hockey in Burlington eight years ago when Assumption's Travis Colley-Zorilla tripped over the opposing goaltender and crashed headlong into the end boards, leaving him a paraplegic. "That's what came to mind. Ribeiro came out lucky," said Coccimiglio. "If Matt Ribeiro (he had been paralyzed), I would have retired from hockey. I couldn't take another one. When I saw him go down and into convulsions, I thought `here we go again'. I would have walked away from the game." Unfortunately for Ribeiro, the injury comes at a time when he was rediscovering his offensive touch. The 18-year-old, who struggled last year after being let go by the OHL's Ottawa 67's, scored twice against JAMES HOGGETT / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER SHIFTY CAT: White Oaks Wildcats running back Matt Padmore (34) finds himself surrounded by Iroquois Ridge defenders during Friday's Halton high school Division 3 senior football contest under the lights in Burlington. Padmore ran for two first-quarter touchdowns to lead White Oaks to a 14-12 win over the Wolfpack. See page 34 for a recap of Week 2 senior football. See Ribeiro page 33 U11 (1998) - U18 (1991) REP TEAMS RIVER OAKS ALL WEATHER TURF FIELD Visit www.oakvillesoccer.ca WINTER INDOOR SEASON 2009 ARE YOU READY TO KICK OFF THE FALL OUTDOOR SOCCER SEASON? Monday, October 6, 2008 RIVER OAKS FIELD DON'T MISS OUT ON BEING THE FIRST TO PLAY IN OUR NEW STATE OF THE ART SOCCER CENTRE!! January 12, 2009 - April 19, 2009 "BRAND NEW PINE GLEN INDOOR FACILITY"