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Sports Oakville Beaver By Daniel Perry SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Mention this ad and receive two free lessons!* * With one month sign up, applicable to new students only, expires March 15th. 905-582-5132 info@inklingmusic.com SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010 29 Massage therapist lending helping hands to women's Olympic team RUBBING IT IN: Local kinesiologist Domenic Manchisi will be the massage therapist for the Canadian women's hockey team at next month's Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. He's pictured with seven-month-old daughter Mia, who will accompany Domenic and wife Sonia out west to cheer on her favourite team. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER H pist, along with the rest of the medical staff, is to ensure that the women stay as healthy as e won't score any goals or possible for the duration of the draw up any plays on the Games. Even though he works chalkboard, but Domenic behind the scenes and doesn't Manchisi feels he can still help the take part in any of the decisionCanadian women's hockey team making on the team's bench, he win gold at the upcoming Olympic still feels like he will be a big part Winter Games. of any success the team -- a The 30-year-old Oakville gold-medal favourite, along with native will be the team's massage the U.S. -- will enjoy. therapist for next "Absolutely," he month's Games in "I don't feel like said. "Everyone who Vancouver. Manchisi, an Olympian works with the team, who runs a clinic out myself, but I still from the coaches and of River Oaks players to the personRecreation Centre, is feel a lot of pride nel and staff, treats travelling out west for our country. I each other like family this weekend with know I will get when they're togethwife Sonia and seven- goosebumps er. It even extends month-old daughter each time I stand further than that. My Mia to help with the wife and daughter get team's final weeks of to sing our treated like they're a national anthem preparation. part of the team as This will be the in Vancouver." well." first Olympic experiOne of Manchisi's ence for the Loyola Domenic Manchisi biggest thrills of graduate, whose being involved with proudest moment to date was the Canadian national women's working with the national team hockey team so far was seeing when it won the 2007 fellow Oakville native Brianne International Ice Hockey Jenner try out for the team. The Federation women's world cham- 19-year-old forward was eventupionship in Winnipeg. ally cut from Team Canada's Manchisi fully expects his Olympic roster, but her hockey time at the Olympics will easily skill definitely turned a few top that experience. heads. "I don't feel like an Olympian "She is a very talented and myself, but I still feel a lot of intelligent player," he said. pride for our country," he said. "I Jenner still got a chance to know I will get goosebumps each pull a Team Canada jersey over time I stand to sing our national her head earlier this month, anthem in Vancouver. I am also when she competed in the MLP very proud of every player on the cup in Germany. The under-22 team. Their devotion to their Canadian team regained its MLP sport and what they sacrifice is cup gold medal with a 9-0 win inspirational. It makes me want over Switzerland. to strive for more in everything I Canada's Olympic women's do." team begins play Feb. 13, when it Manchisi's responsibility with faces off against Slovakia in prethe team as the massage thera- liminary action. STA hosting Catholic volleyball provincials For the third time in eight years, the province's best Catholic senior girls' volleyball teams are coming to town. The All-Ontario Catholic High School Senior Girls' Volleyball Tournament will be contested in Oakville next Thursday and Friday. St. Thomas Aquinas is hosting the invitational tournament, though all 121 matches during the tournament will be contested at Loyola or Holy Trinity. Thirty-two teams from across the province will compete in this year's tournament, including the host Raiders, Loyola Hawks and Holy Trinity Titans. Eight squads competed in the inaugural provincial Catholic championships 33 years ago in North Bay. The Raiders will enter the prestigious tournament on a tear, having won all seven of their Halton Secondary School Athletic Association (HSSAA) league games so far this season. Aquinas hopes to use the tournament as a stepping stone to achieving its season goals. "Our goal of doing well in this tournament is the same as it is each year," said STA coach Peter Szpakowski. "The tournament is split up into six different groups of play. I think we can make it into pool A and into the top four realistically. We want to gear up for the league playoffs and prepare for OFSAA in Perth later this year." Loyola is 4-4 in the Halton AAA division this season, while the Titans are 0-7 in AAAA play. -- Daniel Perry, Special to the Beaver