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THE HERALD February isg Geminis lead packed Dixie squad in quarters The Georgetown and the Dixie Ventures squared off in the opening two games of their Central playoff scries lost Saturday and Monday In Georgetown and as the scene shifts to the Dixie arena for games three and four the Green and White crew hold a com two game lead The Geminis edged past Dixie in Saturday opening playoff game then posted a com win on Monday Throughout most of the regular season Dixie and Milton were staging a veritable loser takes all battle for the honour of claiming the league cellar The Dixie scenar was drastically changed however when the bolstered their roster with seven players who although signed to Junior B cards played almost a full season with the Junior A Dixie Beehives The league is still mining over Ihis sleight of hand but it appears that the OHA hands are tied and that things will be allowed to stand The team additions have now made Dixie a serious title contender and whereas prior lo the changes the Gems organization might have viewed the opening playoff round as a not really serious challenge now it could turn out to be the roost severe test on route to the league In Saturday win displayed the same hot and cotd tendencies that have them and frustrated their fans over the past severs weeks The first period ended with the teams tied but it was Gemini lapses that allowed Dixie to knot the contest rather than the visitors playing ability The led by the 7 mark on goals by Charlie and Bob Par thcringham then their gome fell apart and Dixie took over for the next period and a half Dixie led after two periods and the were floundering Then they went through another of their chameleon like changes and looked like a different club in the third period Dixie opened the third period scoring then took some foolish penalties and the Gemini powcrplay looked awesome Within the space of 30 seconds from the mark to the mark the Gems scored three Central Ontario Junior B Hockey League Final Standing Burlington 10 2 195 1 in 13 Georgetown 1 3 1 36 IB Brampton 13 19 1 Dixie 36 1 Milton 167 I inal Scoring GP Ross Br Mark pnlcky Bur Doug Barnes Georj 34 34 Larry Peterson J m Elliott Burl 32 shorthanded goals took a j4 lead At the 17 mark this lead was increased to and although Dixie did count one more marker at the mark the game had been decided by the halfway point the third Rick Becker Lurry Peterson Bill Allison and Charlie Knoepfli with his second of the game were the third period marksmen tor the Geminis Dixie goal scorers included My lea Forget Alex Kalinlkos Jim Baker and John Dixie Is a rough club a d knowing they were down one game seemed to change their tactics somewhat as Monday night contest got under way The attempted intimidation didn t the but to a degree It did disrupt their game and led 10 after minutes The lead could have been substantial but time and time again Gemini goal ten Rick Tomkinson rose to the occasion He continued his wizardry throughout the contest and the shots on goals totals adequately tell the story The Dixie netmlndcr faced shots and allowed six goals while faced shots and allowed but three counters Truly an outstanding performance The Geminis owned the second frame and on goals by Larry Peterson Doug Pern Chris Milne held a lead alter minutes Dixie knew full well that a second loss would seriously hamper their playoff hopes and came out flying In the third frame The were flustered to a certain extent but for the most part kept their cool and stuck to their game Again however moat of the credit must go to Tomkinson The Gems Dixie In the third to pick up their win but realty saved the day In the third period alone he faced shots frustrating Dixie on all but two Raiders aiming for first ever league crown The Georgetown Chrysler Raiders of the OIIA In A loop appear determined not only to make a serious bid for regular season league laurels but also to lei their fans in oi the action as the season draws to a close Three teams Georgetown Fort Erie and Port Col borne all have a shot at first place and the league title could be decided on the last day of the schedule This past week the Raiders saw action twice and came away with two wins so as the little fellow with the funny hat says things could be very interesting The Red and While crew played In Thorotd last Wed nesday night and although the Athletics are well down in the league b standings they are not a team to be toyed with They proved this by moving In front after minutes of play Dave Pay and Bill scored for Thorold but high hopes turned into pipe dreams as Georgetown got their game together in the middle stanza Neil Cotton started the Raider revival at the 3 mark of the second period and Wore the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the sandwich frame Ray Peacock and Tom Gilbert scored to give the Raiders the lead they were not to relinquish The Raiders continued to dominate as the game wore on and icing on the cake was added as BUI Currie and Tommy Gilbert counted with his second of the game to make the final score Georgetown Keith turned In on outstanding performance as he handled shots to the Thorold goalie Rick Uppers OakvUle Journeyed to Georgetown last Friday night to tangle with the local favourites and again while they cannot be considered one of the league top teams two paints at their expense cannot be garnered merely by taking to the ice The Haiders had It all their own way In the first period OakvUle 144 and the visitors but turn waa yet to come The Raider domination of the first period was quickly laid to rest early In the second as Ray Chlsholm scored for at the 1 14 mark to narrow the Georgetown lead to 1 Lome scored for Icbb than eight minutes later to knot the contest and at this point it was anyone game made the final bid for a decision when Don Milford scored at the 1 37 mark of the third but this was to prove their last trump as the Raiders began to round into form Tom Polemic deadlocked the game again at the 10 mark but the tide had turned With the OHA Intermediate A 197576 regular season rapidly completion about the only fact to be gleaned from the league statistics handed out by league statistician Jack Searie of Dundas is that the whole picture could change rather rapidly Six teams gain playoff berths Dunnville has already been eliminated from playoff contention but any and in fact all positions could change In a matter of days as no team has a on what could be their final standing Three teams Fort Erie Georgetown and Port Colborne all have a shot at the league title and the remaining three teams and could conceivably finish as high as fourth or as low as sixth There will be a league meeting before the playoffs get under way but the playoff structure Is as follows The first place team meets the fourth place team in a best of seven series while the second place team meets the fifth place team and the third place team meets the sixth place team In respective three out of five series Once the three winners have been decided the winners of series B and meet again In a best three out of five series to decide who meet the winner of series A These two teams will then battle It out in a beat four out of seven affair to decide league crown and it was more than evident that it was in the Raider favour Neil Cotton then took his turn at centre stage and ensured that no more acts would follow by scoring twice for the final Raider margin of victory There were several sidelights that provided both interest entertainment to the fans at Fridays game and deserve mention Raider coach Junior Tibbclts who was adamant before the season got under way that he would serve only behind the bench finally relented and donned the blades His decision was made more by than desire as team has several players out for various reasons and in truth was very much D spite the long layoff Tibbclts displayed the style and moves that endeared him to a host of Georgetown fans over the years That he was not I In top shape need not be enlarged upon for obvious reasons but that he did get back Into the fray emphasizes how much he has meant and still means to Georgetown hockey The other crowd pi eater was the emergence of the line of Cotton Art Webster and Tom in the third period Oakville Initiated the battle of the bodies and Tibbetts retaliated with what would have to be considered the most boisterous and toughest line in the league They provided more than lust weight as it was and Cotton who sewed up the game for the Raiders With the season drawing to a close and first place at stake all the remaining Raider games lake on added im portance On Tuesday Georgetown played in Port at press time the score was not avaltabe this Friday they host first place Fort Erie on Sunday they travel to and a week from this Friday In what could be the biggest game of the year they host Port SI the Raiders In In first place added glory will be added to the accomplishment as no Intermediate Georgetown club has as yet achieved this goal and the visitors must have gone home shaking their heads w visions of a goal but two feet wide two feet high Larry Peterson counted his second goal or the night in the and the other final Georgetown marksmen were Kevin Reeks and Craig Fleming Dixie scorers in eluded Alex Kalinlkos Bryan Ross and Guy M orison The next game of the series be played Wednesday night tonight In Dixie as will the fourth gome on Friday night Should a filth game be necessary It will be played Saturday night at the Gordon Memorial Arena Should the wrap up their by there will night game as they must await the winners of the other two series All three winners wilt meet In a home and home round robin tournament to decide the league championship Brampton leads their series with one game to has taken a one game to nothing lead over Burlington This latter report is something of a shocker as Burlington walked away with the regular season league crown StreetsvUle knocked off the Mohawks In Burlington In what waa described as a very physical game Gems blew another For same reason the Georgetown of the Central Ontario Junior B league came out Hat in what was for them a At that pont me were In second place one point ahead of ad two games remaining while the tilt against Burlington would make the end of the regular schedule for the A local w n would have meant at the crew would have to win both their contests to finish second place In the league standings The game was literally up for grabs until the midway po of the second period and truth neither team seemed particularly anxious to garner awn Both teams displayed such Ineptitude that no one in the arena would have been surprised had the players been advised to change into sweaters with unpublished numbers That the first period ended in a scoreless draw was not due by any stretch of the Imagination to the of play rather to mistakes on the part of both teams The opening minutes saw passes tossed out that could only have been reached by a veritable bucket brigade and to the assembled fans it must have seemed that the respective defensive stalwarts were engaged in an icy version of table tennis that left the neck muscles strained Play Improved somewhat In the second period but whatever chance Georgetown had to pick up a win evaporated as Burlington shifted gears and took com mand Charlie Knoepfli scored for the Gems at the 59 mark of the middle stanza but the local hopefuls did not count another marker until the IB mark and by that time Burlington had hit for six goals ond the period ended with the visitors In front 2 I In the final period for the decisive win In what turned out to be a disappointing night for both the Geminis and their sup- It was learned later that hod defeated Brampton In game played that night In Brampton and therefore clinched second place ahead of the Geminis Charlie performed well in the loss picking up two goals and providing some aggressive white Kevin Reeks who played his usual hustling game was the other Gemini marksman For Burlington a pair singles went lo Bob Goodish Gary Mac Donald Mark Llpnlcky Dan Blum Al Vltonis and Mike Martin raider raps The Fabric of the Raiders by Teresa Vermeer At the Booster Club following the Raiders game against the Oakville Adanacs Nell Cotton was In his glory Not only had Nell played another excellent game of hockey but he had netted first hat trick of his hockey For Neil this hat trick was a personal highlight to add to his hockey memoirs but Tor hockey fans who have seen Neil play particularly here In Georgetown there ore many for us to recall that ore just or more Impressive than his hat trick At one time Noll was nicknamed The Fabric by one of hie leam mates Ac lually on thinking about It this nickname la well applcd because Neil makes up the fabric of the Raider hockey club Into every game he weaves in spirit skill and a tremendous amount of vcr This versatility has really come to the foreground this season Not only has Neil played practically every team position but he has put his hockey knowledge to good use as assistant coach of the Raiders As one of the veterans on the Raider hockey club Nell has experienced many victories and defeats He Is certainly one of tl most Important aspects In the bulling or a championship team from season to season Nell plays a fine calibre of hockey all through the hockey season but he seems to reach his highest peak and really sparkle during the playoff rounds It seems the bigger and tougher the challenges the greater the of Cotton Is felt season which comes to mind right away Is the 1973 74 season when the Raiders advanced in their playoffs to Lively and Ottawa Nell was spectacular Since then NcU has usually been just as vc Nell Is going to be a big factor In this year s playoff rounds there a no doubt about that I think that there a one element in NeU a success story that we should consider You ve heard the saying Behind every successful man there a good woman WeU Nell Is very fortunate to have the fantastic kind of backing and support that his wife Wendy Is providing She a real Joy to have at a Raider game between blowing her bugle leading the rest of us In cheers giving the opposition some verbal at and giving Nell lots of encouragement and sometimes some II7TA4Mttoo she provides as much excitement in tho stands as NeU docs out on the ice However her most valuable asset Is her enthusiasm and support of Nell hockey career With this type of personnel th Raider hockey club is 1 already alleyway 4 Steps to Stardom winners 4 TO STARDOM GIRLS Senior Girls singles Wendl Diane Marshall Gloria Hamilton winners of the Steps to Stardom Tournament held during Sylvia Heissler Terrie and the month of January were left to right Stephanie Gorin coach 4 STEPS TO STARDOM SENIOR BOYS Winners of coach Gary Bruce Clarke Colin Hicks Steve Steps to Stardom Tournament held during the month of Archibald Rick Gourlle and Gary Richardson singles January were Senior Boys left to right George Barber