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18 Sp Sports SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2011 Blades second in division but leading league in defence, PK The Oakville Blades might not enter the new year atop the Ontario Junior Hockey League's West Division. But they will almost certainly begin 2012 as league leaders in two other important categories. Following a pair of shutout victories last weekend, the Blades boast both the league's best goals-against average and penalty-killing unit this season. Oakville has allowed just 78 goals in 32 games (an average of f 2.44), while the Blades have killed penalties at an 88.3 per cent clip. Oakville still has a chance to overtake the Georgetown Raiders for top spot in the West before the league has its Christmas break. The Blades (22-6-4) and Raiders (24-8-1) will meet tonight (Wednesday) in Georgetown, then clash again Friday in Oakville (both contests are set for 7:30 p.m. starts.) Oakville earned four of a possible six points last weekend, sandwiching shutout wins over the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and Huntsville Otters around a 4-2 loss to the Aurora Tigers Saturday. Brandon Denham, Tyler Karius, Jordan Coccimiglio and Conor McGlynn scored goals for the Blades Friday in a 4-0 win over Buffalo at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. James Prigione made 27 saves to earn his fourth shutout of the campaign. Saturday, Liam Board and Karius scored in the loss at Aurora. Prigione took the loss despite making 33 stops. Sunday in Huntsville, Oakville got goals from Phil Hampton, Kyle Blaney and Karius. Michael Stiliadis stopped all 25 shots he faced to collect his third shutout of the season. VISIT FROM VANIER: McMaster Marauders assistant coach Dana Segin (back, right) and players Joey Nemet (back, left) and Scott Caterine brought the Vanier Cup national university football championship trophy to Maple Grove Public School yesterday. Pictured with the Vanier Cup are Maple Grove students Meghan and James Goodfellow. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER Marauders bring Vanier to Maple Grove By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Intermediate Hornets enter Christmas break The Oakville intermediate AA Hornets go into the Christmas break with a 6-11 record, good for 12th place in the Provincial Women's Hockey League Oakville completed the 2011 portion of its schedule with a 5-1 loss to the Mississauga Chiefs Saturday at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Amanda Pereira had the Hornets' lone goal, a powerplay marker in the first period. The Hornets aren't back in league action until Jan. 3, when they visit Mississauga. After the students had left, Scott Caterine joked about not spending much time in the library during his four years at Maple Grove Public School. "Look at all these books. Where did they come from?" Caterine said. "They must be new." If Caterine didn't spend much time in the library from kindergarten to Grade 3, he certainly has since. Though he has a year of eligibility remaining, Caterine may not be back to help the McMaster Marauders defend the Vanier Cup they won last month because he has applied for medical school next year. Caterine, teammate Joey Nemet and Marauders special teams coach Dana Segin brought the Vanier Cup to Maple Grove yesterday (Tuesday) morning. And the message they drove home to students is what can be achieved when you put your mind to it. While achieving their academic goals, Caterine and Nemet -- who both graduated from Burlington's Robert Bateman High School -- also found time to help McMaster win its first Canadian university football championship. "Scott and Joey are true student athletes," said Segin, an Oakville native whose niece and nephew were among the 60 students, Grades 3-6, who gathered in the library to listen to and quiz the national champs. "I loved playing football in high school and I wanted to keep playing at university," said Caterine, who carried a full course load and attended three-hour practices each weekday. "The first thing a coach is going to ask you is, `How are your grades?'" Nemet added. "I doesn't matter how good you are in football -- if you score 10 touchdowns in a game. If you work hard in school, you can keep your options open." And though Segin said his players were great examples of being able to do something they enjoy because of their attention to their schoolwork, he said the lessons apply no matter what you want to do. "It doesn't matter if you want to be an athlete, a mechanic or a school teacher, you have to get good grades," he said. "You can work hard and have fun." It was certainly a fun year for Segin. He played in two Vanier Cups while at St. Mary's University, losing both (to Saskatchewan in 1990 and Queen's in 1992) prior to stints in the CFL with Hamilton and Toronto. Getting a third chance at a Vanier Cup, and winning it, was certainly a highlight of his career. "This is right up there, if not at the top," he said. "This is probably one of the best feelings I've had in football." There were other special moments along the way as well. McMaster won the Uteck Bowl, a trophy named after his former coach at St. Mary's, Larry Uteck. And being an ex-placekicker himself, Segin was thrilled to see Mac kicker Tyler Crapigna win the game in double overtime after missing a potential game winner in the final minute of regulation. Crapigna missed most of last season when his leg was broken in two places. This year, he missed both of Mac's playoff f games with mononucleosis and was only cleared to play the week of the Vanier Cup. "I can definitely relate to what Tyler went through. He went through so much adversity," Segin said. "I told him (after missing the field goal in the final minute), `We're going to need you in overtime. It would have been nice to win any way, but for Tyler to get another shot, that was the best scenario." It was another moment arising from perseverance and hard work. And as Segin, Caterine and Nemet stood before the class, one student had a question for the players. "Are you famous?" the youngster asked. "These guys might not be famous all over the country, but I'll tell you, they're pretty famous at our school," Segin answered. "And for all the right reasons."