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Rule would set league back: coaches Continued from page 24 25 · Friday, January 18, 2013 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com pation" under the current rules. But the rep player ban might make the situation worse by shrinking the pool of available players. Halton had 21 girls' teams for the 2011/12 season, and had 17 this year, with five schools dropping out and King's Christian adding a team. Aldershot was one of the five schools that did not have a team this year. "I could only estimate (the rule's) true overall impact," said Aldershot athletic director Sandra Shields in an e-mail. "This year we were unable to field a team as we did not have the numbers. It certainly will be one more factor in our being able to field all athletic teams but certainly not the only one." The rule is not without its supporters. Jeff Gruber, the head of physical education at Oakville Trafalgar, says it will benefit the league and players in the long run. "It will give other girls a chance to play," he said. "Traditionally, the girls' league is littered with rep players and the girls' first priority is their rep team." Gruber understands some schools initially might not be able to have teams but feels, over time, there's no reason the league can't succeed. "There will be some growing pains, no question," he said. "Some teams are going to drop out, but that's no different than basketball teams or volleyball teams that don't have enough players." Mike Turczyniak, president of the Oakville Hornets, the largest girls hockey organization in Ontario, said the decision will have a major impact. "It's more than likely going to kill the (high school) program," he said. Although girls' hockey is growing, Turczyniak said there is still nowhere near the number of players as there is in boys hockey. "It makes no sense number-wise. There's a big difference between boys and girls. You look at us and MOHA (Minor Oaks Hockey Association) and it's a fourto-one ratio." The Hornets organization has approximately 250 players at the bantam and midget level, of which 120 are house league players. Dividing that number amongst 10 Oakville high schools would leave each school with the bare minimum for a team. Nelson coach Marc Messier said coaches and players have worked hard to build a strong, competitive girls' league. He said the skill level in the league has increased significantly and he worries the elimination of rep players would set the league back. "It would be like starting back at ground zero," he said. "Back to when girls' hockey started in Halton." Both Messier and Leonard raised concerns about the availability of goaltenders. Leonard only had one goalie, a rep player, try out for his team this year. If she were not available, "how do you function without a goalie?" he said. "It would be very difficult to ice a team." "You can have 15 skaters, but if you don't have a goalie, do you run a program?" Messier asked. "You can't put a non-trained goalie in there. That becomes a safety issue." Messier also raised the question, would rep ringette players be eligible to play high school hockey? Notre Dame students Allie Gillies and Kristina Kocsis, both rep players, are trying to rally support to have the rule overturned. They have started an online petition that gathered 269 signatures in five days, and also opened a Twitter account (@HaltonLetUsPlay) to raise awareness of the issue. They hope to have the decision reversed, and they are not alone. "I'm just learning a bit about it," Bulthuis said Monday, "but I hope this, somehow, doesn't go though." · Every player interviewed said, given the choice, they would play rep over high school hockey. So why is high school so important to them? And how does high school hockey aid in their development? The players explain in Part 2, which will be available online Saturday at insidehalton.com and will appear in next Wednesday's edition of the Beaver. Holy Trinity guard Trevon McNeil (in white) backs down Loyola's Matthew Santos during Wednesday's Fred Scione tournament final at St. Thomas Aquinas. McNeil scored 25 points in Trinity's 61-44 win over the Hawks. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER Holy Trinity proves its depth Any cynics of the Holy Trinity Titans senior boys' basketball team lost one of their main criticisms this week. Despite playing without two of their key cogs -- Nolan Mackenzie and Regis Ivaniukas -- due to injury, the shorthanded Titans still managed to easily win the Fred Scione Seventh Annual Memorial Catholic Cup qualifier at St. Thomas Aquinas. Trinity clinched the title, and a berth in this year's provincial all-Catholic championships, with a 61-44 victory over the rival Loyola Hawks Wednesday evening. "Our team gets knocked for not having a bench," said Titans guard Trevon McNeil, who led all scorers Wednesday with 25 points and was named the MVP of the tournament. "Being without those two guys for this game, it shows we do have a good bench and people need to watch out for our bench. Even with them off the court, we're still a good team." Mackenzie and Ivaniukas were both sidelined with shoulder ailments. Mackenzie was injured during a tournament earlier this month, while Ivaniukas went down during the Scione competition. Stepping up in their absence were Perry Billard, Jamal Fisher, Lucas Orlita and Evan O'Dell. Nick Ernest also stepped up his production with 15 points, including a pair of dunks. Trinity's success without Mackenzie and Ivaniukas allows the Titans to take their time easing the two players back into the lineup. "We just want them to be healthy for the last game of the (regular) season," McNeil said. That game, scheduled for Feb. 7, will be a rematch between the Titans and Hawks, both of whom are 6-0 in Halton league play. McNeil is already looking forward to it, as he does every other meeting between the two Oakville Catholic powers. "I was looking forward to this game all day," said McNeil. Part of the reason why is the opportunity to match up with Loyola star Jake Babic. McNeil and Babic, arguably the top two players in Halton this season, are good friends. "It's always good," said McNeil, who guarded Babic throughout Wednesday's contest. "It's good to come and put on a show, somewhat, for Halton. It's fun." McNeil said the Titans dedicated their performance to the memories of former Holy Trinity basketball coach John Beraldo and former St. Thomas Aquinas coach Ron Szpakowski. Both men recently passed away. Babic scored 19 points to lead the Hawks, who scored the first five points of Wednesday's final but trailed 17-11 after the first quarter, 29-19 at half and 39-29 through three. As a finalist in the Scione tournament, Loyola also clinched a trip to this year's provincial all-Catholic championships. -- Jon Kuiperij Oakville Soccer Club New Family Registration Join Oakville Soccer Club at the Oakville Town Hall for new family registration When: Saturday, January 26, 2013 Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Where: Oakville Town Hall (1225 Trafalgar Road) *Must provide proof of age Visit www.oakvillesoccer.ca for more information Registration for returning players and families is now open online