The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, May 3, 2013 | 30 MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE! Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Buzz hoping youth will be served Jr. B lacrosse team is young, but coach feels experience belies players' age by Jon Kuiperij Beaver Sports Editor 2220 Speers Road, Oakville www.AdvanceHockeyAcademy.com Sports 2 0 1 3 S E A S O N "Connected to your Community" P R E V I E W Greg Campbell (right), pictured being chased by Mimico Mountaineers player Cody Morris during a game last season, is one of several young players the Oakville Buzz is expecting big things from this year. Campbell was fourth on the team in scoring as a rookie last season. | Oakville Beaver file photo Having a roster full of 16- and 17-year-olds isn't exactly a recipe for success in an Ontario Lacrosse Association junior B loop that allows players as old as 21. Neither is losing 10 players to age graduation, including players that have been the core of your team for several seasons. Or having a pair of rookie goaltenders. All those things are true of this year's edition of the Oakville Buzz. But head coach Sam Rook says there's still plenty of reason to believe the team can once again be one of the top squads in the OLA's East Conference this season, which begins tonight (8 p.m. Friday) at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (TRAC) on Invicta Drive. "We lost a lot of guys," admitted Rook, who is back for his fifth season behind the Oakville bench. "But last year, we kept a couple of extra guys around, knowing this would happen and that we would lose a lot of 1991 birth (years). Those players will fill important roles for us this year, having a year of learning with us under their belt." Indeed, 1995-born players Greg Campbell, Eddie Renaud, Nick Crepinsek, Adriano Morgani, Chris Young and Ben Neeb did more with the Buzz last year than simply get their feet wet. Campbell ranked fourth in team scoring with 19 goals and 30 assists in 19 games, while Renaud was seventh (15 goals, 26 assists in 17 games). Young, Morgani and Crepinsek combined to appear in 50 contests, and Neeb won both his starts in net, sporting a goals-against average of 5.00. In a league that Rook expects to be younger across the board, that experience gained could be crucial for the Buzz. "It's really noticeable when a kid comes in in their second year, how much more aware of everything they are and how much is needed at that level," Rook said. "I think maturity and poise is a bigger (disparity) than size," he added, assessing the disadvantages of playing against older opponents. "These kids, even at 17, they're pretty big kids... They won't be as physically mature as 20-year-olds, but the mental part of it is probably the bigger jump they have to make." Unfortunately for the Buzz, a couple of its young sophomores might not be available for quite a while. Renaud broke his hand in a pre-season tournament and is not expected back until mid-June, Neeb could miss the entire season after suffering a concussion, and Morgani is likely sidelined until the playoffs due to a broken ankle. Colton Watkinson, the Buzz's new captain and an excellent transition player, also won't suit up for tonight's opener against the Mimico Mountaineers because, like many other players in the league, he's still away at school. Watkinson is expected to return the following weekend. So too might Todd Nakasuji, the lone 1992-born returnee who should be the focal point of the Buzz offence. The Ajax resident racked up 47 points in just nine games last season. Oakville Minor Lacrosse Association products Andrew Kew and Foster Cuomo are two rookies capable of contributing offensively as well, according to Rook, who is also high on the potential of local residents Pat Shea and Mitch Wales. Scoring might not be an issue for the Buzz, but defence appears to be a bit of a question mark. Gone is veteran goaltender Ian Duffy, who helped Oakville allow the fourth-fewest goals in the league a year ago. In his place are freshmen Brent Noseworthy, who suited up for the provincial midget team, and D.J. Eckert. "Goaltending is a really big issue around the league right now," said Rook, pointing out that there are few teams in the loop that feature veteran netminders. "Noseworthy (the team's No. 1 goalie to start the season) has been one of the top midget goalies the last couple years, and we think he will adjust very well for us in net. We'll have ups and downs like everyone does with a rookie goalie, but we think we've got a very good one we can rely on." Rook expects the team's strength will be in the transition game, noting that the Buzz features at least six solid two-way players who will allow Oakville to score off the rush. Speed will be a definite asset on the team's new home floor, the NHL-sized artificial turf surface at the TRAC. Rook is excited about the opportunity to play at the spacious lacrossededicated facility, which is air-conditioned and has enough seating to accommodate approximately 750 spectators. "The turf is beautiful, really comfortable for the kids to run on. Maybe it's not the best to scrape their knee on, you can get a lot of turf burn, but we have to deal with that," he said. "We're excited to play there, because it's got a really nice feel to it. They've been first class in meeting all our needs and allowing us to use it to our advantage." Rook identified Six Nations as the team to beat in the overall league and Akwesasne as the favourite in the East. Six Nations, Akwesasne, the Clarington Green Gaels and Halton Hills Bulldogs combined to lose just six times in 80 regular-season games last year. The Buzz was 13-6-1, but that was only good enough to earn a fourth-place finish in the East. Oakville swept Newmarket in the opening round of the playoffs before falling to Awesasne 3-1 in the conference semifinals. -- The 2013 Oakville Buzz schedule can be viewed online at http://bit.ly/18uYwzb