Oakville goalie helps ensure Canadian anthem gets played at U18 hockey worlds by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff 31 | Friday, May 3, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Sometimes an experience can be overblown, never quite living up to the hype that precedes it. And for Spencer Martin and his Canadian teammates, the bar was set pretty high. "Before we went out for the final, (the coaches) said the best two feelings a player can have are winning the Stanley Cup and standing on the blueline singing the national anthem," Martin recalled. A little over two hours later, Martin and his teammates were leaping over the boards after Canada rallied to edge the United States 3-2 Sunday in the final of the World Under-18 Hockey Championship. Then, for the first time since 2008, the Canadian players lined up on the blueline at the Bolshoy Ice Dome -- site of next year's Olympics in Sochy, Russia -- and sang O Canada. "I can tell you, that was truth," Martin said of the coaching staff's statement. It was the second crack at a gold medal for Martin, one of only three returning players from last year's team that lost 2-1 to the U.S. in the semifinals before edging Finland for the bronze medal. Mississauga Steelheads goaltender Spencer Martin helped Canada win the World Under-18 Hockey Championship As the third goalie and the second-youngin Sochy, Russia -- the site of next year's Olympic Winter Games.| Oakville Beaver file photo est member of the 2012 team, Martin didn't get into any games in last year's tournament. That doesn't mean he didn't take anything away from the experience. "Last year going in as an under-ager, I knew I wasn't going to see a lot of time," Martin said. "But I learned a lot about international play. A lot of the European teams play a different style. They're skilled teams and they carry the puck more." Though Martin was beaten just three minutes into the tournament opener against Slovakia, he was all but unbeatable after that, winning both his starts, allowing just two goals and posting a .942 save percentage. The tournament signaled the end of the season for Martin, but there is no time to rest. He has already started workouts in preparation for the NHL draft combine on May 27. NHL Central Scouting ranks the Mississauga Steelheads' netminder fifth among North American goalies. In the past five drafts, the fifth North American goalie has been selected anywhere from the second round to the sixth. Martin is not concerning himself with his draft position, though. "Wherever I get drafted, as soon as I do, the ranking is not important," he said. "You go to a team that wants you and you have to treat it like a stepping stone." And in Martin's case, hopefully another step toward experiencing the other best feeling for a hockey player. The Lakeside Volleyball Club's under-18 girls team won the Ontario Volleyball Association Division 1 Tier 1 championship last weekend in Waterloo. | photo submitted Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, pictured breaking a brick, will conduct a taekwondo training seminar in Oakville June 1 as part of a North American tour.| photo submitted Legendary taekwondo instructor Lakeside U18 girls win provincial volleyball gold to visit Oakville next month Oakville-based Lakeside Volleyball Club is home to the best under-18 girls' volleyball team in the province. Lakeside won the Ontario Division 1 Tier 1 title Sunday at RIM Park in Waterloo, going unbeaten to improve on its second-place showing of a year ago. Lakeside defeated Forest City 25-18, 27-15 in the gold-medal game after posting a 25-15, 25-14 victory over MVC in the quarter-finals and a 2518, 25-19 win over South County in the semis. Lakeside players and Oakville residents Katie Venturi, Megan Nash and Julia Kaczorowska were all named to the tournament all-star team. Other members of the Lakeside squad are Aleks Arsovic, Rebecca Forbes, Leah Lowe-Davies, Roberta Dunlap, Samantha Sernoski, Danielle Blumentrath, Joanna Jedrzejweska and Katie Beltran. Bear Davies, Vic Lewis and Steve Leoni coach the team, which will travel to Edmonton next weekend to compete in the national championships. Taekwondo legend Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha will visit Oakville this spring to conduct a training seminar open to all serious students of the martial art. Morningstar Taekwon-Do will host Grand Master Rhee's visit, which will take place Saturday, June 1 at Sheridan College and is part of Rhee's North American Seminar Tour that will also include a stop in Philadelphia. A first-generation student of the founder of taekwondo, Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha was described by General Choi Hong Hi as "the greatest-ever student of taekwondo." The Seoul, Korea native was also the first Master to be promoted to 9th Dan by General Choi Hong Hi. For more information regarding the seminar or to register, visit www.mstartkd.com or call 905847-8955.