Mighty Pens flex muscles at Milton tourney Sometimes the toughest game on the way to winning a championship isn't the final. The Oakville Mighty Penguins tyke house league hockey team discovered that at the recent Milton Winterhawks tournament. 15 | Wednesday, February 5, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Hockey Briefs Oakville needed a goal in the last two minutes of regulation to force overtime in its semifinal against the Milton Canadiens, then won the game 5-4 in the seventh round of the shootout. In the final, the Penguins blitzed the Milton Blackhawks 11-1. Matthew Paris scored the tying goal in the semifinal, while William Weldrick provided the winner in the shootout. Other members of the team are Linkin StinsonKurz, Connor Guilday, Quenten Chaney, Jack Janavicius, Ronan Breton, Josh McKay, Ryan Legault, Sam Mann, Patrick Filler, Logan Asuncion, Tyler Makowich and Robbie Marchioli. John Mann and Dino Marchioli coach the team, and Oscar Asuncion is the trainer. Rebels rule in Niagara The Oakville Red Rebels atom house league team won all five of its games at the recent Al Boone Memorial Classic in Niagara Falls, claiming the championship. Oakville locked up the gold with a victory over Barrie in the final. Members of the team are Thomas Rea, Xavier Kim, Sebastien Petrilli, Aiden Sholdice, Griffin James, Hayden Munshaw, Timothy Haluk, Brendan Geary, Luke Vincent, Cormac Oakville Blades goaltender Brendan McGlynn and forward Sean Kohler discuss what went wrong after the Aurora Tigers scored their second goal of the game Friday at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. Aurora edged the Blades 2-1. | photo by Kevin Sousa / OJHL Images Blades in dogfight for OJHL playoff spots Going into last night's (Tuesday's) game in Buffalo, the Oakville Blades had fallen out of playoff position in the Ontario Junior Hockey League standings with less than three weeks remaining in the regular season. Oakville (20-22-4) entered last night's action in a three-way tie with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens (21-25-2) and Mississauga Chargers (21-23-2) for seventh place in the South/ West Conference standings. Technically, however, the Blades were ranked ninth due to tiebreakers. Eight teams in each conference qualify for post-season play (two division winners plus six wild cards). The Blades and Chargers both had seven games remaining, while the Jr. Canadiens have just five. Oakville lost both its games last weekend at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, dropping to 1-6-2 in its last nine contests. Kris Bennett scored the Blades' only goal in a 2-1 loss to the Aurora Tigers Friday, and Greg Campbell's power-play goal with 2:11 left in regulation was all the Oakville offence could muster in a 4-1 loss to the St. Michael's Buzzers Saturday. The Blades, who have not missed the playoffs since 2001, will play a pair of games against the 31-11-4 Toronto Lakeshore Patriots this weekend. Oakville will host the first game, a 7:30 p.m. start Friday at Sixteen Mile And down the stretch they come... Oakville Blades (44 points, 7 games remaining) DATE OPPONENT OPP . RECORD Feb. 4 @ Buffalo 24-14-5 Feb. 7 vs Toronto Lakeshore 31-11-4 Feb. 8 @ Toronto Lakeshore 31-11-4 Feb. 14 vs North York 27-17-5 Feb. 15 vs Lindsay 16-19-7 Feb. 17 @ Burlington 9-30-4 Feb. 21 vs St. Michael's 23-17-7 Toronto Jr. Canadiens (44 points, 5 games remaining) DATE OPPONENT OPP . RECORD Feb. 8 vs North York 27-17-5 Feb. 9 vs Cobourg 30-10-5 Feb. 14 @ Lindsay 16-9-7 Feb. 16 vs Milton 26-19-2 Feb. 17 @ St. Michael's 23-17-7 Mississauga Chargers (44 points, 7 games remaining) DATE OPPONENT OPP . RECORD Feb. 5 @ Toronto Lakeshore 31-11-4 Feb. 7 @ Trenton 28-16-2 Feb. 8 vs Stouffville 18-23-4 Feb. 13 @ Stouffville 18-23-4 Feb. 15 vs Cobourg 30-10-5 Feb. 21 @ Wellington 29-10-6 Feb. 22 vs Toronto Lakeshore 31-11-4 ** Going into Tuesday, Feb. 4 action The Oakville tyke Mighty Penguins (top photo) and atom Red Rebels (botom photo) both won house league tournament titles recently. Sports Complex, before visiting the Patriots Saturday. Five of the Blades' final seven games are against opponents who have more points than games played this season. Adams, Sam Swatuk, Tyler Paradine, Nolan Johnson, Simon Dowd, Aiden Marchildon and Sam Lundy. Coaches are Kevin Adams, Dave Munshaw, Mark Vincent and Craig Dowd, and the trainer is Heidi Lundy. Minor atoms win gold in OT The Oakville minor atom AA Rangers rallied from a 3-1 third-period deficit to down the Milton Winterhawks 4-3 in overtime in the championship game of the Three Rivers Cup hockey tournament in Pittsburgh. Oakville finished the competition with five wins in as many games. The Rangers roster includes Akam Bedi. Alex Dupuis, Blake Power, Cameron McKay, Chris Frauley, Connor Drover, Dylan Lee, Jack Wieninger, Jacob Schneider, Josh Kudo, Liam Glover, Marko Laurencic, Nathan Jesseau, Owen House, Sebastien Hardy, Troy Elson and Sean Ecclestone. Bruce Frauley, Allen Elson, Rob Glover, Mike Wieninger and David Jesseau coach the team. Hornets earn five of possible six points in Provincial Women's Hockey League play The Oakville Hornets came 43 seconds away from winning all three of their Provincial Women's Hockey League games last weekend. The Hornets defeated the Waterloo Rangers 3-2 Friday at Joshua's Creek Arenas and blanked the Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins 5-0 Sunday in Etobicoke. Sandwiched in between was a 2-1 overtime loss to the Durham West Lightning Saturday at Joshua's Creek, when Durham West tied the game with 43 seconds left and then won it 1:16 into the extra session. Alessia Marchese, Jennifer MacAskill and Jordan Martin scored goals Friday for the Hornets, with Martin's snapping a 2-2 deadlock in the third period. Stephanie Loukes made 26 saves to record the win. Christina Putigna scored Oakville's goal Saturday and Daniela Paniccia carried a shutout into the final minute of regulation, finishing the contest with 30 saves. Cassidy MacPherson, Kirsten Miller, Putigna, Martin and MacAskill provided the Hornets' tallies Sunday. Loukes stopped all 29 shots she faced. The Hornets (11-13-5, 12th in the PWHL) visit the Brampton Canadettes tomorrow (Thursday) before hosting a pair of games this weekend. The Southwest Wildcats will visit Joshua's Creek Friday at 8:30 p.m., and the Aurora Panthers will follow suit Saturday at 4:30 p.m.