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Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports 11 | Wednesday, July 9, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" Melanie Hawtin cuts off a keepsake after helping the Canadian women's wheelchair basketball team win gold at the recent world championships in Toronto. The 25-year-old Oakville native was making her international debut after cracking the Canadian roster earlier this year. | photo courtesy Wheelchair Basketball Canada/ Phil MacCallum Sr. A Rock snaps skid, moves out of basement Rob Hellyer and Stephan Leblanc each recorded hat tricks as the Oakville Rock snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 12-6 victory over the Brampton Excelsiors Monday in Major Series Lacrosse senior A play at Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. Hellyer added five assists for an eight-point evening. Shayne Adams (two goals, five assists) and Leblanc (four helpers) both collected seven points. Mike Mawdsley also scored twice, and Jacob Ruest and Eric Pitre added singles. Rock goaltender Nick Rose held the Excelsiors to two goals over the final two periods to earn the win, which vaulted Oakville (37) ahead of Brampton (2-8) and into fifth place in the six-team loop. The Rock will visit the Peterborough Lakers Thursday and the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks Sunday. Oakville's next home game is Monday, July 14 at TRAC, beginning at 8 p.m. CONCRETE Golden debut for basketball national teamer by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff Six times, the Canadian women's wheelchair basketball team squared off against Germany in preparation for the world championship. Six times, Germany won. They would meet again in round-robin play at the recent worlds in Toronto, but there would be no lucky seventh meeting. Canada suffered its first loss of the tournament, falling to the Germans once more, 64-53. So when Canada and Germany met one last time five days later to decide the world title, you would think the hosts would be wondering what they had to do to beat the world's topranked team. Melanie Hawtin said they already had the answer. "They beat us every single game, but we were never really scared of them," the 25-year-old Oakville native said. "We took something from every single game and learned what we could do better and what situations we were going to face. Even when they beat us at worlds, we were fully confident we could turn it around." And they did. Tied 42-42 with 5:35 to play in the final, Canada went on an 8-0 run. Germany cut the lead to two in the final minute, but Canada held on for a 54-50 victory in front of its home crowd. "It was a pretty awesome experience," Hawtin said of her national team debut. "Honestly, the couple of months leading up to worlds, I was so excited. To host it, and to actually experience it and see the crowd every day, it was incredible. The whole thing to me -- I still can't believe I'm on the Canadian national team." Also a former world medallist in track It was not Hawtin's first time representing her country. She competed for Canada at the world junior wheelchair athletics championships, winning a silver medal in the 200 metres in 2006. But, as she was beginning preparations to earn a spot on the Canadian team for the Paralympics in 2012, surgery left her unable to sit in her track chair. She had played basketball occasionally in the past so when she was unable to compete in track, she switched her focus to basketball. She played at the Ontario Games and caught the eye of national team coaches. She was awarded a development card, giving her the opportunity to train at the Wheelchair Basketball Canada academy in Scarborough. Though she didn't make the team last year, she continued to work on her game and in January earned a spot on the Canadian squad. The timing could not have been better with Toronto playing host to worlds. Canada had once dominated women's wheelchair basketball, winning seven of eight world and Paralympic golds from 1992 to 2006. But recently, the rest of the world had caught up. Canada settled for bronze at the last worlds in 2010 and finished off the podium (fifth and sixth) at the past two Paralympics. Hawtin, who used her speed from her track days to her advantage, was one of three firsttime national team players. But from the first time she checked in during Canada's opener against Japan, she didn't feel nervous. "I think what helped me, though, was my teammates. I was one of the few new people on the team, but the vets stepped up a lot, so I never felt like I was freaking out. Everybody had my back and that made me feel so comfortable." Hawtin played just four minutes in that first game but went on to play in seven of Canada's eight games, averaging 11 minutes (seventhmost on the team). That included more than 20 minutes in the round-robin game against Germany, where she scored her first three points with the national team. "I ended up getting a lot of court time at worlds, which I was not expecting," Hawtin said. After going 4-1 in round-robin play, Canada defeated Australia 63-47, then pulled out a thrilling 75-74 semifinal win over the Netherlands on Janet McLachlan's basket with less than a second to play. Coming from an individual sport, Hawtin said it was impressive to see the teamwork the Canadians showed. "It's way more difficult to come together as a team," she said. "That makes (winning gold) that much more special." That was on full display again the following day when Canada took all the lessons learned from its seven losses to beat Germany in the final. Days after the victory, Hawtin was still trying to come to terms with being a world champion. "That's going to take a bit," she said. "It's hard to believe how far I've come and I just hope to continue to get the chance to continue playing with this amazing group of ladies." EXPOSED AGGREGATE (Pebble) · DRIVEWAYS · STEPS · FRENCH CURBS · WALKWAYS · PATIOS · GARAGE FLOORS uality At Its Best! Call Fernando 905-844-5518 1-888-944-5518 www.concretetrimmings.com FREE ESTIMATES