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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, September 26, 2014 | 24 Improved offence should help Hornets sustain early PWHL success Continued from pg. 23 while Field, an Oakville native who represented Ontario at last year's national under-18 championships, had 79 points in 72 games with Stoney Creek. They each had five points in Oakville's three wins. On a team that hasn't had a player score more than 30 points in any of the last five seasons, the Hornets suddenly now have the kind of firepower they've never had before. Especially when you consider that in winning the pre-season North American Hockey Academy tournament in Vermont, it was not the aforementioned trio that led the team in scoring, but Emma Maltais, who had 10 points in seven games. In the Stoney Creek tournament it was Cassidy McPherson, who came on strong at the end of her rookie season with the Hornets, pacing the team with five goals in six games. Last season's top two goal scorers, Christina Putigna and Olivia Atkinson, are also back. In net, the Hornets sport a homegrown duo in Daniela Paniccia and Nikki Cece. The Penn State-bound Paniccia stopped 39 shots in shutting out Ottawa and then came on to blank Nepean in the final period. Cece has yet to lose a PWHL game. Recalled on an emergency basis early last season, she went 2-0-2 with a shutout, and then made 15 saves in the opening-night win over Mississauga. On the blueline, Curlew's Appleby teammates Jaime Bourbonnais and Julia Edgar join the team on a full-time basis after getting their first taste of PWHL action last year. Third-year defenceman Jessica Geddes has returned to the Hornets after playing in Brampton last year. Geddes, along with Hornet teammates Cece, Mackenzie Stamper and Jazz Kennedy, were all members of Oakville's provincial finalists in peewee. To put the Hornets' opening week in perspective, last year Oakville opened the season with an 8-1 loss to Mississauga. The team went on to enjoy one of its best seasons, going 15-17-6, but still needed seven games to record its third win. And just three games into the season, Curlew's three gamewinning goals already matches the total of last season's team leader. Curlew, who played for Team Atlantic at last year's under-18 nationals, says the team can't rest on its early success. "We have to keep everything positive and everybody has to continue to want to be better," the 16-year-old said. "There's still a lot of the season and we have to keep continually improving." The Hornets host Stoney Creek tomorrow Saturday at 8 p.m. at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Oakville Hornets (in black, from left) Jamie Bourbonnais, Daniela Paniccia and Olivia Atkinson team up to thwart a West Durham scoring chance during last year's playoffs. All three are back with the Hornets, who opened the season with three straight wins, including a 2-1 victory over the defending OWHA champion Mississauga Chiefs. | photo by Graham Paine -- Oakville Beaver Burghardt cruises to victory in CJGA event The second Brad May Celebrity Hockey Classic is still a couple of months away, but registration for the Easter Seals Ontario fundraising tournament in Oakville has already exceeded numbers from last year's inaugural event. Tournament spokesperson Lisa-Marie Smith attributes the increase to a decision not to require teams to pay $1,800 upon registration for the tournament. Instead, players can participate by raising $400 in donations for Easter Seals Ontario, up from a $300 minimum last year. "Oakville is just a different market. It was hard finding (companies) in Oakville who wanted to participate in the tournament and could participate," said Smith. "Companies in Oakville are (generally) working companies, not corporate offices." Twelve teams have already signed up for this year's ONLY tournament, up from 10 from last year. Smith is optimistic the field could ultimately feature 16 squads, if Gas Furnace not more. 95% EFF. "Sixteen is the sweet spot. Twenty would be a good problem to have," she said. "But even if I hit 30, I would find a way." /mTH INSTALLED OR $59OAC Like last year, participants will have an opportunity to play a minimum of three games with a former NaPACKAGE INCLUDES: · 95.5% High Efficiency Gas Furnace tional Hockey League player on their squad. May, who UP TO · High Efficiency Central Air R410A Refrigerant played 18 seasons in the NHL with a variety of teams $1350 · 10 Year Factory Warranty IN OPA AND including the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the only former · Limited Time Offer Over 120,000 GAS COmPANY pro whose participation has been officially announced satisfied custOmers · Call for details REbATES so far, but Smith has an extensive list of recogniz*See dealer for details THE FORECAST CALLS FOR able names confirmed for the event. Past celebrities 9 Locations To Serve You Better! to attend Easter Seals celebrity classics (there are also tournaments held annually in Vaughan, Whitby and HEATING & COOLING www.aireone.com · 1-888-827-2665 Kitchener-Waterloo) include Paul Coffey, Doug Gilm- John Burghardt of Oakville took a commanding lead with a firstround 69 and went on to win the Canadian Junior Golf Association fall series event by seven strokes Sunday. Burghardt's one-under round at Station Creek Golf Club in Gormley staked him to a six-shot lead in the two-day event. He was three over after seven holes but reeled off four birdies in a stretch of five holes. He traded a bogey and a birdie late in the round to finish at 69. The following day he birdied the final two holes to finish with a 74, still the second-best score of the day. His two-day total of 143 gave him a comfortable victory over the field of 27 golfers in the junior boys' 15-19 division. Brad May Celebrity Classic returns for second year By Jon Kuiperij Oakville Beaver sports editor see us online @ www.OakvilleBeaver.com High Efficiency FURNACE & CENTRAL AIR AIRE ONE MADNEss sAlE! $ 3990 * * 905-849-4998 A+ RATING our and Eric Lindros. Beginning next week, identities of two participating ex-pros will be announced every week leading up to the tournament, which will begin Thursday, Nov. 21 with the VIP Draft Party at Philthy McNasty's, 379 Speers Rd. Teams will select their ex-NHLer teammate at the party, with the first overall pick going to the team that raises the most money for Easter Seals Ontario. Games will be played Friday, Nov. 22 at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. Smith said she has placed a greater emphasis on the draft party for this year, suggesting it will be the highlight of the tournament. "There will be a buffet dinner, beer, maybe the Bud Light Girls, pro photographers," Smith said. "That's the event. We've spent quite a bit of money on it to make sure it is." Weekly prizes will reward top fundraisers for Easter Seals Ontario, a charity that provides programs and services to children and youths with physical disabilities across the province to help them achieve greater independence, accessibility and integration. "The event is fabulous, but at the end of the day, it's about raising money for kids with physical disabilities," Smith said. "We all know how expensive it is to raise kids. With a child with a physical disability, you have to multiply that so many times... You have to think about things like wheelchairs, walkers, lifts, crutches... Easter Seals families have so much financial strain on them." Money raised by Easter Seals Ontario also gives children the opportunity to attend 10-day summer camps that provide a wide range of fully-accessible activities. Kalea Davies will be the Easter Seals ambassador for the Brad May Celebrity Hockey Classic. Genworth Financial, Winmar Restorations and The Oakville Beaver are the event's primary sponsors. For more information on the tournament, visit bit.