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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, March 26, 2015 | 38 Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports by Jon Kuiperij "Connected to your Community" Hornets through to Final 4 Top-seeded Oakville avoids near upset in quarter-finals game-winning goal less than two minutes after Gabel tied the game 2-2 early in the Beaver Sports Editor third period, and Nikki Cece stopped 17 of 19 shots to record the win in net. The Oakville Hornets advanced to their first"We tried to keep our positivity on the ever Provincial Women's Hockey League Fi- bench. We knew we could do it if we put our nal 4, but not without getting a good scare minds to it," the 18-year-old Gabel said. "I first. was happy to score (the tying Oakville, the top seed in goal). It brought the energy the PWHL playoffs after finup on our bench." ishing the regular season The Hornets now prepare with a 31-3-4 record, came for their first PWHL Final 4, 15 minutes away from being which begins tomorrow (Friupset by the ninth-ranked day) in Stoney Creek. The Durham West Lightning in significance of advancing the quarter-finals. The Horthis far is not lost on Gabel, a nets trailed Durham West 2-1 Kitchener native who joined entering the third period of the Hornets this season afthe fifth and deciding game ter getting to know Oakville Sunday at Joshua's Creek coach Bradi Cochrane at proArenas before scoring three vincial team camps. unanswered goals to prevail "A couple of girls on the Loren Gabel 4-2. team came up to me and said Oakville Hornets forward "It was, for sure, a learnwe're the first Oakville team ing experience for my whole to make it to the Final 4. We team," said Hornets forward Loren Gabel, made history," Gabel said. "It's an undescribable feeling... I have no who scored Oakville's first two goals Sunday and now has nine markers in eight playoff words for it. It was a surreal moment, overgames after collecting 21 in 28 regular-sea- whelming." In the Final 4, the Hornets will take on son contests. "Durham really showed up and showed us a team coming ninth can beat us. the Whitby Wolves (9:30 a.m. tomorrow), We obviously had to get our heads in the Toronto Aeros (6:30 p.m. tomorrow) and Stoney Creek Sabres (2:30 p.m. Saturday) game." Oakville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the in round-robin action. The top two teams best-of-five series on the strength of a pair of advance to the gold-medal game Sunday three-goal victories, but the Lightning struck at 5 p.m., with the third- and fourth-place back with a 2-1 overtime win Friday at Josh- squads playing for bronze at 2:30 p.m. ua's Creek and a 2-1 shootout triumph Sat"We are the team to beat," Gabel said. "We just have to come in there strong with our urday in Ajax. Sunday, the Hornets weren't able to heads up high and know we can't be complabreathe easily until Amy Curlew scored an cent, even though we beat these teams beempty-netter to give them a 4-2 lead with fore. We have to show hard work and dedi1:28 to go. Olivia Atkinson provided the cation, and go for that gold medal." It's an undescribable feeling... I have no words for it. Loren Gabel (centre) celebrates with Oakville Hornets teammates Lauren Patterson (left) and Mackenzie Stamper after scoring a goal Sunday at Joshua's Creek Arenas. The Hornets defeated the Durham West Lightning 4-2 to advance to their first-ever Provincial Women's Hockey League Final 4. | photo by Graham Paine -- Oakville Beaver -- @Halton_Photog THE GYM Convenient, clean, and friendly. NAUTILUS We're Oakville's best kept secret! Est. 1982 High quality weight training and Nautilus cardio equipment. Experienced and mature personal trainers. Carpeted, air conditioned with ample natural light from large windows. Free indoor parking. 4-Month Student Special $189 + HST 11 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, ON www.thegymnautilus.com 905-844-1610 Play BaseBall this summer! Tee Ball Coach Pitch Rookie Ball Mosquito For Players Born 2000 ­ 2010 1 game and 1 practice per week with supplemental training at Corbetts Dugout, 2270 Speers Road PeeWee Bantam Come join the team and be part of the tradition! Register online TODAY www.baseballoakville.com Volunteers needed to coach and convene leagues Email: info@baseballoakville.com · Phone: 1-888-554-9960