With Skate-Shoot-Score competition Minor hockey players to test their skills

Local youth hockey players will get an opportunity to put their skills to the test at an upcoming competition to be held at the MoldMasters SportsPlex. The newly introduced Skate-ShootScore Hockey Skills Challenge is a program developed by former NHLer and Georgetown native Adam Bennett, patterned after similar football, baseball and golf competitions that have become popular in the U.S. The Georgetown event will take place Friday, Feb. 3 from 9 a.m. until noon. "We use the same format as the NHL's skills competition and it's something that probably a lot of the kids haven't done before," said Bennett, a former firstround pick of the Chicago Blackhawks whose career was cut short by knee injuries. "It's a light-hearted event tied in with a little competitiveness. We didn't want to make it a stressful thing for the kids--

just fun and entertaining. The great thing is that the players can go on-line afterwards and compare their results with kids in other centres," the 34-year-old Bennett added.

`We didn't want to make it a stressful thing for the kids-- just fun and entertaining.'

--Adam Bennett The challenge will cover five age groups, from novice to midget, and registration is limited to 25 entries per division. Forwards and defenders will vie for medals in five events-- hardest shot, shooting accuracy, obstacle course, fastest skater and breakaways. Although goalies are needed for the

competition, they aren't part of the SkateShoot-Score skills challenge just yet. A "Boni" shooter, which fires pucks at the goalkeepers much like a tennis ball machine, isn't available to organizers at this point. Cost to enter is $55 per player (+GST), which includes a Skate-Shoot-Score jersey and a ticket to the Feb. 4 Georgetown Jr. A Raiders' game against the Streetsville Derbys, when the local winners will be honoured. The top three finishers in each division will have the opportunity to advance to the regional competition, and if successful again, the Ontario championships. Other Skate-Shoot-Score competitions are scheduled for Brampton on March 11 and Oakville March 19. For more info call 1-866-806-5657 or visit the Web site www.skate-shootscore.net. Entire team entries will receive a discounted regisration rate.