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SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3,2006 Jr. Ice in tight race for final playoff spot Youthful squad earns 1-1 tie in Burlington ties in a span of 2:06 midway through the third 'but managed to keep Oakville from taking the lead. The Oakville Jr. Ice has struggled "We got a little lazy in the third, to score this season, but you would- took some penalties and we were 't have known it from its lightning- lucky to get the tie," said Barracudas quick start Wednesday. coach Ray Jones. "It wasn't one of our With a playoff berth within its better performances but we did a grasp, Oakville scored 11 seconds pretty good job and dug down when Wednesday's we were shorthanded." "We are one of Provincial Women's Oakville carried the Hockey League game in the youngest m om entum the power Burlington. It was a great teams in the plays provided through for a team th at loop. The one out the rest of the period. entered the game three McIntosh almost got her thing we lack is points out of the final second of the game with patience." -season spot. four minutes left. Cutting Unfortunately,' it was in front of the net, she the last goal the Ice O akvile Jr. Ice got a backhand away and would score in a 1-1 tie coach B ill M etcalfe had Barracudas goalie with the Burlington Barracudas -- at Kendyl Valenta moving the wrong least, the last one that counted. way, but Valenta kicked out her leg to The Ice looked to have scored the make the save. go-ahead goal midway through the The Ice also had a two-on-one third while enjoying a five-on-three break with ju st over a m inute power play. A pass across the goal remaining but couldn't convert. crease hit a player in front of the net "We're one of the youngest teams and trickled across the goal line but in the loop. Our average age is 16 in the referee waved it off because an Ice league of 20-year-olds," Metcalfe said. player was in the crease. "The one thing we lack is patience. "I th o u g h t the kids competed Sometimes we move the puck too well," said Ice coach Bill Metcalfe. quickly and patience is a maturity "We outshot them. I factor." thought we · o u t Despite its youth, played them, espe Oakville remains in cially in the third, the playoff h u n t we ju st couldn't with a 7-15-4 convert." record. At least not after The Ice is cu rren t the Ice caught a ly 14th in the 16Barracudas defender team league but is just pinching in off the two points behind opening faceoff. Windsor, which holds the final "We got the puck and I just skated playoff spot. through the D and went to the net,'l Sandwiched in between, in 13th, said 16-year-old Laura McIntosh, is Burlington, which like Oakville has who scored her team-leading eighth a very young team with an average goal to put the Ice quickly ahead after age of 16.4. taking a pass from Amanda Kirwan. "It was a well-contested game," Burlington would tie the game up Metcalfe said. "It was a fight right nine minutes later on a power play, down to the end. We play them again the only shot of 12 to elude Ice goalie (Feb. 10) and that will be a tell-tale Kelsey Ricard. game." After the second period produced That contest will be played at few good scoring chances, Oakville Canlan Ice Sports in Oakville at 7:15 swarmed the Barracudas' net in the p.m. -- one of four games left in the third. Burlington took three penal regular season for the Ice. OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF By Herb Garbutt HERB GARBUTT / OAKVILLE BEAVER TIE D UP: Brittany Paton of the Oakville Jr. Ice (in black) lifts the stick of Burlington Jr. Barracudas player Jadyn Fox in Wednesday's Provincial Women's Hockey League game. Oakville struck quickly, scoring 11 seconds into the game, but Burlington shut the Ice down the rest of the way to earn a 1-1 tie. Donati shines in 0HL all-star game Oakville's Justin Donati scored twice and set up another goal to lead the East Conference to a 9-3 win over the West Conference in the Ontario Hockey League All-Star Classic in Belleville. Donati skated on a line with Toronto St. Michael's Majors teammate Tyler Haskins and Brampton's Wojtek Wolski. The line combined to score four goals as the East Conference won for the first time since 1999. The West opened the scoring but Donati's goal in the final minute of the opening period tied the game. The East carried that momentum into the second, scoring four straight goals to take a 5-1 lead. With the East leading 6-2 in the third, Donati set up Wolski's second goal of the game. After the West got one back, Donati notched his second with 37 seconds to play to seal the victory. Donati is currently sixth in OHL scoring with 36 goals and 81 points in 42 games. Evan McGrath of the Kitchener Rangers also played, suiting up for the West Conference, but was held without a point. CANLANI Lk !