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3 4 - The O akville Beaver, F r id a y F e b r u a r y 1 7 , 2 0 0 6 Everybody wins FOR THE FUN OF IT: The action was fast and furious during a recent session of Timbits hockey at River Oaks Recreation Centre. Above, nearly every player on the ice focuses solely on the blue puck. Left, Braeden Webber (in yellow) attempts to m aneuver around a fallen opponent. Right, Liam O'Brien celebrates after scor ing a goal. The M inor Oaks Hockey Association has run the Timbits program, sponsored by Tim Hortons, for the past four seasons. The goals of the program include creating an environment that encourages both fun and skill development, providing quality ice tim e for new players and accommodating increased enrollment for younger players. Teams practice Saturdays at Maplegrove Arena and play Sundays at River Oaks. Photos by Liesa Kortmann Blades finally pay for Iess-than-steMar playoff, performance play goal with six minutes remaining , in regulation put the Blades in front 4-3. "We've yet to play 60 minutes. We're there It was all starting to look a little too easy half the time but that's not good enough for the Oakville Blades. against a team like Burlington. We weren't Despite not being at their best for the desperate enough." second game in a row, the Blades were less Burlington certainly was, given that a than a minute Wednesday from taking a 3- loss would have all but sealed its fate. Like 0 stranglehold on their best-of-seven they did in Game 2, the Cougars carried the Provincial Jr. A Hockey League first-round play and a one-goal lead through two peri playoff series. However, the Burlington ods. This time they maintained their Cougars needed the win a little more, and it momentum into the third. showed. The Blades got the break they needed, Sean Wilson's goal with 29 seconds to though, when Burlington' s, Kyle McNeil was play in the third period forced overtime and given a five-minute charging major with 11 Scott Timmins' goal 42 seconds into the minutes to play. They tied the game on a second overtime period gave the Cougars a- strange play, midway through the major. 5-4 victory. Vitaly Lanochkin's shot sailed over the net, It also gave them new life. hit a partition in the glass and richocheted "You never want to let a team back in a into the corner. The Blades' Joey Piccone series," said Dan Ringwald, whose power- swiped at it, batting it toward the net and OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF By Herb Garbutt Cougars goalie Chris Rowan, turning toward the shot, caught it but his glove was in the net. With the powerplay winding down, Ringwald's point shot--just the Blades' sec ond shot during the five-minute advan tage-- beat a screened Rowan to give the Blades the lead. Burlington pressed for the equalizer and after missing a pair of open nets with the extra attacker, Wilson lifted a shot over David Scamurra with 29 seconds remain ing. The first 10-minute overtime produced some good action but few scoring chances. That changed quickly in the second over time. Just 42 seconds in, Timmins picked up a loose puck along the boards, made a beeline for the net and wired a shot through Scamurra's legs. Burlington's victory sends the series back to Central Arena today (7:30 p.m.) for Game 4. "It's a huge win for us," said Wilson, who scored twice for the Cougars. "Going home with a chance to even the series, we're right back in this." And the Blades know they're going to be in tough, especially after they needed a late rally to salvage a win the last time they played in Burlington. "Their barn suits them a lot better," Ringwald said. "It's smaller and lets them get a forecheck going. Five-on-five, we're the better team, we just have to stay out of the box." One positive for the Blades was their power play finally started producing. Matt Beca ended the Blades' 0-for-17 slump with a goal 63 seconds into the game. It was Beca's first of two on the night, giving him six goals in the series.