The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

__ Starting last night with the Markham Waxers in Markham, the locals have five straight days of exhibiâ€" tion games â€" tonight against the Barrie Colts at River Oaks Arena (8 p.m.), Thursday in Barrie (8:30 p.m.), Friday against St. Michael‘s at River Oaks (8 p.m.) and Saturday against Hamilton Kilty A‘s in Hamilton (8 .m.). The Blades opened the preâ€"season with an 8â€"5 loss o Hamilton Friday at River Oaks and followed up with sterling effort in a 1â€"1 tie with St. Mike‘s Saturday in oronto. f "The kids will either work their way on or off the am," said Walker who expects to cut about a dozen layers by today leaving about 35 bodies. "This week Blades get down to brass tacks with season opener looming Oakville Beaver staff The wheat will get separated from the chaff this wee_k in the Oakville Blades junior A hockey club. By TOM MICHIBATA _ The Blades elected to use just three veterans in each of the games in order to get a good look at rookie hopeâ€" fuls. Blades general manager Murray Walker says playâ€" ing for five straight days this week will be a good meaâ€" uring stick of just how they perform in game condiâ€" tions. we‘ll cut down considerably. We should have the team about 20 playerss) picked by Sunday." L 0 NC O _ OO ROoce Ge *OVCC ~eqosh JOFGBLE EQRACâ€"uAY sUcGHE HEACâ€"GROCE PHF 4757 WAs ont shot day gilt by winning Sunday. He turned 34 the day Stewart took home $2,670 and Knoll earned better than Fred Couples. (Photo by Riziero Vertol before. "I enjoy Jack Nicklausâ€"designed courses $2,230 # # # Bryant and Stricker go from nobodies to somebodies Brad Bryant and Steve Stricker. Not exactly your household names on the PGA Tour. Maybe guys that come around your house sellâ€" ing vacuum cleaners would be more apropos. Yet those were the names most prbnfinem on the leader board for the first three days of the $1.2 milâ€" By TOM MICHIBATA Oakville Beaver staff David puts Frost on Open Sp21ag N FROSTY FINISH: South Africa‘s David Frost clenches both fists moments after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to capture the $1.2 million du Maurier Ltd. Canadian Open Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Club. Frost‘s fourâ€"day total nineâ€"under par 279 was one shot better than Fred Couples. iPhoto by Ririam Vartedi es /3 976â€"4321 nommmnnnnmmnmenmmnmmpmmannsnnemmmanmnmnmmmmmnsmmmmas sc MHHNHHNNIINTT mm mc Walker welcomed the return of veteran blueliner Justin Ball but still figures the defence needs to be (See ‘Blades‘, Pg. 12) Gord Kalverda scored against St. Mike‘s. Veteran Dave Dolecki and rookies Tyson McLean and Andrew Colwell played a period each in net. Walker was impressed with Kalverda‘s work. "He patrols the wing well and he‘s not afraid to hit. He comes to play. He‘s not flashy but he‘s a good skater." With the possible return of Mike Sikora, the team should be deep down the middle. Sikora played with the club two years ago when he centered a highâ€"scoring line between Chris Lazaroff and Scott MacDonald. Sikora finished third in club scoring that year with 68 points (21 goals and 47 assists) in 38 contests. Last year he elected to play high school hockey in Etobicoke. "This was Mike‘s first time out and he hasn‘t comâ€" mitted yet," Walker said. "If he wants a spot there‘s one for him. He‘s a helluva of a center. He‘s got good touch and he can really skate." "It‘s starting to come together," he said. "On Saturday we put together a little stronger lineup. Overall we kept St. Mike‘s away from the net. The cenâ€" ters and wingers were coming back." Mike‘s tively But by the time Frost was draining his birdie on the 18th hole to win the event, Messrs. Stricker and Bryant had not withered away under the pressure. Respect from others and newâ€"found confidence came their way, finishing third and tied for fourth respecâ€" lion Canadian Open and sending media types and golf fans scurrying for their programs asking just who were these guys. alker said the team played a solid game against St SPORTS ; OUAKV Bryant has been slugging on the Tour for 16 years still without a victory. Leading by one stroke enterâ€" ing Sunday‘s play and then seeing the lead evaporate when his putter deserted him in the back nine cerâ€" tainly hurt but Bryant was far from devastated facing the postâ€"round media throng afterwards. "I‘ve got a job next year (exempt status) and that‘s the main thing.," said the 38â€"yearâ€"old Winter Garden, Flor. resident. who took home $68,000 for "I‘ve always wanted to win this tournament since I started playing," said Frost who got a belated birthâ€" day gift by winning Sunday. He turned 34 the day before. "I enjoy Jack Nicklausâ€"designed courses. Frost‘s fourâ€"day total of 279 was one shot better than runnerâ€"up Fred Couples and three up on Bryant (282) who faltered somewhat on Sunday with a twoâ€" over par 74. It was Frost‘s first victory on the PGA Tour in 1993 and seventh of his career which began in 1985. It brought his 1993 money total to $651,967 and career earnings to $4,050,081. Frost carded birdies on holes one, four, five and 18 and had only a single bogey on the parâ€"4 10th. Couples meanwhile went par on the first 12 holes Sunday before scoring birdies on 13, 16 and 18. He entered the day tied for third with Frost: 3 With a last name matching his easyâ€"going temâ€" perament, Frost calmly went out and just missed the 67, by firing a fourâ€"under par 68 to win the $180,000 (U.S.) top prize. 9 8 It was only on his way back to Oakville he thought about his upcoming final round. The flight number his family was on was 1267. The last two numbers â€" 67, Frost imagined would be a good final day score. Instead his focus was getting his wife Linda, daughter Noelle and son Sean to Pearson International Airport for a flight to their family home in Dallas, Tx. The 34â€"yearâ€"old South African native was right in the thick of things of the $1.2 million du Maurier Ltd. Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, tied for third and just three strokes back of leader Brad Bryant. Believe it or not golf was the # Dave Frost‘s mind when he woke ing. AIRING IT OUT: Oakville Longhorns quarâ€" terback Mark Demerling lets fly with a pass during the opener of a twoâ€"game exhibition football series with the Lancashire Wolverines Friday at Bronte Athletic Field. Oakville won 33â€"0. Second game goes tonight was the farthest thing from ts short plagued Bryant six but fell apart in the 14, 15 and 17. on the first day but saw up Sunday morn at Burlington‘s Nelson Stadium (7:30 p.m.). Former Toronto Argonaut Dan Ferrone will be on hand for preâ€"game ceremonies at 7:15 p.m. A draw for a weekend for two in Niagara Falls will be made at halftime. "It‘s nice to keep my career going. After 16 years you sometimes wonder when it‘s going to end. Now they have to worry about me one more year." Bryant admitted putting was his downfall. "I have to be happy with some of the shots. I hit (See ‘Stricker‘, Pg. 12) his efforts His other close Tour victories was finishâ€" ing runnerâ€"up at the 1991 Buick Classic and tied for second in three others. "I birdied on 17 but he hit two good shots on 17," he said. "Frostie was the guy to beat not at the start of the day but after seven or eight holes." Two Canadians â€" Ray Stewart and Arden Knoll made the twoâ€"day cut of 148 and went on to finish tied for 45th and tied for 58th respectively. "On 17 I drilled (the drive) way to the right but I hung in there to give me a chance on 18. On the front nine I played a very good round of golf. I lipped out a put on three. On five I had it on the edge. "I‘m just thrilled to death. I‘m in great shape and great morale going into Ryder Cup." Couples felt he did just about everything to keep the pressure on Frost. Although falling one short was a little disappointâ€" ing, Couples was encouraged with his play in the tournament. He‘ll be on the U.S. squad for the upcoming Ryder Cup Sept. 24â€"26 in England. "Overall I‘m very pleased â€" I felt I played great," Couples said. "I got some good breaks and I had a few good par putts. I made no bogies â€" I really only made four for the week. I played well in each nine holgg and in every nine I was in good shape. "I stayed calm and within myself. I was able to hit difficult shots which I really enjoy. I don‘t get ahead of myself and I don‘t think of guys behind or ahead of me." Frost just felt he was in a comfort zone for the final day. "I‘m was swinging at the ball well. I felt comfortâ€" able with what I was doing. This morning in practice I hit a twoâ€"iron just two feet from the hole. I missed one little putt on 10. It was not a bad putt but it was the only one I missed under six feet all week. "It‘s a shot that you really don‘t want to hit to win a golf tournament but once you make it and hit it where I‘d just hit it, it‘s a big relief. In past years I‘ve never really played that hole well." Knowing Couples had birdied the parâ€"5 18th, Frost said he had no choice but to aim for the flag on his second shot which was about 225 yards away. Frost then twoâ€"putted to match Couple‘s birdie. because of that country‘s apartheid policy. "I was sorry I couldn‘t come back because I realâ€" ly enjoyed the people organizing the tournament," Frost reflected. "After it (ban) was lifted there was no reason for me all of a sudden not to come back." I‘ve generally played his golf courses well." Frost said it was tough not being allowed to enter the Open in 1988 and 1989 when the Canadian govâ€" ernment didn‘t grant South African athletes visas because of that country‘s anartheid noliev WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1993 PAGE 11 (Photo by Riziero Vertolli)