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32 Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca Adam Campbell 905-844-4444 I N D E P E N D E N T LY O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D Broker of Record B R O K E R A G E SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009 Tavares triumphant in return By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR TORONTO -- The stage appeared set for John Tavares to be the hero. With the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs less than a minute away from a shootout, it looked like the 19-year-old Oakville resident might have the opportunity to decide his first-ever game against his childhood-favourite team -- much like Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby did against the Montreal Canadiens in 2005. A storybook ending for Tavares, individually at least, was not to be. The Islanders won Monday's clash at the Air Canada Centre on a goal by Josh Bailey with 43 seconds left in OT. Not that Tavares was complaining. "Not at all," the St. Thomas Aquinas grad said when asked if he was looking forward to a shootout. "I think we've only won one of our shootouts (so far this season). It was great for the team to come through." Granted, even if he had scored the decisive goal in the shootout, Tavares would have had to share top billing with Isles goalie Dwayne Roloson, who stopped 58 of the 61 shots he faced. Sharing the spotlight would be something new to Tavares. Despite the fact he went pointless and recorded only one shot Monday, he was swarmed by reporters and television cameramen as soon as the doors opened to the Islanders dressing room after the game. Earlier in the day, the Islanders chose to have Tavares answer questions from the podium before the game to satisfy the swarm of media covering his return to the GTA. Tavares handled all the attention in stride, the same way he has throughout his freshman season thus far. The top pick in this past summer's NHL Entry Draft currently leads all rookies in goals (nine) and points (19), and he's the top point-getter on the Islanders. "I knew I could contribute right away. I believed that I could," Tavares, who spent time with friends and family here in town Sunday, told reporters Monday afternoon. "But I just wanted to make sure I adjusted well to all aspects of the game. I think at first the strength and the size of guys was kind of the one thing I took some time getting used RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER to. "I think now I'm really starting to find my HOMECOMING: New York Islanders forward John Tavares follows the play during Monday's way. I know what I need to do to be success- game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. The contest was Tavares' first against See Islanders page 33 the team he cheered for as a child growing up in Oakville. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2009 Annual General Meeting of the Oakville Soccer Club Inc. will be held at the Oakville Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario, and not at the Pine Glen Soccer Centre as previously reported, on Saturday, 28th of November, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. for the following purposes: