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S Sports SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2011 37 Loyola overwhelms Titans in girls' basketball showdown By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER SWARMING HAWKS: Loyola Hawks defenders Emily Wilk (left) and Alex Ruscica converge on Holy Trinity Titans player Lauren Jamieson (in white) during Wednesday's Halton senior girls' basketball contest at Trinity. Loyola held the Titans to four first-quarter points, setting the tone in a 59-41 win that improved the Hawks to 8-0. The Loyola Hawks proved their perfect record in Halton senior girls' basketball play is no fluke. In their toughest test so far this season, the Hawks walked into Holy Trinity Wednesday and whipped the Titans 59-41 in a game that was every bit as one-sided as the score suggests. Loyola (8-0) led 19-4 after the opening quarter and answered every Trinity run the rest of the way, never allowing the Titans to creep within 13 points. Loyola's first seven victories of the season came against teams that had a combined record of 24-37. The eighth win, however, came against a Trinity squad that was undefeated until last week. "We knew we could do this," said Loyola guard Emily Wilk. "We're undefeated, and they (the Titans) had only lost one. It was a turning point for our season." Wilk led all scorers Wednesday with 19 points. Sam Pocrnic added 16 points and Alex Ruscica contributed 10 in a Hawks attack that moved the ball extremely well and shot the ball with precision. "That's the compliment we've been getting, whether in league or in tournaments," Hawks coach Alana Juzenas said. "Other coaches say, `You pass the ball really well.'" Wilk said familiarity is the key to her team's ball movement. "Me, Sarah (Traynor), Alex and Sam have all played rep together before," said Wilk, who plays for Hamilton Transway. "We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. We know where to hit Alex for a shot, and we know when to get Sam for a drive." Loyola was also solid on the defensive end of the floor, showing why it has held opponents to a league-low 32.8 points a game. The Hawks denied the interior and did an effective job rebounding the ball, at least until the game got out of hand. "Forty-one (points against) was a little too much for my liking," Juzenas said. "It was just mental mistakes." The Hawks' schedule gets a bit tougher over the next two weeks as they try to maintain their perfect record. After hosting winless Iroquois Ridge on Monday, Loyola will be home to the 6-3 Nelson Lords Wednesday and then conclude the regular season Oct. 31 with a home game against the 8-1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. "I think every game is (a statement game)," said Juzenas. "When you're at the top, everyone's coming for you." NOTES: It was odd to see Vic Juzenas, Alana's father, on the visitor's bench at Holy Trinity. Vic, a longtime Titans basketball coach before retiring a couple years ago, is assisting his daughter this season with the Hawks... Trinity has hit a bump in the road after opening the season with seven straight wins. The Titans were upset 54-50 by the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils last week, then squeaked past the 4-4 Corpus Christi Longhorns 38-36 Monday... Meaghan Perrotta (nine) and Tiffany McNeil (eight) were Trinity's top scorers against Loyola. Five Blue Dogs to suit up in national U18 tournament There's obviously no shortage of talent on Appleby College's varsity girls' hockey team this season. Five members of the Blue Dogs squad will represent their respective regions in the 2011 National Women's Under-18 Championship next month in Saguenay, Que. Four of those players will suit up for Team Atlantic. Defencemen Sarah Steele (Stratford, P.E.I.) and Savannah Newton (Middle Sackville, N.S.) join forwards Catherine Berghuis (Truro, N.S.) and Jennifer MacAskill ( (Antigonish, g , N.S.) ) as the Appleby pp y players on the Atlantic squad. They'll be opposed by Blue Dogs forward and Oakville resident Kristyn Capizzano, who will play for Ontario Red. The National Women's Under18 Championships, an eight-team competition featuring many of f Canada's prominent young players, will take place Nov. 2-6. Team Ontario Red will compete in Pool A, along with Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. Team Ontario Blue, Team Atlantic, Quebec and Saskatchewan will form Pool B at the tournament. FANTASTIC FIVE: Pictured left to right, Appleby College varsity girl's hockey team players Sarah Steele, Savannah Newton, Kristyn Capizzano, Catherine Berghuis and Jennifer MacAskill will play in this year's national women's under-18 hockey championships. MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER