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Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports HALTON TRANSMISSION "Connected to your Community" 559 SPEERS RD., #UNIT 3 905-842-0725 www.haltontransmission.com 29 | Thursday, May 30, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Hawks keep their poise to claim regional crown Ejections of Trinity players pivotal in soccer final had the chance to talk to him." The Hawks were surprised to see Special To The Beaver undisciplined play from Trinity, but were happy to take advantage. Matt To the Loyola Hawks senior boys Santos scored to put Loyola up 2-0, soccer team, anything less than and the shorthanded Titans weren't a championship this year simply able to recover. "They've been a great team for wouldn't have been acceptable. The Hawks' last two seasons years and unfortunately (ejections) ended the same way: unbeaten go- happened," De Stefano said. "Good ing into a Halton final and coming for us though that we maintained our cool and we kept playing and it away from it with a loss. Heading into Tuesday's AAAA (worked) out for us." Saulez was pleased with how the championship game, the Hawks once again rolled through their com- game was going until the two red petition during the regular season cards. "I thought we were playing reto post an undefeated record. This time at Oakville's North Park, they ally well and we just lost our comgot the ending they'd been waiting posure," Saulez said. "I guess the intensity and the three years for, defeatimportance of the ing the Holy Trinity game got the better Titans 2-0 to capture of us. You're going the title. to have a hard time "This means so beating those guys much to our team, when you're not at the coaches and our full strength." school," Hawks right Sznajder said his wing Krystof Sznaclub emerged vicjder said. "It feels fantorious because the tastic." Hawks stuck to their After a scoreless game plan, despite first half, the Hawks what was transpiring took the game over in on the pitch. the second by keepNick De Stefano "I can't say what ing their composure Loyola boys' soccer coach was going through when Trinity did not. (the Titans') heads," Early in the half, the Titans' Ben Dinadis received he said. "It's a sport and people get a red card for rough play. Shortly frustrated. How they take out their afterwards, Loyola's A.J. Martins anger is up to them. The conduct, I opened the scoring, beating Trin- don't want to speak bad about anyity keeper Chris Lessor after Lessor one, wasn't the greatest. "Other than that we just kept had made two terrific saves. "You could definitely see the turn- playing, let everyone else get frusing point from there," said Hawks trated and just focused on our game." head coach Nick De Stefano. While the Titans' season is over, Trinity's Mustapha Joof received his second card of the match a few Loyola will play Cardinal Newman minutes later after an altercation in a Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference semifinal matchup towith Loyola's Mauricio Pineiro. "I don't know what happened day (Thursday). No matter the result, winning the there," Titans head coach Andrew Saulez said. "Until I know what Halton title is an experience these happened there, I'm not going to Hawks won't forget anytime soon. "We get into coaching to see the hang the kid out to dry, I have to talk to him. I don't know if the kid players who worked hard all year said something to him and he retal- get what they deserve, and they reiated. He still shouldn't have retali- ally deserved to win this," De Steated, I agree with that, but I haven't fano said. by Ryan Glassman H A L T O N S O C C E R F I N A L S We maintained our cool and we kept playing and it (worked) out for us. An unidentified member of the Loyola Hawks (right) tries to get past Holy Trinity's Brent Erb Tuesday at North Park. Loyola blanked the Titans 2-0 in the Halton senior boys' soccer AAAA championship game.| photo by Hannah Yoon -- Special to the Oakville Beaver Titans foiled in girls' final, but still alive for OFSAA by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff As the defending provincial high school champions, it would be easy to assume the Holy Trinity Titans were the favourites heading into Tuesday's Halton final. Judging the teams by their respective records, that wouldn't be the case. The Titans finished fourth in the Halton senior girls' AAAA soccer standings with a 4-2-1 mark while their opponents, the Bishop Reding Royals, were second with a record of 5-1-1. But a closer look reveals it would have been foolish to write off the Titans. After losing half their starting lineup from last year's provincial championship team, Holy Trinity restocked its roster with junior-aged Grade 10s. Trinity struggled out of the gate, losing its first two games in league play. The Titans returned to form over the last four weeks, though, going 6-0-1, including a 2-1 penalty kicks victory over the previously undefeated Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils in the semifinals. "As the year went on, there was a little more chemistry," said Titans coach Peter Bonfiglio. "There was such a gap between the (Grade) 10s and 12s. They had to grow together and learn to play with each other." So as Trinity entered the final, a third straight Halton championship did not seem out of the question. It was not to be, though. Bishop Reding scored with eight minutes remaining, then held off a late surge by Holy Trinity for a 1-0 victory. The Titans looked to be carrying their late-season momentum, which included a 2-1 regular-season win over BR, into the championship game. Trinity played a strong first half but was not rewarded on the scoresheet. Bishop Reding applied more pressure in the second half and looked poised to open the scoring when Rachel Lingard slipped the ball past the Titans netminder but defender Sara Smith arrived to deny Lingard the chance to put the ball into the empty net. Trinity would have a good chance of its own as Melissa Coulson got the ball to Kira Ricci behind the Reding defence. Ricci broke in but her shot, though it eluded the keeper, sailed just over the bar. Two minutes later, Lingard would score the game's only goal. Trinity would come close again off a series of corner kicks in the final minutes but Reding held the Titans off to claim its first senior girls' AAAA title (the Royals won the AAA title in 2010). "We're very young. The fact that we made it to the final with half the team being in Grade 10 says a lot. They could still be playing junior," Bonfiglio said. see Titans' on p.31