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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, July 31, 2015 | 60 Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports S U M M E R H E A T "Connected to your Community" Sr. A Rock needed victory last night to qualify for playoffs The Oakville Rock had one more chance last night (Thursday) to clinch its first Major Series Lacrosse playoff spot since relocating from Ajax three years ago. Oakville needed a victory in its regular-season finale in Brampton (a game that began after the Beaver's press deadline) to vault over the Brooklin Redmen and into the four-team MSL picture. The Rock entered the game with a record of 6-11, one point behind the 6-11-1 Redmen, who doubled up the Brampton Excelsiors 6-3 Wednesday. Oakville would actually have finished ahead of the Excelsiors (who had already clinched a playoff spot with a 7-10 mark) for third place with a win yesterday evening. For results from last night's game, visit www. insidehalton.com/oakville-on-sports. The Rock had an opportunity to lock up a post-season spot Monday at Oakville's Toronto Rock Athletic Centre, but the Six Nations Chiefs scored twice in the final minute of regulation to edge the Rock 9-8. Brenden Thenhaus, Wes Berg and Jason Noble each scored twice in a losing cause for Oakville, with Brett Hickey and Alex Crepinsek providing singles. The Rock could have also clinched a playoff spot the previous week, when it lost at home to Brooklin. One loss by the Redmen in their final three games would have also guaranteed Oakville a playoff spot, but Brooklin closed the campaign with a 3-0 spurt. Sr. B Titans in 0-2 hole versus Six Nations Seven unanswered goals by the Six Nations Rivermen pushed the Oakville Titans to the brink of elimination from the Ontario Lacrosse Association senior B playoffs Sunday at Oakville's Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. Looking to even the best-of-five semifinal series at a game apiece, the Titans held a 6-5 lead late in the second period before Six Nations tied the game with 36 seconds to go in the frame. The top-seeded Rivermen then outscored Oakville 6-0 in the final period. The Titans hope to extend the series with a victory in Game 3 tomorrow (Saturday) in Six Nations, where Oakville dropped the series opener 12-5 last Friday. If necessary, Game 4 would be played this Sunday (7 p.m.) at TRAC, with a fifth and deciding game slated for Aug. 4 in Six Nations. Todd Kozak and Mike Gillan each scored twice for Oakville in Game 1, with Eric Wales notching the Titans' other tally. Jon Mason (two), Sean Gillies, Todd Bloxam, Gage Board and Brendan Fox were Oakville's goal-scorers Sunday. Oakville Whitecaps pitcher Steven Kong takes aim during the Whitecaps' opening game of the Little League baseball provincial major (12-under) championships Monday at Cornwall Park. Oakville rode home runs by Andre Wojitarowicz and Michael Bowman to a 21-1 rout of the Timmins Lynx, then blasted the Port Arthur Nationals 9-1 Tuesday as pitchers Riley Johnson and Matthew Brown combined to toss five strong innings and Evan Smyth hit a two-run homer. Oakville had an opportunity to advance to Saturday's championship round with a victory yesterday afternoon (Thursday) over the High Park Braves. For updated results from the tournament, visit www.insidehalton.com/oakville-on-sports. | photo by Justin Greaves -- Oakville Beaver -- @Halton_Photog Local curling coach first in Canada to complete new program Oakville resident Delores McCallum recently became Curling Canada's first certified competition development coach. McCallum, the curling co-ordinator at the Oakville Curling Club (OCC), earned the distinction by completing Curling Canada's new National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) context-based programming. that will compete in the national ball hockey championships this weekend in St. John's, Nfld. Myles Vita-Finzi, Christian Tremblay, Alexander Ishmael, Jack Turchet, Carson Margolese, Sam Brewer and the Rangers qualifed for the Canadian championships by reaching the provincial finals last year in Caledon. Participants in the national tournament are candidates to be selected to represent Canada at next year's worlds in London, England. Vita-Finzi is captaining the Rangers, assisted by Tremblay, at the nationals, which will decide champions in U15, U17 and U19 divisions. OSC crowns three more house league champions Three boys' teams were crowned Oakville Soccer Club house league champions Sunday after winning their division finals in the inaugural Inaria Cup tournament. Absolute Soccer Purple won the under-13/14 title with a 1-0 win over Mr. Lube Gold, Cogeco Sky Blue claimed the U15/16 championship by edging Oakville Beaver Lime 3-2, and Oakville United Taxi Kelly Green downed Mr. Lube Gold 1-0 to take top honours in U17/18. OSC girls' house league champions were decided the previous week in the Inaria Cup competition, which replaced the Oakville Cup and guarantees all teams a minimum of three games. "I was extremely pleased with the overall success of the Inaria Cup tournaments this summer. The quality of play from both the boys' and girls' house league teams clearly identified the talent which is present at the Oakville Soccer Club," said OSC executive director Dave Harris. Sports Briefs "We want to congratulate Delores on this great accomplishment," said Curling Canada NCCP transition consultant Jennifer Ferris. "Delores has been diligent at working through the tasks required to demonstrate her competence to work with athletes in the Training To Compete Stage." McCallum was one of 23 coaches who began their competition development training last March in Hamilton. There is now a total of 54 curling coaches across Canada who are at various stages of their NCCP training and certification. "What the program really proved to me is that planning works. If a coach plans every aspect of the year leading up to competition, it will improve the team's chances by a very large margin," McCallum said. "I will never again coach a team to competition without going through this process." For more info about the program, visit bit.ly/1DchEaK. Oakville players in ball hockey nationals this weekend Six Oakville residents are on the under-17 Ontario Rangers squad