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Kevin Nagel Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports many new players this season, it took some time for the team to come together. "I really have to give (coach) John Mann credit," Bagnall said, "With the number of players that moved up to AA, he did a good job integrating the new players. He's really good about mixing up the lines and giving everyone equal time. All the players want to contribute." The Rangers' victory in Ottawa gave the team a boost of confidence. "They came out of the tournament thinking, `There's not a team we can't beat,'" Bagnall said. "For them, they were so excited and since then they've had this can-do attitude." At the Bell tournament, the Rangers continued their winning ways, outscoring the opposition 22-2 in wins over Cooksville, Welland and Meadowvale. Though suffering a 5-2 loss to the Burlington Bulldogs in the final round-robin game, Oakville secured a spot in the semifinals. The Rangers looked to be on their way to the final when Grimsby scored with 2.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. In the second extra period, playing threeon-three, Quinn Shaw scored for Oakville to 35 | Friday, January 8, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "Connected to your Community" More tourney success Bell win boosts minor atom A Rangers' confidence By Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver staff The wins and losses don't count in the standings, but sometimes tournaments can be every bit as important in determining a team's fate. The Oakville minor atom A Rangers already saw their season change dramatically following a tournament victory in Ottawa, and they hope their victory at the Richard Bell Memorial Hockey Tournament will provide a spark as they head into the Ontario Minor Hockey Association playoffs. The Rangers struggled to a 2-5-1 start and were hovering around the .500 mark when they ventured to Ottawa for the Bell Volunteer Cup. Oakville lost its opening game but then won four straight to earn a spot in the final against Cumberland, the team that beat the Rangers 5-2 in the opener. Oakville would avenge its loss with Thomas Bagnall scoring in overtime to secure the title. A week after the tournament, the Rangers began a 13-1-1 run that vaulted them into third place in the Tri-County Hockey League standings. Team manager Geoff Bagnall said with The Oakville minor atom A Rangers won the Richard Bell tournament. Members of the team include (front) Thomas Bagnall; (second row, from left) Davis McArter, Evan Donnet, Kieran Jessome, Ryan O'Connell, Josh McKay, Antoine Rouleau and Sean Chen; (third row) Jack Janavicius, William Weldrick, Matthew Drennan, Sam Mann, Luke Boyd, Quinn Shaw, Evan Burnham, Matthew Paris and Christian Nimac; (back row, from left) coaching staff Geoff Bagnall, Kevin McKay, John Mann, Chris Drennan and Dwayne Jessom. | photo submitted send the hosts to the final. The Rangers' opponent, the Milton Winterhawks, beat Oakville 6-1 in the opening week of the season. The Rangers, however, won their last two meetings with Milton and continued that trend in the Bell final with a 7-4 win to claim their second tournament title of the season. Bagnall said the team's success comes from playing well as a unit. "We've been using our defencemen a lot to expand the ice in the offensive zone and our forwards have been getting back to crowd the defensive zone," he said. The Rangers will now put that winning formula to the test in the OMHA playoffs. Rested after bye, minor bantam A Rangers beat tired Burlington club in Bell final By Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver staff The Oakville minor bantam A Rangers Blue had already clinched a playoff berth but that didn't mean they were going to take their final round-robin game lightly. "When we looked at the schedule, we knew the No. 1 seed would be key," said Rangers' coach Rick Goverde. "The bye (to the final) was going to be a big advantage." In their closest game in the preliminary round, the Rangers pulled out a 4-3 victory over a tough, physical Welland team. The well-rested Oakville squad then jumped on a weary Burlington Eagles Gold in the Richard Bell Memorial Hockey Tournament final. The Rangers took a 2-0 lead on shorthanded goals by Jonathan Policelli and Andrew Toscano on their way to a 5-1 win. While the Bell title went to the Rangers Blue team, Oakville's other entry in the division lent an assist. In a display of just how deep the age group is, both Oakville teams are playing well above the .500-mark in Tri-County Hockey League play. And at the Bell tournament, it was very nearly an all-Oakville final in the seven-team division. Both the Rangers White and Burlington Gold had finished with 2-1-1 records to tie for second, with Oakville having won the round-robin matchup 2-1. In the semifinal, Oakville jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Burlington expended much of its energy rallying for a 4-3 victory. That was exactly the scenario Goverde had hoped to avoid. "It can be tough to get the kids up for a game like Welland when you've already qualified," he said. "But it was important to win that if you want to control your own destiny." And while Oakville boasts plenty of depth in the age group, so does the league they play in. "The whole (2002) year is strong. In the (provincial) rankings, five of the top eight teams are from the Tri-County league," said Goverde, whose team is ranked second be- hind Owen Sound. "It makes for a lot of really good games." Burlington Gold sits at No. 5 while Oakville White is No. 8. With so many strong teams, it's not surprising that the 16-5-7 Rangers struggled at times. "We went through a rough patch for a while in November (going 2-3-2)," Goverde said, "but we've been playing better the last few weeks." The Rangers came into the Bell tournament on an eight-game unbeaten streak and added five more victories on their way to the division title. That will serve as good preparation for the playoffs, where the Rangers are bound to encounter more tough tests.