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THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, DECEMBER 12,2001 PAGE B1 Ffe i IS l ! Xr jJ Mh v.4Z &LEISURE CANADIAN STATESMAN DEC. 12, 2 0 0 1 Eagles going in reverse with losses Fall from fifth to seventh in East Conference BY BRAD KELLY Spoi ls Editor The Bowmanville Eagles haven't had an easy time of it in the past 10 games, and looking ahead, tilings aren't going to get any easier for the Provincial Junior Hockey League club. After a pair of identical 4-1 losses to Peterborough and Wellington over the weekend, the Eagles have lost their last three games in a row. Over the past 10 games, the team has only two wins and two ties to show for its efforts. The downward slide has resulted resulted in the Eagles falling from fifth to seventh in the conference, one point back of sixth-place Peterborough, two behind Syracuse and five back of Kingston. "They're human. They read the standings and know where we're sitting and how tight it is," said coach and general manager Curtis Hodgins following following Sunday's loss at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. "It's not the best time to go into a slide, but we'll get out of it and get things going. "It's going to go right down to the wire for positioning positioning and all eight teams that make the playoffs arc going to be pretty good hockey clubs." While the Eagles look for ways to pull out of their recent funk, there are other issues the team has to deal with. Out of the lineup until at least after Christmas with injuries are captain Kyle Crouch and for ANDREW1WANOWSKI/Statesman photo Bowmctnville Eagles goaltender Darryl Bouchard gets a close look at a shot about to be taken by a Wellington player player during first period action of Sunday's game. Bowmanville lost a pair of weekend games to Peterborough and Wellington Wellington by identical scores of 4-1, dropping from fifth to seventh in the East Conference. ward Pat O'Halloran, two integral integral parts to the success of the hockey club. Defenceman Chris Pons is expected back from injury this week, while rookie forward Josh Rutledge will remain out until after Christmas. While Hodgins doesn't like to use injuries as an excuse for his team's performance^ with players continually out of the lineup it has been difficult to "get any continuity with the lineup" lately. With only 10- 11 players able to practice, the end result has been "sloppy" play during games,. Hodgins added. In the 4-1 loss to Wellington Wellington on Sunday, the Eagles were able to stay with the top club in the conference for two periods, but three goals in the third period by the visitors broke a 1-1 tie. Jon Ross was the only Eagle to score, a second-period second-period marker that gave the home team a 1-0 lead after a scoreless scoreless first period. Wellington's Austin Corrcdato tied it on the power player later in the period, period, and three unanswered goals by Cory Bruno, Mark Cambpcll and Mike Konieczny in the third period dropped the Eagles to 12-14- 4-2 on the season. "They (Wellington) don't make mistakes," said Hodgins. Hodgins. "Whatever goals you score you have to earn. "We still make too many mistakes mistakes and a lot of them on the blue line. (Wellington) capitalized capitalized on our mistakes and it was game over." Things don't get any easier this weekend with three games in three nights. Bowmanville Bowmanville travels to Wellington Friday, Port Hope Saturday and will close out the weekend weekend hosting Lindsay in a matinee matinee game on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. THE SCOOP - The arena was full of scouts on Sunday night as Wellington has 11 players who have either been drafted or are draft eligible for the OHL. Among the teams represented were Windsor, Kitchener, Sudbury, Sarnia, Erie and St. Mike's...Scan Brackin and Matt Caruana had assists on the Jon Ross goal Sunday against Wellington...Colin Wellington...Colin Holmes and Tyler Brown were inserted into the lineup from the midget Toros...In Friday's 4-1 loss in Peterborough, Rob Convcry scored with an assist to Nick Stacey...The Eagles are 7-5- 3-0 on home ice.. „ Dynamic duo ignore rookie stereotype BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor For most rookies breaking into the Provincial Junior Hockey Hockey League, the experience can be frustrating. There are the unwritten rules that a first-year player must: be satisfied with working hard in practice; wait patiently on the bench during games for ice time; and when that limited time does come, do something with it and make an impression on the coaching staff. It's a no-win situation for most young players. , But that analogy has been ignored ignored by the Bowmanville Eagles Eagles duo of Matt Caruana and Sean Brackin. The rookies have made quite an impact thus far in the season, and there is nothing to suggest it won't continue. "They've been absolutely great for us right from the start," says coach and general manager Curtis Hodgins of his prized rookies. "When we went into the season season we looked at who was going to score our goals and those guys have done a fantastic job... I wouldn't want to look where we'd be without them." What has been even more impressive impressive is that Caruana and Brackin have enjoyed their success success while playing on the same line, and have even garnered time on the power play. Caruana and Brackin are tied for third in team scoring. Caruana Caruana has 12-19-31 totals while Brackin has 13-18-31 numbers. Both players credit each other, and linemate Jon Ross MATT CARUANA with the reasons behind the high offensive totals. "They (Caruana and Ross) are great players and easy to play with," says Brackin. Caruana echoes the same sentiment noting, noting, "We mesh well out there." Caruana, 16, has the added pressure of being the hometown boy and playing in front of family family and friends each time he steps on the ice at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. The Orono resident spent last season playing with the Central Ontario Wolves major bantams. ' "I like to play well in front of my friends. My family and grandparents are here every night," says the Grade 11 student at Clarke High School. The offensively gifted centre- man, who is "blessed with a huge amount of skill" notes Hodgins, came into training camp having already signed with the hockey club. But he SEAN BRACKIN wasn't about to rest on his laurels. laurels. "1 wanted to come into training training camp, work hard, and show them I belonged up here," in junior junior hockey. Brackin says that playing for the Eagles was a "dream come true for me because I've always wanted to play Jr. A." The 18-year-old brings "a lot of enthusiasm" to the lineup says Hodgins. "Right from day one when we told him he had made the club he was excited." The Whitby resident describes describes himself as a "character" player that has "speed and is physical. I'm not afraid to get in the corners." While the two have made a hefty contribution during the regular season, the expectations will remain the same, if not go even higher, as the season winds down and the Eagles enter the playoffs. WALTER PASSARELLA/Statesman photo Out of the way ! BOWMANVILLE - The best efforts of Jeremy Boychyn to get to the ball before it hit the ground was enough to help his Mother Teresa volleyball team pull out a victory | over Monsignor Leo Cleary during a round robin game of a feeder school tournament. The tournament was hosted by St. Stephen's Secondary School. Men's Rockport, Clarks & Florsheim Shoes values to S150 (On Selected Styles) NOW $00" r-'T'i DUNN'S TAILORS - 0SHAWA CENTRE Across from Reitmans A SIZE FOR EVERY MAN Ittttt WE CARRY SUIT SIZES FROM 34TO 54 SUNDAY 11:00-5:00 MON.TO FRI. 9:30-9:00 SATURDAY 9:30-6:00 im w' : VISA T -!j Tv- v MEN'S N.H.L PULLOVERS AND CARDIGANS - *79 9S m FREI GIFT BOX