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i www.durhamregion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, FEBRUARY 26,2003 PAGE 15 Eije Caimbtan Statesman Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 February 26,2003 infodurhamisgion.com Brian Legree Sports Editor blcgrcc@dmiunnrcgion.com Rowland wants to land the quad with Merchants Terry Rowland takes a lot of pride in the lacrosse championships on his resume. As well he should. Rowland has captured Minto and Mann cups, courtesy of his playing days with the Oshavva Green Gaels and Brooklin Rcdmen. In addition to those national Junior A and Major Series championships, he also won two Founder's Cup Canadian Junior B titles with the Clarington Green Gaels, doing a lot of executive leg work to bring the Gaels name back into existence and prominence. With three major championships on his mantle, Rowland would now like to pull off the quad, by landing a President's President's Cup, as head coach of the Brooklin Merchants of the Ontario Lacrosse Association Senior B loop. Rowland takes over the Merchants after. Paul St. John left the team to join the expansion Ajax-Pickcring Rock. After spending a few seasons on the executive side of the game, Rowland says he "missed the opportunity of coaching," and is itching to get closer to the action. Although the club has yet to*hit the floor for training camp, Rowland believes believes the Merchants will be well-positioned well-positioned to take a run at the title this season. season. "Everybody who played last year wants to come back," says Rowland, who also expects to add some talent from western Canada and perhaps players with National Lacrosse League experience. With Kitchener joining Ajax-Pick- ering as expansion entries, the senior B league has now grown to nine entries, after starting with three teams just three years ago. Rowland will be assisted by veteran lacrosse coach Scott Harris and Jason Crosbie of the Redmen, while Mike Gray is handling the general manager's duties. Indoor workouts will likely begin next week, with league play expected to begin in late April. The Merchants will play a 16-ganic regular season, with the majority of their home games once again on Saturday nights at Luther Vipond Memorial Arena. 'It's a critical time': coach Oshawa Generals head into stretch run with eyes on second place in East Division BY BRIAN McNAIR Staff Writer OSIIAWA - The Ontario Hockey League schedule-maker apparently has a flair for the dramatic. With one point separating the Peterborough Peterborough Petes and Oshawa Generals Generals in the battle for second place in the East Division, the two longtime rivals play three more times down the home stretch, including tomorrow night in Peterborough (7 p.m., CKDO). "It's a good test. That's clearly one of our goals, to finish ahead of Peterborough," Peterborough," says Generals' coach and general manager George Burnett. "It's a critical time." Both teams head into tomorrow's game having played fairly well of late. The Petes moved past the Generals with an 8-3 win over Saull Ste. Marie Sunday, their third win a row, while the Generals had a four-game win streak snapped by the powerful Ottawa 67's, losing 5-2 Saturday at the Civic Auditorium. With the 67's (39-12-7-2) running away with both the division and the Eastern Conference, the Petes (28-20- 9-3) and Generals (32-23-2-1) appear to be fighting for second place in the division and the third seed for playoffs, playoffs, since the Central Division champ will automatically earn the second seed. Peterborough has won the past four head-to-head meetings after the Generals Generals opened the season series with an 8-3 win in October. But Burnett believes believes the Generals are playing their best hockey of the season and need to get a quick start tomorrow. ,, .iiWe'vc played well-over the past 10 games," says Burnett, whose team JASON LIEBREGTS/ Statesman photo Nathan Horton (18) beat Chris Hardill with this shot Saturday afternoon when the Oshawa Generals hosted the Ottawa 67's at Civic Auditorium. It was Horton's 27th goal of the season, but it wasn't enough as the Generals fell 5-2. posted wins of 5-3 in Brampton Thursday Thursday and 5-2 at home over Barrie Friday. Friday. "We were sluggish Saturday against Ottawa, we had some tired legs, but there's some good things going on." Tomorrow's game will also feature two of the top prospects for the National National Hockey League draft. Nathan Horton seems to have regained his form of late, scoring six goals in the past six games for the Generals. He now has 27-31-58 numbers in 45 ; - games. The Petes' Eric Staal, mean- Gens fans watching OSHAWA - Not since the days of Eric Lindros have fans of the Oshawa Oshawa Generals been so enthused. For the first season since the early 1990s, the Generals broke the 100,000 barrier when they attracted 3,622 fans to a rare Saturday afternoon afternoon game at the Civic Auditorium. With an average attendance of 3,233 so far this season, the Generals arc drawing almost 1,000 more fans per game than they did two years ago, says business manager Mike Dahle. "It's just a landmark thing - we were pushing to hit 100,000 this season season and we hit it with three games to go," says Dahle. "The club is playing better as a group. After that, it's just been our Sommer West headlines charity game WIIITBY - No less than 11 members members of Canada's national women's hockey program will be in Whitby Saturday Saturday for the fifth annual Pink Ribbon of Hope Charity Hockey Game. The game, sponsored by the Whitby Girls' Hockey Association, raises funds for Canadian breast cancer research and awareness. Sami Jo Small, Vicky Sunohnra, Jayna Hcfford, Thercsc Brisson, Geral dine Heaney, Cheryl Pounder, Lori Dupuis, Becky Kellar, Sommer West, Gillian Ferrari, and Heather Ginzel will play in the game, which starts at 2:30 p.m. at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre. The women's team will play one period period against a squad of WGHA coaches and another against the Source for Sports Stars. There will also be a skills challenge with the women players and members of INSTALLATION INCLUDED PROtGOLF WHITBY-OSHAWA Dundas/Thickson Behind Casey's 723-8507 REGISTRATION: March 1 and 22 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Bowmanvillc Mall $85 per child 3rd chi ld half price Ages 7 & up Any Questions Please Call (905) 8051-8725 or E-Mail: cliivingtongivIsslopitehQmsn.com xssr 1 «swps» -- mv/. SPORTS MEMORABILIA SHOW Saturday, March, 1st at Cobourg Best Western SPECIAL GUESTS Red Kelly & Sid Smith available for autographs from 11 am to 3 pm Sponsored by Johnny O's Sports For more Info call John 905-372-9243 time, had three goals and an assist Sunday, moving him into fifth in league scoring with 34-54-88 numbers in 58 games and earning him DHL player of the week honours. The Generals also have a home- and-home set with another division rival this weekend, playing in Kingston Friday at 7:30 p.m. and at the Civic Sunday at 2:05 p.m. against the Frontenacs (22-31 -2-4), who are fighting fighting for their playoff lives. - ."There are no easy nights.rind-we shouldn't expect them," says Burnett. "If we do, we don't deserve to win." GENERALLY SPEAKING: Nathan Horton (27th) and Jamie Johnson (22nd) scored for the Generals Generals Saturday. For Ottawa, Matt Foy scored twice, Julian Talbot, Corey Locke and Scott Sheppard once each against Chris Beckford-Tseu... Forward Forward Ahren Nittel, who missed the past two games with a leg injury, is not expected to be back in the lineup this weekend, but defenceman Chris Petrow is expected back from a jaw injury. marketing effort." The average will almost certainly rise in the remaining three games, as the Generals are in a fierce battle for second place in the Ontario Hockey League's East Division. Dahle says only standing room tickets are available for a Sunday matinee against Kingston (2:05 p.m.) and he anticipates a crowd close to the 4,025 capacity for the season finale finale against Peterborough on March 16 (6:35 p.m.). The other home game is March 14 against Brampton at 7:35 p.m. When Eric Lindros played a full season with the club in 1990-91, the Generals' attendance topped 116,000. -McNair MARCH BREAK AT CAMP CANLAN MARCH 1 O TO 1 4, 2003 7:30 am to 5 pm DAILY Q 4 hours on ice, jersey includ. Off ice activities & games plus gst B£V;VVIV2 u lu the Oshawa Generals. 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