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Efjc Cmmtrian statesman Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 i December 17,2003 infodurham .com Aeros headed east with West Brian McNair Durham's junior dream team Ladies and gentlemen, meet your Durham Defectors. Despite protests from the majority of Ontario Hockey League teams, most notably the Oshavva Generals and Peterborough Peterborough Petes, a group of players from Durham has broken away and formed a 21st club based out of Port Perry, the geographical centre of the region and hometown of new coach and GM George Burnett. This is a surprisingly good team, too, a tribute to the line minor hockey programs in the area. Competing in the sickly East Division, Division, the Defectors are an instant contender contender for the top spot, especially in light of the raiding that has taken place. Joining Burnett from the Generals arc Brandon McBride and Paul Ranger of Whitby as well as four Oshawa natives, natives, Adam Berti, Ryan Kitchen, Andrew Andrew Gibbons and Mike McLean. The Petes, meantime, have lost captain captain Jon l lowse, an Oshawa native who will become the first player in Defectors' Defectors' history to wear the 'C', as well as Liam Reddox and Greg Williams of Whitby, Jordan Morrison of Uxbridge and Peter Aston of Pickering. The Ottawa 67's will have a big hole to fill on the left side without power forward Bryan Bickell of Orono, but the Kingston Frontenacs and Belleville Bulls remain intact. The Defectors are very deep up front, so deep, in fact, about a dozen cuts will have to be made. Ajax's Ryan Ramsay will centre the top line and be expected to produce big numbers as he has done for the Plymouth Plymouth Whalers the past two seasons. Howse, Oshawa's Ryan Rorabeck and Morrison are the leading contenders for the other centre spots. Berti, Bickell and Reddox will form a potent left wing, a position with a big-time glut. Among those fighting for the other job or forced to the right are Oshawa's Ryan Hamilton and Robert Heickert, Whitby's Tyler Harrison Harrison and James Neal, Newtonville's Jesse Gimblctt, Ajax's Brent Small and Jesse Jenish. McBride will move from centre, where he played most for the Generals, to the right side, and will be joined by Williams, Kitchen and either Bow- manville's Jeff Larsh or one of the others others yet to find a spot. ' If this team has a weakness it's on the defensive side of the puck, where there arc few options on the blue-line or in goal. Ranger will be counted on for huge minutes - and slats - on the point. He will be joined by Pickering trio lain McPhee, Noel Coultice and Aston, and Whitby's Josh Francis. Oshawa's Daniel Larocque, Ajax's Kyle Mar- tiniuk and Tyson Gimblctt, Jesse's twin brother, will try to make the jump from tier 2. In goal, Thomas Lee of Port Perry will try to prove lie's a No. 1 after being a backup in Barrie, but Oshawa's Chris Whitley and his sparkling 1.38 goals-against average might yet enter the picture from the tier 2 Aurora Tigers. If only it were true. National Women's Hockey League game in Bowmanville will feature local product Sommer West BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE - Some of the best hockey players in Canada will be in Clarington on Sunday afternoon. While the men's junior team garners garners much of the media attention as it prepares for the World Championship in Finland, it's some of the top women players in the country who will be in Clarington showcasing their skills. The Toronto Aeros and Montreal Axion will square off in a National Women's Hockey League game at 2 p.iii. at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Recreation Complex in Bowmanville in a marquee matchup of two of the best teams in the league. The Aeros are in first place in the Central Division and currently undefeated undefeated with a 16-0-1-0 record. No slouches, the Axion are 12-2-5-0 and sit atop the East Division. While the game is sure to be entertaining, entertaining, Steve Hunt of the Clarington Girls' Hockey Association, who is responsible responsible for presenting the game, says he hopes the message to young players watching from the stands isn't lost. "The game is going to show the girls that there are some positive role models out there," he says. "It's going to give them an opportunity opportunity to talk and meet with some Olympians and get a feel for what hard work and dedication can produce." produce." The Aeros sent four players from their program to the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, where Canada won gold. Included in the elite group Kellar, Geraldine Sommer West were Becky Heaney, Cheryl Pounder and Cheric Piper. The Aeros also have a player on the roster that aspiring young players can relate to in Sommer West of Bowman Bowman ville. A.J. GR0EN/ Statesman photo Sticking to the floor plan BOWMANVILLE - The basketball appears to be glued to the floor as Ray Kocus (white) of St. Stephen's Catholic Secondary School tries to weave his way through a couple of O'Neill Collegiate defenders defenders during a LOSSA junior boys' basketball game held at the Bowmanville school. The game is one of nine that the Aeros will play in communities outside outside Toronto in an attempt to promote and grow women's hockey in the province. The idea is one that is well- received in Clarington, says Hunt. "It shows there is an opportunity in hockey, the sport is growing and the high level that girls arc playing at now." In addition to the game, there will be a number of draws and giveaways taking place throughout the afternoon, with an autograph session and opportunity opportunity to meet the players afterward. Tickets, priced at $10, can be purchased purchased at the box office on game day. or by calling Steve Hunt at 905-433- 1177 or Dave Walker at 905-404- 8116. Advance tickets are also available available at Sports Shop in Bowmanville or Play It Again Sports in Courticc. James Neal showcases scoring touch in the OHL BY PAUL FUTHEY Staff Writer OSHAWA - James Neal admitted he was a little nervous before Sunday's Sunday's game. The 16-year-old forward from Whitby was patrolling the left wing for the visiting Plymouth Whalers in their game against the Oshawa Generals Generals at Civic Auditorium. "It's a great experience." said Neal, called up for the Whalers' three-game road swing against OHL East Division opponents. Against the Generals, he played a regular shift on the second line with John Mitchell and Vaclav Meidel. The former Whitby Wildcat is currently lighting up the Provincial Junior A League with the Bowmanville Bowmanville Eagles, amassing 24-18- 42 totals in just 30 games. His contributions contributions are a big part of the Eagles' meteoric rise to second place in the league's East Conference. It's expected Neal, Plymouth's third round pick in 2003, will be a full-time player with the Whalers next season. Michael Vellucci, Plymouth's Plymouth's coach and GM. was impressed impressed with what Neal was able to do in his stint with the club. "He's played very well, not like a kid at all," Vellucci commented. "This is giving him a taste for 10 games, see how he matches up and what he has to work on and have a good year next year. The strength is a big thing lie's got to work on." In live games with the Whalers. Neal has scored a pair of goals and an assist. He scored his first OHL goal Thursday in a 5-4 win over the Peterborough Petes and fired a power-play marker in a 3-1 loss to Ottawa on Friday. Justin Caruana also got a chance to play at a higher level, suiting up for the Peterborough Petes in a 3-1 win over the Oshawa Generals on Saturday night. Caruana, an Orono resident was drafted by the Petes in the sixth round back in the spring. James Neal Seedhouse has a healthy outlook, and body Injuries have limited contributions of Bowmanville Eagles' skilled forward BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE - With a year of service under his belt, Steve Seedhouse could be considered a veteran member of the Bowmanville Eagles. But a closer look may suggest otherwise. otherwise. Last season, as a rookie, the skilled .centre appeared in just 34 of 49 games due in part to a fractured femur suffered late in the regular season that required offseason surgery. 1 Icnllhy for the start of training camp and pre-season back in the fall, Seed- house was sidelined yet again, when the injury bug came up and bit him in the shoulder, separating it in the third game of the season and sidelining him until recently. recently. After an extended period of time out of the lineup to nurse his shoulder back to health, the 17-year-old has returned, and is starling to show some of the promise he flashed last season, Seedhouse collected a pair of assists Sunday Sunday on home ice, as the Eagles pounded the Bancroft Hawks 8-1 in Provincial Junior Junior A Hockey League action, improving improving to 21-7-2-4 on the season. While his game starts to round back into form, the Whitby resident couldn't help but think he was cursed because of the injuries and their severity. "It's hard not to think that," lie said following Sunday's win. Steve Seedhouse "1 knew that it was going to be tough getting back into the lineup, because when I came back, we were on a winning winning streak and my role was diminished, so you have to work that much harder on top of recovering from the injury." With his stamina and skill level starting starting to return, the only part of his game that is lagging a little behind is his confidence, confidence, he says. While the transition to 111 in among thé team in the dressing room was a smooth one, it has taken a little longer to get a feel for things on the ice. "1 was really on lop of my game early this year in the pre-season, and then to get hurt, you start to think nothing nothing is going to go your way," he says, adding, "You have to earn yotir ice and earn your chances again." Last season, Seedhouse had 3-8-11 totals as a rookie, but proved to be a valuable contributor in the playoffs after returning from the leg injury. A strong postseason is something coach Curtis Hodgins is counting on again this season. season. "He's going to be a key performer down the stretch," notes Hodgins. "He's valuable because not only can he contribute contribute offensively, but lie's good defensively defensively and on faceoffs. "He's a guy we're going to count on in the playoffs because lie's a playolf- lype performer." Another of his contributions that doesn't go unnoticed is his commitment to the team, as evidenced by a spirited third period scrap he was involved in with Dennis Sicard in the final minute of Sunday's win. While compiling just 32 penalty minutes last season, he isn't about to back down from anybody. "He came up to me and it was something something I had to do because if I back down from that, it doesn't send the right message message to the other team and our own guys," lie reasons, If the light served as a test for his shoulder and leg, both received a pass ing grade. He also got high marks from teammates for his valour. THE SCOOP - 'l'lie 11-game winning winning streak the Eagles had built was snapped in Trenton Friday night in a 5- 4 overtime loss. Colin Baker scored twice with Sean Brackin and Brad Dormicdy adding the others. The Eagles Eagles outshol Trenton 54-36...In the win over Bancroft, Matt Caruana, David Smith and Brackin scored two each, with singles to Justin Caruana and Chris Wood. Goalie Joel Whitmarsh got the win in his first start of the season...No season...No deal has been made yet for goaltender Chris Eoxwcll, who remains on the sidelines in favour of Whitmarsh and Daniel Colliding...Next action is Thursday in Kingston, Friday in Lindsay Lindsay and Sunday at home to Trenton...The Eagles are hosting a charity charity skate Dee. 28 from 7-8 p.m. at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. Proceeds will be donated to the Clarington Clarington Youth Centre.