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www.durhamrcgion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 21,2004 PAGE 13 Efje Cmrabian Statesman Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 January 21,2004 infodurhamregion.com Brian McNair Loving the Maple Leafs and playing like one too My brother always cringed when I kissed Dave Keon's hockey card. Sure, he shared my love of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the player we both thought was the best to ever don their jersey, but being four years wiser, he knew hockey players didn't didn't show affection in such a way. The card-kissing eventually ceased, but my passion for the Blue and White would always manifest itself itself in other ways. An example: Forced to miss a key playoff game in 1994, I draped my Wendel Clark jersey over the couch . and turned the TV on so at least my good luck charm could continue keeping tabs. It 1 worked too, as the Leafs won a seventh and deciding game over thé San Jose Sharks. Here at the office, I'm the one they all laugh at when I plan the parade parade route for the following season, something I've done virtually every year since the last time the Leafs sipped from Lord Stanley's mug - when, by the way, L was three months old. ' The bottom line is I bleed blue. u So imagine my thrill to actually slip on a Leafs' jersey and play as part of an alumni team in Bow- manville Saturday? Wearing Davey Keon's old' No. 14, no less! Although only four ex-Leafs were able, to make the game,T had a chance to sit down and chat with the colourful Jim McKenny, watch defenceman defenceman Rod Seiling ply his trade 32 years removed from the Summit Series, hear tales from Terry Clancy about his famous father, King, and play on a line with Mark Osborne, a key contributor to that '94 playoff run. OK, so McKenny gave me the gears for a bad line change that resulted resulted in a goal the . other way. And, yes, I butchered a clear cut break- c - away courtesy a beautiful. Osborne ■ feed, but let's remember I was play- .■ ing in front of a crowd of about 700 'j - some 695 more than ever before. ; Nothing could put a damper on - the day. i But a funny thing did happen: I ! went into the game in awe of those ; wearing the Blue and White and left • in more awe of those wearing the 1 Red and White. ! Our opponent was Canada's na- ! 1 tional amputee team, which will be ; !. trying to defend its world title in the : ! Czech Republic later this year. : ■ There were players with one leg who ; i could skates circles around me and 1 i players with one arm who could ' i shoot twice as hard, i | The team raised nearly half of the ! ' $20,000 it will cost for the trip and ; ! gained at least one more diehard fan. ; So, in the absence 1 of hockey « ; cards and TV coverage, I will gladly \ > plan the parade route upon their re- i turn. Have a say in the Tigercats minor football \ i ! i program 5:'r,, M P- yjrj tt*» iiir rrjUifjin H»nii n ^ ' 14 >> V 8>.H Î { ; ." v ■■■!" -s ■&$> Sticking to your check MIKE POCHWAT/ Statesman photo BOWMANVILLE - Tom Fitzpatrick (left) traded in his Bowmanville Eagles' sweater for one bearing the Toronto Maple Leafs logo to slow down Michael McClay of the Canadian Amputee team during a charity game Saturday afternoon at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. Léaf alumni who played included Jim McKenny, Rod Seiling, Mark Osborne and Terry Clancy, son of King. Among local players on the amputee roster were Brent Clemens and Rob Snoek. A few of the Eagles and members members of the media rounded out the Leafs Alumni, including our own Brian McNair, who shares the experience experience in today's column. Another kick at pro soccer? Flames extinguished, Mississauga team may relocate BY BRIAN McNAIR Staff Editor DURHAM - It didn't take long for thé Canadian Professional Soccer League to fill a void left by the Durham Flames. , Just over a month after giving the Flames the boot from the league for failing to miss several deadlines, the CPSL is set to approve the relocation of . the Mississauga Olympians to Durham for the 2004 season. While saying it "is not 100 per cent approved by the board yet," Stan . Adamson, the CPSL's director of media relations, adds that it will "almost certainly" certainly" become a reality prior to the start of the season. Who will own the team appears to be still up in the air, however. Current owner David Gee has confirmed he will move the team and says he is looking ; for financial support locally. ... But John O'Neill, a director with the Durham Region Soccer Association, is trying to put together a group to purchase purchase the franchise from Gee. Either way, Gee says there will be a team back at Oshawa's Civic Stadium come soccer, season, it will likely be called the Durham Olympians and will play its home games on Friday evenings. "We'll be playing in Durham this year whether I'm the owner or Bill Clinton's the owner," says Gee, adding with respect to a possible sale that, "anything's possible for the right price." O'Neill has been busy approaching local businesses and youth soccer clubs to gamer , support for another Durham . v < tig®, ity the. CPSL... He., _ says it. costs r ,;.^p5900 for à new CPSL franchise, plus a $50,000 bond and approximately $20,000 for various fees. The CPSL already has a Mississauga-based Mississauga-based franchise, Toronto Croatia, as well as the Toronto Lions, Toronto Supra, Vaughan Shooters, North York Astros and Brampton Hitmen in the GTA. ' "Durham's a great region for soccer and we so wanted a team in the area," says Adamson. "We're very pleased, especially so quickly after the Durham Flames' situation." . The Flames, who closed out an inauspicious inauspicious six-year history with a 1-16- ; 1 record last season, were kicked out of the league in December after failing to meet four deadlines to pay outstanding fines and league fees. Eagles clinch second place Coach vows team will continue to play hard through final five games BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor BOWMANVILLE - The Bowmanville Bowmanville Eagles are home and cooled out. Which is a position the Provincial Junior A Hockey League team has never experienced at this juncture of the season, with just five games remaining remaining before playoffs. • A pair of weekend victories ensures ensures the Eagles of second place in the East Conference, and instead of looking up at the logjam of teams ahead of them in the standings as in past years, the hockey club has a different different perch from which to view the proceedings this time around. The view is, of course, a preferred one. Now, the only things the Eagles have to guard against are complacency complacency and injuries through the final cou ple of weeks, neither of which are a concern for coach Curtis Hodgins. "We're. stressing that you can't turn it off and then turn it on. We have to keep it going and get better," said Hodgins of where the team will draw its motivation from for the final meaningless games of the regular'season. regular'season. "We're using the games to tune up and I don't think (motivation) will be a problem. There's a little competition because because we . have seven defencemen and 13 forwards and we're going to ice the best team when it comes time for playoffs." In past seasons, the final games were a crucial time for the Eagles as they scrambled to grab one of the final two playoff berths. There has always always been something to play for, and even this season, with such a talented lineup, the motivation stemmed from finishing near the top of the standings Curtis Hodgins to ensure home ice advantage through a couple rounds of playoffs. With that mission accomplished, there is nothing really left to play for, except to stay strong to follow through on the team's desire to avoid being a first round casualty, something something they've been in each of their previous seven playoff appearances since moving to Tier 2 in 1995-96. . "This group works hard game in and game out and they are focused because they want to have a good playoff run," notes Hodgins. The desire to keep rolling into the playoffs was evident this weekend, as the Eagles played playoff-style hockey hockey in posting a 3-2 win against the Hawks in Bancroft Friday, followed by a 3-0 blanking of the Trenton Sting on home ice Sunday. With the wins, the Eagles improved improved to 28-9-3-4 on the season, and will finish second behind the frontrunning frontrunning Wellington Dukes. The view beneath Bowmanville is a little murky, with positions three through nine still to be determined. If the season season were to end today, the Eagles would draw seventh place Syracuse, but that could easily change with just six points separating fourth through eighth. "There are so many scenarios, we're just going to let them play it out," says Hodgins of the jostling behind behind them in the standings. The Eagles travel to Trenton Friday Friday for a rematch with the Sting, and then welcome the Lindsay Muskies Sunday for a matinee game beginning at 2:30 p.m. THE SCOOP - Scoring in Sunday's Sunday's win over Trenton were Derek McGrath, Jeff Oke and Adam Mac- carone, while Matt Caruana and Sean Brackin chipped in a pair of assists assists each...Defenceman Andrew Johnston and goaltender Daniel Goulding are expected back from injuries injuries this weekend, but forward James Neal is another matter. He was scheduled to see a specialist about his arm, with worst-case scenario being a hairline fracture that would put him out of the lineup for an extended period period of time...Matt Caruana and David Smith will represent the Eagles Eagles at tonight's league all-star game in Georgetown. CLAR1NGTON - The Claring- ton Tigercats minor football organization organization will be holding its Annual General Meeting to prepare for the 2004 fall season, The meeting will be held at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, Complex, corner of Hwy. 2 and Hwy. 57, Bowmanville, in the room just inside inside the main doors to Pad A. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. For more information, contact president Gail Johnson at 905-623- 1749. Gymnasts among top tumblers at qualifier Clarington club lands top-10 finishes CLARINGTON - The Clarington Gymnastics Academy has raised the bar of expectations, bringing home a number of top placings from a recent provincial qualifier. Results from a recent meet include: Argo 1 Sydney Merritt (3rd) - 8.90 vault, 9.25 bars, 9.12 beam, 9.05 floor. Tori Harkness (6th), 8.70 vault, 8.92 bars, 9.22 beam, 9.00 floor. Novice 1 Danielle Smith (7th),' 9.40 vault, 9.45 bars, 8.10 beam, 9.30 floor, tyro 1 (10) Ashley Ritchie (8th), 8.75 vault, 8.97 bltrs, 8.20 beam, 9.00 floor. Tyro 1 (11) Kellee Stephens (6th), 9.005 vault, 9.22 bars, 9.05 beam, 9.10 floor. Kara Lavcdurc (7th), 9.00 vault, 8.85 bars, 9.35 beam, 9.20 floor. , Emma Harness (11th), 8.90 vault, 9.10 bars, 9.15 beam, 9.00 floor, 'tyro 3 • Amanda Popert (3rd), 8,25 vault, 8,90 bars, 9.25 beam, 9.15 floor. Novice 2 (2) Brooke Devine, (5th), 8.70 vault, 9.62 bars, 8.95 beam, 9.07 floor. Novice 2 (1) Mariska Andringa, (4th), 8,35 vault, 9,45 bars, 9.30 beam, 9.32 floor. T>ro 2 Katie Bignell (3rd), 8,45 vault, 8.70 bars, 9.40 beam, 9.37 floor, ( > Sr