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PAGE B2 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ FEBRUARY 1,2006 durhamregion.com Former Eagles coach back at it Mark Watson head coach in Lindsay BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor UXBRIDGE - Leaning against an arena wall talking hockey, Mark Watson is in his element. A minor hockey practice is taking place in the background, the sounds of skates digging into the ice and pucks slamming off the boards reverberate throughout the - .arena. Players are shuffling by with hockey bags over their shoulders, quickly trying to exit and get a good seat on the bus for the ride home following a game. It's a scene that has been repeated countless countless times over the coaching career of Watson, 49, and one he never tires of. When he took a four year sabbatical from coaching, even then he wasn't far_ from the rink, taking a job at the Uxbridge Arena. But his return behind the bench this season, with the Lindsay Muskies of the Provincial Junior A Hockey League, has him back where he belongs. "Hockey gets in your blood and if you are a lifer at it, it stays there," says the Uxbridge resident of his passion for the game. "I missed the competition when I was away. I'm a little more mellow than I used to be, but that drive to win and excel is always there. I don't think I will ever lose that."_„ Watson certainly fits the mold of a lifer in the game. Growing up as a goalie in Hamilton and Dundas, his career was : highlighted by playing Jr. B and getting a scholarship offer to Brown University that he declined. He also made a little money with his puckstopping expertise. "I went into this high school competition," competition," he recalls, "and won this shootout. I won $15, and that's my only claim to fame." He chuckles at the suggestion that the cash payment may have endangered his Photo by Robin Horlock Mark Watson, looking relaxed behind the bench during a recent game in Bowmanville, was the first coach of the Bowmanville Eagles when they jumped to Tier II. He is back in the league with the Lindsay Muskies. scholarship eligibility. From there, he joined forces with some buddies and began coaching in minor hockey at the age of 18, travelled with some scouts evaluating players in his spare time, and was eventually solicited to work some goalie schools. "I just started liking the teaching part of it," he says of tutoring young netminders. "I found I had a bit of a knack for it." His time at the rink-escalated when he took over as head coach of the Jr. C team in Dundas, where he remained a fixture for 12 years before taking the helm of the Eagles set for tough test From page 1 Wellington.'s 31-6-6-2. In four previous meetings, each team has earned a home ice win, Bowmanville 3-2 and Wellington Wellington 6-4, while the other two ended in ties of 3;3 and 2-2. One thing is for certain, neither team will be holding anything in reserve in anticipation of the playoffs. "You don't want to hold anything in the tank," said Dormiedy. "(Curtis) really really drills it into you that it's 110 per cent every game. It doesn't matter who you are playing." THE SCOOP - To encourage a larger attendance for a midweek game, the Bowmanville Eagles will be reducing the admission fee for all students and children 18 years of agè and under to $1 for tonight's game.Jn Friday's 5-2 win in Oswego, David Ross, Louke Oakley, Brent Small, Craig Woods and Brad Dormiedy had the goals. Rick Miller stopped 20 of 22 shots on goal in a game the Eagles trailed 2-1 heading into the third. On Sunday, Paul Michael-Rivest had a four point game with a goal and three assists to lead the offence. The only shot to beat Bryan Scott was actually actually a shoot in that caromed of one of the partitions on the glass and went into the empty net. Scott had vacated the goal to play the puck behind the net. Advice on Proposals, Bankruptcy & Alternatives "Lets find solutions together!" Over 20 Years Experience OSHAWA AJAX 122 Albert Si. 50 Commercial Avc; 905-721-7506 905-619-1473 Siiturcliix X Eu-ning Vppt. s Available FREE CONSULTATION wwn. janiesryancli.com 1IVC Ü w Road Rage Work Rage Sports Rage Enough. Calm Down. Is it really worth hurting someone? Call (905) 579-1520 ext.1687 Bowmanville Eagles in the early 1990s. From there, a roadmap was as important as a teaching board, with subsequent stops in Cobourg, then Ajax, Newmarket and finally Aurora, where he endured "the worst year I ever had in hockey." But after four years away from the bench, he's back. The opportunity to join the Muskies this season in a full-time capacity was too good an offer to refuse, he says. He credits the philosophy of the ownership group, led by former NHL'er Jeff Beukeboom, as the main reason for his return. The group understands junior hockey is about development development and providing players an opportunity opportunity to move to a higher level, whether it be to the OHL or scholarship route. "I like to teach and build teams," says Watson. "I've been in a couple of organizations organizations that could throw a lot of money around and I didn't really enjoy it much. It's a nice luxury to have, but I have always been more of let's build something up. "My biggest thrill is when you can get kids to go on, and I've had quite a few that got scholarships and go on and play in the OHL and that's great. It makes you feel really good. It's a bonus." ' On this day, he was in Bowmanville with the Muskies, while his oldest son, Nathan, 8, was in Uxbridge playing for the Novice AA team in a playoff game. Missing out is one of the downfalls of the coaching commitment. commitment. "I'm really lucky. My wife (Michelle) is understanding." It's not likely to get any easier either, when his youngest boy, Cameron, 4, probably probably follows the family hockey tradition. But it comes as a strange twist that it is his boys who keep him in the game, serving as an inspiration. "Having two young kids helps. You can get mad and have frustrating days at the rink, but when you get home and see your kids faces," he says as his voice trails off before putting things in perspective. "Hockey is great and I make my living at it, but it's not the end of the world." Rangers smother Generals BY BRIAN MCNAIR Staff Editor OSHAWA - If defence does indeed win championships, the Kitchener Rangers Rangers are looking pretty dam good right now. Just ask the Oshawa Generals. Despite playing one of their best games' of the season Sunday, and getting another sensational goal from rookie John Tavares, Tavares, the Generals mustered only 20 other shots en route to a 3-1 loss to the red-hot Rangers Sunday at the Civic Auditorium. To their credit, the Generals gave a full effort and were in the game right until an empty-net goal with 36 seconds remaining. remaining. But the Rangers gave a vivid demonstration demonstration as to why they currently lead the league in goals-against average at 2.45 and are considered to be a strong Memorial Memorial Cup contender. With ex-General Dan Turple standing tall between the pipes and protected by first-round NHL draft picks Matt Lashoff, Jakub Kindi and Boris Valabik on the blue-line, Kitchener doesn't allow opponents opponents many sniffs of the mesh. "They're a very, very sound team," said Generals coach Randy Ladouceur. "They don't give you anything. They've got three or four real strong guys on the back end... and they grind you to death with their forwards. Obviously they didn't give us much, but I thought our guys played pretty hard." A Kindi goal 25 seconds into the third period stood as the winner for the Rangers, Rangers, who improved to 32-13-1-1 with their fifth straight win and remained two points back of the London Knights for first place in the Western Conference. The Generals, on the other hand, dropped their fifth in a row and are now six points deep in the OHL basement at 12-32-3-1. "The Oshawa Generals gave us everything everything we could handle," said Rangers coach/GM Peter DeBoer. "They were a well coached, well prepared team (Sunday)." (Sunday)." After home games Friday against Peterborough Peterborough at 7:35 p.m. and Super Bowl Sunday against Belleville at 2:05 p.m., the Generals will get another crack at the Rangers next Tuesday in Kitchener. • LOOKING FOR MORE AFTER-TAX INCOME? 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