The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

ro "A Family Tradition for 133 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, February 23, 1999 - 19 Sro RTS Leading the way Port Perry's Midget A Predators find themselves up two games to none vs Cobourg with Matt McMaster leading the scoring parade in best-of-five series By John B. McClelland Port Perry Star The Port Perry Predators have taken a stranglehold in their best-of-five OMHA Midget A playoffs with bitter rival Cobourg. Port Perry leads the series two games to none and could put the series on ice tonight (Tuesday) as the two teams meet for game three at the Cobourg Arena. Face off is 8:30 p.m. But a sweep over this smooth-skating and well-oiled Cobourg squad will take another superb effort by the Port Perry team, similar to what earned them victo- ries in the first two matches. Both games literally went down to the wire and both were decided by the slimmest of hockey margins -- a single goa Port Perry took the opener in Cobourg 3-2 in overtime and Saturday evening in front of a large crowd at the Scugog Arena where they nipped the visitors 5-4. Ryan McQuade has done the big dam- age on the scoresheet for the Predators as he fired the winner in overtime and then tallied a pair, including the game winner, .in the 5-4 home ice victory. Head coach Todd Wilbur said his squad's success to date in this hotly con- tested series has been due to a complete team effort -- everyone pulling his weight and "showing up ready to play. ° "That kind of total team effort will get us through," he told The Star following Saturday's game. He wasn't quite hyper-ventilating, but he was taking some mighty deep breaths in relief after the Cobourg squad pulled goalie Mike Gibson in the final mii ute and scored to make it 5-4 and then still with Gibson on the bench proceeded to buzz the Predator cage in the last 30 sec- onds in a desperate bid for the equalizer. But the Predator defense and netmin- der Ryan Fraser held the fort for the vic- tory and a 2-0 lead in games. That is quite an accomplishment for - this Port Perry squad which had all kinds of trouble with Cobourg, losing three and tying one in four regular season games. And Cobourg players, who finished first in League play, were well rested coming into the series with Port Perry as they have enjoyed a playoff bye to this point. In Saturday's game, the Predators did- n't waste any time getting on the score- sheet and took a 3-1 lead after the first period. Matt McMaster got them going inside the two-minute mark on a pass from Deryk Campbell. Just four minutes later, it was 2-0 as Mike Hamilton found the net with help from Sean Jeffrey. Cobourg's Eric Fraser cut the lead to 2-1 and then Hamilton with his second in a row from McMaster restored the two goal bulge with just over two minutes left in the opening frame. Obviously fired to start the second period, the visitors struck for two quick goals to even the score 3-3 with Fraser ~ getting his second and Josh Thomas get- ting the puck past Ryan Fraser in the Predator cage. The Predators took full advantage of Cobourg penalties late in the second as McQuade scored from McMaster and Jason Whitworth while the team had a two-man advantage. And McQuade made it 5-3 three min- utes later. Taking a pass from Hamilton he moved in from the right side and fired a rocket from the face-off circle that was just under the cross bar on the glove side before Gibson could make a move. Late in the second, the Predator penal- ty-killing units came up with an enormous effort as they successfully killed two straight minors that over-lapped for about 35 seconds. Whitworth had a great chance to. give the Predators a three-goal cushion in the final minute when he broke in alone. He tried to make the shot from the back- hand but the puck went off his stick to the side of the Cobourg cage. Ryan Fraser, who like Mike MacLennan Predator cage and came up with perhaps his best stop of the night early in the third when his team was on the power play. Cobourg's speedy Jay Sessie managed to work his way into the clear, but Fraser stayed ith the shot all the way and got a big pad"in front of the puck to preserve the two goal lead. With 1:15 left in regulation, Gibson went to the Cobourg bench for an extra attacker and it paid off with 1:03 left when J.P. Desjardin took a centering pass in the goal mouth and quickly slapped it home. Still with the goalie out in the final 40 seconds, the visitors forced several faceoffs deep in the Predator zone and had all six skaters buzzing around Fraser. But they failed to get a decent scoring chance despite all the hectic activity which includ- ed defenseman Cam Coward parking his rather large frame directly on Fraser's door-step. Coach Wilbur praised the way his team handled the pressure of the Cobourg Turn to Page 23 CMB registration starts Saturday The Cartwright Minor 5 to 7 p.m. hardball registration is $80. Ball Association is prepar- ing for another season of . ball. Registration dates of Saturday, Feb. 27, Saturday, March 6 and Saturday, March 27 have been set. It will take place at the Blackstock Arena from 8 a.m. to noon. There will also be a mid-week registration during figure skating on March 4 from This year, various lev- els of softball will be avail- able for youths ages four to 18 (as of April 30). Hardball will be available to those ages nine to 18. While most softball games will be played in the Blackstock area, hardball will play in affiliation with Clarington. Registration fees are $55 for softball; All players will be out- fitted with a team shirt and hat. Those playing hardball will be outfitted with team pants in addi- tion to a team shirt and hat. For more information, please contact John Hellingman at 986-5715. 'in game one, performed brilliantly in the CHRIS HALL / PORT PERRY STAR HOOPS FOR HEART: More than 40 Cartwright High School students lined up at the free-throw line at Cartwright Central Public School last Thursday (Feb. 18) to participate in the school's third annual Hoops For Heart fundraiser. The students raised almost $1,200 in just over a week for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Here, Kyle Barriage lines up a shot. SHL playoff results Harman, Mackey lead Joe's to victory in playoff action By Jon Sanders Special to The Star Goreski's Roofing 6 Harrison Fuels 3 In game one of Sunday's SHL playoff action, it was Goreski's Roofing picking up the 6- 3 in over Harrison Fuels. Jason Warner had the big stick in this con- test as he provided the winners with a hat trick, while Doug Bronson added a goal and set up three others. Mark Goreski and Larry Pilkey added single Roofers markers and picking up assists was Bill Van Camp and Paul Goreski each with a pair, Bob Lee with two as well, Ray Zaparanuik, Bill Foote. Finding the back of the cage in a losing cause for Harrison was Jamie Menzies from John Ennis, Mike McGuinness assist- ed by Lee Steeves and Steve Laird, and Craig Leask late in the game after being set up by Mike McGuinness and Steve Laird. Although a late run by Harrison made the game interesting, Goreski's was able to hang on and pick up the two points. Joe's Pizzeria 1 Taylor Fuels 0 In a very defensive bat- tle, it was 'Joe's Pizzeria shutting the door on Taylor Fuels as they skat- ed to a big 1-0 win. Ken Harman got the job done in the Joe's pipes as he earned the shutout and it was John"Wackey scoring the huge goal after being set up by Bill Weisflock and Carl Fitzgerald with only one minute remain- ing on the clock. Compton v Communications § K.C.I. Gas Bar 1 Game three was all C o m pt o n Communications as they Turn to Page 23