Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2006 39 Increased commitment aids Sr. football Wildcats By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF HERB GARBUTT / OAKVILLE BEAVER IN YOUR FACE: David Powe (right) of the White Oaks Wildcats attempts to bring down a Christ the King Jaguars opponent in Halton high school senior boys' Division 2 football action Thursday in Georgetown. The Jaguars defeated White Oaks 36-1, the first loss in three games this season for the vastly-improved Wildcats. There were bound to be some bumps in the road, and the White Oaks Wildcats hit their first one hard. The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the high school senior boys' Division 2 football season Thursday in Georgetown, dropping a 36-1 decision to the Christ the King Jaguars. But, as a school that had not won a game in four years, White Oaks can already consider this season a success. After a season in which they scored just one touchdown and were outscored 173-21, the Wildcats began this year with two victories, defeating Aldershot and Milton District, renewing hope for the school's football program. Coach Scott Williamson said the biggest difference in the team has been its commitment. The team began nopads workouts in August with about a dozen more players than the team had last year. Many of those players were recruited by captains Eric Lanctot and Bruce Thompson. Both had at least eight years of rep football experience and wanted to bring the same intensity they felt in their rep games to their high school games. "We talked about it every day," Thompson said. "For (Eric and I), football is our passion. We just started finding guys we thought would be an asset." Williamson said the leadership of Lanctot, Thompson and the team's other captains, Joel Brooks and Eric Neibert, has been a big asset to the team as they have led by example. "When I played (rep) for Mississauga, I always listened to what my captains told me so I felt I had a huge responsibility," Lanctot said. "The captains can make a lot of difference." Lanctot also credited the new coaching staff with helping turn things around, showing the same commitment he wanted to see in his teammates and motivating the players. Their hard work was rewarded with a season-opening 9-2 win over Aldershot. Win helped players believe "It felt great. It was the first win for me at White Oaks," Thompson said. "It made people believe we can do something, but the only way is with hard work. Nobody's going to win games for us. We want to go out and score that touchdown or make that block. We have to be our best on every play." White Oaks followed that up with a 32-6 rout of Milton District. "I was surprised but I knew we could do it. We had the potential." Lanctot said. But it might have been too much of a good thing. "The guys might have been getting a little too cocky," Lanctot said. "Losing (Thursday) just furthers our knowledge of how tough it is to win a game." "Once you get a win or two, you get confidence," Williamson said after his team's lone loss. "And a confident team can rebound. I'm proud of them, though. They've come a long way, and they will get better." -- Herb Garbutt can be reached at sports@oakvillebeaver.com. Oakville hampered by Ice-cold attack in NWHL competition While the rules to limit restraining fouls and open up the game have made their way to the National Women's Hockey League, the Oakville Ice hasn't been able to capitalize on them yet. The Ice has struggled to take advantage of the new rules, scoring just 11 times in six games. With 11 new players on his roster, Ice coach Randy Hall said it has taken some time to develop some chemistry. "Offensively, we're just not scoring goals," said Hall, whose team fell to 1-5 Wednesday with a 6-4 loss to the Etobicoke Dolphins. "Last year, we led the league in goals and power-play goals. This year, we're probably at the bottom. We have to figure out what everyone brings to the table." Oakville used some dramatics last weekend to notch its first victory of the season. Sunday in St. Catharines, the Ice trailed 1-0 in the final minute when Lindsay Vine won a faceoff in the offensive zone and sent the puck back to Val Hall at the point. Hall's shot through traffic was stopped by Brampton goalie Mandy Cronin, but Vine was there to put in the rebound with 19 seconds remaining in regulation. Ice netminder Tania Pinelli held her team in the game, allowing only a Vicky Sunohara goal and then turning away all three shooters in the shootout. Sara McDonald, the final player in the shootout, beat Cronin to give the Ice a 2-1 win. "The goaltending has been as good as you could have expected," Hall said. Although the biggest adjustment to the stricter enforcement of the rules has been on defence, Oakville allowed only 13 goals in its first five games. But even Hall, who works in the NHL's officiating department, has been at a loss trying to let his defenders know exactly what they can do to defend. "It's been really tough," he said. "I don't know how much consideration they took in (implementing the rules into) the female game. You're not allowed to hit so it's hard to defend anyone one-on-one or battle in front of the net. There's nothing a female can do to defend. You can't stand them up or ride them off the puck. If you take your hand off the stick, or use your body, or hit their stick with your stick, it's a penalty. I understand how much better it has made (the NHL) but for the female game, they ask me what they can do and I haven't come up with an answer for them." The Ice will play its next three games on the road, although one of those games is nearby. Oakville will visit Mississauga at the Malton Arena Oct. 31, a 7:30 p.m. start. -- Herb Garbutt, staff