54 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2008 Iroquois Ridge boys' hockey program on the upward trail New coach, improved commitment has Trailblazers off to strong start By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Left for dead five years ago, Iroquois Ridge's boys' hockey program now seems alive and well. The Trailblazers went undefeated in their first five games of the high school season before their bubble was finally burst Tuesday with a 7-0 loss to the T.A. Blakelock Tigers. Ridge, which pulled its team off the ice in the middle of the 2003 season and didn't ice a squad the following year, has been bolstered this season by the addition of one coach and the retention of another. First-year teacher Mike Tarantino is the Trailblazers' new head coach, and he's had no trouble getting the attention and respect of his charges. Perhaps that's due in part to Tarantino's own accomplishments as a player, including a stellar four-year NCAA tenure that saw him leave the Rochester Institute of Technology as the 13th-highest scorer in Tigers history. Tarantino is assisted by Nancy Anstett, a guidance teacher who helped revive the boys' hockey program three years ago. Anstett became involved with the Trailblazers when they needed a faculty member to assist outside coach Robert Taylor. "It's on its way back," Tarantino said of boys' hockey at Ridge. "I know what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get the kids interested and motivated. We do have some good hockey players, and if they all put in the time and the commitment and the energy... ." Particularly the commitment, something that was lacking at the school five years ago and was the reason Ridge got rid of the team in the first place. "I've heard in past years, we've had three guys out to practices," said defenceman Glen MacDonald. "Now we have a full team out to every practice. Coaching is really helping. We aren't any more skilled than some of the teams we're playing, but we practice more than them and we're more prepared than them." Tarantino, a former member of the Oakville Blades and currently the coach of the Mississauga midget AAA Reps, is preaching defensive responsibility. The Trailblazers did not allow more than two goals in any of their first five games this season. "It's about limiting our mistakes, just having our forwards on the defensive side of the puck and being accountable for their responsibilities," said Tarantino. It also helps having strong players, and the Trailblazers have a few of them. Centre Steve McDonald used to play with the Toronto Red Wings AAA program and was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League as a midget player, while MacDonald also played AAA in his MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Being on their knees doesn't stop T.A. Blakelock's Bryce Macrae (left) and Iroquois Ridge's Luke Misiurski from battling for the puck during Tuesday's high school boys' hockey matchup at Oakville Arena. Blakelock defeated the Trailblazers 7-0, handing Ridge its first loss of the season. midget year of rep. Defenceman Matt Ylkos joined Ridge's team this year after playing rep with the Mississauga North Stars. The 4-1-1 start has nearly already assured the Trailblazers of earning a spot in Tier 1 this season, with the league scheduled to separate the stronger teams from the weaker ones at the Christmas break. It has also given Ridge added confidence, something that almost appeared to be an issue Monday against the Abbey Park Eagles. The Trailblazers were complacent through much of the game, needing goals by MacDonald and Joel Selinger in the last five minutes to salvage a 2-2 draw. "We were sleeping the first two periods, and started to wake up when it was 2-0," Selinger admitted. "We've got to be more focused before the games and not get too cocky." The Trailblazers competed in a Burlington tournament this week and will next see league action Tuesday against the Holy Trinity Titans. Game time at Glen Abbey Recreation Centre is scheduled for 3:20 p.m. Tavares, Goloubef invited to junior camp Oakville's John Tavares and Cody Goloubef have been invited to Canada's selection camp for the World Junior Championships. Tavares is one of only four returnees from last year's team that won gold in the Czech Republic. Eight players who were eligible to return are currently playing in the NHL, including Tavares' linemate from last year's tournament, Steve Stamkos. Tavares is third in scoring in the Ontario Hockey League, with 43 points in 28 games, and is tied for second in goals (21). Goloubef, who plays for the University of Wisconsin Badgers, is one of 14 defencemen invited to the camp. He'll be the youngest defenceman -- Jared Spurgeon of the Spokane Chiefs is a day older -- in camp. There are two returning defencemen, P.K. Subban and Thomas Hickey. Goloubef, who played for the Oakville Blades two years ago, has four assists in 16 games with the Badgers this season. The team's training camp begins Dec. 12. This year's tournament is in Ottawa and begins on Dec. 26. Canada, which will be coached by Pat Quinn, will be chasing its fifth straight gold medal. -- Herb Garbutt Cody Goloubef John Tavares 905-845-6989 www.icesports.com