Aquinas boys win provincial basketball championship The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders are the top boys' basketball AA high school team in the province. Aquinas edged Waterloo Westminster 5553 Wednesday in the championship game of Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations AA tournament in Timmins, earning the school's second OFSAA boys' basketball medal in as many years and its first-ever basketball OFSAA gold. Aquinas girls' teams won provincial silvers in 2002 and 2003. Westminster had pounded the Raiders by 20 points earlier this year, though Aquinas was playing that game without three starters. The Raiders were the third-seeded team at the OFSAA tournament, while Westminster was ranked second. Aquinas' Charlie Drouin led all scorers in the gold-medal game, draining 20 points. Kyle Enright added 14 and Ryan Thomson contributed seven. The championship contest marked the only time Aquinas was challenged at the tournament. The Raiders blew out their first four opponents by a combined score of 273144, posting wins over Timmins High, Guelph Bishop MacDonnell, Bracebridge and Timmins E.S.C. Theriault. See tomorrow's (Saturday's) edition of The Oakville Beaver for more coverage of the Raiders' gold-medal win. Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009 29 Blades' Volpe coming up big By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF GEORGETOWN -- It's only 20 kilometers from his Burlington home to Joshua's Creek Arenas, but it has been a long, strange trip that has brought Adrian Volpe to the Oakville Blades. The Blades are grateful to have him, though, because without him, their season may be dead. Since stepping in for injured starter Matt Hache midway through Game 2 of the Ontario Junior Hockey League MacKinnon Division final, the 18-year-old netminder has stopped 50 of 52 shots. And with the Blades struggling offensively -- producing just eight goals, including one empty-netter, in the first three games of the series -- there's been little margin for error in net. Wednesday, Volpe stopped 33 shots in a 3-2 Blades win that gives them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, heading into tonight's (Friday's) game at home against the Georgetown Raiders (an 8:30 p.m. start). "I'm very proud of him," said Blades coach Carlo Coccimiglio. "It's been an up and down year for him. In Fort Erie (Jr. B), sometimes he was facing 60 shots a night but he's just come in off a playoff series and it's worked out great." He's been an unlikely saviour, considering he didn't play a single regular-season game with the Blades. Volpe is the fifth goalie the team has used this season. The Blades tried to get him earlier in the season but couldn't work out a deal with the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers, who acquired him in August. Oakville is the latest stop in a two-year span that has seen Volpe play with the St. Catharines Falcons, Fort Erie Meteors and Niagara Ice Dogs, the latter team with which he went 4-1 in seven games as an OHL rookie last season. Volpe said all of that experience, good and bad, has paid off. "I've been in situations where I sit on the bench, then get thrown in and have to win that game," he said. "I've also Members of Appleby College's girls' hockey team celebrate their Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association championship, following a 4-3 overtime victory last week in Buffalo. Appleby claims another girls' hockey title on four. Appleby, which had a chance to clinch the title on home ice last Wednesday but lost 2-1 at J.S. Gairdner Arena, scored the first three goals of Friday's clincher. Jenner, who captains Canada's under-18 team, scored the Blue Dogs' first goal, followed by markers from Sarah Ginson and Courtney Power. Nichols rallied to tie the game, however, and nearly won it with 15 seconds to go in regulation time. Appleby goaltender Nicole Paniccia came up with a big save to force overtime. The CISAA crown was the second title Appleby has won this season. The Blue Dogs won the North American Preparatory Hockey Association championship last month. Also contributing to the two championships were Corinne Duffy, Kristyn Capizzano, Hailey Browne, Anissa Gamble, Leanne Gallant, Erika Pyke, Delaney Cox, Kelly Eustace, Caroline Murdoch, Drake Hicks, Rachael Kennedy, Ellen Brandt, Rio Flynn, Natasha Fryer and Laura Corcoran. Bradi Cochrane is the Blue Dogs' head coach, assisted by Rebecca MacDonald. Miguel Toussaint is Appleby's trainer. Brianne Jenner wasted little time in silencing her detractors. Appleby College's star captain scored early in overtime last Friday in Buffalo, giving the Blue Dogs a 4-3 win over Nichols School and earning Appleby a 2-1 series victory in the Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) girls' hockey championship. Jenner's goal came moments after she was serenaded by mocking chants of 'Jenner' and 'Overrated' from the Nichols crowd. She won the game by backhanding a shot into the roof of the See Victories page 31 net while the teams were playing four Boasting over 14,000 players nationally, the Canlan Ice Sports 3 on 3 Spring/Summer Hockey League is without question one of the largest youth 3 on 3 leagues in the world. 905-845-6989 www.icesports.com