Sports Oakville Beaver By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 2010 29 Blades have league final in their sights once again Finding the right line combination is not an exact science but when it works out, the results can be magic. Oakville Blades coach Jason Nobili found one of those combos at a critical stage in their Ontario Junior A Hockey League semifinal series with the Georgetown Raiders. Putting together 20-year-olds Kellan Lain, Dustin Alcock and Ryan Murphy prior to overtime in Game 3 paid immediate dividends when Murphy scored the game winner just five minutes into OT. The newly formed trio continued to flourish Wednesday as they scored four of Oakville's goals in a 5-3 win over the Georgetown Raiders that gives the Blades a commanding 31 lead in the best-of-seven series. Lain was parked on the edge of the crease and swatted home a rebound with 6:22 to play to break a 3-3 tie. The goal stalled a Georgetown rally that saw the Raiders erase a 3-1 deficit on a pair of goals by Jeremy Wick in the third period. That had the Blades faithful worrying that it might be a case of payback from the night before when Oakville came back from three goals down in the final period to win in overtime. "It's tough to hold leads in the playoffs, especially against a team like that," Lain said. "We have to be a bit more responsible defensively. You can't let up." Now just one win from a return trip to the league final, Lain has a little extra motivation. It was during last year's semifinals that Lain sliced an artery in his wrist on the skate of Wellington goalie Steele Defazio. He was reduced to a spectator's role as Oakville fell to Kingston in the final. "Last year was a tough time," said the 6foot-6 forward. "Probably the worst time of my life. I just want to get out there now and help my team and do what I can. It's great to compete in the playoffs, it's fun, the best time of the year." Lain has certainly helped, adding another scoring threat to an already deep lineup. Since his return to the lineup in January, the Blades have gone 22-3. Wednesday, he and Alcock each had two goals and an assist, while Murphy picked up a couple of helpers. After Mike Ingoldsby opened the scoring, Lain made it 2-0 in the second. Georgetown pulled within one but Alcock scored in the final minute of the period to restore the twogoal advantage heading into the third. "(Georgetown) was probably going through the same speech we did (the night before)," Nobili said. "We knew they weren't just going to roll over a give us a win." And with each game in the series going down to the wire, Nobili knows the Raiders won't hand them the series either. Still, the Blades will be looking to close it out tonight (Friday) at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Game time is 7:30 p.m. HERB GARBUTT / OAKVILLE BEAVER RAIDER REELING: Oakville's Mark Bennett sends Georgetown's Aaron Pearce flying during the Oakville Blades 5-3 win over the Georgetown Raiders Wednesday night. Kellan Lain and Dustin Alcock each scored twice for Oakville, which took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Ontario Jr. A Hockey League semifinal series. Loyola settles for silver after heartbreaking loss at buzzer By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Rohan Boney had just hit a three-pointer to tie the game and now all that stood between the Loyola Hawks and a chance to win the provincial championship was eight seconds. Eight seconds, one stop and the Hawks would be going to overtime for the third time in five games at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations boys AAA basketball championship. With the score tied in Wednesday's championship game in Kingston, the Martingrove Bears called a timeout and set up one last play. Martingrove inbounded the ball and with a few Laurin. "Right seconds remaining Loyola Hawks now it's hard to got a shot away. It clanked off the rim OFSAA silver medalists look back and enjoy the season and fell to the floor Mike Andrews when you lose a where the Bears Rohan Boney game that tight recovered it in time Alex Cenedese on the buzzer. for one last shot. As Zac Colangelo Maybe in a couple the final second Daniel Dyrda of months we'll ticked off the clock Mike L'Africain be able to enjoy the ball sat on the Paulo Militar what we accomback of the rim, Adam Presutti plished." then agonizingly Tomas Rickus And Loyola dropped through Roberto Rivas accomplished a the mesh as the Troy Stevenson lot. They went 52buzzer sounded. Gary Laurin, coach 5 this season, Martingrove 56, Reno Malisa, coach winning seven Loyola 54. A silver medal for the tournaments Hawks. including the Ontario all-Catholic "It was a very successful sea- championship. But it will be hard son," said Loyola coach Gary to erase the memory of the buzzer- beater that prevented them from taking a run at the gold. It looked like Loyola might be destined for gold after they survived overtime in both their tournament opener and in the semifinals. In the semis against Stoney Creek's Orchard Park Patriots, Loyola led by three points with 14 seconds and had the ball. But Orchard Park stole the ball and banked in a three-pointer to tie the game. Loyola then missed a layup and fouled the Patriots, who made both to take a two-point lead. With just five seconds left, Loyola got the ball back and put it in the hands of Adam Presutti, who finished second in tournament scoring with an average of 17 points. Presutti got the ball in the middle of the key and hit a jumper for the most important of his 31 points, sending the game to overtime tied at 59. Loyola pressured their opponents in the extra period, forced turnovers and went on a run, outscoring them 14-6 to win 7365. After going 0-2 at its first-ever OFSAA tournament last year, the Hawks -- the tournament's top seed -- notched their first tournament win in dramatic fashion, edging 11th seed Oakridge 70-65 in overtime. "We played them last year (at OFSAA) and they beat us," Laurin said. "They weren't an 11th seed. I See Hawks page 36