Pereira, Hornets hope to play spoiler once again this year By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLEBEAVERSTAFF 29 · Friday, February 22, 2013 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com When the Oakville Hornets open the Provincial Women's Hockey League playoffs in a little more than a week, they will once again fill the role of underdog. The Hornets sat 15th in the league standings going into last night's (Thursday's) action, when they had an opportunity to leapfrog Ottawa for 14th. They will likely finish the season in either 14th or 15th, meaning they'll draw the secondor third-place team in the opening round. But don't expect the Hornets to simply serve as a tune-up for the league leaders. "Last year we beat the fourth-place team," Amanda Pereira said of the Hornets' first-round upset of London in the 2012 playoffs. "We have some players that are returning from that team so we'll use that (experience) to our advantage." The Hornets will get a taste of what they may face in the post-season when they wrap up the regular season this weekend with road games against the league's top two teams, Durham West on Saturday and Whitby on Sunday. Oakville (11-16-8 going into yesterday's action) has played just above a .500 clip since a disastrous first month that saw it go winless in its first eight games. The Hornets gave themselves a chance to move up in the standings with a 4-3 win over the Southwest Wildcats Sunday. Pereira scored the winner in a wild third-period flurry that saw the teams combine for five goals in eight minutes. The Holy Trinity student finished the game with two goals and an assist. The performance capped a three-game weekend in which she scored four times and had two assists -- a welcome burst of offence with leading scorer Hayley Scamurra out of the lineup. "I figure this is my last year, so I should make the most of it," said Pereira, who has nine goals and 17 points, tied for second on the Hornets with Michelle Quick. Next year, Pereira will join another team that will have the odds stacked against it. She'll join the Laurentian Voyageurs, who will relaunch their women's hockey program. Just like her current team, Pereira is not ruling anything out. "The coach has done a pretty good job in recruiting," said Pereira, who will study sport and physical education with concurrent education. "He thinks we can be contenders right from the start. And they pack their arenas up there." As for extending her junior career as long as possible, Pereira said there's no secret as to what the Hornets have to do. "We just have to focus on the little things, D zone and getting to the net." In addition to Pereira's two goals in Sunday's win, Victoria Medeiros had a goal and an assist and Quick also scored. Quick and Emma Maltais scored in a 3-2 overtime loss to Bluewater Saturday. Pereira had both goals in a 4-2 loss to Barrie Friday, with Andrea Benac assisting on both. OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTO OPTIMISTIC: Oakville Hornets forward Amanda Pereira (right) battles a London Devilettes opponent during last year's Provincial Women's Hockey League playoffs, when Oakville upset the Devilettes. Pereira feels her team is capable of more surprises in this year's post-season. Tackle, Flag and Summer Camps Oakville Minor Football Join u 8th Annual Peace of Minds Yogathon for Schizophrenia & Psychosis Tackle: Ages 9-19 Flag: Ages 5-12 info@oakvilletitansfootball.ca Get your yoga stretch on and create peace of mind for the 130,000 Ontarians living with schizophrenia and psychosis. Enjoy a day of yoga fun for all levels, experience a roster of top yoga teachers and a wide variety of yoga styles, all while raising money for the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario's youth programs. The 2013 Yogathon boasts two flagship locations: Toronto and Oakville. Join us on Saturday, February 23, from 8:00 am--3:30 pm at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, 124 Dorval Drive in Oakville. like us on Registration date is Feb 28 at Oakville Town Hall from 7-9pm www.oakvilletitansfootball.ca & follow us on @oakvilletitans www.yogathon.ca 905 338 2112 Media Sponsor: