HOCKEY Rangers Red win OMHA minor bantam AA championship Previous two series go the distance before finals sweep Oakville Rangers The Oakville Rangers Red swept Whitby to win the OMHA minor bantam AA championship. Oakville went the distance in its previous two series against Garden City and Burlington. HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@burlingtonpost.com With players coming in from seven different teams this season, Oakville Rang ers coach Fab De Rango tried to create a family at mosphere by involving par ents and siblings in team events. "Talent and skill wins games," he said, "but only a family can win a champi onship." For much of the season, the minor bantam AA Rangers Red got by on their talent. They finished first in the Tri-County Hockey League standings with a 24- 3-1 record and then won eight straight games to win their qualifying group. In the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OM HA) final, the Rangers swept Whitby in three games. But if that makes it sound as if Oakville had an easy time locking down the OMHA title, it wasn't. The Rangers won the first and third games 2-1. In the clinching game, Rangers goalie Nico Marandolo stopped three breakaways. Meanwhile, captain Jack Churchill, who also scored the winning goal when the Rangers won the Richard Bell Tournament in December, had both Oakville goals. "Definitely was not a sweep per se," De Rango said. "Two of the games could have gone either way." It was in those games that the Rangers' team building really paid off De Rango said. It was also valuable in the previous two rounds, where things did not go as smoothly for Oakville. The Rangers faced a fifth and deciding game against the Garden City Falcons in the quarter-fi nals. With their season on the line, the Rangers deliv ered a 3-1 victory. "Garden City did a very good job neutralizing our speed, being in the way and blocking passing lanes," De Rango said. "It came down to the battles in the corner. All year we didn't have to do that so it was a challenge for us to adapt." The Rangers would be tested again in the semifi nals. Tied at two wins and a tie through five games with the Burlington Eagles Gold, Oakville again faced elimination. Once again they won the deciding game, edging the Eagles 3-2."Burlington tried to play with our talent and they rose to the occasion." De Rango said. "The series was back and forth and we fought hard doing all the little things we needed to." Other members of the Rangers' OMHA champi onship team are: Riley Fle- mington, Jack Grant, Oli ver Brenninkmeijer, Matthew Broglio, Luciano Checchia, Ryan Barker, Ty ler Van Laare, Matthew Pi- roli, Andrew De Rango, Jasper Van Schie, Sebas- tien Hardy, Matthew Car- ingi, Trey Magrin, Lucas Vincze, Griffin Pick, Ethan Sullivan, assistant coaches Don Churchill, Angelo Ma- randola and Dominick Hardy and trainer Tracy Vincze. m l » | ] \ T \ C O S T \ l , akville Pentecostal Apostolic Centre SUNDAY Bible Teaching & Worship Service, 12:30-2:30pm (SOUTH RIDGE ROOM) IROQUOIS RIDGE COMMUNITY CENTRE 1051 Glenashton Dr. Glenashton & Eighth Line FRIDAY Teaching & Youth Service 7-8:30pm Tel: 416-892-8123 Pastor: Elder M.J. Brissett Email: mjbrisse@yahoo.ca JESUS IS LORD If you'd like to advertise your place of worship in this feature please call J E N N I F E R G O U L D 2 8 9 -2 9 3 -0 6 8 3 U N I T E D GLEN ABBEY UNITED CHURCH REV. TED VANCE Come experience Church Your whole family will enjoy! THIS SUNDAY: Rick Sands leading worship EVERYONE is invited to: 9:30 Coffee, Cookies and Conversation 10:00 Worship Service and Sunday School Scripture: John 20:19-31 Here you will find Church the way you wished it could be! Friendly people, Great Music Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit! 1469 Nottinghill Gate, Oakville 905-825-5292 www.glenabbeyunitedchurch.com P R E S B Y T E R IA N KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday, April 8th Worship 1 0 am Wednesday, April 11th 6:30 p.m. - Dinner Church Come share a good meal and an intimate, acoustic worship experience. Families eat and worship together at our evening service. See our website at \ knoxoakville.com for details v lv y on all events and more! K n o x O A K V IL L E Lakeshore & Dunn 905.844.3472 KnoxOakville.com K | O akville B eaver | Thursday, A pril 5, 2018 insidehalton.com mailto:hgarbutt@burlingtonpost.com mailto:mjbrisse@yahoo.ca http://www.glenabbeyunitedchurch.com