WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2,1987, PAGE 19 SPORTS Redmen oust Lakers Redmen head west.to meet Brooklin Redmen are provincial lacrosse champs and have earned the right to compete for the Mann Cup, representative of national championship. Redmen finished their regular season undefeated and waltzed through round-robin playoff action to take the finals against Peter- borough Lakers in four straight games. Up two games from match-ups the previous week, Brooklin enter- tained Lakers at Luther Vipond Arena last Tuesday and for a while it appeéred as though it could be anyone's game. Lakers actually held a 3-2 edge after the first 20 minutes of play after exhibiting a great deal of self control, and managing to stay out of the penalty box for the first half of the game. With less than five minutes left in the centre frame, Lakers blew their cool, and paid the price. With the score knotted at four each, Peteroborough's Mark Evans, ob- viously annoyed by a penalty to his team for too many men on the ice 15 second before, got called for a slashing minor, compounded by an additional .unsportsmanlike penalty. It was the opening Brooklin was waiting for. By the end of the second, they had popped in three counters to lead 7-4. It was all downhill for Lakers TOP GOALIES WAYNE COLLEY(1) and KEN PASSFIELD from then on as Redmen hit for six unanswered goals in the final stan- za to earn a 13-4 win and move within one game of the champion- ship. Jim Meredith had a fine night, hitting for two goals and four assists. Derek Keenan picked up a hat trick with Gil Nieuwendyk counting for a pair. Barry Brear, Brian Colm, John Fusco, Andy Perroni and Tom Wreggitt each had singles. On the other side of the score board, Andy Shaughnessy, Glenn Stevenson, Wayne Batley and Warren Ferguson scored for Peter- borough. Two nights later, Redmen travelled to Keene to find their op- position had only 12 men suited. It turned out to be a romp for the visitors, winning 21-8. By the end of the second period, Brooklin had built up a 13-5 lead and the shorthanded (for various reasons including injuries and suspensions) Lakers were facing. officials agreed to put an end to the misery by running the clock through the final 20 minutes. Fusco and Blaine Harrison each counted for four goals with doubles coming from Paul St. John, Bruce Redwood, Nieuwendyk and Wreggitt. Jerry Fitzgerald, Brear, Randy Gallas, Andy Perroni and Derek Keenan rounded out the scoring. Replying for Peterborough were Bruce Ogylvie with four goals, An- dy Shaughnessy, Dave Succamore, Wayne Batley and Frank Kylie. Redmen held a team practice Monday night to prepare for their match-up against New Westmin- ster Salmonbellies in British Columbia next week. Westminster and are scheduled for 8 p.m. starts (Pacifie time) on Tuesday, Sept 8; Wed. Sept 9; Fri., Sept 11; Sat., Sept 12; and if necessary, Mon. Sept 14; Tues. Sept. 15 and Thurs. Sept. 17. Judging by the calibre of play between these two clubs in past years, the championship will not be decided in four straight games. In 1986, Salmonbellies took the series at Iroquois Park in six games. The previous year, in B.C., it was Redmen who were victorious but it went right down to the seventh game. General manager Bob Duignan said the majority of players would return home at the completion of the series. By ROXANNE REVELER With the Ontario Lacrosse Association championship under their belts, 'Brooklin Redmen are preparing for their trip out west to take on the New West- minster Salmonbellies for the Canadian title, and the coveted Mann Cup, emblematie of the win. All 25 players will be making the trip to British Columbia along with six coaches and a number of fans for a total con- tingent of 40. The group will be departing on a 7 a.m. flight on Sunday, Sept. 6 which will give them two days of orientation prior to the start of the contest. The games will be played at Queen's Park Arena in New Peewees win 2 at CNE Whitby's peewee all-star baseball team. managed two wins in three games at the Pepsi tournament held during the Canadian national Exhibition. Simon Gosgnach, the team's six- ft., one-in. hurler, was outstanding for Whitby, pitching all three games. He struck out 10 and allowed only three hits in a 9-2 win over Leaside in the opening game. He then held Hamilton to two runs and four hits and allowed his team to come back for a 3-2 win in the next game. Whitby was trailmng 2-0 mnthe seventh inning when Ian Andrews reached base on an error and moved to third on a double by Dar- cy Kinsella. David Eymann then came through with a pinch hit double to send home both Andrews and Kinsella to tie the game. In the eighth inning, Gosgnach, 13, hit a single, went to second on a steal and came home on a game- winning double by Chris Delbono. Gosgnach also struck 10 in his next game but dropped a 7-2 decision to Milton that knocked Whitby out of the tournament. He allowed seven hits. Best season ever for representative soccer teams Whitby had one of its best seasons Mike Sookdeo, reclaimed the under-l1s tied for first with Ajax ever in rep soccer with four of five division titie it won last year. Doug witb 21 points each. teams finishing first in the Durham Wyte's under-12 team rolied Meanwbile the under-9s, or minor league. up a record of 13 wins, two losses atoms, were well ahead of the pack 9'hp iin<ir-13 tpsim. cced bv iand1a tie for first wbiie Ed Chung's in the Durham league as tbey piled t s Keenan named Ontario MVPd It sould have corne as no sur-Coming back after a season of r prise to anyone. field lacrosse, Keenan was hot Brooklin Redmen player this year, counting for 4 goals c Derek Keenan is this year's and assisting on 63 others for 107 r recipient of the Jim Murphy points, figures instrumental in Trophy as the OntaJio Lacrosse earning him the Bucko Mc- i Trophyiato not aLaroseDonald Trophy as the leagues Association most valuable highest scorer as well as MVP t player for the 1987 season. hon or Keenan, a veteran Redmen Keenan was quick to share player, has always been credit witb tbe rest of the recognized for his prowess on Broit e rticulare the floor, particularly around JBon team, D in particular the opposition net. But circum- John Fuseo, Dale Kernohan and sacshave not aiways been Jim Meredith witb wbom he stances haentawy enshares powerplay duties. E kind to him in the past. Thisis And Keenan was not the only the first year he has been able ton Brooklin player to be recognized put in a full season with the fo anexllent seon e Brooklin squad and the stats for an excellent season. Kevin speak for themselves. Antim, wbom was acquired this The ace player recently com- season from the defunct Bram- pleted a five-year course at New pton Excelsiors, was named the York's Ithaca College, the league's most valuable defen- reason he was not able to play as ceman, receiving the Merv many games as he would have McKenzie award. The goal- liked over the past years. It was tending team of Wayne Colley usually midway througb the League MVP and Ken Passfield received the season before he was able to suit Derek Keenan Harry Lumsley award for the up in a Redmen uniform. best goals against average. u I w up 13 wins against only two losses. Ian Burns coaches tbe team. Cbung's team aiso went ail the vay to the quarter-finals in Ontario Cup play this season. "I tbink Whitby has the potential o be a hotbed of soccer talent." says Gerry Plakmeyer, who is director of house league play in the Vhitby Iroquois Soccer League. He feels Whitby could have two rep teams in each age division ex- cept that the "quality coaching and manpower isn't there." Part of the problem is that there s no level in Whitby beyond the un- der-13 division. Players have to get o Toronto to further develop skill. In hockey, there are higher levels, such as junior teams or "at- tainable goals," notes Plakmeyer. "If we had the volunteers and enthusiasm hockey has, soccer could take off," he says. Yet, the local league this year had its highest ever registration with 1,200 participants, an increase of 130 over last year. Plakmeyer at- tributes population growth in Whit- by and the increasing popularity of the game for the increase. "It's a fairly simple game and lit- tle equipment is needed," he says of parent preference for the sport. "And it's a perfect complement sport to hockey. It seems that the better soccer players are better hockey. players,hile the better hockey players are the better soc- cer players." There will be a change in the league next year with a move away from neighborhood area games. Instead, players this year were rated and the information stored on computers. At registration next year, players will be divided up ac- cording to level based on that in- formation and play will be at any of the 12 or so filed to be used, rather than on fields in the immediate vicinity of players. Plakmeyer says playing surfaces were inadequate for about half the season, due to an executive mem- ber "who failed to do his job" of properly arranging games com- bined with Town maintenance problems involving grass mowers. "But the fields were in pretty good shape by the second half of the season," he says, after both problems had been straightened out. Refereeing is "adequate," says Plakmeyer, despite parent com- plaints. He says the league relies heavily on youth relerees ana can never find ' enough volunteers because "It's a thankless job." Registration costs, he expects, will rise next year mostly because of rising insurance costs. Bût at around $40 for house league, "it's a real bargain," he says. Rep players pay $100, which in- cludes more equipment. New Westminster r~