PAGE 20, WHITBY FRE E PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1990 Bantamstake liea«d inOntarno.fna Whitby Jennie-Lynn Meats have taken a 2-0 lead over Wel- land in the best-of-seven ail- Ontario major bantam final. One a deflected shot, Welland took a 1-0 iead early in the first perio*d of the first game in Wel- lad on Saturday. But Whitby, backed by the goaltending of Roy Kennedy, then scored four un- ans wered goals to win the opener. Brad Stella evened the score with a power play goal. Geof Cadan scored what would prove the second pernod.Later in the peod, Kennedy shut out Wel- ld when they had a two-man power play advantage.. In the third period, Kelly Vipond and Conai Tackney scored insurance goals. At Iroquois Park on Sunday, defencemen Wayne Stevenson,' with two goals, and Steve Wyro- zub witb one paced Whitby to a 10-3 victoy Petert'Ailison sparked Whitby with a goal on the first shift of the contest. Brad Stella soored a picture goal te make it 3-1 after two periads. Tackney and Mark Wisdom scored in the third period. Zach Hayden was strong in net for Whitby. The third game of the seies will be la d tonight <Wednes- day) inu eland, with the fourth game at Iroquois Park on Sun- diay, April 1. Peewee final deadlocked after 2 games The Whitby minor peewee AA hockey club, sponsored by Eastway Plymouth Chrysier, began their ail-Ontario hockey finals over the past weekend. The best-of-five series began or Saturday in Chathamn. Whitby played bard but came up short, losing *6-5 te a strong Chathamn club. Scoring for Whitby was Brian Scott with a hat trick aud Steve Blais with a pair. The teains returned te Iroquois Park on Sunday and in a very exciting gaine Whitby won 4-3, scoring the winuer witb five seconds te go in the gaine. Blair had the bat trick while Ian MacNeil and Jeremy Schott had singles. The teain travels te, Chatham. on Saturday and returns for the fourtb gaine on Sunday April 1, at 2 p.m. in Bronlin. The best-of-five semi-final started iu Milton with Whitby playing some of their best hockey of the season. Brian Scott led the way with five goals and two assista in a Whitby victery of 8-3. The second gaine was played at Iroquois Park with Scott again leading the way with five goals and two assista as Whitby won In gae three, the Milton club played a stronger gaine at Iroquois Park and emerged with a 6-5 overtime tie. The series went back te Milton for the fourth gaine. In this gaine Milton was totally outplayed and Whitby won by a 9-2 score. During the seres Whitby received strong gaaltendiug fri= Barry Crawford and Rob Fodor. Crawford was exceptioually strong lu the fourth gaine. On defeuce, Whitby outmuscled Milton iu tliree of the four gaines and showed a strong discipliued style. Matt St. Amand, Brad Oliver, Markus Tulley aud Csrdwell played fine hockey ail the way through the serie. Up front Whitby showed three balanced limes that continuaily beat Milton te the basee puck. Led by Scott, Jereniy Schott, Steven BIais, Daryl Whitlock, Ian McNeii, Bilan LdeAMamn Shields and Jef Malco IMhy had a decided edge. During the semi-final, Scott ended up with 12 goals sud six assista for 18 points lu four gaines. McNel had five goals Biais four goals, Schott three_____________________________________ goals, Cardwell two goals, Lodge two goals and singles weut te Tulley, Shields snd wiiitoci<. WELLAND goalkeeper stretches to ail-Ontarlo major bantam finaL. Whitby Whitby will now play Chathamn sflr the puck flred by a Whitby leads the beet-of-seven series 2-. for the all-Ontario peoweo AA player in the second gaine of the £luis* Bovie photo cbainpionsbips. Prieau now a top-.fve draft pick, By Chris Bovie Halfway through the hockey sesson, predictions bad aiready been made about the order of the 1990 NHL draft froin the junior hockey ranks. But' 18-year-old centre Keith Primesu of Whitby, now leading his team in the playoffs, has disrupted that ordor. Mike Ricci of Peterborough Petes was on the tip of pro scouts' tangues as tho nuiner one pick. Then Owen Nolan of Cornwall Royals sud Petr Ned- ved of Seattle Thundorbirds looked good to dethrone the Peterborough forward. Now, armed with NHL size, Prineau has thundered te cap- ture the Ontario Hockey League scoring titie, and a spot lu the top five of predicted draft picks. Prinieau is rauked fourth, behinid Nedved, Nolan snd Ricci (in that order), in The Hockey Newste7 tan. Burie under the mnedia atten- tion paid te defencemen snd teaxunate Brysu Fogarty asat yesr, Prineau bas juinped into the 1990 limelight, scoring 56 gasud adding 67 assista for 123 point in 63 gaines ta lead Priniesu became the youngest pLyer te win the OHL scormng title since Leafs JTack Valiquette back in 1973-74. 1I didn't worry about the scor- ing title until we clincbed a p layoff spot," Pruneau said. "It dd't affect the teamn sud we didn't go out of aur wa.» Sinco fliuisbiug higb; scbaol lu January, Pruneau bas been able to focus more on hockey, sud the stats support it. Pruneau scored 13 points -in the Tbuuder's Isat four regular season games. He scored two goals sud bad two assists in their firstjlayoff gamne, a victery over London (Niagara Falls led the series 3-2 witb the sixtb gaine yesterday (Tuesday). - I bave mare timeo te. work. out.. sud concentrate on my gaine,» Pruneau said. Niagara Falls bits been a con- pietly different teain undor new hoad coacb George Buruett. Bur- nett formerly coached iocally, in- cluding the Port Perry junior C teain, sud also warked at Thun- derbird golf course. "TheZ're two différent coaches, said Pruneau af Bur- nett and former coach Bill LaFarge. "George carne lu sud wbipped us inte shape. He's been a positive influence. «'I got along witb Bill (LaFoIrge), but as captain, players came te me witb their questions." Burnett bas laosened the load on Pruneau sud tbe dividende are paig off two -fold, as Pri- mesu dominates th e offence sud the teain pla verali bas impro- ved teput Ni ara Falls lu a piti ot upset the powerfui Londan teain. «We weut lute the London series baose. No ane expected us te do suytbing. The two wins (lu the firat two rames) realiy boos- ted the teain s confidence,» Pri- meau said. Under Burnett, Pruneau, wbo stands 6 ft, 5 lu. sud weigha. about 215 lb-s., bas also changed bis focus on a pro careor. At the boginning of the âeason ho bad wsntod te play for *an American tosin. Now ho juet wants to b. drafted by a teazu where ho wiil fit lu aimoit in- mediately. Wbile former teain- mate Fagarty bas fallen on tough timos as a membor of the weak Quebec Nordiques, Prlmeau wauid like to bhoasu instant addi- tion te the teain who selecta the talented centre.' And the playoff watch gais on. If NîagaraFPalse should kuackaoff the Knights, thoe naine Pruneau wili continue te bo on scouts' minds as they consider the- tep selections. Strong competes* at Skydome Wbitby's Lori Strong, woinensl &M nastici champion at tbe Cmmonwealth Gaines, wili be p art of the Canadian teain that taes on the world's best lu tbe Canadian irlinos Cup te be held TIhursday, March 29, at the Sky- dame. Strong, wiuner of four gold sud two silver medals at the Con- monwealth Gaines, wili lead the wanien s teain wblle Curtis 11ih- bert, winner of seven modale, includiug five--gold, at the Gaines, il ead the men'. teain. The Mn'scompetition la part of the worid cup circuit and should attract the tep ymasta lu the warld, including'the 1988 Olympie champion U.S.S.R. teani. The women~s luvitational coin- petition ia also expected te fea- ture the Olympie champion U.S.S.R teai n sd runner-up Romanis as well as the best froin Bulgaria, France, Spain, U.S.A. sud China. -Tickets -te the- Canadian -Air- linos Cup are available at Ticket- master outiets, at the Skydome box office, or by calling 872-1111. Tickets are $15, $12, $10 sud $8. Novices win afnother Wýhitby Homo & Rural ringette novices recently won their second touruameut iu a row. They went undefeated lu aIl four gaines poStng wins of 10-5, 11-2, 3-3 and 7-6. Friday uight thoy defeated Pckeriug 1"-. Scoring for H&R w'ero Danielle Bleau and Ellen Johnson with three each, Jennifer Cowan with two sud singles by Karen Peacocke sud Aicheile Dempsey. Saturday, London took a beating 11-2. Scoring were Cowau with four, Demnpsey wvith (2), Sarah Larocque (2) sud singles by Cale Osborne, Johnson sud Blosu. The third gaie was a roal challenge, wlth Ajax leading 3-1. But with 1:30 loftinl the gaine, Whitby scored twice, ta salyage a tie. Bleau added two more sud Melanie Davis scored witb 10 seconds loft. The finals saw Witby sud Ajax neet again, Whitby comiug out on tep 7-6. After spottng Ajax four goals, Whithy--replieg with seven. Scoring were Bleau sud Johnson each with three, sud Pescocke with one. Bleau sud Johnson scored a total of 16 goals, sud a respectable 72 (Bioau) sud 47 (Johnson) for the year. Most valuable player, for the tournament was Melanie Davis.