The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2007 29 Local lacrosse stars representing Ontario at nationals Albrecht, Hulbert first OMLA products to make provincial teams By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR When they step out on the floor at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival, Tyler Albrecht and Jackson Hulbert will be making local lacrosse history. The two will suit up for Ontario squads at the national bantam and peewee lacrosse championships, becoming the first Oakville Minor Lacrosse Association products to represent the province at the prestigious tournaments. Local resident Scott Laughton played with the peewee Ontario team in last year's nationals, but was part of the Mimico Mountaineers system, according to a member of the OMLA executive. The provincial bantam and peewee squads will see their first action Monday as part of the 10-day festival, which began today in Whitby. The championships will feature six-game roundrobin schedules, followed by quarter-final, semifinal and final contests. Albrecht came close to cracking the peewee roster two years ago, surviving until the final round of cuts. The 14-year-old, who will attend T.A. Blakelock in the fall, said that experience motivated him to work harder and make the bantam team this year. "I thought I should have (made it in 2005)," he said. "I guess I wasn't aggressive enough, going after loose balls. I improved that this year and made the team." Provincial bantam coach Corny Derks said Albrecht's size and speed make the youngster a good fit for his team. Derks anticipates using Albrecht in man-short situations, where he expects Albrecht can make the most of his skill set. "He can score, but he's an individual (type of player)," said Derks. "We've made a couple lines of team players and one line of individual-type players. That allows guys like Tyler to do their thing. It's easier for him to do it that way and, when the pressure's on, you're going to do what comes naturally." DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ALL-ONTARIO TALENTS: Jackson Hulbert (left) and Tyler Albrecht will be the first Oakville Hawks players to represent Ontario at the national peewee and bantam lacrosse championships. Derks added he sees Albrecht as a transition player in the future -- one that can play strong defence, grab a loose ball, bring it up the floor and either look for a scoring opportunity or dish the ball to an attacker. "His strength is to see the opportunity and take it, whether that be him going to the net or drawing guys to him and passing it off," said the coach. Meanwhile, Hulbert's selection to the Ontario peewee team may have come as a surprise to the Heritage Glen Public See Hulbert's page 30 Coyotes win NARCH title Third straight tournament crown for local bantams The Oakville bantam Coyotes finished off their tour season in style, winning their final three tournaments of the year -- including the North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCH). The squad of 1991-born players came out on top in the 52-team gold division at NARCH, contested in Estero, Fla. Oakville posted come-from-behind wins in both the quarter-finals (5-4) and semifinals (2-1) to reach the championship game, where the Coyotes pasted the Colorado Kodiaks 5-1. Colorado had defeated Oakville 6-2 in NARCH round-robin play, becoming one of only two teams to defeat the Coyotes in the three-tournament span (19 games). The Coyotes' two previous tournament wins were in their own Oakville Waterfront competition and the Tournament of Roller Hockey Series event. Members of the team are Robert Roerig, Matthew Feric, Stephen Perfetto, Joel Selinger, Tyler Karius, Curtis Gamble, Michael DeRenzis, Matthew Prapavessis, Shawn Waldie and Alek MacRae. Andy MacRae, A.J. MacRae, Ryan DeRenzis and Dominic DeRenzis coach the squad. Randy Selinger is the Coyotes' manager. WILY BUNCH: The Oakville bantam Coyotes ended their season with three consecutive tournament titles, including the North American Roller Hockey Championships gold division crown recently in Florida. www.icesports.com 905-845-6989