24 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2008 A wild night in Hamilton Blades routed 13-4 by rival Red Wings, Oakville defenceman Judson plays goal in third period By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Scott Judson's role as a stay-at-home defenceman has always had more to do with preventing goals than scoring them. But the Oakville Blades blueliner could never have imagined how important he would become in that role when he walked into the Dave Andreychuk Arena in Hamilton Monday night. The veteran defender was pressed into emergency goaltending duties for the third period of the Provincial Jr. A Hockey League game after the Blades lost both netminders, Scott Greenham and Oliver Wren. "I definitely appreciate the goalies more," Judson said after allowing five goals on 11 shots in a 13-4 loss. "I didn't know how hard it is, but it's probably the hardest position to play." Guarding the net wasn't totally foreign to the 20-year-old, who had played net in roller hockey growing up in Guelph. "I was pretty good, too," he said, "but I probably hadn't played for 10 years." He could not have been expecting to draw on those skills again, but few could have aniticipated the unusual circumstances that led to him donning the pads for the first time in a decade. Greenham started the game but, suf- fering from the flu, left after allowing three goals in 15 minutes. Wren took over and a game that had been pretty tame in the opening period turned ugly. Seventy-four minutes in penalties were handed out in the second period and there were two fights in the final minute. With Hamilton leading 8-2, the Blades goalie said Hamilton players were taunting him as he skated off the ice. "They shouldn't be able to chirp me like that. That's inciting an opponent," Wren said to the referee. When the official told him to let him worry about making the calls, Wren responded with `That's bull ****.' That earned Wren the third of six abuse of official misconducts handed out in the game -- four of them to Hamilton. When the Blades returned to the dressing room, Coccimiglio knew Greenham wouldn't be able to return and began canvassing for volunteers. "I said I would do it, but I was just joking around at first," Judson said. "(Dan) Hunt was supposed to go in but he was in the penalty box so somebody had to go in." Given an extra 10 minutes in the intermission, Judson strapped on Greenham's equipment and headed to the crease with a few words of advice. Wren and Greenham showed how to go MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS: Oakville Blades defenceman Scott Judson (wearing teammate Scott Greenham's jersey) is beaten by a shot by Hamilton's Nathan Pageau Monday night in Hamilton. Judson was pressed into service as the Blades' third-period netminder after starter Greenham felt ill and backup goalie Oliver Wren was ejected. The Red Wings routed Oakville, 13-4. See Judson's page 25 www.oakvillesoccer.ca ATTENTION: OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB 2007 RETURNING MEMBERS PARTICIPANT: 2006/2007 INDOOR SESSION 2 · 2007 OUTDOOR · 2007/2008 INDOOR SESSION 1 · 2007/2008 INDOOR SESSION 2 ON LINE REGISTRATION WILL OFFICIALLY CLOSE ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2008 @ 7:00 PM AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT . . . DON'T DELAY & REGISTER NOW!!! OPEN REGISTRATION FOR NEW PLAYERS SATURDAY 2 & 9, 2008 TOWN HALL SOUTH ATRIUM 9:00 AM-12:00 PM (PROOF OF AGE REQUIRED) THERE WILL BE NO REGISTRATION AT THE OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB ON FEBRUARY 1, 2008, FEBRUARY 4-8, 2008 504 Iroquois Shore Rd., Unit #11, Oakville, ON L6H 3K4 Tel: 905-849-4436 Fax: 905-849-3677 The Oakville Beaver A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club Thanks to our Proud Sponsor: