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40 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 16, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Blades pounce quickly in title clincher Monardo feels like proud father Continued from page 39 only able to score once. The Blades, meanwhile, got two goals from Kellan Lain and singles from Geoff Guimond and Julian Cimadamore to claim a 4-1 win and a 3-1 lead in the series. "That was definitely tough on them, because they were not used to losing in their barn," Corbeil said of the Waxers, who were 20-2-2 on home ice in the regular season and 9-3 in the playoffs. "It looked like they were a little down in the first period (of Game 5 Sunday)." If the Waxers were down, Oakville made sure they stayed there. The Blades came out flying Sunday, opening the scoring on a goal by Luke Moodie 34 seconds into the contest and building a 3-0 lead before the game was 13 minutes old. Whenever Markham threatened to make a comeback, Oakville had an answer. Nick McParland scored twice to offset goals by the Waxers, and Steven Guzzo provided the final nail by scoring 12 seconds after Markham had pulled to within 5-3 in the third period. Jeremy Welsh and Guimond had the Blades' other goals Sunday. "(Winning the league championship) is a hard feeling to describe," said McParland, who finished second in the OPJHL playoff scoring race with 12 goals and 20 assists in 21 games. "The only thing you can really do is celebrate for a little bit, not get too high, and then get ready for practice. The Dudley Hewitt is big. The teams there are the best teams in their leagues too." Sudbury swept the Abitibi Eskimos, host of last year's Dudley Hewitt Cup, in the Northern Ontario Jr. A Hockey League final. Dryden, located midway between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, needed only five games to knock off the Fort William North Stars -- Dudley Hewitt champs in 2006 -- in the Superior International Jr. A Hockey League championship series. The Dudley Hewitt Cup will begin April 22 with round-robin play. The top finisher in the preliminary round will earn a spot in the final, while the second- and third-place squads will clash in a semifinal contest. "It worries me a little because in the Dudley Hewitt and Royal Bank cups, we'll be facing single-elimination games," Corbeil said. "We've been in some pressure situations and big games, but never anything of that magnitude, where if we lose we go home. I'm confident in our players, but it should be interesting to see how we react to that." OAKVILLE BLADES 2007-08 Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League champions PLAYERS: Scott Greenham, Oliver Wren, Blake Barbieri, Luke Turcotte, Trevor Eckenswiller, Luke Moodie, Dan Hunt, Steven Guzzo, Nick McParland, Geoff Guimond, Dustin Alcock, Chris Corbeil, Adam Simms, Kellan Lain, Jeff Grenier, Matt Ribeiro, Chris Haltigin, Domenic Monardo, Jeremy Welsh, Scott Judson, Braden Birch, Taylor Farris, Sean Teakle, Julian Cimadamore, Kyle Badham, Lindsay Sparks, Kirk Evely STAFF: Gary Tune, Bob Falconi, Carlo Coccimiglio, Charlie Bartlett, Roy Gringmuth, Bob Baird, Jim Holman, Chris Lucas, Jim Shanks, Jean Lachaine, Dr. Benjamin Fryer, James Brock, Barry Madigan, Dan Ninkovich At 19 years of age, fresh-faced Domenic Monardo is hardly the typical father figure. But that's what the local resident has felt like throughout the Oakville Blades' league championship run, forced to watch his teammates from the stands as he continues to recover from a broken neck he suffered six months ago in Hamilton. "Living through them has been kind of good," said Monardo, who dressed in full equipment Sunday to take his turn carrying the Frank L. Buckland Trophy around the ice at Joshua's Creek Arenas. "I saw what it would be like to be a father or par- Domenic Monardo ent to some of these guys. I couldn't be out there physically with them, but to show support from the stands or even in the dressing room... it feels like I played. I didn't get any points, but I was out there." Monardo played 14 games with the Blades this season, and was leading the team in points (17) when he was hit into the boards from behind by Hamilton Red Wings defenceman Steve Spade, cracking his C2 vertebra. At the recommendation of Hamilton orthopedic surgeon Dr. Drew A. Bednar, Monardo opted not to undergo surgery. He rehabilitated quickly, so much so that he was cleared for action shortly after the league's trade deadline, but chose not to return for the playoffs. "I didn't want to jeopardize my career (or) the rest of my life," Monardo said. "The coaching staff stressed they'd like to have me back for next year, rather than just use me for a couple games in the playoffs. It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster, thinking I might get back in, but the way it worked out couldn't have been any better." -- Jon Kuiperij Shoihet brothers hope to squash competition at nationals By Adam Johnston SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER DEREK WOOLLAM / OAKVILLE BEAVER RACQUETEERING: Brothers Albert (left) and Ethan Shoihet each recently won provincial open squash championships in their respective age groups, and will compete in the junior nationals this week in Victoria, B.C. Oakville natives Albert and Ethan Shoihet are climbing the ranks of the amateur squash circuit at a rapid pace. They most recently won the Ontario Open Squash Championship in their respective age groups, and are now preparing for the Canadian Junior Squash Championships in Victoria, B.C. While they share the same last name, and have both seen success at young ages in their sport, that is where the similarities end. Albert, 15, is ranked 24th among junior squash players in Canada, and is considered a finesse-type player with limitless potential. "He's got the best hands in the country," said the boys' coach Mike Way, who has also tutored former world No. 1 player, Jonathon Power. "It's to be seen whether you put him in the category of a Jonathon Power, but should he aspire to play like him (then) absolutely; is he capable of emulating him, time will tell, but he is certainly the most exciting prospect in the country." Ten-year-old Ethan, on the other hand, is an athletic, hard-working player. He will be competing in the under 13-year-old division at the tournament, which starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend. While he has achieved a fair amount of success already, his coach believes there is still plenty of opportunity for growth and improvement. "Ethan is a workhorse," said Way. "Most exceptional players are good athletes with incredible work ethic, and he fits that bill. He's improving month by month. It's still a developmental stage." The Shoihet brothers also differ in demeanor. Ethan, who also plays rugby and badminton, is the more outspoken of the two, with a precocious attitude and a straightforward-approach to speaking. "I think they're going to have a lot more nervous energy playing against me," Ethan said when asked if he was nervous about the competition at nationals, many of whom are two years older than him. "I'm happy and excited to compete." Conversely, Albert, who currently attends T.A. Blakelock High School, seems more reserved and laid-back about the competition. "I want to beat some guys that are ahead of me (in the rankings)," he said. Despite all of their differences, their objective in Victoria remains the same -- to return home national champions.