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

18 Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca Adam Campbell 905-844-4444 I N D E P E N D E N T LY O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D Broker of Record B R O K E R A G E SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009 Blades keep pace with division-leading Raiders The Oakville Blades stayed within striking distance of the division-leading Georgetown Raiders by winning a pair of games last weekend in Ontario Junior Hockey League action. Oakville defeated the Milton IceHawks 6-2 Friday in Milton, then shaded the Port Hope Predators 3-2 the following evening at Joshua's Creek Arenas, improving to 32-6 on the season. The Blades entered last night's (Tuesday's) game at the Buffalo Jr. Sabres three points back of the Raiders for top spot in the MacKinnon Division. The game against Buffalo was a game Oakville had in hand on Georgetown. The Blades and Raiders are scheduled to meet one more time this season (Jan. 30 in Oakville), a game that could very well decide who would have home ice advantage through the upcoming divisional playoffs. Oakville's 48-game regularseason schedule concludes Feb. 7. Tyler Leimbrock, Matt Ribeiro, Jeremy Welsh, Dustin Alcock, Chris Muise and Lindsay Sparks scored for the Blades against Milton. Kellan Lain, Braden Birch and Ribeiro provided Oakville's offence versus Port Hope. Matt Hache was in goal for both games, stopping 47 of 51 shots to record the victories. Oakville is scheduled to play two more games this weekend. The Blades will visit the Bramalea Blues Friday, then host the Burlington Cougars Saturday at Joshua's Creek Arenas (an 8:30 p.m. start). Forever rivals Mason named a Young Star The honours keep coming for Oakville's Steve Mason. Mason, who posted his league-leading sixth shutout for the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, will play in the YoungStars game Jan. 24, the day before the NHL all-star game in Montreal. It will be the sixth year for the YoungStars game, but the first with a rookies versus sophomores format. Former world junior teammates Luke Schenn and Drew Doughty will be among the rookie players helpMICHAEL IVANIN/ SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER ing Mason fend off the likes of San Jose's Devin Nick Kordic of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (right) contends with the defence of Toronto Argonauts player Chuck Winters Saturday Setoguchi and Atlanta's Bryan Little, who will suit up at Sheridan College. Players from the CFL rivals participated in an exhibition basketball game during the Sultan Prospects junfor the sophomore team. ior girls' basketball tournament to raise money for breast cancer research. The Argos prevailed, 63-54. Steve Mason Hockey Tigers falling back to rest of the pack By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR When the Halton high school boys' hockey league tiered its teams at the Christmas break, the T.A. Blakelock Tigers appeared to be the clear-cut favourite to win the Richardson Tier 1 Division. Not so anymore. Blakelock enters the exam break having lost both its games since the Christmas layoff, including a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders Monday at CHANTAL AYOTTE / OAKVILLE BEAVER Oakville Arena. The Tigers still lead TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT: St. Thomas Aquinas goaltender Justin Bailey (left) readies himself for a shot from T.A. their division with an 8-3 mark, but Blakelock's Taylor Kirton (with puck) during Monday's high school boys' hockey contest at Oakville Arena. Bailey back- head coach Ken Butler is not happy with the direction of his squad. stopped Aquinas to a 5-2 win. "We completely underachieved. Our defensive zone was a disaster. We left guys open in the slot all game... we weren't clearing the guys in front of the net... we're a hell of a lot better than we showed today," Butler said following Monday's loss. "It's okay to make mistakes, but we made so many mistakes it cost us the game." Those mistakes included the Tigers scoring in their own net in the first period, then allowing a shorthanded goal by Aquinas' Zach Ruys in the second frame. Still, Blakelock might have won the game had it not been for the goaltending work of the Raiders' Justin See Blakelock page 19