www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 16, 2009 - 39 Winterfest wonderland Westlake's two goals help Canada reach sledge hockey final Oakville's Greg Westlake scored HOCKEYBRIEFS twice in a 3-1 win over Japan yesterday (Thursday), sending the gold medal for the second straight Canadian sledge hockey team to the year with a power-play goal 6:47 into gold medal game at the 4 Nations the extra period. Tournament in Japan. Jenner, Canada's captain, finished After a scoreless first period, the tournament with six goals and an Westlake scored the lone goal of the assist in five games. second period. He added another tally 26 seconds into the third and Blades double up Jr. Sabres Billy Bridges chipped in an insurance marker five minutes later. Six different players scored goals, Canada will face the United States including recent acquisition Sean in today's (Friday's) final. The U.S. Ryan, to help the Oakville Blades to a edged Canada 1-0 in the preliminary 6-3 win over the Buffalo Jr. Sabres round but Canada bounced back to Tuesday. beat Norway 5-1. Jeremy Welsh, Chris Rocca, While at the tournament, Taylor Farris, Dustin Alcock and Westlake is writing a blog on Luke Moodie had Oakville's other www.hockeycanada.ca, describing goals. Adam Simms, Ryan Murphy the team's experience at the tourna- and Kyle Badham each had two The Oakville Edge novice team performs its routine at last weekend's Winterfest 2009 event, held at Mississauga's Hershey ment. assists in support of goaltender Matt Centre. The team achieved its goal for the competition by earning a new benchmark score of 41.56 points in its second Hache, who recorded the win. performance of Sunday's free program. The Edge novices will next represent the Oakville Skating Club at the Six-O-Skate Jenner settles for silver The victory improved Oakville's Competition in Kingston later this month, along with Oakville's juvenile and pre-juvenile teams. record to 33-6 and kept the Blades For the second year in a row, three points behind the Georgetown Brianne Jenner and her Canadian Raiders for first place in the Ontario teammates had to settle for a silver Junior Hockey League's MacKinnon medal at the World Under-18 Division standings. Thirty-six teams, including end include the Eagles, Wings, at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Women's Hockey Championship. The Blades are scheduled to visit 14 local squads, will compete in Knights, Wranglers, Gators, A skills competition will be The United States scored in over- the Bramalea Blues tonight and will the eighth annual Frank Vikings, Wolfpack and Hound held Saturday from 1-5 p.m. at time to edge Canada 3-2 in return home tomorrow to host the Sabatino Memorial Tournament Dogs. Joshua's Creek. Saturday's championship game in Burlington Cougars, an 8:30 p.m. this weekend in Oakville. The atom division will feaFor the fourth year, the Fussen, Germany. The U.S. took the start at Joshua's Creek Arenas. The tournament, sponsored ture 16 clubs, including Frank Sabatino Memorial by the Minor Oaks Hockey Oakville's Eagles, Wranglers, Tournament will be carrying Think Green. Breathe Easy. Association (MOHA), is geared Wings, Vikings, Hound Dogs out various fundraising activiBEST for atom and peewee red-level and Lumberjacks. ties on behalf of the Oakville HUGE CENTRAL PRICES EVER! house league players. The tournament will begin Trafalgar Memorial Hospital AIR & FURNACE Organizers have attracted tonight (Friday) and conclude Foundation. Monies raised in $ * Cash Back Up to teams from as far away as Sunday, with games being the past have been donated to Windsor, London and Ottawa. played at River Oaks Recreation the hospital's palliative care D NO PAYMENT! NO INTEREST! FOR 6 MONTHS *OAC AN Due to the tournament's Centre, Joshua's Creek Arenas service for cancer patients and UP TO UP TO UP TO increasing popularity, a second and Glen Abbey Recreation their families. $1400 + $1000 + $550 pool was added in the peewee Centre. The three-game round The tournament is held in GOV. MANUFACTURERS HYDRO division to accommodate the 20 robin will conclude tomorrow memory of Frank Sabatino, a CASH BACK CASH BACK CASH BACK teams competing. Local peewee (Saturday). Semifinals and former MOHA director and con*Call for details. Financing teams participating this week- finals will be contested Sunday vener who passed away in 2001. Available Sabatino tournament this weekend 2950 SALE Little League adds Minor AAA division Eleven-year-old ballplayers will have their own division in Oakville Little League (OLL) next season. The league announced this week that it has added a new division for 11-year-olds in order to accommodate an increase in the number of players that have registered in the younger age groups the last few years. In the past, 11year-olds were grouped with 12-year-olds in the Major division. The Minor AAA division was created in order for OLL to be able to comply with Little League International charter rules that permit leagues no more than 10 teams in the Major division. Last year, OLL had to get a special one-year exemption as the league featured 12 teams in the Major division. According to OLL president John Sweeney, the league has seen its participation numbers swell from 750 to more than 1,200 in the past three years. Most of that increase has come from players age 10 and under. "Looking at our current numbers and growth projections for the next few years, the Board of Directors felt the best way to accommodate all the players that want to play Little League was to split the Major division so we could meet our Charter requirements," said John Mooney, the OLL's vice-president of baseball operations. "It was either that or put a cap on the number of players in the Major division and turn away players who want to play once capacity is reached, and we just couldn't do that. Everyone that wants to play baseball should get a chance to play." The new 11-year-old division, titled Minor AAA, was one of several changes introduced by the OLL. The league will also expand its All-Star program, adding a Rookieball team (age 8) and a second All-Star team in the Major (age 12) division. "We have never had a Rookieball All-Star team and this is the first time we have fielded two All-Star teams in the same division," said Mooney. "But there were coaches and parents interested in organizing these teams, so the Board decided to support the request and give more players the opportunity to experience All-Star level baseball." As is the case for all Little League programs, players still have to play house league in order to play for an All-Star team. For more information on the expansion, or to register online for the 2009 Oakville Little League season, parents and players can visit www.oakvillelittleleague.com or www.ollb.org, or call 905-827-1831. Registration can also be done in person Saturday, Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Oakville Little League Field house on Cornwall Rd. 9 Locations To Serve You Better! www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 905-849-4998 Early Bird Registration HELD OVER until January 23, 2009 Register and Pay before January 23 and Save Learn to Play (ages 5-7) only $140 House League (ages 8-12) only $200 GIRLS SOFTBALL FREE WINTER/SPRING SOFTBALL CLINICS FOR ALL REGISTERED PLAYERS START THIS WEEKEND To Register Now and clinic information visit www.ogsa.mysportsite.com THE FUN STARTS NOW! OGSA needs sponsors and coaches For more information call 905-825-5848 SOFTBALL YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!