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38 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday January 23, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com 2009 Frank Sabatino Memorial Tournament LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER The Minor Oaks Hockey Association hosted its annual Frank Sabatino Memorial Tournament, a competition for atom and peewee house league red-level teams, last weekend. Left, Evan Herniak of the peewee Monaghan's Sports Pub Vikings was the fastest skater in the tournament's skills competition. Above, peewee Epipen Wolfpack goalie Austin Jones stretches to make a save during the skills competition's breakaway event. Below, the atom Petries Eagles gather around the trophy they LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER earned after a 2-1 double-overtime victory over the Good Energies Vikings in the final. Atom red Eagles the surprise story at house league competition By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Everything came together at the right time for the Oakville atom red Petries Eagles. The Eagles were the surprise story at last weekend's Frank Sabatino Memorial Tournament in Oakville, winning all their games to claim the atom championship. Their five victories at the tournament more than doubled their entire season total in Minor Oaks Hockey Association house league play. The Eagles locked up the Sabatino title with a 2-1 double-overtime victory over the Oakville Good Energies Vikings. Dylan Gillies provided the game-winning goal for the Eagles, who also got a goal from Ryan Collins. Matthew Kealey responded for the Vikings. Eagles goalie Christopher Yates was named the final's MVP, earning a composite stick donated by Corbetts. Eagles coach Gord McVay admitted he didn't expect his team to win the championship, but said he has noticed improvement in the squad over the past month. The Sabatino tournament is the second tournament the Eagles have won in the past month, following a golden effort at the West London Byron Optimist Tournament during the Christmas break. "Since Christmas, we've won exhibition games against select teams from other organizations," he said. "I'm of the opinion we can beat any of these teams (in our house league now), and I think the other teams know that." Michael Pupulin and Collins scored for the Eagles in their 2-0 semifinal victory over Port Credit Storm Nye Manufacturing. Other members of the Eagles are Matthew Cursio, Tyler Witcher-Dowling, Kevin Power, Andrew DeRyck, Trevor Ogilivie, Sam Harding, Jayson Ziegel, Jack Baldin, Malcolm McDougall, Cal McDonald, Nathan Bollinger and Aidan McVay. Dennis Power is the team's assistant coach and Joe Baldin is the trainer. "Some of us had tears in our eyes," Gord McVay said. "I know it's only a house league tournament, but a lot of kids will play hockey their whole lives and not win any tournaments. For us to win two within three weeks was pretty unusual." The Vikings had reached the final with a 21 overtime win over the Meadowvale Hawks, with goals coming from Tyler Kennedy and Sam Higgins. In peewee play, the Oakville Monaghan Sports Pub Vikings won their first four games before dropping a 4-0 decision to the Brampton Bombers in the final. The Vikings defeated the Oakville Gators 31, Windsor Sharks 4-1 and Thornton Tigers #2 7-0 in round-robin play, then downed the Brampton Spitfires 5-3 in the semifinals. Anand Knowlton (two), Evan Herniak, Daniel Caruso and Ryan Stanbury tallied for Oakville against the Spitfires. Skills competition Six local entries, including four at the atom level, won events at the tournament's skills competition. In atom, the Hound Dogs' Luke Dickson was the fastest skater; the Vikings' Jared Schultz won the breakaway shooter event; the Eagles' Matthew Cursio took the defenceman agility title; and the Vikings' Matthew Kealey, Tyler Kennedy, Charles Brenninkmeijer and Schultz won the team relay. In peewee events, the Vikings' Evan Herniak was the fastest skater while the Wolfpack's Kyle Tryon, Jared Chen, Nicholas Caissie and Ryan Kula won the team relay. The tournament, held in the memory of former MOHA volunteer Frank Sabatino, raised $2,500 for the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Foundation palliative care unit.