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24 Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca Sign up now for guitar, bass, drums, and piano OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE 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. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2009 Raiders await after Blades brush aside Burlington By Kevin Nagel METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Fresh off a series win over the Burlington Cougars, the Oakville Blades now prepare for a tougher opponent in the MacKinnon Division finals. The Blades polished off the Cougars in five games in a best-of-seven Ontario Junior Hockey League division semifinal series, the clincher coming Friday at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Regular-season division champion Georgetown Raiders will have home-ice advantage for the division final, with dates for the best-of-seven series yet to be announced. Friday, Oakville scored three unanswered goals in the third period for a 5-2 win. "I don't think we The Blades struck for the winplayed our best ning goal early in the third period, jumping on a Cougars hockey in this defenceman's error behind his series." own net. Blades' Jeremy Welsh immediately fed the loose puck to Blades coach a waiting Jordan Smith, who Carlo Coccimiglio banged it home, the first tough shot not blocked by a busy Andrew Hare in the Cougars' net. He faced 40 on the night. Oakville salted the game away with seven minutes left on a successful two-on-one featuring passer Ryan Murphy and shooter Luke Moodie, who also added an empty-net goal with 17 seconds remaining. Hare, the Cougars' most effective weapon all year, would probably like another chance on the Blades' first two goals -- a long slapshot by Welsh while the Blades were shorthanded in the first period, and a hard but high slapshot by Sean Teakle with less than a minute remaining in the second period. Hare's attempt at catching the rising puck backfired when it knicked his glove and dropped into the net, tying the game at 2-2. "They have a good goalie, as we do, so you have to keep on shooting the puck," said Moodie, who now has 13 points in the playoffs to tie Tyler Leimbrock for the team lead. "It's especially nice to see a player (Teakle) who doesn't normally score goals tie it up like that." NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER MOVING ON: Oakville Blades captain Jeremy Welsh (left) and teammate Kellan Lain celebrate a goal during their 5-2 victory over the Burlington Cougars Friday at Joshua's Creek Arenas.The Blades' win advanced them to the Ontario Junior Hockey League MacKinnon Division championship series, where they'll face the Georgetown Raiders. Blades goalie Matt Hache stopped 22 shots, getting beat only on a wicked wrist shot from Cougars' Greg Carey that opened the scoring in the first period and a deflected shot off the stick of Daniel Koudys five minutes into the second. Blades coach Carlo Coccimiglio watched his team take care of the Cougars in one game over the minimum, but thought his charges could do better. "I don't think we played our best hockey in this series," he said. "We were a little bit tired coming in and there was some sickness going through the team." And what about Georgetown, which beat the Blades in three of four meetings this season? "We know Georgetown has a good team," said Moodie, who led the team in goals and assists during the regular season. "We really haven't played them as well as we can. It's going to be a hard series... a long series." Oakville Little League - 2009 Youth Baseball Registration Division Age Space is limited in some divisions. Register early to avoid disappointment. Blastball 4-5 T-Ball 5-6 Coach Pitch 6 - 7 Rookeball 8 Minor A 9 Minor AA 10 Minor AAA 11 Major 12 Junior 13 - 14 Senior 15 - 18 WHERE: OAKVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELDHOUSE, 425 Cornwall Road WHEN: SATURDAY, MARCH 7th, 2009 from 9:00AM to 4:00PM Oakville Little League offers: 6 6 6 6 The largest youth baseball organization in Oakville. The highest caliber, fun and fair-play house leagues. Grass infields, pitching mounds, outfield fences & dugouts for ages 9 & up. The only All-Star program to compete in Senior, Junior & Little League World Series playdowns. 6 Fees include: Major League replica uniform, individual & team photos. For more information call 905-827-1831 or register online at www.ollb.org