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Sports 26 SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 By Eamonn Maher METROLAND MEDIA GROUP On a night when the Oakville Blades paid tribute to their volunteers, they certainly could have used a helping hand around the oppositions net. Despite outshooting the visiting Georgetown Raiders 45-18, the Blades dropped their Ontario Junior Hockey League home opener 1-0 Friday night at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in front of an announced crowd of 150 spectators. A power-play shot from the point by Oakville resi- dent Nathan Domagala midway through the first period stood up as the lone goal of the evening as Blades shooters were left frustrated by Raiders net- minder Michael Nishi, a late training camp cut of the OHLs Windsor Spitfires. We were a little chaotic in the first period, settled down in the second and then desperate in the third, but we didnt really test their goalie as much as wed like, said first-year Oakville head coach Matt Moore. (The Raiders) blocked a lot of our shots and we didnt do a great job of working the puck down low. We changed the lines up halfway through the second period to try to get a spark, but we were kind of blah offensively all around. Wed just like to see our guys do a better job of finishing. Moore certainly wasnt going to accept fatigue as an excuse after the Blades had a good showing at a pre-season tournament in Vermont and then posted a 6-3 victory in Buffalo over the Jr. Sabres to begin the new campaign last Tuesday. The Raiders, whove been knocked out of the play- offs the previous four seasons by the Blades, lost much of their offensive production during the sum- mer including Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Scott Wilson of Oakville and have scored just two goals in their first three starts this season. We were dominated in every aspect of the game and (the Blades) are still going to be very tough to beat this year, but it was Michael Nishi who got us the two points tonight, said Georgetown head coach and general manager Greg Walters. The benchmark is Oakville right now and weve got to do some things to get better and be able to compete with them later on in the season. Tonight, well just take the two points and run. Notoriously slow starters geared to peak in the playoffs, Fridays game marked the fifth year in a row that the Blades have lost their first meeting of the season with the Raiders. With a dozen players return- ing from last years roster, Oakville aims to make it to at least the OJHL finals for an unprecedented fifth consecutive season. Itll be nice to have practices Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to get some things sorted out. Then we go into a tough stretch with home games Friday and Saturday (against rival Burlington and Buffalo, respectively, at 7:30 p.m.) and in Markham on Monday, so weve got to do a better job at being men- tally focused and prepared for those, Moore added. A pre-game ceremony was held Friday to honour community groups and several of the Blades organi- zations volunteers, most notably 25-year staff mem- ber Jimmy Shanks, who passed away in April. Blades home opener spoiled by Georgetown netminder BLADES BLANKED: Oakville Blades forward Tyler Karius fires a shot at the Georgetown net Friday at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. The Blades took 44 other shots on the evening but couldn't solve Raiders netminder Michael NIshi in a 1-0 loss. By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR It took a little while for the Holy Trinity Titans to hit their stride in their Halton high school senior football opener. Once the Titans did, however, they looked a lot like the program that has reached the regional Tier 1 final the past two seasons. Led by a pair of touchdown passes by Grade 11 quarterback Michael Brooks, Trinity overcame a sluggish start to cruise past the M.M. Robinson Rams 26-6 Friday in Burlington. The Titans held a 3-0 lead late in the first half before breaking the game open with three touchdowns on their next four possessions. We settled down, started running the ball and got down to what we do, said Trinity head coach Joe Moscato. We had a couple good drives that opened up our passing game later on. Brooks, making his first start at the senior level, connected with Christian Douglas for a 19-yard pass late in the first half. He added a 20-yard TD pass to Blair Weyersberg in the third quarter to offset a couple interceptions he threw in the game, though one of those picks came when Brooks was hit as he released the ball. In the first half, (Brooks) looked like a Grade 11, Moscato said. Afterwards, he played a lot better. fTrinity seniors start ootball year with romp over Rams TITANS OPEN WITH WIN: Holy Trinity Titans wide receiver Christian Douglas (with ball) heads across the field as M.M. Robinson Rams defenders chase him during Friday's Halton high school senior football contest in Burlington. Trinity opened the season with a 26-6 win over the Rams. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER See Titans, page 28