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18 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2012 Pink in the Rink draws largest crowd of season Last weekend was a successful one for the Oakville Blades, even if they fell out of first place in the Ontario Junior Hockey League's West Division. The Blades' annual Pink in the Rink event attracted the largest crowd of the season so far for a Blades home game. Nearly 1,000 people attended Friday's contest at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, helping the Blades raise approximately $10,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. "It was a wonderful night and a great success for a worthy cause," said Blades president Carlo Coccimiglio, the driving force behind the event, along with his wife Antonia. "The most important thing here is that the team, and the community of people who support the Blades, did something significant to help a worthy cause," he added. "It was a powerful evening." Each Blades player wore the name of someone who has been affected by cancer on the back of their pink jerseys during the game. The stories of those people were told during a pre-game ceremony, and the jerseys were later turned over to the highest bidders in an auction that benefited the Canadian Cancer Society. During the second intermission, the winner of the Blades' raffle draw was determined. Tony Clapham won the grand prize, a 2012 Chevy Cruze LT. In game action, the Blades gave Friday's large crowd something to cheer about, blanking the Orangeville Flyers 3-0. Martin Kudla, Tyler Karius and Jordan Coccimiglio tallied for the Blades and James Prigione stopped 24 shots to record the shutout. The Blades, however, dropped their other two games over the past week. Oakville dropped a 3-0 decision to the Stouffville Spirit Thursday in Stouffville, then fell 6-1 to the Burlington Cougars Saturday in Burlington. Oakville fired 33 shots at the Stouffville net in Thursday's loss but was unable to beat Spirit netminder Jonathan Hall. Saturday, the Blades once again ran into a hot goaltender. Oakville outshot the Cougars 40-29 on the night but could manage only a firstperiod marker by Todd Bannerman. The Blades (30-9-6) now trail the Georgetown Raiders by one point for first place in the West Division. Georgetown (33-9-1) also has two games in hand on the Blades. Oakville will next be in action Sunday at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, a 2:30 p.m. matinee with the Aurora Tigers. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER THINK PINK: Oakville Blades players line up for a pre-game ceremony at Friday night's Pink in the Rink event at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. The Blades wore special pink jerseys for their contest against the Orangeville Flyers, helping the event raise thousands of dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society. For more photos from the event, log onto www. insidehalton.com/photozone. OGSA introducing new division, expanding winter training Four-year-old girls in Oakville will no longer need to get their first taste of baseball playing with and against boys. The Oakville Girls Softball Association is expanding its program this season to accommodate younger players. In the past, girls ages four and five have had to play ball with boys in the Oakville Little League. "It is important to get these girls involved as early as possible. Rather than having them play baseball in a mixed league for the first couple years and then switch over to softball, they will now be able to begin their ball careers on girls' teams in the OGSA," said Miriam Metcalfe, the OGSA's vice-president of house league. The OGSA is also implementing changes to make softball a year-round activity in Oakville. Fall and winter indoor training sessions have been offered for rep softball players the past several years, but that program is being expanded this winter to include house league players. "What started with less than a dozen players in a high school gym a couple years ago has grown to about 50 girls for the current winter training session," said Mickey Trapnell, OGSA vice-president of select softball. "It has become clear that more than just those rep-level athletes are interested in participating in the sport yearround. Many of the girls who attend OGSA indoor training sessions do so with the goal of becoming rep-level players, but there are many others who participate year-round strictly for the love of the game." For those new to the sport of softball, or those wishing to get a head start on the upcoming season, the OGSA is offering free Saturday morning drop-in clinics at Our Lady of Peace Catholic School. Players of all ages are invited to attend the clinics, which began last weekend. A group of OGSA coaches and senior-level players will be on hand to assist participants and introduce basic fundamentals such as throwing, catching and batting. Neither advance registration or equipment is required to attend the clinics. Clinics for girls born between 20042008 will be held from 9-10 a.m., with girls born between 2000-2003 having their clinics from 10-11 a.m. The OGSA has operated in Oakville for more than 20 years and runs softball programs for more than 300 girls up to the age of 21. The regular season begins in May and ends in September, featuring one game and one practice per week. For more information on the softball programs offered by the OGSA, visit the association's website at www.ogsa.mysportsite.com.