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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, April 26, 2012 · 24 Experienced Buzz look to contend By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLEBEAVERSTAFF Despite undergoing a major overhaul last season, the Oakville Buzz still managed to improve its win total. The Buzz did it with a great influx of young talent, getting more than 70 per cent of its goals from rookies. Oakville was even more impressive on the defensive end, allowing just 138 goals -- fourth best among Ontario's 25 junior B lacrosse teams. However, Oakville's inexperience showed in a first-round loss to Akwesasne. So with 14 players returning this year, plus a couple of veteran additions, the Buzz have high hopes for this season. "We're pretty excited about the team," said general manager Ken Gillies, whose team will look to improve on last year's 13-7 mark. "We've got a bit more of a veteran presence. Halton (Hills) and the Green Gaels are still the top teams but we've got a decent shot to contend." In addition to all of its returnees, the Buzz will also welcome back Will Glover and Sam Neeb to further strengthen its play in its own end. After his rookie season in 2010, Glover missed all of last season after tearing his ACL while playing football. Neeb took last season off to focus on hockey. They join a defensive group that excelled last season which includes Ryan Cavanagh, Jake Jagodkin, Sam White, Elliott Cowburn and Paul Rakoczy. Goalie Ian Duffy is back for his third season. The 21-year-old had a 6.23 goals-against average, the sixthbest mark in the league, and will be backed up by Ben Neeb. Up front, the Buzz lost 30-goal scorer Gianni Bianchin as well as transition players Eric Wales (48 points) and Brett Ulbikas (21 points) to the Jr. A Burlington Chiefs, but there is plenty of offensive punch in the Buzz lineup. The team's two leading scorers, Keyan McQueen and Spencer Gallant, who each topped the 50-point mark, are back. Also returning are Todd Nakasuji, Robert Bentivegna, Ryan Callahan and Colton Watkinson, who combined for 54 goals. Oakville further bolstered its lineup by picking up 19-year-old Mike Beirgard from Markham. Beirgard had 16 goals and 37 points with the Ironheads last season. The Buzz have also brought in Jared McHenry from Niagara University. Though he's never played box lacrosse before, Gillies said the team has had success converting field players to the indoor game. In 2008, they brought in Joel Zalesky, who averaged just shy of three points per game. The Buzz will face division rival Mimico in its season opener Friday (8 p.m. at the Glen Abbey Recreational Centre). "We're expecting a good game. They always play us tough," Gillies said. "We'll be a little undermanned until we get everyone back from school but this will be a good test." The Buzz will follow Friday's opener with road games in Gloucester (Saturday) and Nepean (Sunday). --Follow Herb Garbutt on Twitter, @herbgarbutt GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @HALTON_PHOTOG DEFENDER OF THE HIVE: Oakville Buzz goalie Ian Duffy returns for his third season with the team. Last season, Duffy posted a 6.23 goals-against average, the sixth best mark among the Ontario Lacrosse Association Jr. B netminders. With a strong returning group, the Buzz hope to improve on last year's 13-7 record. Shepley earns best LPGA finish, 27th Forest Trail wins Halton basketball title, could repeat Continued from page 23 Oakville's Jessica Shepley earned her highest finish on the LPGA Tour, finishing tied for 27th at the LPGA LOTTE Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii on Saturday. Shepley, playing in her first LPGA event of the season, shot rounds of 75-68-75-70. The 29-year-old took home the biggest payday of her career, earning $14,354. Shepley's previous-best finish was at the 2011 CN Canadian Women's Open when she finished tied for 45th. With the Coyotes leading by as much as eight, Central started driving hard to the hoop, drawing numerous fouls. The Trojans went to the line 15 times -- including seven times in the final quarter. Forest Trail, by comparison, only went to the line six times. Central slowly chipped away at the lead, tying the game with just 2:28 to play. Nunez had a chance to restore the lead but missed a pair of free throws. He came back moments later, though, with a long basket from out- side the three-point line (which isn't used in elementary basketball). Nunez would add three more points, for a game-high 15, from the free-throw line in the final 32 seconds to seal the victory. Kojovic finished the game with six points while Littlejohn had five and Cullen Welsford had four. "If it wasn't for the whole team playing as well as they did, we wouldn't have won," Nunez said. The Grade 7 student said it was the team's toughest game since a one-point victory to cap a 7-0 regular season. The Coyotes followed that up with three more wins in the playoffs, including a semifinal victory in which they held Palermo to single digits in a 32-8 triumph. "Our guys have a variety of skills," said Lisa Brown, who coaches the team with Nunez and Andrea Ortiz. "They can dribble, they can shoot, they play good defence." "And they back each other up, right down to the last guy on the bench," Nunez added. Forest Trail was awarded the Courville Cup, named in honour of Debra Courville, the former physical education co-ordinator for Halton who died last summer. And Forest Trail and Central may very well be vying for the trophy again next year. Both the Coyotes and the Trojans got more than half their points from players in Grade 7. SAVE UP TO $2700 ON NEW FURNACE & AIR CONDITIONER $700 OFF HI-EFFICIENCY CENTRAL AIR BIGGEST SALE EVER! WAS $ PRICE MATC H GUARANTEE. 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