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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6,1988, PAGE 19 Ice Fyre are Canadian champions Whitby's Ice Fyre returned from Toronto last Sunday night as Canada's best senior precision skating team. They are also Canada's youngest senior precision skating team. The team was in its first senior championship, having moved up from the junior level at the beginning of this season. As juniors, they had won the Canadian title three years in a row. "This was not like entering as a junior tean. It was less tense. We just had to skate our best," says coach Cathy Dalton. She says the first place finish was a bit of a surprise. "We didn't go expecting to win. I can't believe after the first year we won it," she adds. cessful on this occasion time but the team nevertheless defeated Streetsville 6-3 last Sunday to win the Ontario minor atom championship in three games. Free Press photo Ice Fyre skated fourth out of six teams in the final. Dalton says when the team finished its routine, the audience booed the judge's marks. 'When we heard the boos, we felt like we had finished second," says Dalton. It wasn't until 20 minutes later, the team dis- covered it had won. 'There were a lot of tears then," says Dalton. "This was the highlight of the year. Once you win the seniors you are the best in Canada," says Dalton. Whitby had 76.10 points while second place Kitchener-Waterloo had 75.50 points. Les Pirouettes de Laval was third with 72.80 points. Atoms capture Ont ario title Whitby's minor atoms captured' an Ontario championship over the past weekend with a 6-3 decision over Streetsville. Novices are lakeshore champs Whitby's minor novice hockey tean stormedback from a three-goal deficit te win the fourth gae in their best-of-fve series with Peterborough and the OMHA lakeshore zone champ- ionship. "The boys just never gave up at any point in the game," said coach Robert Harrison. "That's the way it's been all year." Whitby, leading the series two games te one, was behind 4-1 with only five minutes remaining in tbe fourth game on Saturday MEMBERS of the Whitby novice hockey Westfall Billy Duncan, Aaron Bryant, team, OMHA lakeshore zone champions Lars Clay, Brian Vinent and Chris Kerr; and winners of three tournaments this (back, from left) goaltending coach Buck season, are (front, from left) Brian Crouch, coach Robert Harrison, manager Harrison, Darryl Lewis, Anthony Camen- Sheila Gray and assistant coach Tom zuli, Joshua Evans, Bryan Crouch; Brian Lewis. Absent when photo was taken were Crilly, Paul Gray, Scott Young; (second trainer Dave Kerr and forwards Mark row, from left) Andrew Starnes, Tanner Haynes and Mark Johnston. Free Press photo in Peterborough. But in just over three and a half minutes, Whitby had tied it, Mark Johnston firing the equalizer, and then in overtirne, Paul Gray got the winner, his second of the contest. Brian Crilly and Bryan Crouch had the other goals for Whitby. The Whitby team, winners of three previous tournaments, also made it to the final of the Timmy Tyke tournament, played at Maple Leaf Gardens last week, before falling 9-1 to Malvern. The prestigious tournament attracts the finest teams in Ontario, with funds raised to support the Easter Seals camp- aign. Whitby had advanced .to the final by defeating Pickering 2-0 and then Thornhill 3-1 in the semi-final. The Whitby teamn, made up of 8-year-olds and sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary, went unde- feated in league play this season and rolled through the robin-robin playoff to gain a berth in the zone final. The teani has played about 90 games this season, with two tournaments yet to go, in Thornhill on the weekend and in Mississauga over the following two weekends. "They play their positions well and they pass well," says Harrison of his players. "And they got a lot of heart." He adds that there was great support by parents and fans who cheered on the 'blue and white." Most of the team- will be in maj:r novice next season. After a 4-1 win in the opener and a 5-4 win last Thursday, the win on Sunday gave Whitby the coveted title in three straight games. "We stressed moving the puck when a player got it and they did that," says coach Jim Boyd. In Sunday's game, Whitby was leading 3-1 after the second period but had to fend off a strong comeback by Streetsville. An early third period goal put Whitby up 4-1 but two unans- wered Streetsville goals made the score 4-3. The third Streetsville goal came with Whitby two men short. But trailing 4-3, Whitby was awarded a penalty shot when Brian Lodge was pulled down on a breakaway. Lodge, one of Whitby's top atom players, scored and later added his second of the game. Whitby went on to score another goal, winning 6-3. Other goalscorers for Whitby were Sean Saunders, Ian Mac- Neil, Brian Scott and Steven Blais. On Thursday, Lodge had two goals for Whitby while Jeremy Schott, Jimmy Boyd and Scott had singles. Scott scored what proved to be the winning goal with 40 seconds left in the game. Boyd, who says most of the team members will return next year, said he was not too surprised the team beat Streets- ville in three straight. , "We won three tournaments over the Christmas break and made it to the finals in two other tournaments in January," says Boyd, adding his team was hot entering the playdowns. "We also had an excellent support staff in coaching," says Boyd, giving credit to assistant coach George Schott, manager Wayne Scott and trainer Jim Wilson. E Il Digging in BRIAN SCOTT and STEVEN BLAIS, members of the Whitby minor atoms, at- tempt to dig the puck out from beneath the Streetsville goalie. They were unsuc-