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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, January 23, 2013 · 18 Sports Oakville Beaver THE WAY OF THE DODO? Girls' high school hockey games, like the one pictured from 2009 between Loyola and T.A. Blakelock, could be a thing of the past now that rep players won't be permitted to play for their schools. OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTO SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-632-0588 (ext. 294) email sports@oakvillebeaver.com MLS roster rules unfair to Canadians, Bekker says But Oakville Soccer Club product excited to be joining Toronto FC By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Girls defend value of high school hockey In last Friday's edition of the Beaver, we printed a story about the Halton Secondary School Athletic Association's recent decision to ban female rep hockey players from playing for their high school teams, similar to the rule that has applied to males in Halton for decades. In Part 2 of the story, we examine female high school players' reactions to the ruling and assess the impact the new rule might have. By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLEBEAVERSTAFF I f you wanted to build a case regarding the controversial decision to ban rep players from playing girls' high school hockey in Halton, Brianne Verwey could very well be a perfect example for both sides. After playing rep hockey for five years, Verwey decided she wanted a schedule that was a little less demanding. So this year, the 15-year-old switched from rep hockey to house league and supplemented it by playing for her school team at Burlington Central, where she could play with her friends. That mentality is exactly what the Halton Secondary School Athletic Association is counting on when its rule takes effect next season. "The no-rep rule creates opportunities for other players to play high school hockey," said Halton District School Board associate director Jeff Blackwell. House league players will get additional ice time to develop their skills and players who want a less taxing schedule will come from the rep hockey ranks to represent their school. There's just one problem. The majority of Central's team is made up of rep players, including the squad's one and only goalie. Verwey said it's unlikely many other rep players will make the switch to house league next year. And with only three or four more house league players in the school, she said the chances of Central having a team next season are "very minimal if we don't have rep girls." Asked what she will do next year, the Grade 10 student said, See School, page 19 Kyle Bekker had officially been a Major League Soccer player for all of one day, and he was already going to bat for other Canadians hoping to follow in his footsteps. The 22-year-old Iroquois Ridge grad, selected third overall in last Thursday's MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC, was critical of a controversial MLS roster rule when contacted by the Beaver Friday. MLS rules grant each team eight tradeable international player slots on their rosters. The issue? Canadians count towards that number of international slots for MLS squads located in the U.S., but American players Kyle Bekker are not considered internationals for Toronto FC, the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. That policy might have discouraged teams south of the border from being interested in a player like Bekker, even after he was named MVP of the pre-draft combine. "It's tough for us Canadians coming up when we See Bekker, page 20 Oakville Little League - 2013 Youth Baseball Registration Division Age Blastball 4 T-Ball 5-6 7-8 T-Ball Minor A 8-9 Minor AA 10 Minor AAA 11 Major 12 Junior 13 - 14 Senior 15 - 17 Big League 17 - 20 WHERE: OAKVILLE LITTLE LEAGUE FIELDHOUSE, 425 Cornwall Road WHEN: SATURDAY, January 26th 9:00AM to 4:00PM 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. Fees include: Major League replica uniform, individual & team photos. Oakville Little League offers: Proud Sponsor of Oakville Little League For more information call 905-827-1831 or register online at www.ollb.org