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The Canadian Chamnpion, Tuesday, March 24, 1998 -lu School in for Sting, IMerchants the tutorslo By STEVE LeBLANC Special ta The Champion The Sting have no past glory ta live up to and pose no present threat. Subsequently, they have no immediate future - beyond this coming weekend that is. Just a third-year entry ta the Provincial Jr. A League, with no playoff succes before this season, Trenton will have ta be content with their East Conference cham- pionship. Recause they've got just two chances of stealing the league crown fruin Milton, slim and none. And sim just caught the iast bus out of town. Uniess aIl their wheels faîl off within the next few days, the Merchants are looking at another successful title defence. They set themselves up for the repeat with 6-3 and 9-3 victories Friday and Sunday respectively. With the exception of a sluggish start in game one, Milton has dominated their eastern neighbors with what assistant coach Rick Osborne called "textbook forechecking." His forward uines will he looking ta, take the Sting ta school again tomorrow night in Trenton and put a 3-0 stranglehold on the series. -They (Trenton) didn't win the East with smoke and mirrora 50 we're going ta have ta corne out hard again," said Osborne. "The key is that we're playing really well right now." Heading inta game two at Memorial Sunday, Sting captain Cary Ignas said he "wasn't that impressed" with Milton, stat- ing that his team simply needed a strong 60-minute effort ta even things Up. Whether the Merchants got wind of this or flot they changed his tune in an awful hurry, unloading with four goals and a 16- 5 shot advantage in the opening ftame. Trenton's biggest oppartunity came by way of a penalty shot, after TiJ. Lee hauled down Nael Burkitt on a breakaway. Milton cager Daniel Jacques had only ta stand is ground as the East Conference scoring leader shot nigh Jacques came up big blasts Sunday but by a ticiently tested. At the other end Merchants fired 48 Bateman and back-up got the cali after goal too late as it would tuff Leading the chargei Clarke, Chad Rht Hopiavuori, whose toP Jasen Haplavuori resulted in a pair of first period goals. Darren Haydar also tallied twice, dump- ing in a Matt Bannan rehound and hand- cuffing Ruston with a wide-angle racket for Milton's hest looking goal, while Ron Baker stood out with a goal and two assists. Also scoring were Bannan, Jeff Hutchins, John Nadalin and Shane Sullivan - his first of the postseason. Milton scored four powerplay goals while Trenton went I -for-3 with the man- advantage. Retumning from a week long layoff due ta a hruised right hand, Hutchins reunited with linemates Baker and Rich Williams Friday and helped stage a big game one comehack. The trio figured in three goals down the stretch, following a period-and-a-half offensive drought. Milton's fortunes took a sharp tum once they started firing high on Bateman. Steve French buried the eventual game winner at 11:07 of the third. Darren Haydar lit the lamp twice in this one as well while Troy Walczak potted the other. Bannan, Nadalin and fellow defender Mark MePhail took tumrs muscling Burkitt off the puck. Jacquet stopped 18 of 21 shots Friday. Nathan Gillies and Sting counterpart KarI Hehn slugged it out in the final few min- utes of play, in the only fight ta far in the series. Mo han ntes Ro Bker h2a <ffi- Phoo b y GAHMPAN The single A major novice Winterhawks face an analaught tram Rchmond Hill Saturday afler- noon, durlng game ons cf their OMHA zone finals. Milton lest 7-0. HI sniper is tough to stop gon a few top shelf cially laid last year's lacklustre playoff mun By STEVE LBLANC Milton's single A major novices in the opening bout knd large wasn't tuf- ta rest. In 16 games he' s amassed 25 Special ta The Champion of their OMHA zone championship showdown. points, eight more than he did throughout Grant Gooding's strategy should be real simple "I think he (D'Orazio) was off for only two shifts in iof the rink the the entire '96/97 post-teaton ... The tomorrow night - double team, heck triple team, the third period," said head coach Gooding of his shots at Dwayne Merchants have now won nine straight Sean D'Orazio. team's chief nemesis. Jared Ruston, who playoff games ... Super fans Gary Sim The nine-year-old Richmond Hill aniper was a one- Stopping lightning quick D'Orazio and the rest of I number six - far (878-6029) and Brian Ames (878-5060) man wrecking crew at Memorial Arena Saturday his speedy teammates would have been a dauntîng n out, are organizing a bus trip ta Trenton aflemoon. task under the best of circumstances, but with spark- up front were Steve Saturday, if game five is necessary. Thote Scoring four goals - two while shorthanded - and plugs Blake Frittenburg and Craig Howse away on undy and Jasen interested must book a seat by taorroW adding an assist, D'Orazio almost single-handedly holidays it proved ta be impossible. pnotch foechecking evening. Cost it $20. delivered his visiting Stars a 7-0 whitewash over see SHADOW on page 20 m EMPLOYEE 0F THE MONTH DENNIS BRITES is one of Georgetown Toyota's Tecbnicians. After successfuily completing his student co-op placement witb Mr. Wood, he was hired parttime for tube, oit & fiter, then offered an apprenticeship. He enjoys working in Georgetown and doesn't even mind the drive in from Mississauga eacb day. He bas great admration for al is fettow workers, but especiatly his co-workers in tbe services area, saying tbey work great together as a team. Dennis interests are hockey and "souping up» bis own car. Dennis would ike to thank Mr. Wood for iving him a chance - a job twice. In retum he gives bim 110% in bardwork! e- Oe e- IE R . .