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I ;22 - The dana'dian Champion, Tuesday, December 15,1998 Milton explodes late ini the game to bury G'town By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Whcn ins doubt, always retusî t o whats isost fanulsar. The Jr. A Merchants did exactly that Friday at Memorial Mrena - exploding witb five unanswered goals in the third period to bury Georgetown 9-4. Late night scoring waves have been the defending league champs' strong suit over the paît two-and-a-half seasons, although in recent weeks that aspect of their game had been shelved. Fortunately it hadn't collected much dust yet. It was nice to see us put up big numbers again, that' s the real Milton Merchants," said skipper Marty Williamson, whose teain continues to sit atop the West Conference with a 25-2-3 record. While pleased with the outcome, the local bench boss was quick to acknowledge the possibility - however slim or bizarre it may have seemed - that the visitors could have actually stolen the win. Georgetown erased no less than four one goal def-icits through the openirig owo trames bel' re eventu1 ally sbort-cîrcuiting. Added Williamson, "They (Georgetown) are a much improved team this year with one really good line. You've got to corne into each game witb a real purpose or this type of club can beat you. We saw that against Caledon." (Caledon, not among the league elite, upended Milton 6-4 a Marty WiIlamson couple of months ago). Ed McGrane and Mike Wheelihan each tallied twice in the last period to deep six the Raiders. Leading offensively over the course of the evening was Ryan Robichaud, who tagged a pair of goals and assisted on two more. Captain Kevin O'Flaherty and Mark Beisel collected three helpers apiece while the hometown club's other marksrnen were t. had Bltudl ' I' 1110 hrl i d Guf( oll "k tqsog 'ý Brydon Butterworth, Curtis Carr, Scott MacDonald and Stace Page replied for Georgetown with former Merchant Jeff Seeds setting up goals two and three. Shots on net favoured the victors 37-33, with Jeremy Wenzel eamning his l2th win between the pipes. Friday's game quickly degenerated into a slugfest once the issue of a winner was resolved. A handful of tights broke out in the final eight minutes, most of that time with the locals short- handed. Merchant notes: Prior to last night's visit to Mountain Arena, Milton rode a five-game winning streak ... The Merchants have yet to taste defeat on the road this season ... T1hey begin a two- game home stand tonight against the basement dwelling Niagara Scenic. Friday the Oakville Blades visit Memorial Mrena. Both games start at 8 p.m. Brush thriving on pro fhockey in sunshine state 24 MOUD SNOWPIIOE (9051878-8455 for more iulomiatio G'5 E Nome of oneset Ontarios largost Ski a Snswmioara SCflUOUs! * 12 SLWPS * 5 LIFTS * 100% SNOWMAKINC OHallon Region Conservolion Auhordy hfp//wwwhrto.on(o Special Christmas Ski or Snowboord Lesson Progroms Dec. 21-24, 28-31 or ]on 2 & 3 By STEVE LeBLANO The Champion Craig Brush is once again running the show. The Milton Merchants' most prolific scorer through the mid 1 960s recently retumed to the spotligbt, only this time as the man in charge of team operations rather than just goals and assists. Now 50, he's founder, president and partial owner of the expansion Florida Everblades - the newest addition to the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). They're an affiliate of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, whose proprietor Peter Karmanos is a longstanding friend of the former Miltonian. He lent bis support to the establishment of the semi-pro fran- chise. Although Florida was already home to four ECHL clubs, Brush knew from day one that the mîarket wasn't quite full. 've had a vacation home down here for the last 10 years and there's s0 many Canadians wintering in Florida who're hungry for hockey," said the ex-insur- ance broker, who runs the Everblades in tbe southwest area of the state. "Besides, we're five hours away from any otber HOUSE LEAGUE DIVISION Pre-Novice Dec. 19/98 7:00 arn - 8:00 arn Red Timbit vs Green Timbit Me 8:00 arn - 9:00 arn Red Lobster 1 vo Ltte Frernen Me 9:00 arn - 10:00 arn Redi Lbter 2 vs Bruce Hîss Me 10:00 arn - 11:00 arn White Timbit vo Black Tirnbit Me Aom Dec. 19/98 3:00 puan - 4:30 pu aCIres Gsif vs Rois ison Financiat To 4:20 prn- 6:10pua Absolte Transp. Services s. Rebelah Losge To 6:20 pua - 7:50 pua McCoaig Insurance vo Beton Dickinson Tor Pee Wee Dec. 19198 8:00 arn - 9:00 arnTho 9:0 amn-10:1Oam Th 10:20 arn - 11:20 amn Il Minor-Novice Dec. 20198 3:30 prn - 430 pua Shoppers Drog Mari os Rema Toi 4:30 prn - 5:30 pua Hunt Plymaouth vo Loblaws Toi Major-Novice Dec. 20/98 5:30 pua - 6:30 pua Canadias Tire vs Gorrud To 6:30 prn - 7:30 pm ua sstin Noble vs GoId Couneciion To Bantam Dec. 20/98 6:00 pm - 7:20 prn y 7:20 pua - 8:40 pm N 8:40 pm - 10:00 pm G Senior Dec. 21/98 7:30 pm - 8:30 prn E 8:40 ism - 9:40 pm F 9:50 Pm - 10:50 Pm E Wirnpy's Diner os Milton Dodge Jeep Th Marrnuc Traiter Services os tnockles Th G.0. Contrits vs Charlie Fitzwhiskeys Th Gassitite Fiineso vs Culligan Ross Oison Finîncial os Asunti Asti Gus Mowbray Heating vs KFC teamn and there's no other major winter sports going on around here." Wbile the United States as a whole has now embraced the game, Brush recalîs how the country was once very much divided in its knowledge and interest - or lack of same -about hockey. Craig Brush in his "In the early 1980s 1 Milton playing days. spent time in Virgînia and the only ice they had there was in your drink," he remarked. "It was the complete opposite in Detroit, where we use to live. There's so much hockey there that it's almost unhelievable." Brush' s Everblades have been an ovemight success story, in terms of drawing botb fans and wins. Since moving into their new barn last montb, the club bas averaged 6,400 spectators a night, whicb puts them among the top five in the league for attendance. Oemorial Arena Oemorial Arena ernorial Arena Uemorial Arena ronelli Arena rnelli Arena mnelli Arena rompson MemofiaI ompson Memodal rompson Memorial Tonelli Arena ToneIIi Arena Tonelli Arena onelli Arena hompior Memonal hompsorMemodaI hompson Memonal Tonelli Aresa Tonelli Arena Tonelli Arena PICKLIS X&W*kx1 18 THOMPSN ROtin, UNIT 06, MILTON 4r~~~W UOU-U'U-7431100 Npissing Road, Unit 9, Milon ___________________ (905) 876-4647 - Said the Milton native, "Those numbers have been a bit surprising, especially since we haven't bad time to do much promo- tion. Building the arena has been our biggest project over the lait year and it's certainly been our toughest. "Watcbing Everblades hockey bas liter- aIIy become tbe thing to do in this area." A 7-6 road trip to start tbeir inaugural season - amazing by expansion team standards - is at least partially responsi- ble for bringing in tbe fans. Overall the club boasted a 13-6-1 record prior to the weekend and sat one point out of first-place in tbeir Soutbem Conference. This would be a major accomplisbment for any expansion team, but it's ail the more impressive since Florida bas 11 players with no previous professional hockey experience. Among tbem is Brush's eldest son Matt, wbo lait year skated witb the Princeton Tigers - alongside Milton's Scott Bertoli. Their fathers played together as well with the Merchants. In addition to baving a hand in the on- ice product, the Everblades' president is responsible for promoting the club, devel- oping marketing strategies for team mer- chandîse and overseeing phase two of arena construction. "If putting in 1 2-bour days is a dream corne true, then I'm living tbe dream," quipped Brush of bis induction into pro- fessional hockey. "Seriously thougb, it's been great. I Wake tap eveoy moming now ail charged Up about going to work." 1 1 MILTON MINOR HOCKEY SCHEDULE r-