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The Canadien Champion, Tuesday, March 9,l 1999-21 vTough G'town makes Milton work for wins By STEVE LeBLANC Milton's key to success in round two romains with The Champion thoir ability to neutralize the Raiders' firat lino, which Milton Merchant stars returned to action and includes league scoring leader Stace Page and feisty renewed the club's winning ways. former Merchant Jeif Seeds. Daniel Jacques, seeing bis [trst playoff games tis They have done so three timos and - flot surpris- past weekend, provided phenomenal goaltonding to ingly - triumphed in each case. Their only post-sea- trimt Georgetown with consecutive 2-1 decisions. son glitch so far came in gamo two when substandard Meanwhile, captain Kovin O'Flaherty -retumning defonce and discipline resulted in a 6-4 loss. from a battie with strep throat Seeds talliod twico and addod a pair of assists to -buried both goals in send Georgetown on the way to victory - their lirat Sunday's victory. against Milton in the playoffs since 1992. These efforts put the teami 1 juat hope they (the Moithants) don't take it por- back on top in the best-of, sonally," said Seeds aftor bis team's win. "inm just seven Wost Conference doing whatever I have to, do. It's the samne way I semnifinals. playod witb tbem." The defending provincial 01One night later at home the Merchants needed ' pchamps enjoy a 3-1 strangle- Jacques' inspired cage work plus a twn-goal effort by hold on the series and host ru dwinger Rob Meanchoff to escape with the win. game five toniglit at Georgetown demonstrated superior forecbecking Memorial Arena. and positional play tbroughout the contest. Their lone Said Jacques, "After heing tally came off the stick of call-up Ryan Hotham. out for a while it was niceto Meanchoff s winnor came by way of a somewhat come back and make an .... flukey upatairs wrister - which visiting goalie David impact. 0f course it really DallJcus Digironimo was completely unprepared for -with doesn't matter wbo's in net, seven minutes left to play. juat that we go witb the guy that's hot and win the Merchants' skipper Marty Williamson said hoe game." expected a serious challenge fromn Georgetown, but Sunday at Gordon Alcott Arena in front of 1,500 admits back-to-back low scoring games have come as screaming fans, the veteran tender turned aside 27 of a surprise. 28 ahots while 0'Flaherty scored 3:25 into the contest "It's a credit to thom. TIhey'oe hanging in there and and again midway through the third period to, dolivor not going away easily," ho said. the win. 'This rominds me of last yoar's series with Oakvilie. î ~ The go-ahead marker came on a nifty bottom, shoîf Tbey're battling us hard and I think this will help our deke that caught Raiders' Jeff Hladysh going the teamn down the road." wrong way. Merchant notes: If nocessary, game six will ho Lead number one was established with an upstairs played Thursday in Georgetown while game seven is deflection on a long distance centering pasa. sot for Friday at Memorial Arena. Assisting each time was Geoff Schomogyi, who Both tilts would start at 8 p.m. ... Milton bas allowed tops playoff production with fivo goals and a dozen one goal or lesa in six of their seven playoff gamtes total points. ~'and sport an overali goal-againat average of 1.43. Bittersweet battie for titie By STEVE LeBLANC Thse Champion Fate rollod out the red carpet for E.C. Drury's Kevin Heffron, thon quickly yanked it out fromn undor him. That's how the 17-year-old must have foît aliter Thursday's OFSAA Wreatling Championships in London - where ho enjoyed per- hapa the shortoat title roign in high achool history. The Spartans' star grappler ini- tiafly stmuck gold with a 6-5 deci- sion over Chris Roua of Brampton Centennial in the 54 kilogram [mals. No sooner did referees signal Heffron as the winner than bis opponents' coach protested the match, contending that the buzzer was sounded prematurely and a fraction of a second stilI remained on the clock. Video replay supported the dlaim, and forced sudden doath, which wont in Brampton Centennial's favour until Spartans coach Larry Jaroslawski successfully argued that the winning point was deliv- ered out of hounids. After anothor lengtby wait for both competitors and one more ovortime clash, Heffron finally sur- o endered the title and settled for bis second silver in as many provincial championship appearancos. He's only the second Dnary grap- pler to, ever capture two OFSAA medals. "Waiting for the pronoats to be decided on was frustrating. I was pacing back and forth the whole time," said Heffron, who came within a hoartbeat of capturing Drury's second OFSAA gold. "I actually wasn't as disappointed with the proteat as with losing on the mat. "Aftorwards Brampton Centennial's coach came over and gave me one of thoir toamn gold medals, wbich was a pretty clasay move."1 Heffron's performance and the drama that surrounded it higblight- ed a stellar sbowing for the Spartans, who came away witb three individual medals and anoth- or second-place teamn finish. Drury enjoyed their higbest point total ever at provincials, 123 com- e see GUTSY on page 22 0" '99 TOYOTA TERCEL CE" or Choose VALUE PACKAGE INCLIJDES N III I M I, 1 per month fo 4 .80 /o 7 n o i DrNPIN~T MLY P5YET 5 speed manual transmission Les e mnds liflht fndcng $0 $211 î*- é60140 FsId Down Rear Seat L as inluds toeing $000 188 - Intermittent Wipers te ï fe ght & P.D.E for op te 60 $100 $18 @AMIFM Cassette Steres fr 8ONLY S950. duewn WmtOi4 $3000 $3 43*- @Body Side Mouldings NICELy EQuippED FOR $14,025 NSIRP Based on a 48 mos. walkaay lease. First paymnent +secunsy -deposit due on delivery. 'Based on 96,000 km. Additonal charge of $0..07 if applicable on the TRE Photo by HERB GARBUT Georgetowns Joli Seeda crashes mbt Maft Bannan of Milton during gae two Thursday. The Marchants loat 6-4 but rebounded wlth back-to-back 2-1 wlns ta put a hammer bock on the serles. à àL_ OR SP ib