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Plain bad luck strikes midgets By MURRAY TOWNSEND Special ta The Champion Nine times out of ten when a team plays as well as the Milton Winterhawks in gamne three of their OMHA final midget AA series they will win. Wednesday, nigbt in Oshawa was tbat one time out of tbe ten wben it didn't happen. The Spectrum Airways sponsored teain lost 5-3 te go down 2-1 in their best-of-five showdown. Tbey did alinost everytbing right. Thbey skated bard, checked bard, played witb discipline, played smart, and were able te take advantage of tbe sinali ice surface in Osbawa's Cbildren's Arena. And tbey bad inore scoring chances than you could shake a hock- ey stick at. So, wby didn't tbey win? The answer could probably be summed up in two words: bad luck. If you wanted te use tbree words it would be: really bad luck, Milton opened the scoring after soine good fore cbecking by Sbawn McConnell freed the puck loose ta Jordan Jeans, wbo fired it home. Good stops early Trevor Saliba bad to niake a nuniber of good stops early, but as the gaine went on, Milton took control. Or at least looked as if tbey wère. Kevin Heffron was a welcome return to the lineup after a wr&'tling teumnament in Florida. He went fromn wrestling alliga- tors, bowever, to wrestling witb a bot goalie, and of course, some badl luck. He and linemnates Paul Pente and Jason Ford could have easily bad a bat-trick eacb witb all the chances tbey bad. Tbey work wonderfully as a lime witb speed, power and finesse. The puck just wouldn't go in. Oshawa tied the gaine and then managed a fluke goal on a shot froni outside the blueline. Witb 12 seconds left in the second peri- od thse puck bad to bounice the wrong way tbree different times for Oshawa to score again and take a 3-1 lead inte tse intermission. Oshawa pumped in two quick goals early in the third wben APRIL 3RD AND IOTM. FINAL APRIL I 7TH. POST TIME 7:20PM. Don't miss the Handicapping Semî and Harness Racing Angles. Hanr Rep Hockey Milton suffered one of their few teain defensive lapses in the gaine. The Generals are very good at going to the net and getting open, and are a teain that takea advantage of whatever they're given. Awesome defence Defenceman Kris Beal had a spectacular defensive gaine for Milton with three great individual efforts to stop breakaways or partial breakaways. Even at 5-1, Milton wasn't out of it Jordan Jeans got one with another of bis tenacious efforts, and tben Mike Austen bad an out- standing shift in the opposing end, keeping the puck in at the blueline and feeding open teammates, with Ford finally finding the mwine. TI the final five minutes, tbe Winterbawks again had a slew of chances, but it was tbe saine story around the Oshawa net. Missed open nets, an inch or two off, spectacular saves..just notbing would go their way. Milton came to win It was obvious that Milton caine to win this garie. Coach Glynn Hancott was suspended for the contest because of the teain going over the limit in penalty minutes the previous gaine. Gord Gent bandled things bebind the bench. Before tbe gaine, Hancott said that stayîng out of the penalty box had been stressed. Tbe Winterbawks were listening because tbey bad juat two minutes the entire gaine. Actually, both teains showed discipline and coin- posure. Oshawa had just two miinora. The series if far from over for Milton, especially if tbey can corne up with anotber inspired effort tomorrow night at 8:30 at Thompson Arena. That would force a game five in Oshawa Sunday afternoon at 3:30. The Cênadari Champio friday, Maivh 2& 1999 -23 St OnIy a te working it elL7 17 smoke rYl can save your life' Clarke's Golf 11eV 5th Annual Manufacturers Golf efS. «It nventory Clearance Rundred of ARTCLES! Clarlec ets Go$99 S lI 18piewod t 4 Thi s on ceaya Rdt Utnd s 7 tn 878 18187 WE LL CHANGE YOUR VIEW 0F HORSE RtAeIN0. Pick the winners in races three through fine onl any of the first 3 Saturdays of the Youthful Series Most points on any Saturday wins $500 for 1 st place, $250 for 2nd and $ 100 for 3rd Top 30 handicappers (10 fram each night) compete in the Final on April l7th - Grand prize: $2000, 2nd prize: $1000 and 3rd prize: $500 Ballots avoulable in March 27th, April 3rd and April 1 Oth Mohawk harness programs or customer service inor with the Dean of Harness Racing, AI Stanley. Former TV Anal yst of "Fridoy Night at the Races" and Author of Stanley's Law 'icapping Seminars and book signing wilt be at Mohawk, March 27th (6-6:45pm). lt's the perfect chance ta improve yaur odds. Cail 1-888-675-RACE www'%%.njc.com