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26 - The Canadien Champion, Fniday, Apnil 16, 1999 So-me reasons why it ail came crashing down It's A over but the crying. The Jr. A Merchants' season, wbich held such promise just a couple of montbs ago, bas corne to a crasbing hiait. Or rather it fizzied out, with littie fanfare or excitement. Milton may bave survived until mid-Aprii but if ail tbey bave to show for this year's piayoff run is a semnifinai win over Collingwood - who were certainly tailented but far from a powerbouse - then their 1998- 99 campaign cao hardiy.be ~VAuWÂIu K AR, AI classified as a success. The question is, how did thinga go so sour so quickly? Tbere's no ciear-cut response, but nonetheleas here's a few suggestions on why the club came up short in no particular order of impor- tance; Lack of leadership It was pretty apparent how v'ital inspirationai leader Shane Sullivan was to tbe 1997-98 teamas successes, but perbaps bPECIAL SIX WEEK COURSE J.iý , , . t * A Aprfl Z LjMfteý ri At the -'s N V bis value wasn't truly recog- nized until this year, wben bie was gone. Try as a few piayera migbt. nobody seemedybe to BEGINNERS ONLY! Milton's Fasiest Growing Karate School MILTON TSURuoKA KARATE (905) 876-1470 http://webhome.idirect..com/~Ispanozo ignite that desire and iniensity at crucial times the way Sully did. In fact efforts in tbis ares seemed to vanisb aitogetber down the stretch, with Miiton's bench showing no signa of iife at key points during both tbe conference and ieague finals. Veterans like Kevin O'Flaherty, Ed McGrane and Ryan Robicbaud bad looked like suitable replacements for Jeff Haydar, Steve French and Mark McPbail but in the end it 4mpressive S k tme cut It's been. a stellar spring for up-and- coming track and field competitor Sînane George. The nine-year-oid member ni Athietiques International Club began this montb by trimming more than a minute from bier 5000 metre time witb an impres- sive 28:26.4 effort in the Burlington Road Race April 2. She waa the top nine-y ear-old femnale finiaher at the event wbile taking third place and the accompanying bronze in the iO-and-under girls division. A similar medal found ita way into bier tropby case laat weekend as she took third spot in the Ontario Minor Track Association's Road Race Championabipa at Brock University. Succesa thia time around came in the i1,500m. Sbe clocked in a 6:46 - juat 20 seconds bebind the winner. Anynne interested in joining Athletiques International Club, is asked to caîl Bruce Burton at (905) 827-8725. April 12, 13, 14, 15 àjLýe= Tap Bay Devil Rays, 7:05 pm ~ April 12 - Home Opener April 12 - SFioppers Drug Mort Teom Colendor** April 13 - Tim-BR Mort Tuesday, April 14, 15 - Bell Mobility Mognet Schedule Night* A prll 16 Balimore Ormbles, 7:05 pmn e . Lobait Blue Light $1,000,000 Blosflt Apull 17 BaltMMe Orloles, 4:05 Pm Honda Jr. Joys Soturday Pennont Doy*sas April 18 Baitimore Ouboles, 1:05 Pm Spectoculor Sundoy - CBC Bonus Voucher Day** Aol 20, 21, 22 Anaheim Angels, 7:05 pm April 20 - Tim-BR Mort Tuesdoy April 21 - Bell Mobility Mognet Schedule Night* *First 25,000 fans; *A11 Fans, ***First 10,000 Fans 14 years and under; t Draw For prizes. &W" Geln *IValu. Pcks Sanmes SM anme Sane GauG ie. Cti TSIriF TOROSNTO 1 91WO GO '~CAv CD VISIT niID o iiOcITt AT.. Li- - CaiI:<416)341-1234 SKYDOME BOX OFFICE -GATE 9 9amn - 6pmn, seven days a week COMMERCE COURT 9amn - 6pmn Monday ta Friday OR TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS. was difficuit to figure out just who waa steering the ship. Coaching This spring was not Marty Williamson's finest bour behind the bench. Milton's head coach stuck ton close to Iast year's strategy - witb constant line shuffling and fair- iy equal play for ail four for- ward units - even wben those tactics were proving fruitless. Benching struggiing stars like Geoff Schomogyi and Ryan Eby for a game might have beiped fire tbem up. Instead tbey kept getting new line- mates, wbicb just seemed to make the probiem worse. Getting a new lease on lufe tbrougb the wiid card sbould have been Wiliiamson's ticket to redemption. However, bis failure to make tough choices - like sitting a couple of disin- terested players in the rematcb and replacing Jcremy Wenzel earlier in game tbree - played at least some part in the Merchants' demise. No foflow through Milton held the momentum at several points in both rounds againat Bramalea but didn't know how to maintain it. David Csumrik's overtime winner in game three of the conference cbampionship and their cnnvincing 6-2 win in game four of the ieague finals sbouid bave been catalysta, but weren't. The Merchants scored back- to-back wina juat once after beating Georgetown in round two and neyer really got into any kind of groove. They enjoyed anme bad breaks along the way but just as mucb gond fortune - yet couldn't capitalized on it, unlike st year's club, wbicb maîdce ic int of cerv c hance tbey got. Cougbing up multi-goal leada tbrougb games against Bramaiea and Coilingwood demonstrated a lack nf finish- ing ability as well. Inconsistent offence Consecutive 2-I squeakers over defensively cbalienged Georgetown marked the begin- ning nf wbat would be a bot and cold poat season for local gunners. Wbenever one forward atart- ed to atep thinga up, there was always somenne else waiting to, fade into the background. Perbapa the biggest surprise was Scbomogyi, a member of the elite 40-goal club during regular season play, gning scoreiess over tbe last dozen games nf the season. Milton scored nnly 16 goals in the league finals and six of them came in game four. Wben Csumrik - a defenceman - and third-line Winger Mark Beisel do hall the scnring in a league championsbip series, there's a problem. The only thing more incon- sistent than the Merchants' overaîl offence was their pow- erplay production, whicb was red bot ai limes and atone cold at others. Few success atonies Darren Haydar'a 70-goal, 140-point season and Sullivan's transformation from gnon to team leader were thinga st year's team seemed to rally around. Witb the exception nf Wenzel going undefeated through regular season play - quite the lest actually, but somebnw not as inspiring - the Merchants didn't bave esee OVER on page 27 3 rd Line Evenjone's 43DrIVin1g a WINNER Range t3dLn 6621 3rd LUne Dvn (3rd Une Southi of De")rang 693-0303 Rag *HALTON HURRICANES Spring 7kgout sessionsI TEAM MINOR NO~ NOVICE MINOR ATO ATOM MIN. PEEW PEEWEE MIN. BANT BANTAJI MIDCET Cost: DATE TIME COACHI 71CE Mon. Apr. 19 6:00 p.m. J. Paige Mon. Apr. 19 6:15 P. M. C. Wells m Mon. Apr. 19 7:15 p.m. 1. Dunbar Mon. Apr. 19 7:30 p.m. P. Larose EE Tue. Apr. 20 7:25 p.m. J. McLeod Tue. Apr. 20 7:40 p.m. G. Leblanc ~M Mon. Apr. 19 8:30 p. m. M. Quincey Mon. Apr. 19 8:45 p.m. D. Syvret TO BE ADVISED J. Peffers FIVE TRYOUTS BOOKED PER TEAM MIN. NOVICE/NOVICE $tiotyout MIN. ATOM/ATOM $10.itryout MIN. PEEWEE/PEEWEE $îiltyout MIN. BANTAM.BANTAM $12./tryout