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Tha Canadien Champion. Friday, Mareh 31, 2000 -25 V'Peewees end lengthytitie d 8v STVE LeBLANC The Champion The drought is over. OMHA gold -had eluded local peewee teama for two decadea - untfil the Milton Winterhawks' A majora put tbe brakes on tIse championship-less stretcb lest Friday. In Eissex, Eric Ellison's squad clinched tIhe titie with an authoritalive 5-1 decision 10 cap a three-game sweep of the Ravens. Tbe victory was tbe team's seventh straight - dating back to thse fifth and deciding garne of the quarterfinals against Orangeville. Total team effort -It was an all-around big performance and a great win of us," said the jubilant lsead coacb. "Defensively, we were very solid and Mike (Sanders) played really good in net." The Action Utility Trailer sponsored club had a siranglehold on the beat-of-five set heading mbt action ast Friday. However, they didn't have the tuxury of reftuming home in thse event of a bass. Looking abead ai a potentially lengthy and exhausling road trip, with a possible three games in as many days, tbey realized the momentumi could shift significantly if 1LT Essex were allowed to prolong the senies. But tIsat point was made troot by the end of the night - after they delivered a exceptional effort and burued tIse Ravens. . . .. . .Leading the victory march was captaln * ~ Steve Ellison. A Coming through with a season-ending gem of a performance, hie amassed four Photo by GRAHAM PAINE points including a natural hat-trick in tIse Single A major peeweee (from 1.11) Cory Whyte, Sam Tomilneon, Grog Pepper and -$teve Elilson opening baîf tIsat put the hosta' champi- dleplay their OMHA hardware aller dlepoeng of Essex In a champlonehlp finals sweep. onship bid on ice. «ýMerchants skipper heading to Newmarket hebsafw rvncahe nmd adhps1 hv oen By STEVE LeBLANO The decision was announced Tuesday. The Champion "I want evexyone to know that Ibis had Merchant fans hit the target - but it was far from absolutely nothing; t do witb hockey or a bulsey.tIse organization," said Williamson, an lto Jr. Ahokyfloeshdbe pcatnfr Milton's second longest serving coach in Man MitonJr.A hcke folowra ad eenspeulaingforrecent memnory - next 10 Rick Bince. weeks that bead coach Marty Williamson wouldn't be back next "This was a very difficult decision, one season. And while that's now true, bis departure doesn't relaie t0 of the hardeat I've ever bad 10 make." the team's lsck of succesa Ibis past year - or for that matter, witb Merchanlts' owner Brsd Grant con- hockey at ail. firmed that Ibis was an amnicable move, Ins what lie described as a 'fausily-oruented move', the seasoned stating "From a personal standpoint, il's skipper - wbo faced plenty of criticism, during the local club's a good move for Marty. He asked me if Marty WilIlamson lese Iban impressive season - bas abdicated bis. dual role as the bie could interview for the position and I Merchants' bencb boss and generat manager 10 sign on as an gave hlm my blessing. Newmarket will benefit froun baving hlm assistant coach wiIb the Newmarket Hurricanes. aboard, and now we've got to find another strong coach -- some- 'Me move will keep bim dloser 10 home. especially now that body highly motivated, wbo's a gond recruitor and strong disci- be's in the procesa of moving to Keswick, snd give hlm mucb plinarian." more time 10 spend with bis young daugbter. Grant wouldn't tlsrow odI any names of. candidates, but did say in place for nexi month's spring training camp. He wouldn't say if the new person would also assume the gen- eral manager duties. Nick Slawson, Mitton's director of hockey operations, said hie underatanda Williamson's decision, but is no lesa disappointed to see hlm leave. "I reatly enjoyed working witb Marty. We' Il miss bim," bie remarked. "However, I'un confident we'll find a strong coach. There won't be any interruptions in Milton." Williamson - thse Merchants' moat successful skipper, wbo took tIse teaun to thse nationals in 1998 and brought a total of a dozen teaun tilles t0 Milton during bis four-year tenure - now joins bigbly accomplisbed coach Brad Sellwood in Newmarket. Sellwood replaces Wes Jarvis, another proven bencb boss wbo parted ways with thse Hurricanes earlier tbis montb afier almosi a decade ai the belun. opp-.e M EDIUM ULTIMATEI I~i44t CHEESE ' PIZZA M55 ONTARO ST. MULON 87&w 3~WNLY B PLarge $10.99, orne topplng + qugulleabl taxes OFFERING NOW FREE DELIVERY! 1 rought His winning goal was notched in particu- larly memnorable fashion. Withi Milton at a two-man disadvantage laie in the opening frame - after they were penalized for their first of three 'illegal sticks' - the diminutive captain capitalized on a broken play and scored just a few moments into the shorthanded stint. "I think that really defiated them," bie said. From there, the reliable sniper lit the lsmp once more in the second period and tben joined forces witb his teammates to put a strongbold defense on their hosts. Said Ellison, "It was a wbole-out effort from everyone. It was juat awesonme." Added his father, "MIe guys were realty resdy for this one. They (Essex) kept catI- ing us for illegal equipment, but il juat didn't faze us." Cusbioning Milton's lead down the stretcb witb goals four and five was Kyle Thomas while fellow spark plug Greg Pepper assisted on bis firat Marker - Plus the initial tally by Ellison. Drawing single helpers were Ellison and Ssm Tomlinson. Sanders was rock solid throughout tIse night. tumning bsck 31 abois to record tIse win and crase tIse bad taste still lingening from a substandard showing in the series opener. Making up tIse rest of this season'a championship squad were Jason Bouwman, Dan Chiristo, Pbil Foley, Chris Hill, Jake Madansky, Robert Morrow, Johnny Murphy, Jay Price, Mark Strazdns, Craig Stover, Chuis Whiting and Cory Wbyte plus coacbing staff memnbers Dennis Christo, Tom Pepper and Steve Sanders.