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24 - The Canadien Chamninn~ Fririco ~ i snnn * tP OR-TIS Photo by GRAHAM PAINE vHeft hardware haut for locals Milton Schooi of Jiu-Jitsu students (from ieft) Shannon Laing, Daniel Keish and Gary Laing ail came away with hardware during the Canadian Grappllng Championshipa, heid recently in Hamilton. Gary and Daniel squared off for the gold, with Gary eventually coming out orn top. Shannon was aiso victorious in a mixed division with boys and-giris. / BMXer takes second at U. S. Open Alex Brancieras cross-border prosperity Momrstown, Tennessee. quarter and semiftnals. continues, The local racer - exhibiting a great deal Brancier and his Milton Track 2000 Roughly six weeks ago in Connecticut, of consistency and technical proficiency on teammates will close ouI the season later Miiton's BMX ace delivered a sensational the highly challenging course - upstaged this month at the annual Christmas Classic qualifying performance for the. U.S. Open 34 other ridera and finished just a single in Columbus, Ohio. Invitational. bike length behind [lie winner froun The Brancier racing clan lias fared espe- And once reaching the main event last Nevada. cially well as the holiday event - with Friday, Brancier showed strongly once En route to the finals, he scored two Alex taking grand championship honours again - taking second-place lionours in firats and a third in the motos and thon in 1998 sud kid sister Natasha placing the I 5-year-old novice division in placed third and second respectively in the fourth last year. Merchants fail to Streetsville By STEVE LeBLANO The Champion The Merchants were hoping to put the brakes on a couple of troubling trends in Streeîsville Tuesday. First and foremost was their recent rash of lacklustre starls- particularly on the road - while a noî-too-disîance second was their four-game winless skid at Vic Jolinston Memorial Arena. In either case, Milton was unable t0 deviale from its prescrit course and was shaded by the now sixth-place Derbys 4-3. The evening clash nearly came with a double whammy for the Merchants, when rookie right winger Vince Laise Iook a fluke tumble mbt the boards laIe in the opening frame and - despite making it back to [lie bench unaided - was initially thought to have sustained a neck injury. Fortunately, no sucli damage was revealed during an examina- lion at Mississauga's Credit Valley Hospital - although a mild concussion will likely keep him sidelined for boîli games this weekend. Goals flot coming early Meanwhile, Laise's cohorta were mediocre through the early stages of play and for their second straiglit away game were scoreless in the liras period. This plus a lack of finish down the stretch coat them the win and a chance to strengthen Iheir hold on top spot in the Ontario Provincial Jr. A League's Westemn Conférence. Miltou held a bird's eye view of the division as of last nighl, althougli three teama were within two pointa - with both Brampton and Buffalo enjoying a game in hand. Captain John Nadalin delivered his third goal in four games and seventh overaîl this season 10 get the visitors on the score- board. Also burying the biscuit were freshmen Scott Malcolms and Kevin Arruda - who along with team scoring leader and former Derby Andy Rozak are the only two Merchants who've played ail 27 games Ibis season. Shots on net favoured Streetsville 33-30 white tbc winners gos another above average performance ouI of veteran stopper Terry Lenyk. Counserpars Joel Cameron, who's been logging aIl the cage work lately, was solid for Milton. The Merchants have now losI three straight on [lie road while six of Iheir seven losses Ibis season have come away from Memonial Arena. Merchant notes: Flavio Fagionni will be away for [lie next two-and-a-haif weeks compesing witb Team Italy aI the World Junior Championships in Germany ... White the Merchanîs don't have a top- 10 scorer Ibis year, [bey do have haif-a-dozen players on pace 10 finish witb over 20 goals ... Defenceman Chris Rook could bie back from injury as early as Ibis weekend ... Milton boss Buffalo sonighs as 8 p.m. and close ouI the weekend against Burlinglon Sunday. Came lime is 7:30 p.m. 24 - The C adian Chamnion Frida December 1 2000 -,Iý'Mlil,'R 1, 2000 Til Fl (-AN,\1)1,ý\N (11ANIPION FR 1 DAY D EC 1