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24 - The Canadien Champion, Friday, November 16, 2001 *SPORTS vRemenda's hat-trick fuels Merchants' win By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion There was no hanging of heads when exiting Vic Johnston Mrena this timne around. Exactly five weeks after a 9-6 embar- rassment in Streetaville - which marked the beginning of the end for now departed head coach Glenn Walsh - the Merchants retumed to thse scene of the criine and righted a honible wrong. A Shane Remenda hat-trick, clutch goal- tending and overail inspired play fueled Tuesday's 5-3 Milton win - which drew the defending conférence champions with a point of sixth-place Mississauga. "This is somnething to, build on," Remenda said of the key road win, thse sec- ond in three nights for the Merchants. "We're moving up and things are starting to look better." Added sidelined forward David Ovcjak, "We had a couple of good line combina- tions gomng and got much better defense and goaltending (than thse last tiine in Sfl-eetsville)." Remenda's hat-trick - bis first as a Merchant - highlighted a remarkably pro- ductive season campaign against the Derbys. In three gaines he's scored seven goals and assisted on three others. Tuesday's out- burat lifted the enigmatic winger into a teans-leading tie for goals with rookie Rich Meloche and newly acquired forward Rick Canrierre. AIl three sit with 10 goals for thse season. Me anwhile, F~1 Campbellville 's Ryan McManus grabbed a piece of the spotlight for himself with a shutout of sorts iii lie - his Merchant dehut. The Mississauga Rebels goaltender Shane Remenda - who played four gaines with the Jr. A Chargers last season while Trevor Battaglia was mnjured - replaced Sean Samuel mîdway through thse flrst period and turned back ail two dozen shota hie faced through the final 49:36 minutes of play. 'Ryan certainly played weIl, but it was more that we played better in front of him (than Sean)," said head coach Dave Gagner. Followmng a lacklustre staet -rich with giveaways and blundered breakouts -thse Merchants fortified their efforts and col- lected three unanswered goals en route to victory. Milton was particularly effective as crashing the net and creating traffic in front of opposmng netrninder Willy Coutts. Freshunan Dan Carcillo stood out with a goal and three helpers - bi s highest point- total this season - while Carrierre was the other marksman. Tuesday's wmn lifted the Merchants to 9- 11 -1. Milton could take another step up the division ladder with a win at home tonight against basement-dwelling Buffalo and one in Mississauga Sunday. vShe's Royal-Iy guarded MM"sfiopstg's "",i Ut=r cloaety guard anhqet tsopNient mW (muet) os. of tr tsmmmatssI fat ft ~b or wt" betttng for pfaes- Mlon durlng Junior girls qusrtse~s action et DR fdondsey. Rsdlng test 27-20. For fuit reuts on both #w. junlor an seniw Royal, se page M Photos by GRA4HAM PAINE