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The Canadian Champion, Tueaday, Febnjary 5, 2002- 19 SPORTS13 Milton Merchant Rick Carrier battles for posses- sion in front of the Mississauga net while <above) Mike Fox-Higgins lands on one of his former team- mates durlng regular season-endlng play at Iceland Arena Sunday. Milton bast 5-3 and wiII now face Bramalea in beat-of-seven opening-round play. «/Merchants end regular season wit costly loss By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion The Merchants suffered a double whammy in Mississauga Sunday. In front of an unusually sizable crowd at Iceland Arena, Milton bast both their regular sca- son-ending conteat and the chance to steal home- ice advantage out from under first-round oppo- nient Bramalea. A Milton win in Mississauga Sunday plus a Bramalea loss tonight in Oakville would have given thse reigning conference champs the extra home gaine - which would have drastically changed the complexion of round-one, given the local juniors' much sturdier play within the fricndly confines at Memorial Mrena. But Milton coughed up a two-goal lead on the division's biggest ice surface and wound up los- mg 5-3. The Merchants should have been awarded a penalty shot inside the final minute when the opposing goalie knocked the net off its moor- ings, but a controversial ending aside they really didn't show much sense of urgency down the stretch and displaycd little in the way of playoff- calibre hockey. Coach Dave Gagner reunited his mid-season forward units and the rctooling paid immediate dividends with two goals in the first four minutes hy Dan Carcil1o and captain Dan Bognar. Mississauga would tighten its defensive web for thse remainder of the night and rallied with the help of two-goal outputa by veteran Chargers Michael Oliveira and Bemnie Scanlon. Teammate Justin Burke sank an empty netter with three seconds left to seal the deal. The Merchants' other goal - a powerplay deflection midway through the second - was posted by Rick Carrier. Rookie Rich Meloche picked up an assist on goal number two to lift his teamn-leading point total to 69. Another comeback at home At home Friday, Milton showed just how important homne-ice advantage would have been to its playoff run with the latest in a series of comeback victories. This one came against Rick Bince's Streetaville Derbys - who were looking to give their hcad coach his first win in more than seven ycars at Memorial Arena. They made a strong bid toward that end early on, mounting a 3-0 lead in the first-period on a pair of goals by David Friel and a single by Miltonian Paul Pedulla. knack for rebounding from shaky starts on home ice - enjoyed more defensive support through the balance of the night and stopped 14 of 15 shots to heat the Derbys 5-4. Tristan Senior's well-placcd hackhand with under five minutes remaining served as the game-winner. Assisting on the play - 10 cap a three-pomnt night - was Camrer. He tank goal number three, while other singles went to Meloche, Shawn Mole and David Ovcjak. The Milton-Bransalea series begins Friday night at Bramalea's Victoria Park Arena. Gaine time is 7:45 p.m. Gaine two will he play in Milton Sunday at 3 p.m. This marks the firat time in eight seasons that the Merchants will flot enjoy home-ice advan- tage for the opening round of playoffs. j- Iomet %4 Scaeànneli Exhaust UUk'L LEZ- LýUYQYýU v Everyday Low Prices # Friendly Service #Locally Ownd VUUtso; ('l LIMY e iL 701 Main St. En 'T I j' ID Cà D 0 11,