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The Canadian Champion, Fniday. February 8, 2002- 21 SPOR TS Merchants, Blues' playoff rivalry set to resume tonigh Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Eleano PlneaUL.Mef diapimy the 9Ml medueh wSt ut a rocent provinia quallfyng meut In OdkvIlIe ,New Springer golden after topnotch effort mn Oakville Eleanor, PineauLvnm raised ie bar - or rather maatered it - ins recettgnawties compttott. Ibe Milton Spritsgers new competitive tearo member cap- tured gold on bars during tise sec- ond of three provincial qualilfring meets held late st montis in Oakville. This marked a six-spot improvement over thse nine-year- old's debut performance in Burlington. The Level 1 Pre- Novice competitor also secured sixtis-place hionours on thse vauit. Pre-Junior Julie Gagnon, 11, kept berself in provincii1 con- tention witb ber second straigbt top-six overall finish - tbanks in large part to a bronze-medal effort on bars A sixtis on floor, seventis on vault and eigisti on beam cons- bined to sirengtlsen thse preteen's bid to be part of tbis spring's provincial championsis. Jaimii Fellows struck silver on beamt and overail cracked tise top- six among two dozen Level 1 Juniors. Thse 12-yea-old flnisbed flftis on bath bars and floor 10 keep ber provincial isopes alive, after plac- îng seventis o verall mn Burlington. Age cisas teaniates Christina Chimonides and Stephanie Detirrer weren't quite as success- fi in thse all-arounid scoring, but did manage top-four finishes in individual events. Deuiner - wbo missedl thse first qualifier - clairned thse silver ffmloS bars whie Qsimooides recoverin frotas a recent ankie sprain, waa fourtis on tise vault. Thie Milton Springers will now tum, their attention to preparing for tise club's annual Gymstrada sbowcase, scheduled, for February 24. The thirdi and final provincial qualifying ineet wilI be beld late next niontb in Brantford. Top six finishers in eacb divi- sion at the end of the tbree quai- fying meets advance to, tise provincials - with a select group of runner-upa able to compete for back-.door entry ai the 'Super Qualifying Meet'. By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion The Merchants and Bramalea Blues are certamnly ho strangers when it cornes to the playoffs. In fact, no other teams in the Provincial Jr. A's Westemn Conference bave bad more post-season sertes in recent memo- ry - a bandful ini six seasons 10, be exact. AIl five went ai least six gamnes, witb two - botb won going the dis tance. 7Game 1 Fri. 7Feb 8 And if the sin Gamne 2 Sun. Feb 10 gle point separat- Game 3 'hes. Feb 12 ing these îwo Gamne 4 Fri. Feb 15 teains in the final *Gamne 5 Mon. Feb 18 standin ' *Gaine 6 Wed. Feb 20 stnigs is any *Gamne 7 Fri. Feb 22 indication, the if nece latest sbowdown - beginning tonigbt aI Bramnalea's Victoria Park Mrena - bas the potential te be just as competitive as any of ils predecessors. "I think we match up pretty evenly," Milton GM Nick Slawson said. Witb no national cbampionsbip 10 shoot for ibis year, the league's playoff scbedules are far lest condensed than usual - wbicb could favour the battered and bruised Blues, who finisbed ouI the regular season in somewbat of a tailspin due in part t0 a few minor injuries. But Brarnalea bas bome-ice advantage tbis lime around and baven't been beat by the Merchants in their own barn ibis sea- son. Nevertbeless. botb Slawson and Milton head coach Oave Gagner feet more comfortable starting the playoffs on the smaller ice surface of Victoria Park. Said Gagner. 1 tbiîsk we sbowed Sunday (in Mississauga) that we don't like the big rinks." And Slawson believes his club could have a slight edge between the pipes that is, if Trevor Battaglia can offer a repeat performance of last year's second round gem against the Merchants. Then toiling with Mississauga, Battaglia gave up just 17 goals in tive games against Milton and bis consistency in net was about the only tbîng keepîng the senies competitive. "If Trevor cao play like be did against us last season, 1 tbink we'll have the at Bramalea 17:45) Defense could be ai Milton (4 p.m.) another story. i Bramalea (7:45) Milton bas run i Milton (8 p.m.) bot and cold in its ai Bramalea (8 p.m.) own end tbrougb ai Milton (7:30 p.m.) the lion's share of a( Bramalea (7:45) bseon-ads sarv h esn-ada a resuit Gagner bas been forced 10 tinker witb bis forward units, probably more than even be would like. "The lines will be swayed more t0 that end. We need a (defensively) reliable guy on eacb line," Milton's skipper stressed. Finding the rigbt fit in that regard sbould go a long way toward neutralizing the well-conditioned Blues, wbo always seemn 10 bave enougb lefI in tbe prover- bial gas tank for tbird-period play. "The goals bave usually come wben we've need tbem. lt's holding a lead tbat's going 10 be the challenge,' said Gagner. Added Slawson, "We're going t0 bave 10 keep il real simple in the back end and just create pressure." Bramalea will start the series witbout captain Alex Ward. wbo's fsnisbing out a seven-gamc suspension sustained laie last montb. Oîberwisc. ail other players for botb îeams are available for firsi- round play. GIRLS SOFTBALL REGISTRATION FREE Clinics! Pitcher/Catcher and SkiIIs Clinics for players bomn 1988-1992. Sign up at Registration. Milton Girls. Softball Association 2002 - our 23rd season!!! Stay active! Have fun! Meet new friends! New Players Welcome! Softball for girls born 1982-1992 Location: Milton Mail Friday, Feb 15 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM Low registration fees! $90 for lst player in farnily, .79$65 for 2nd, $50for 3rd orrmore I FINAL Saturday, Mar 2 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM After MARCH 2 add $15 per player -Frmore information contact Don Williams (905) 878-0081 or Eito Nijholt (905) 878-2130 * s