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The Canadien Champion, Fniday, February 22, 2002- 19 SPORT Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Milton boxer Mant Hart Jr. proudly dispmys the trophies ho plcked up durlng a sucemaful showing In Quebec Saturday night. v/Boxer shows strongly in Quebec Scores yet another unanimous decision By STEVE L.BLANC The Champion A bostile crowd and stiff competition did little to faze local pugilast Matt Hart Jr. Saturday nigbs. Keeping a recens wtn streak alive during bis tiras cross-border bous in St. Orsalle, Quebec, Milton's only known active boxer recovered froin a tirs-round standing eight count to score a unanimnous decision over bometown favourite Jasmine LeBlanc. Is was bis second sucb victory tbtis month and Iifted bis overail record to, 4-3-1. 'Me French figbter beld a distinct advan- tage in heigbt as well as experience, and connected witb an early overband right that dazed Hart Jr. "I stusnbled a bit and gos tbe eigbt count," hie recalled. .But Milton's 24-year-old middleweigbt controlled tbe balance of the four-round encouniter - utilizing his speed and, unlike Iast time in Use ring, making bis oppontent psy for a number of mistakes. Said Hart Jr., 1I gos in a lot of left books and juat generally banged bian up. He was definitely tbe toughest competitor l've faced se, far, but 1 was executsng my jabs more tbis tinie and also working my angles really weII." One of juat two boxers from, outside Quebec, Hart Jz. not only won over tbe par- tisan crowd but was also named best boxer for the tournanlent - getting dbe nod among a group of nearly three dozen par- ticipants. "That was s big accomplisbment for me," sald the local figbter. Now 3-0 and ssarting to, turn some beads since switcbing to tbe Bramnalea Boxing Club in mid-November, Hart Jr. will look to preval on bis old stomping ground as Hamilton's Regency Boxmng Club Marcb 23. Bramalea gets by Merchants Milton eliminated in six games By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Gregg CarrIgan brought many playoff series victo- ries to the Merchants. This past week bie heiped yank one away -putsing the brakes to a potentiai opening-round reversai of fortune and knocking off his former club. Bramalea's impromptu bead coach and a smali accompanying entourage took a teamn many suspected was on a verge of collapse - witb coacb, capsain and leading scorer ail suspended - and saw it tbrougb adversity with back-to-back wins. Tbe latter of these -Wednesday's 5-3 decision at Memorial Arena - gave tbe Blues a four-games-to-two series triumpb over Milton. Wbile certsinly better tban swo nigbts earlier wben tbey were wbitewasbed 5-0, Dave Gagneras Mercbants played an evening-long game of catcb-up wbicb - unlike mot key home-ice outinga tbrougb tbe regular season - eventually came back to haunt tltem. Under Carrigan, Brainalea looked a wbole lot sturdier defen- sively and sowed tbings Up witb tbree goals in tbe tinal frame- including an empty-net series sealer by veteran Rick Varone. Like tbe Blues, Milton was back to, near full strength for game six and gos goals from resumees Sbawn Mole and Tristan Senior as weil as captain Dan Bognar. However, a second-period parade to tbe sin-bin and a iacklustre stars kept tbe local juniors bebind for most of Use nigbt. Ryan McManus - wbo took over tbe starting goalsender's job for tbe tailend of tbe season - was razor sbarp tbrougb two penioda, but allowed a palr of goals on juat four abots in tbe tbird. Andrew Martin tallied twice for Bramalea wbile singles were chipped in by Mat Cralg and Rots Smitb. Merebants Dan Carcillo and Micbel Bond eacb drew two assista. At Bramalea's Victoria Park Arena Monday, Milton was caugbt in a defensive srap for mucb of tbe night and sbut out for thse tirat sume tbis season. Mike Ella earned Use goose egg while Smnitb stood out witb two goals and an assist. Four goals againss in Use second period - Iwo eacb past McManus and replacement Trevor Battaglia - put Use game-t ive verdict to ret. Tbis week marked thse second tume in tbree years Usas Use Merchants bave been eliminated in Use tiras round.