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26 -The Canadian Champion, Friday, September 27, 2002 - ~ - s *' I Merchants keep unbeaten streak intact with gutsy tie By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion The Merchanîs îook immnediale possession. of the Western Conference penîhouse wiîh five sîraigbl viclories lu sîart the year. But Monday's non-win - in the division's mosl inîimidaling barn - may well bave offered fans the mosl encouragement so far in regard lu the leam's cbampionship polenlial. Trai ling 3 -1 w ilb a peri od lo go ai Hamilons Mounlain Arena. Milton baîîled back from the brink 10 eke ouI a well-deserved lie - bridging the gap wiîb a mere eigbl secconds remaining. James Duhamel sank the equalizer. cbop- ping in a behind-thie-nel fecd from Vicor Spadafora for bis second goal in as many games. Also assîsi- ing on the play was Ricb Meloche. The crunch-ime îally highlight- cd a play(iff-like intense show- down îhaî feaiured plenly of bang for one*s buck. including a com- manding îhird-period performance by the as yei unbLaien Merchanis. "The guys showed a loI of char- acIer îonigbî. They didnit quit," said head coach Mario Cicehillo. whose Ieam oul-shol Hamilton 16- 6 and scored iwice in the îhird Io slave off defeal. 'We wanled t0 treal tbis like a playotl game and 1 îhought we had good inlensily tbe whole way. We're in the process of1 building a championship îeam." Stealing a point on the mounlain is almosl always cause for celebra- lion, but whal makes the lie ail the more promising is that il came dur- ig the Merchanîs' only brush wilh adversity ibis season. With Pat Lee away on personal mallers and fellow gunners Craig Macdonald and Vic Oreskovich îaking premalure exils for figbling and head checking respecîively, Millon's lale-game scoring exploits seemed ripe for an inter- ruption. Bol Dubamel's heroics exîended a six-game mun Ihal bas scen the club ligbl tbe lamp aI leasi lwice in ibe final frame. Meloche gol the period rolling early wîîb a one-lime wrisier on the powerplay for bis sevenlh goal of the year. Before ihal the Merchanis spent the nighl figbling the puck afler Dean Strong jammed borne a close-range scramble before tbe game was a minute nId. Spadafora assisîed on Ibis deposil as well and delivcred whaî was arguably bis niosl spirîled effori 10 date againsi Veleran Hamilton nelminder Dave Brown was particularly sharp bclween tbe pipes. The Kilîy Becs' firsI îwo lallies wcre tbe direct resulî of poor judg- ment by Milton blueliners - wbo screened Cody Spicer on goal number one and were caugbl up ice for the second. Defensive breakdowns were lim- ited tbrougb the balance of tbe con- test, particularly in the tbird whcn the sîeel-îown boys were held Io jusl six shols. Joining Milton's blueline Monday was Arthur Sawa, wbo was granled an unconditional release from Mississauga by the OHA jusl a few hours before game lime. While Monday's Milton- Hamilton tilt wasn'l quile as nasly as many bcîwcen the Iwo lasI sea- son, there was enough exîra-currie- ular acîivily- includîng a îhird- period slugfesl beîwNeen Macdonald and Hamillon's Tim Stewart - 10 re-ignile the feud. The Merchanîs bave a chance bo put a bltle brealhing room bclween îbemselves and the second-place Blades tonighl whcn the îwo îeams square off ai Oakvillc's Ice Sports Arena ai 7:30 p.m. Holy Trinity defenders in junior football play Monday afternoon at MD. The Mustangs were dumped 37-O. -Haydar assigned to Milwaukee NexI stop, Milwaukee. *The Admirais are nov being coached by Peler Darren (Mini) Haydar was rcassigned Io the l-oracbuck. who was behind the bcnch wiîh Berloli's American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirais Titans lasI year. Tuesday moming - whcn the Nashville Predalors Haydar's scoring prowess sbould be a wclcomc reduced Ibeir rosIer 10 35. addition 10 the Admirais, who avcragcd jusI îwo-and- He was one of 13 players sent lu the franchises top a-balf goals a game lasI season and finisbed lasI in the farm club. AHL's West Division. Playing in Milwaukee could give the 2002 Hobey Il will also offer local fans a chance 10 sec hon play Baker finalisl the opportunily Io compele alongside close 10 home in early January, when Milwaukee bas a fellow Miltonian Scott Bertoli, who's landed a îiyoul lwo-game wcekend stand aI Copps Collisium againsl Ibere afler anoîher sîrong season wiîb tbe East Coast the Hamilton Buildogs. Hockey League's Trenton Titans. The Admirais begin tbeir training camp loday. * sàLLPORTS