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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, October 22, 2002- 19 SAAINCAPIORTSOBR2220 v-Totally Merchants engineer consecutive snutouts awe- some! Milton driver Marie Bailargeon embraces local traîner Bon Wallace efter guldlng longehot Totelly Western (below> to an upset victory ln the Two-Year-OId colt Pace et Saturday's $6.6 mil- lion Breeders Crown et Woodblne Racetrack. t was the firet Breeders Crown win for both driver and traîner. FeIlow Milton driver Chris Chrlatoforou waa alec a wnner - taking the Three-Year-Old FliIy Pace wlth Allamerican Nadia. For full resulta on alil lght races at the 'Super Bowl' of har- nees raclng, see page 20. Photos by GRAHAM PAINE By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Thanksgiving 2002 came just a little toc, early for puck-stoppmng Merchant Cody Spicer. Because Miltons 20-year-old goaltender couldn't have been more grateful to his teammates than he was during this past week- end's homecoming at Memonial AMena. Revitalized by an unbeaten campaign at the Compuware Fal Classie Toumnament, Milton defenders placed a virtual hammerlock on the competition through the final two p)erods of both Friday nigtstl with Streetsville and Sunday afternoon's clash with plummeting Oakville. And what tcw shots Phot got through, the local Vie Oresk< cager tumed aside on the Meloche cela way to identical 6-0 period goal ir shutout victories. over OakviIIe -l had maybe one or awo quality shots past the firat in each game. The defense was impeccable," said Spicer, who can't recali ever having deliv- ered back-to-back goose eggs - even as a pre-tecn tender. "We really came together in Michigan. This is juat a carry over of that." Coach Mario Cicchillo echoed those commenta, adding that the holiday toumna- ment provided an ideal opportunity for a team with an many new faces to really stars gelling. His Merchants - who're now essential- ly down to two players from last year's squad, with veteran blueliners Shawn Mole and Justin Nantresa on the trading block - allowed their collective opposition juat three dozen shots over the weekend, with the bulk of that coming in the opening frames. Si Spicer was tested on juat seven occasions past the first intermission Friday and nmne times through the second and third Sunday - not once facing a rebound in any of those four periods. An 1 1-save effort in Sunday's opening frame- highlighted hy a dynamnite glove save on a close-range backhand - represented his only hectie stretch of the weekend. Offensively, Milton had no shortage of opportunities in either L outing. This without the aid of still injured play- maker Craig Macdonald. The Merchants enjoyed 54-15 and 35- - 20 shots on goal differ- entials Friday and Sunday respectively. Rob Ricci tallied twice by GRAHAM PAINE ttgainSt Streetsville and ich and Rich made the winning ýrate their f irat- deposit before the game Miton's 6-0 win was a minute old. 'unday. Singles were chipped in by Lee Swallow, ion Omnelis and Rich Meloche - who two days later capped a three-point aftemoon with his team-Ieading I 2th and I 3th goals of the year. Arthur Sawa had a pair of assista. Wes Clark and James Duhamel had a goal and an assiat against the Blades - who continued an October tailapin and were thoroughly undisciplmned after Vic Oreskovich redirected a croas-ice feed from Meloche upstairs with just eight sec- onds remaining in the first. Pat Lee delivered a nifty fake for the other marker, while Swallow offered a strong forechecking effort and drew two helpers - as did Ricci and Andrew Bonello. The 9-3-1 Merchants will look to make it three in a row at home Friday when they take on top-seated Hamilton. MILTON VS HAMILTON S Friday, October 25 @ 7:SOpm# MILTON VS BRAMALEA Sunday, October 27 @ 8:OOpm F ~ ir Bath games at Mémorial Arena - Thompson Road Au ...........$800 TIÎNrUk%.RJ: IUL'~ !Iyr-1 I~ I !' ~ Children12 & Under ..$3.00j A. Mr*, F12 1id W fi D- 1 - 1 ý71w<Dcles Book gour Christmas parties noue ef-"iG d~u @U £Lal g d&- - U PP âobI 'L," greui jfuwcw ju &uwr ft ww um'i5t min btreet tu t-fooou 577 1 'UV£ VLI-jWIW LLI-'f-«PýrW "Ai" ILL --A& -ý-" E Zà&&&&gj6â