The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

lbe Canadlan Champion, Fraday, January i17, 2003 - 23 SPORTS 'A' midgets ready for playoffs:, coach -ýLoca1 skier leaves cim Mo on-struck Ryun 111100f 17 (et rosi: end et pWAy) heu bsn quhe kmpr*sule hInmemnt ceompUIlon-wUi the Mut..1o flght SMd Ch*b'* Herhey J Red tsw - wlth a fWrs-phuo finish et Blue Mountuin In Colllngwood «Wl a seconipmc ffrtt mKmboey et iTIlum iwî. rOUhe &r.t weu rWgi behinll him et both evmnts, w1Us msend and thi.I Phts by GRAHAM PAINE By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Milton's A midgets have an awful lot to live up to in the playoffs. In fact that's something of an understate- ment, given the local lads' unparallelcd prosperity this year. A 24-O Icague record, 36-I1 -1I overaîl mun and two toumament titles combine 60 place poot-season expectations - well, sky- high. But head coach Chris Brennan believes the Action Utility Trailers Winterhawks are up to the challenge. "Our goal is an OMH-A championship. tt's what we've been striving for since day one," sald Milton's bench boss, who leads the teamn alongoide assistants Dan Lynch and David Patterson. "Our guys have the greateot desire to win." That's been abundantly clear from thse word go - with thc midges quickty buy- mng mnto a new system and prcvailing at every tumn, usually wiUi blowout results. T'hese frequent mismatches no doubt have skeptics questioning if the Winterhawks are ready to handle Uic tight contests Uiey're bound to face during Uic latter stages of Uic playoffs. But Brennan meets Uiat concem wiUi composed optimism - pointing to some clutch victories ini both league and tourna- ment pîay. He said, "We haven't had too mnany close games, but Uic ones we have had we've responded to very positively." And whcn it comes to Uic team's season statistics, there's littde room for anything but overwhelming encouragement. Milton has given up less than a goal a gamne, allowed Uieir opposition under 12 shots a night on average and bas seven dif- ferent players in double-digit scoring. "Our defensive numbers are most encouragmng," remarkcd Brennan. 4'We've been very aggressive in Uic neutral zone and very disciplined with positional play un our own end. Everybody's got a one-on- one assigniment, and Uie guys have rcally bought into Uic systeus.' If regular-season results are any indica- tion, the Winterhawks' first-round series with Orangeville could get quite ugly. lIs swo meetings with the Flycrs Uiis year, Milton has won by a collective 27-O. The series - most likely a bcst-of-fivc clash - will start sometinse next week. Beyond Uiat, Uic only potential playoff opponient Uic Winterhawks have yct to face is league newcomcr Stoney Creck - whom the local coaching staff is currently in Uic midst of evaluatmng. Milton punctuated its perfect regular sca- son wits last Friday's 9-I annihilation of Arthur. Aaron Clarke provided a ncar-flaw- lcss effort between Uic pipes, while leadmng offensively wiUi a hat-trick was Phil Foley. Merchants tied for first, Thalls very nsucb.Geotetown. MlS M=xvmgs were ne> dioubt wee- inamie"t apre ve o teir negs- botwing uval.s oadui.d Iiweek, affor tie Raidera, captcd a isore-usd-hogs sweep of seasoss-loogq lcadiatg Harnigo. Geosqmown's back-to-baek wmns allowed Milton to toie nto a fira- place tic wit ie Kilty ises. Boi die Meshassts and Harnitos - who've each lost jut once in their own harns tis season - sham tis dVision pent- bouse witis 70 points apee Witls just seven ganses lefi for each teain, the Western, Confèeece regula- rounds of humtee advantage that go with it - could vay well corn down to a winnr-takes-ail final ciass in Hamnilton Febuiy 3. Thie 34--1-1 Mestisant cunrntly hoid a 2-1 scils lead agasoa tise Becs, who Juas reenlly lmt 70-poîi main JS. Jankus Io die NCAA. m i L r0NS k ir ER AW S 0M JanS 18 700 a.m Berkshire Secondes 8:00 a.m. Cbudleigss vs HuffiChrssks Jas se 7:00 am vs eass vs 5Shoppers Dssg Man Misam Stony Cossstruciov 1 R 8:20 a.vs Bssass's Autso Repais Austen and Noble Nom * Jan 19 2:00 p.vs GoodIde bless Gratis Ys Goodile biss Black 3 00 pm, Goodl0e Fess8le Goodlite itess Red Jan 19 4:00 pi.m. MdivW Essespsses vs Dous and Dents 5:5 p.m PsussLawffice Gasadlaire 6:30 s.m. Home Cisemna Vides 8mars Autso Repais 1745 p.m vs ldustral Ligot and Eleclmc Dseamt Car Garage Jas 17 7:30 p vs. Gus Mowbray Lsd. vs Akisolute Transpertation 8.45 p.vs Boives Aviso Repais Chadiigb :' Jas 1 9 9:005 v.. Nua-Tech Recies s cooster's Snack Ssack fC w.larkesgo fi mu~ Dci. lit Thtbmpu Bd". Unit 7&114 l1ten 905-878-1818 JanD 20 735 im. Key Centre vs TotaluTamîImage 8:53 pm. Kwsiktopy Mess Cbrsler Dodge O :1p.nr Jolissoncontsols HigbbFve Poogapy O1~ykrM~Ie 1 à ,1 û.àn OT*Uà"