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28 - The Canadian Champion, Fniday, February 28, 2003 SPORT .,Local skating sisters look to add national gold to hardware haul Viscontis' Brampton Gold Ice aims for top honours -W ITIVI LOBLANC % wChamfqiôn It's aIl or notbing for Bnaimpto6tGold Ice. Ib nearby junior syroehronized skating test» - wbiwh incltides Milion sisters AMicia and Moissa Visconti - captured brnze at lai. year's national chamapionabtips. So now with another seaaan'a expesience and victo- ry at just about evesy tuai over tihe past few montlîs, anysbig lems dma gold this weekend in Monfteal wilI bc- met with diaappointmennj "We want ta win," 16-yea-oid Alicia blurted outs, almost before the questiop of natina expectations was asked. "flat's beets aur goal nigbs frat» the begin- ning of the year." Whfie llsat's obviously a lot ta live Up ta, reaching the top of -the podiuma cextainly seems attainable - given Gold lce's recent lrack record. Bramspton bas partaipad as a bandful of eventa Ibis season and ps'evailed at ail but one - striking silver Llt mSat niotaan international meet in Detroit. AIl odier sisowingsbave resulted in top bonomSt inctuding a recent Overseas triumph atitdie Czech Republic'a Prague Cop'and subsequent Win aI Secsionala in Bsnpto. W' ote bt Reaaîed 18-year-old'Mebusa, "ev otnbt tur with overy conspetition. Tis quality of aur skating bas just gottensCronger and stronge." A big rcason for tisas ongoing improveenu la tiat anmog Branptos's 20-msesnber unit, 18 are retunsees - wiichas aagreat dea in tertns ofthe team's cobesion tI»s year. But h umsp casai Ibisweekend tnay just ho BrausptSm's success agaiàsa Canada's otisr gold- moedal favouritea dhii season. Burington Ice limage and Qsebec's Les Supremes tock firat and second re ciey at lm year's naticBals, but sees» ripe toise oetk yGcld Ice W MotaL Il m Vis ýn tis b lp ed B r mpton fl tSg e otb sqG os hoo by G RHM w P AINE do so agsin. fWcye wo.ke. alot on thertotal package, l M oduIl e out*«xminandsped, eplane Alci . ** 8hd MotIw 01som ltGlsh d l un he'»d.o Merchants set to punctuate another sweep By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion The Merchants are poised to put another opponient ini the proverbial rearview mirror. Milton bypassed Iowly Streetsvile in the minimum four games during openmng-round play, and now - altbough not enjoymng nearly as mucb as dominance - is in position for an equally quick disposai of Buffalo. With a tbree-gamnes-to-none hammerlock on their cross-border rivais, the regular season champs wil have two chances to wrap up the Western Conference semnifinais in front of the hometown crowd this weekend. Should Buffalo fend off the sweep this evening, the first- time playoff combatants will be back at Memorial Arena Sunday afiemoon at 3 p.m. A victory tonight would shlow Milton to match its longest winning streak ever - a 1 7-game mun set earlier this season. The opportunity to tie that mark was made possibl e by Monday's 4-3 squeaker in Buffaio, where the championship- minded Merchants persevered through their stiffest post-season test to date and drew witbin a wmn of the division finais. Milton's supporting cast greased the offensive wheels during this latest road trip. Getting hianseif on the scoresheet for the fifth consecutive game, baby-face penaity killer Dean Strong struck twice ini the second period to pad a lead established on a huge shortbanded marker by fellow freshman ion Ornelas. Buffaio would draw within one before star sophomore Rich Meloche made good on the powerplay to restore a littie breatbing room late in the middle stanza. That deposit wouîsd up being the gamne-winner, as the Ligbtning beat Cody Spicer once more before internnission but were blanked tbrougb the finsai frame. That's been a major trend these days for the Merchants, who've yet to give up a third-period goai in the playoffs. Meloche aiso assisted on Strong's second goai for a two-point night, while matching that output with a couple of assista was Brad Efthimiou. The top line partners lead Milton with 21 playoff points each. Rick Janco, Phil Sbrocchi and Ryan Silveira cbipped in single belpers Monday. Like Strong, Silveira bas recorded points in bis last five outings. Completed by Ornelas, Milton's SOS third lime bas figured in six of the 14 round-two goais so far. Tonight's game starts at 7:30 p.m. ONTARTO MORTGAGE ACTION CENTRE LTD. 93 20 'Your First Choice in Mortgage Financin g" ePURCHASES *RENEWALSITRANSFERS * REFINANCES *PRE-APPROVALS 0 TELEPHONE/ON-LINE APPLICATIONS 0 CALL TrODAY! 1*OAC RAESSUJET O HAG VISIT OUR NEW OFFICE IN MILTrONMALL SHOPPING CENTrRE (905) 875-2333 WWW.OMAC-MORTGAGES.COM HEADOF VARABL ~ICE 131 WNARNCUFFE RD. LONDON -A- CA NA 1) 1 A N CI 1 A N 1 Pl () N 1 ý R 1 DAY 1 ý FB R L lýA R Y 2 8, 2 0 03 m 1