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24 -The Canadien Champion, Friday. March 7, 2003 SPORTS rFire on, ice MiftOn Skating Cub$s WWW i.KOUO prOUCddI- ploya her champlonshlp hardwarea~tr fnlhng IMlIth UwJunirB«Sm Lad.. Fr.«osa.t IMt viauhend's Cenwri Ontaulo S*Ctkona inu'ctub ChampWoehp, et Toen Ranch. Securlng ailver modale ln. Prlilminary Frseakat.and introductor lnterpretive reap.ctlay were Danielle ClatiPn(m top) and Angola, Schrenipt (muet: bottom>. Aiso com- pting were Hugh Ritchle, Julla Ceeosandi Kendua Paguaga. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE iMerchants, Raiders set to battie for West titie Veteran defenceman has 'unfinished business'3 By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion The Merchants shouldn 't have any shortage of motivation for their next playoff round. After ail, theres a conference titie up for grabs. But Milton's longest serving player bas a little extra incentive going in tbis weekend's best-of- seven series witb tbe Georgetown Raiders. Nearing tbe tatl-end of his third and finai sea- son as a Merchant, Rick Janco is tbe lone boldover froin the club's last division champi- onsbip contingent ini 2001. Unfortunately, the two-timne ail-star wasn't able tu buist tbe tropby above bis bead - baving sustained a season-endnig knee injury early in gaine seven before Andrew Francone sank an overtime deposit to eclipse Brampton. Needless to say, Janco bas been itcbing for a retum to tbe conference finais - and to be bealtby for the duration Ibis time around. "Yeab. it's kind of unfitnisbed business for me. because I wasn't Ibere to bear tbe final buzzer ini 20O1,"lbe satd. "And tbere's a lot of guys on tbis team wbo've neyer won a junior cbampionsbip, SO we've got lots of motivation." Assumning a mucb more pivotai role Ibis sea- son tban be did as a fresbman two years ago. Ibe NCAA-bound defenceman says Ibis year's divi- sion title clash sbould be more memorable Iban bis last - ai least from a personai standpoint. Said Janco, 'i've contributed more as a player Ibis season and been bealthier Iban during my rookie year. Also, we've been tbrougb some ups and downs wiIb Georgetown Ibis season. Win or lose. Ibis conference finais is going to be a big part of my junior career." The veteran blueiner sees deptb and motiva- tion as the Merchants' biggest weapons heading into battie against the neighbouring Raiders - who booked passage 10 the division champi- onship witb a 5-I gaine- seven win over Oakville Wednesday night. "You're only as strong as your weakest link, and Rick Janco we don't bave a weak link" stressed Janco. This weekend marks the first time Ibat Milton and Georgetown bave clasbed for tbe conference crown, and tbe series bas Ibe potenfial 10 be Ibe mosî competitive ever between tbe north Haiton rivais. Tbe Raiders bave a front-line attack nearly as dangerous as Ibe Mercba.nts' and tbeir defense - while flot stellar - is a whole lot more imposing than the ones Milton bas recently seen in sweeps against Streetsvile and Buffalo. However, Georgetown doesn't quite measure up in terins of overali discipline and its goal- tending hasn't been as reliable as ace stopper Cody Spicer. But above ail that, the series could easily comne down to home-ice advantage - since neither team won in their opponent's bain during five regular-season encouniters. That bodes well for the Merchants, who've got tbe extra gaine at home and haven't lost there since early October. 'he series begins tonight at Memorial Mrena, with gaine two set for tomnorrow evening at Gordon Alcotti Mena. Both gaines start at 7:30 p.m. Gaine tbree wil be Tuesday in Milton at 7:30 p.m. while game four it scbeduled for Wednesday ùi Georgetown, starting aI 8:30 p.m. If necessary, gaine Ove is next Friday, in Milton, gaine six next Saturday in Georgetown and gaine seven Tuesday, Mar. 18 ini Miton. Clarke"s Go» www.clarkesgolf.com C Mýl .à, CANADIAN CHAMPION IMARCII 200,1