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p28-mhe Canadian Champion, Fniday, March 21, 2003 CHMINFRT s A C 1 0 «,Merchants suifer OT heartbreak in game 7 Harvey' sfive-hole blast ýeals Milton's fate in do-or-die tilt By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion M ilton's hockey heartbreak bas neyer min deeper. Witb every possible nook and cranny occupied at Memonial Arena Tuesday, Merchant fans let out a collective gasp of devastation around 10:45 p.rn. when their beloved juniors surrendered a double over- tinte goal to Georgeown's Kevin-Harvey. The ive-hole slapshot, wbicb beat Cody Spicer 12:51 into thc second sudden death period, capped a 3-2 Raider victory inia winner-takes-all seventh gaine of the Western Conference finals - the fisi ever between thc nordi Halton rivais. Roughly 1 ,4010 spectators were on band for the epic encounter, wbicb ended witb thc Merchants' fi-st loss in 27 borne gaines. It was also Uicfiti tinteini 25 Milton- Gcorgetown tilts - dating back to the rid- 90s - that Uic Raiders tasted victory iniUic Tbornpson Road bain. Milton bad strung together tbrec narrow wins at bore n e series - including a double overtsme victory of dicir own in gaine one - but juil couldn't dodge t last-remaining bullet. Needlcîs to say, teani and disappointinent were in ample supply for Uic Mercbants once gante seven's deciding vote was cast. "I really Uiought we bad it," said deject- cd assistant captain Ricb Meloche, who scored midway through Uic third period to force overtimeienibis lait junior gante before heading off 10 Bowling Green duis fali. 'fic worst thing wilI be not gonig to practice anymore. This is a great bunch of guys, and I love this place (Memtorial)." For bcad coacb Mario Cicebillo and gen- cmal manager Dave Brown, Tucsday's OT lois could beit bc charactcrizcd as painful déja vu. Two years ago - amost to Uhc day - their Bramopton Capitals were van- quisbcd by thc Merchants ini suddcn death of gante seven. But to suggest cither bas becorne de-sen- sitized t0 cbasnpionship-level defeat would be ludicrous to say Uic least. "Any tirne you bice a gante seven in sudden death it's bard to swaflow," said Brown. Added Ciccbillo, "No, it neyer gets any casier. Once you get down 10 ovcrtiine in gante seven, it doesn'î initIer how rnany practices you've bad, sornebody's gonig 10 bace it on a rmistake." Ini this case it was a defensive pnich wbich allowcd a blockcd sbot by Harvey 10 lic quickly convcrted into a breakaway and subsequent gante wincer. Up to that point, Spicer had been nothing short of masterful with 13 sudden dcath denials - including four glove laves that were wortiy of any over-tbc-top form of flattety imaginable. "You bave 10 feel bad for Cody," said Meloche. "He playcd so well and was such a kcypart of tis teans." Melocbc's Uird-period goal - bis 10O1st of league play in two seasons as a Merchant - was Uic second cqualizer of Uic nigbî for Milton. Felow assistant cap- tain Pbil Sbroccbi tank the firsi ridway tbrough period two, higbligbting a stellar alI-around performance with bis fourth playoff goal and second in as rnany borne gaines. Rob Ricci and Brad Eftimiou assisted on both goals, wbile icoring in regulation tinie for the Raiders wcre Brent Hughes and rookic defenceman Steve Spade. If Uire'i any consolation 10 lic found with Tuesday's beartbreakig defeat, it's that Uic Merclsants' coacbing staff - wben with Brampton - bas tumed hiii type of advcrsity into triurpb before. "Tbe year after we lost 10 Milton (in Uic conference finals) we came back and won everything," noted Ciccbillo. 'Tbis îbould only make us stronger." Steve LeBlanc can be reached at sie- blanc@haltonsearch.com. fiClarke"s Golf vit do" W- - à - m