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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, March 30, ý2004-21 * tq"qb AU* W0ý 41N stebtanc@haltonsearch.com Bantams keep Tri County titie hopes alive with hard-fought tie Winterhawks battie through short bench to prolong series By STEVE LOBLANC The Champion Milton's AA major bantains have lived to fight another day. Erasing three one-goal deficits and bat- tling through late-gane fatigue at Memorial Mena Thursday night, the Wmnterhawks gutted out a mnuch-needed fie with the Burlington Eagles. The 3-3 draw pushed the now four-point Tri Counsy championship series to a third gamne, which goea sonigbt at Burlington's Appleby Mena as 7:45 p.m. Hopes for avoiding the aweep didn't look too promising for much of the might, as thse hoats felI behind twice ini tise first six min- utes and then had five players ejected dur- ing a aecond-period line brawl. Down to eight skaters againas Burlington's 12, the Winterhawks looked to be on their way out, especially after sur- rendering another goal just minutes after fihe roughhousing. However, Milton's remaiing players would find fise necessary reservet to even Ussngt up one more tine - wiUs a Usird- period blueline bulles Usrough heavy traffic by Brens Truîl - and survive sudden deaUs. Given Use fact Usas Use Winterhawks fin- ished wiUs only two natural defencemen and couldn't make a wholesale line change for more Usan 30 minutes wiUsout a flood break, Use gamne two stalemnate could cer- tainly be viewed as a moral vicsory. "Mlie guys who were lefi beared down and really camne Usrough," said hesd coach John Nadalin, whote troopa remnain in Use hunt for a second straight Tri County tifle - having won îast year as minor hantantis wiUs a perfect 13-0 campaign. Joey DeAthe tumned back 28 shots over- ail and a handful Usrough Use extra session. He was particularly effective in Use second period, stopping 12 of 13 shots so, keep Burlington fromn pusting Usings out of reach. Offensively, Mac Fillinan led with a pair of aasiata - helping set up a wide-angle screen shot by Luc Hartwick and a power- play dooratep deposit by captain Daniel Kearna. Drawmng single helpers were Jon Monk and Jeif Lynch. Now trailing three-pointa-to-one, the Winterhawks will be back to near full atrength for tomight's must-win clash as Appleby. If victorioua, they'll hoat a fourth and deciding tilt tomnorrow as Milton Sports Centre aI 8 p.m. Winterhawk tykes golden Tri County titie drive capped in dramnatic style By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Milton 's smallest rep hockey players have put the fmnishing touches on the biggest rags to riches sîory of the season. TIse final chapter wtt written as Teen Ranch Sunday aftemoon, when Use tyke Winterhawks shaded hot Caledon 2-1Iso solidify Tri Counsy gold. Having won jut twice throughout the regular season, Use local ristk rats weren't exsctly expected to have much playoff prosperi- sy - much lest corne out on top. But fortified teamn play resulted in a 7-0-3 round-robin cant- paigu. From thUere, s nifty mix of clutch goaltending and goal scoring were enough to tee Use champi- onship drive through to fruition. Austin Dezecuw pro- vided the tisle-clinching heroict, scoring with jut Uree minutes remnaining to give Milton a Usree-games- to-one victory. l Matthew Gooding and MatUsew Lenahan assisted on Use golden goal - just Use eighUs overall in a dramna-rich series Usat saw ail four tilts decided by a single goal. Nicholas Hoffmnan would thare Use gamne-four sposlight wiUs ail- around sharp play and an incredible glove save in Use Usird period, while season-Iong scoring leader Brett Everson potted a second- period equalizer - with heîp fromn Rourke Ferguton and Jacob Quinn. Offering just as much excitemnent - if not more - as Milton Sports Centre Friday evening, Use Winterhawks put Caledon on Use proverbial chopping block wiUs a 1-0 overtirne triumph. The combatants appeared headed for a scorelets stalemnate when Ben Preisner banged in Quinn's doorstep leftovers wiUs about two minutes remaining in sudden deaUs. Ferguson alto assisted on Use night's lone miarker, while Preisner and Everson moved Use puck well alI gamne. Ryan McLaughlin made a big shot block in Use Usird to aid Connor Hallyburton - whote flawless performance was high- lighted by a pair of huge pad saves down Use ttretch. Overall, hie made a dozen saves to outduel his capable counsterpart. Making up Use ret of Use championship teamn are Aidan Atkinton, Andrew Dodson, Liant Duplantis, Robert James, Liant McNabb, Zak SmiUs and Adam Wilson. So far Use tykes are Milton's only teamn to win Tri County gold titis year. Optimist toumey beefed up The Optinst Tounament is back - bigger and better than ever. Set to begin Thurtday evening as Milton Sports Centre, thse additional entry rep hockey bash has been beefed up to 47 teama - with competition in every division from novice to nùdget. "I actually would have wanted more teains, but we couldn't gel any more ice," said chairtnan Martin Larkin, who took over dhe organizing reignas after coaching in Use toumamrent for the pass four years. 'Hopefully next year we can make is even bigger. I'd like to tee it up 10 eight teamas in each age Teamas from as far away as Georgian Bayas Mamtoulin Island and Belle River wilî vye for divi- sion bragging rights from Thursday to Sunday, when a full tisse of championship gantes will be contested as MSC. John Tonelli Sports Centre will alto be used for round-robin tilts on Friday. Last year marked Mlton's moat tuccesaful show- ing in recent memnory as its teason-ending tourna- ment, wiUs Use sykes, bantants and midgets ail tecur- ing Optimias gold.