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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday Febrnary 81 2005-25 Milton-area horsernen dlaim O'Rrien awardçè Que/lette, Stutzman namned Canada's top driver and trainer for 2004 Local horsemen delivercd a one-ino punch ai Standardbred Canada's O'Brien Awards banquet Saturday. Luc Osellette and Joc Stutzman nalked anay with national driver and trainci of the year honours --the chenry on top 0f stellar 2(X(14 campalguis. A native of St.-Atigustine and champion of the Meadowlands before mnoving to rural Milton iii t3ecenîher 20013, Onellette dominated the Woodbine circuit fast y car with 3710 sictories - o surpass the 7.0010 win plateau --and $9.1I million in earo- ings. Also scooping up bis fît st O'Brien Photos by TODD HORLEY Chris Christoforou, Standardbred Canada's 2003 Driver of the Vear, presents the 2004 O'Brien award ta fellow Miltonian Luc Ouellette. Above inset, Campbellville's Joe Stutzman was ail smiles affer being namned Trainer of the Vear. Rep teams do their best Cinderella impressions - at least for a while By MURRAY TOWNSEND Special ta The Champion Once upon a lime in a tand very close there tived a group of nice hockey players. Tbey worked very hard, but their evif step- brothers in the Tri-County League would pick on them and beat tbem. But then ih was lime for the grand bail. otberwise known as the pI ayoffs, and guess wbo sbowed up? Here's a tale of three teamns The Champion tracked into the sec- ond round of the playoffs. Minor Midget AA The minor midgets finished second fast in the Tri-County standings, so it appeared the onty thing tbat coutd hetp themn against 17-10-1 Orangevilte in the first round of the ptayoffs was a clone of coach John Nadalin, one of the mosî tateuted local players to come down the pipe in recent years. Not so fast. The Winterhawks etiminated Orangeville in five games, after tosing the first two. Their next opponient was Burlingtou. a teani with a benter record ihan Orangeville. aud Milion lost the opener 7-0. ln g ame tso Thursday night, Milton lost. but showed signs of arevival. Down just 2- 0l with jusi oser a mtnute to go they pulled goatie Joey DeAthe. and Mike Hannah who'd bit a crossbar earlier in the period - fired one by the Burlingion goaltender. With tlie Wintet lawks applving, pressure to tic tl up. a Burlîngton player shot tl the lengtb ol the ice for an empiy-netter. fI stifl %asu't oser though., as Hauuah foundc thic mark y et again. although thc iset lsad suspt- ciousîs' come off its moorîugsjust as he usas shooting. so il didtît couru. Tîte utitor nîidgets hasve 'orne miomen tuni going mbt the thîrd game tonîght ai 7:45 p.m. ai Milton Sports Centre. They know now they can pIlay with Burlington. However, they're going to have îo find a way to use tbeir size advantage. bury their chances and gel more pi ayers to the net wben the puck is there. Bantam AA One tbing about au Arme Parce s- coached teamn is that they're going îo improve as a season goes on. So, despite finishing nintb of If ieams during the reg- ufar season, they came ont and upset Ancaster ( 18-9-1t) in the Oirst round of the playoffs. After iying the Oirsi game and tosing the second, the Winîerhawks won three straight 3-2 gamnes, the f ast of which ws seaf cd wiîh an overtime marker by Brayden Abrahami. lu the second round. they were up against the Oirsi place Burt ington Eagfes, and got smothered Il -o in the Oirst game. lu game two in Milton Friday uighî, the Winterhawks were downed f0- t. Sometîmes you have to gîve credit where it's duc, andl Burliugton is ' tsi an outstanding team. There's a reason sshly they were 2233during the regufar sca- sou, and they showed il. There were some weak goals early tn the gane, buit tl uoulduti have mattered. To theiî credit the Winterhawks shoned their prîde by batîling to the end. Tlie eîîd canme on Suinay suhen thcy lost gane three t I-f1. Minor Peewee AA [lie miltor peessees non tusti gatncs l seasoti. l the fiîrst round of the play olîs lhcv non thircc. swseeping Anicasier. The 2-25-I teani faced the 19-6-3 Guetlph Stormi in the second round sud fosi the Oirst game 4-3. The second game oh the series weni Friday night in Mifton. and if you didu'î know their records, anybody waîchiug the game woufd have thought the Winterhawks were the better team. Tbey stormed the Storm froni the stant ouiusorking ibeni. ouî-chancing theni. and outptaying them. James Hani and Sean McGovem coutd bave each bad a hai-trîck in the Oirst period aI one if the puck had been bouncing their way. Kevin Thomson opened the scoring in the second peniod and after Burt ingion lied it up, Hani gave the Winterbawks a third perîod fead. Tyfer Jordan weathered the Stormi as Guetlph mouuîed an attack. but with seven minutes remaining Guetlph tied tl up and then wenî abead on a great shot with four minutes teO. The Storm put in two in the final minute io win 5-2. The dlock stnîck midunighî in game three Sunday nighî with a final score of 5-0. kuockîng Milton oui of the OMHA play- downs. Zach Maccauley assarci, Camphetlville's Stutzman ted hors- e - ncluding Spring t>acing --to 493 wins in 20114. as well as a collective hankroll of $4.1I million. He and Oueîlette ectged (out lather and son Carl and Jody Jamieson for their Sîandarctbred Canada hardware. Houston-owtîed Rainbow BIue was namiec hoth horse ol the year and top three- year old filIy pacer white harness racing's richesi pacing mare of aIl ttme -the now retired Etemal Camnation -claimed an unprecedented fifth O'Brien award as Canada's older pacing mare ol the year. Juvenile 'Ha wks bow out quietly By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion No scuse of urgeucy equalted no survisal for the juvenile Wtnterhsanks Saturday tsight. Facing do-or-die imsplications in fronît oh a siable crowd at Meni(iaf Arena. Miltotn cidu't rcalfy shiîft tint of neutral untîf the thîrd pertori. AndI the pair tfgoals scîîrcd thets just wasnît cîîough to stas c îîffclimîîîatîîîîî as ttîe sîppîîsîg St. Cathsarines Warrnors prevailed 5-2 sud took the best tîf-seven OMHA fîrst rousnd in a rather efficient Oive games. -We just didn't waîîi if. You catît waiî uuîîl tbc third period sud except a couple of' goals f0 save you:- saîd dejecied head coach im Kîsmafskt. jusi monments ahlter the sertes clîncher. M The Winterhawks uscre placed oit the proverbial chopping block two nîghts carfier on the road. where despiîe severety out-chancing Si. Catharines tbey were btanked 3-O. I was a much different story back ai home Saîurday, as a tack of spark iu high traffic areas sud bruit powerpfay set-up ibrough tIse Oirsi iwo periods afforded the hosts jusi a dozen shots hehore final- ly breakiug the shutoni ihree simd-a-ba f minutes into the final frame. Thomas Patrick did the honours wiîh a close-range deflection, white Jutian Ricci bunied a rebssund six minutes later to draw witb- in one. But tbe Warriors woutd quickty resiore their tbree-goa cushion with deposits jusi 29 seconds apan sund bung ou to ground the Winierhawks. Saturday's toss came withouî tie services oh retiabte suiper Kyte Burreff, who began serviug a thrce-gamne suspensiou sustaiued in St. Catharines Thursday. The juveuites now wait to sec wbo they'lI face iu Niagara District ptayoff action tater this monîh. lu other Wînîerhawk OMHA competiîiou. the AA minor atoms evened their besi-of-Oive second round series with FI amborough Saturday ntghî ai Mitlton Sports Centre. Drew McMif feu assisted ou a secoud-period equafizer by Colin Mattby sud ihen sttmck wiîb jusi 57 seconîds rcmainiug îo give bis team a 2-t vîciory and crase a f-O deficit. Seoling bim up was Taylor McVey. Retumiug (rom a recent tltness, JiJ. Schaap stood taIt beîweeu the pipes. Ganse ttsree goes touigfst in Ftamborougb. Maccauley named top lineman The accolades continue tît roll in lot Zach Maccauley. Recenîly compfetiug a second straiglht 0- g caînpatgti n itI Ness Bruînsn'ick's Motîtît Allison football icaut. tIse 2(h-year old Miltotiian ssas ilauied offensisve lineinan of the ycar ,ît the Mlounties; banquet ]ate last monîh. The honour coitnes osi the heef s of' hîs coisîcretîce aIl-star selectisîn ,ît the etîs ol the regUlar seasots. lZacb is a s crs taleutecl aind athlec plavcr. He had anothet otîsstauding vear and renains as onue ofI the best iic s league:- saîd Mîmurt Allistîn lsead coîach Stese I aLorsîde. i î rcceuily îcplaccd skipper Scîtil -an cett iii au cfourt tît tevi- talize the ai lîîs fotball club. "He lias a t cal <(turc iii1 lie Icîgîte, ancl tu dîîsîb in pttfcssssttial fotbtlall il' lic sît cîtitses, He's alst et.clled tilt tIse <îcld c.rintg hinsself Acadcmîc AIl Caîsadiai status in 2Wh1 as a iiatlicmiaî cs mtajoir. z