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24-The Canadian Champion, Friday, March 4, 2005 Hockey dead? Not in Milton a, c~g~ MILTON TOWN HALL CORNE R OF B ROWN SI. & MARY ST. i B ilý M. U'îPl .,,OHIl 1) 'MA1.Ssi 416-819-3159 WIDNFSDAY, FR1 DAY & SUN DAY 7:3 0 P.M Uiza6etô, 94aôiou, & fÎ3ùudaf C(&utiqu Let us help you make your day a very special one. Ils tinte to Iook for thatperfect dress - Clearnce Choosefrom gowns by: Rack Alfred Angetii. Jessica McClintock, Moîn R ber'. Sinvnity, From Sweerheaîr, Sara Danielle and Nurnode. $199-$399 AUl Sales Final, For The Bridesmaids: Cash & Carry Alfred Arigetio Loi-Ann. Alfred Sung aird Ncimide. For The Mothers: N, ýitgc, Alfred Su, Lori-AnandNunde. It's Prom Week at Tuesday-Saturday 77 Main St. SK Downtown½Gorgetown 905-873-1470 Email: elizabethsfashions@cogeco.ca www.bridalsplendor.com -llev key Is dead.' repts a gluml radio.announcer early on a Sunday morning. It was the day aller there had heen optimismi that the NHL sea- son would be saved despite being officially cancelled carlier in the week. At the Milton Sports Centre, or the Ertnec SIrops Noîlim, depend- ing on which way you're driving, weary-eyed parents are leaning wherever they can, clutching their coffee cups and wishing they could have had just one more hour of sleep. On the ice, a teani is pracîising t'. passing, going end 10 end. One of the players finishes off is turm in style. scoring ilespite the tact the goalie is preoccupied. A goal is a goal and hie raîses his stick in tri- umph. Mayhe somebody on that ice j'. the next John Tonielli or Darren Haydar. Probably not. but each oe ol themn ha'. iragined hirI seicor- ing a goal iii the NHL or carrying the Stanley Cup around the ice. None ol then has. imagincd w'hat il would hie lîke 10 hasýe that privl- lege. aird to receive ntoney for tl Oit the other surface, finle guy'. bursî onto the ice. Il doesii*t miltter to teni ilhat finie fi is. thiey've been s'. aittnig tèr tht'.. po'.'ibty toi al sseek. Somne et' thein had a bard tinie getting te '.leep on Saturday niglit becau'.e they w'ere '.0 e'.cited -ç Out in leftfield about playing. A check of' the dressing roomn assigniments aI the front entrance reveals a full schedule for the day. trîcluding games in the Halton Tw.isîers girls hockey league. Eveir some of themn dreamn about playîng in the NI-L, but for mosî of them jusî playing hockey ts good enough. Hockey*s not dead here. Over at Thompson Arena. a group of' ment are playing shînny. Everybody is svearing diflerent jer- s.eys.. These guys get eip early ju'.r t'or the opportunrty te pay itioney 10 hiaIt ptay aî game. No r-eterces,. no score. Hockey'. net dead bere. either. At Tenielli Atetta. lthe mnensl Sunday rnomîing oldîîmners league t'. utudersi ay. Tb'ey haive'urtitormî .îrtd retvrvv'., but vs heu they score a goal it'., te btg deal, and iosI dortt esen botbet te ceiebrate. Ju'.r play- ing is gîrirv enougbi Each eue oft hem ssuruld hase gladly gsvent up ss hatesýer job'. they hLiai dui rng ilicil llitiiiC- il tJlvy d been able 10 play in the NHL înstead. Each one of them wîruld pay money just bo sit on an NHL bench during a game. jusi once. Nobody told these guys that hockey is dead. For some of them it hasn't been dead for more than 50 years. On a Tuesday nîght, at a juvenile playoff senies north of Toronto, hall the town lurros out 10 cheer on its leam, and haîf the visitîng teami's town shows up to cheer on ils team. None of these players wîll ever play in the NHL and il doesn't mat- ter to themr one bit. Thi'. t'. their NHL. They just love 10 play and it shows every trne they go on thc ice and gîve everythtng they".e got. When the game is over and oee team is eliminated. players front boîh Side'. fiue up fer the cu'.îem- ary hand'.hake. Fans froin both sîde'. stanîd and cbecr themn ofithe ice. Hockeysl not dead here. or atîy svhere. That's because lsyr.and greedy unioti head'. donit have tîte povser te ktll it. It'., nt somnethine yen cati negottate or take te court, It'. nol up te thetu. It s uip te (lie people et Mvilton, arîd Otntarie. atnd il acre'.' Caîtiada te decidu. and accerdirig to thoe'. s'.ho flatter tîte ine'.t, hockey is alise and \sell. Mior atoms drop series opener The glass stîpper niay be about te fiii on the minor again'.î Caledon. Flamnborough and Orangeville after a atoîn AA Wtnterhavvks' Cinderella playotf mun. 13-13-2 regular season. "But just 10 get 10 Ibis point Havîng wvon three slraight five-game rounds 10 reach Isemitinals) t'. big. We're really proud of the guys.- the OMHA semnifinals, Milton nos' ha'. the rallher Drew MeMillen spoiled the Raiders* shutout bîd unenviable task of' lacîng neighbouring 9 wiîh a mere 13 second'. lefi. usîng a back- powerhouse Georgetown Rarders svwho h and 10 bury a goal rnouth '.cramble. dominaîed regular-season play and looks. Teammates Tyler Ganly and J.R. poi'.ed 10 delîver ariother chainpiurn'hip Sander.on siere each denred on the break- run. away by a rock-solîd and sizahle te'.a evenîn inerd o tecs Georgeton vhr on nerpr. Sha avaltor t easî thatn aperdin b Iecs Georgetown ser o n te nderl .J.Sha a o fr despite a credible efttiîncludîng sîrlid ber on the nigbî and came up w.iîh some big cage svork and a big tive-on tlîree penalty kilt saves to keep things respectable. -the Winterhawks were toppled 6- t. Milton hosîed amre î'.o last night. white game "They're a sery good teain. They've been beating three gocs iomorrow afienroon ai Georgetosvn's Alcoît '.orte AAA club'. ibis year,'* said head coach Jeif Rudd. Arena. If nece'.'ary game fours.Ill be played ai Miltonu whose local charge'. tîxrk do-or-die filth gamne tilts .Sports Centre Tuesday ai 7:30 pr.n Big finish earns tie for AE2 atoms There's îiething like leasiitg ihings oa the lasi po'ssible momtent 10 cri ate a litile draina. t'itlton'. AE2 atoros dîd exacty î5.at Tuesday evetting. '.coring twice tri te final 13 second'. vif play to eke (tut a 2-2 lie s'.îh a stunned Hespeler. JiJ. Stînîsun notted rhing'. up wrtlî a measly 1550 ticks lf vin the dlock -ihanks in large pari tir a centre ice taccurl s'.in by Andres' Sîîîîîh -aller Tanner Brigg'. dres'. s'.ibmi a gotaI Il second'. earlîer. Boîh '.'.ere gîtaIliutlt 'craîîîble deposits. vs 1h the tîrsi set up by Zacli Wadhani. Tristan Kîvac ws' beaten tsvice in the îtpeiting frame but stood tait Ihrough the durain ofl the night. The stalentate ail but guaranreed the Wiîîîerhas ' a berih int the Tri Ctuniy fiuaIs. They sit firsi ai 4-t)-2 and '.vll close oui the round roîbin Marcb 15 in Acton. The AE2 atoros are ici'.' jusi isse gaines as'.,ay Irro matching iheir seasoît ligb eîghî-gamne unheaten '.lreak, îîîcludîng' tîr ur straighr shutouts in December. Skaters show strongly at Oshawa meet The Milton Skating Club delrvered sotie iinpres'.ise efforts recenîly ai the Oshawa Invitattonal. includîng four lirsi-place finishes and nearty a doLen other top- three shosvîngs. Resulîs are as follosvs: Pre-Prelliminary Ladies 1: Sophie MacLellan and Serena GilI (lied for t si). Athena Zorzi (2nd>. Kendra Wilcox. Dana Hamilton and Rebecca Cherry (lied for 3rdt. Colleen Collins, Jennifer Collins and Courtney Whethamn (lied for 5th). Jasm-ine Beaulîeu (7tht Pre-Prelimninary Ladies 2: Melissa Cherry t2ndt. Cadence Baker (3rdî, Christina Austen (8th) Pre-Preliminary Ladies 3: Jenîta Wilson t3rd>, Erin Rooenburg and Lindsay Mîndenhaîl (lied for 4thî Pre-Prelun.inary Mens 1: Daniel Nîkîîlîch t2nd( Pirelinsinary Ladies. Victotria Smith (2ndb. Julie Cenedese (4tht. Katte Preisuer (7thî. Samantha Nikoltch t9tht Junior Bronze Ladies. Amanda Austen <Isît. Kendra Paguaga t2ndt, Rosslyn Schultz th). Meghan Greaves (7th) Senior Bronze Ladies: Danielle C'larke ( 1si) Senior Silver Ladies: Lîsa Petie t3rdt. Meghan l3mphrey (8th>