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A24 - The Canadlan Champion, Tuesdày, Aùcjust 30: 2005 'Hawks sweep exhibition sel kcs ~ tîGeo-olu doU By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion One could argue that IceHawk fans would be well- advised not to put too much stock into this past week- end's home-and-home sweep of the neighbouring Georgetown Raiders. After aIl, it's stili just pre-season and the defending Dudley-Hewiut Cup champs don't even have a number one goahie yet. But given the fact that they ve taken the conference titie two of the IU~Nl last three seasons and eliminated Milton from the playoffs ste last three years, back-to-back wtns over the Raiders - even in exhibition play - should be Iooked upon with at least cautious optimîsm. "It gets you over that mental hurdle, just the fact that you did it -whether it's with haîf the lineup you'l stant the year with or not," said head coachlgeneral manager George Dupont, who like his weekend oppo- nents was missing several veterans. Added third-year defenceman Jeif Caister, "ls's always good when you beat these guys (Raiders). The players may change but the nivalry's still there. This gets us going in the right direction. It's encouraging." Showing signs thai they may have a hiale more offensive depth this season, the lceHawks followed up on Friday's 4-4 te in Mississauga with 4-I and 6-3 decisions over Georgetown. Punctuating a busy weekend with surprising spark Sunday aftemoon at Memorial Arena, they jumped I I ahead with three first-period goals - two by Jr. 8 St. Mary's Lincoln acquisition Matt Read - and were fundamentally sound the rest of the way. -We should be three or four lines strong this season. and that's what it takes to, win a championship," sug- gested Caister. Picked up from the Newmarket Hurricanes, Dan Faîbo tallied twice to lead Saturday's attack at Alcott Mena, where num- ber one goalie Zach Kleiman tumed back 25 of 26 shots in bis first start between the pipes. BHe's a big guy who covers a lot of net sud bas good rebouud control," saîd Dupont of his 6'T", 210 lbs. cager, a Saskatoon native who put up credible numbers last year with the mid-pack Gloucester Rangers of the Central Jr. A league. 1I don't sec us giving up a lot of good second and third opportunities because of him." However, Milton's bcnch boss isn't quite content with what he secs on the defensive side of things. "We necd to solidify the blueline - get some more experience back there." he uoted. Back for a third season wtth Georgetown, Campbellvîlle's Rob Sgarbossa was recently uarned an alternat captain and drew an assist against his homne- town club Saturday. 'Me lceHawks wrap sip their exhibition schedule ai home against the Mississauga Chargers Friday and kick off the regular season September 9 versus the Brampton Capisals, also ai Memorial. Both games begin aI 7:30 p.m. Filly engineers a zigcorne- from-behind win at Mohawk Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Sherylene Leelie proudly dlsplays th. silver modal she eerned wlith Clarkson's Intermedlae ftbefl teem. /Seasonecl so-fi baller bound for nationals 5v $TUV! LS0LANC D»e Champion Siteylene Leslie has finally secured a iih-stae softball me"a, and already hastbooghts of upgrading it After back-to-back fourth-place fin- lis as provitncials with lier hosnetown Milton Mysties. thse 24-year-old titir hasema and lier expansion Clarksn sçarles' intermediate 1 squad tok ail- ver receStly in Byron. 'Ibe second-place showing earnied sheri a bertlitel the Eastern Canadian C2hampionsitips in REL Septemnber 9 and il - where Leslie ishopingto cap thse season with another piece of hard- ware. "'i ssy we've got a guud situt as medaling," site suggested. And there's plenty of evidence su sup- port that d]aimt. Witie Clarkson was tbumped 12-0 in Ontaio's gold medal gaine by the dcfending provincial and Eastern Canadian champion Haimilton Pontises. the two teama split their regular season series - while Clarkson losson11Y 1 -0 su the powerhouse steel-town squad in the finals of an carly-season tournamient. Explained L.eslie, "TItat 12-O gaine didn'l really indicate itow evenly matclsed we ame wi tise Pontiaca We'd already quabifed for tise Estern Canian and we would have ha to iteat Homstt twice aince àt was a du- ble knockoul. And by titpoint we were kind oftfired. "I lh"n we have a good chiance of beating anyitody out tder. We're a new teain but we're pretty well-rounded witit nu "ea weak spots.'" She and tise Scarletta staved off elim- nation dmre straglit limes as the pruvin- daIs lu book passge 50 RELI. - solidi- fying their advancemnent with a 5-1 psy- back victuîy uver Clarkrson. Leslie pruvîded rock-slid fielding in tits pivotai showdown and drove m a run with a sacsrifice bunt. Overail, she mnade a numnber of key outs ltroughout ste tournament mclud- ing factorinsg into a crucial double play in round une su help edge Milverton 3-2. 1I guess I'm. knuwn mure for my defense," she said. After Iosing su Port Coîbomne 4-3 in ste second round, Clarkson rebuunded with 3-O and 1 -O decisions over Stratford and Chepstow - lait ycar's silver and brouze-medal finishers respectively. Cabuini Hanoverjoiued te rauks of the Ounest titree-year old paciug filies in histoty with ais absolutely unitelievable performance in the $680.100 Fan Hanover Stakes Saturday uîght at Mohawvk. Sent postward as te 7--5 favourite. Cabrixît Hanover atnd driver Bnaun Sears had 50 overcome a shockiug break as star( that shuf- fled last year's Canadian juveuile champion filly back to niuth leaviug a seemingly impossible îask ahead of bier. Rising to the occasion, she moved from eighth over a 'good track' - slowed slightly by after- noon showers -tumiug for home and kicked into high gear. Cabrini Hanover sailed sip the middle, weariug down ber rivals with ever stride, and reaclsed the wire une- and-a-half leugths aitead of Bound For Glory in 1:52. 1. Lady Dillinger also rallied remarkably from lOth spot to finish third, just a head out of second. Chotat Milk, who had edged Cabrini Hanover in the Mistletoe Shalce August 6 at the Meadowlands, had been hustled to eJfôof Beat the front by Milton's Luc Ouellette and took the field to the quarter in :27.4. Western Cruise then came calling before the half, before both early front-runners were passed by Modem Medicine going into the far tum. Meanwhile, Jimmy Takter- trained Cabrini Hanover was Ian- guishing in eighth, more than seven Iengths back, with a ton of ground to make up in the final frac- tion. But make it up she did, in an effort that had veteran race trackers in awe as she becamne racing's newest millionaire in thlè process, Sears tipped her out wide tuming for home and the rest was history. "She was real aggressive with me at the start," said Sears, who's enjoying a banner scason as the continent's leading money-win- ning driver. 1I knew 1 couldu't keep ber oIf the gale at that point. So I tried se, just sieady ber but she just got -rammy' with nie and went to ruuuiug. Originally I thought (after the break) I'd try for a deceut cheque. but italfway arouud the turu I îhougitt this isu't tite worst spot to be. She flt like she itad pleuty of pace." Added Takter. 1I ueeded this win. We've bad a good year, but in big races things haven't becu goiug well. 1 thought, here goes another one. This is a phenomnenal animal. She's just unique." Last year, Cabrini Hanover - co-owned by Bob Anderson of St. Thomas and King City's David Willmot - set a world record of 1:51 at Woodbine on ber way to winning Oive of seven starts and takiug O'Brien and Woodbiue Entertairment Group honours as Canada's top two-year-old pacing filly. This year, the daughter of Western Ideal-Cathedra, who was a $350,000 yearling purchase, had prevailed in four of ber eight starts before Saturday's memorable showing. Milton foursome setties for fifth - ee MORE on page A23 "It was really our experieuce that gos us thirougit, ste fact that we'd been there before and kuew svit it sok so win," said ste local vice. "But we certaiuly did it the bard svay." The national champs acsually losi sheir firsi game to a Milton Lawn Bowling Club seam -comprised of oui-of-towners Mark Sauford, Jeif Harding, Martin Foxhaîl and Martin Haalstra - 15-Il. But te local foursome -who won ste provincials in June - had to, setule for fifth overaîl, due primarily to 18-12 and 28-17 losses as the itands of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Ontario teams sveren't separated by mucit in prelimiuary play, with 4-2-I sud 4-3 records illustras- ing jusl hosv close titis year's champîouship was. "There svas definitely a loi of parisy titis year." said Anderson. "Usually txvo leams run away from te pack, but shal wasn't the case ai aIl thîs lime." This marked thte titird lime in seven years that a fours team sviith local conuecifous medaled as the nationals. lu 1999, a Milton-based contingent includiug Ken Armstrong - playiug second -captured bronze in Toronto.