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The Canadian Champion, Friday, December 28, 2007 - Al 7 SPORTS EDITOR: STEVE LeBLANC e-mail sIeblanc@hatonsearch.com Short-staffed Hawks drop pre-holiday tilts WELCOME BACK, GUYS: Above, Jim Cartwright lin white) batties Pat Henneberry for a loose peck during last Frday's Mlton Jr A hockey alumni game- the second in three years - ai Memorial Arena. At left, lceHawks back- up goalie Steve Zoffranieri and Mark MePhail (n black) try to prevent Breit McCuIIy from scorng, While no officiai score was kept, the black team- featuring sueh welI known alumni as Travis Riggin, Mike Cox and Mike Rusk battled back from an early deficit 10 edge their fellow for- mer juniors by a goal or two, Injuries, suspensions contribute to rare pointless weekend The Icellawks headed into the holiday break on a tough note, wth jusi their second pomntless weekend of the season. Short-staffed for its final gaines of 2007 - mnosi notahly with head coach Randy Novak and griii centre Dean kuilla servtngim u tw() gante suspen- sionis ,ssessed at the endc of a rnugh hatile witth Buffalo Decetuber 14 -Milton eut shot u oppositionrintriboth gaines b Iut caine ip short each ntght. A 0-1or-12 p)owc rplav, outage andl shaky stretch for Dillon Btranco vvere jusi too înuch to oveicenie at \lemortal Arena last 1-rtclay, as the lceHlawks 'scie durmped 6-2 hvI the second-place Brampton (apitals. Fîve stratght goals agaînsi in the second pertod ssere the differenice. as the hosis mnanagecl 15 and I17 shots ti the fîrsi and thîrcl respectis eh but ccntldfonîsly pitone pasi Taylfor I fewsen in eac h fraine. Shovà ng ne sign ofi letting bis explosiv e second half cool off, David \'allorani figcired tin bcnh goals - scering the fîrst himiself and assisi- ing on Ryan Lcîpes' fourth of the year. AIse helping set up the latter îally was veteran defenceman jamie Hawknigg, who reached the score- sheet in hîs long-awaited return froîn an ankle injury. Milton gave the visitors jusi four powerplay opportunîties on the ntght, but otherwise there were few hnight spots, as the Capîtals con- îrolled much of the game despîte heîng oui shot 44-26. Mati Ferreira and Cody Crichion each tallied twice for Brampton. Back-up Steve Zoffranieni worked the final period for Milton, and wouîd get the caîl again the following night in Georgetown af tee Branco surrendered three goals in the openîng frame. The Raiders would add an empîy netter for good measure in the closing moments of play to prevaîl 4-2 and drop the lceHawks to Vallorani -would record another goal and assist. bcth on the 1~~ poweiitlay te lifi bis t eiileadiiig point toîtal te 7\\'it i ne goals ancd 14 hlers nis , ast eighit gaines, the [-'Mass-f owell-1botuc centre remiains n contention te wvin the ,Viesiern Cenference scoring itîle. Kes-in C aisiet sîaked Milieu to a 1 -0 lead, but Gieorgetowsn would erase ot jusi 20 seconds latet and chase Branco from the net with tw o more befote the fîrsi internmission. Zoffranieri bas gisen up only one goal in six pet tocs sînce bis recent acquisition front Qiangev Ie, haing tut ned back 46 of 47 shets. Lasi sweekend inaiked the dehut of q -veai-old cefencemari Taylor Farris. piced up front the (apitals. The six- f'oot-one-inch, 187-pound hluehiner had four assîsts in 14 games with Brampton ibis year. Remaîning in hiftb place in the West, the lcel-lawks are back in action next Friday ai Memorial, wbere they'll square off with the fronî-running Oakville Blades, who closed oui 2007 on a 1 5-game wnning streak. Milton's December 16 canceled game witb tbe Burlingion Cougars - due to the snowsiorm - bas yeî to be rescheduled. RECYCLE YOUR TREE... EASY AS ONE, TWO, THREEI ~"i Remove ail decorations and ornaments__ from your tree. put your trash for pick-up. *The tree wiII be picked up and eyld 5EE~ -~ ~ -- 'Y- I