Burloak third at national sprint championships Burloak Canoe Club finished third out of 42 teams in overall competition at the Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships held last week at Montreal's Olympic Basin. Taylor Potts was Burloak's top individual performer, winning seven gold medals and a bronze in her eight canoeing events. Abigail Haines, Cory Rublee and Thomas Thrall each won seven medals, with Haines collecting six gold and Rublee and Thrall earning five gold apiece. Jillian Perrone won all six of her races and Aaron Rublee was first in four races and second in another. Joshua Havin, Lauren Clarke, Sheila Mehrvar and Jamie Andison claimed three gold each; Sam Pennyfather, Tessa Oldershaw, Adam Oldershaw, Emily Little, Krya White, Lucy Pennyfather, Lise-Anne LaPlante and Alanna Bray-Lougheed earned two gold apiece; and Jeremy Stott, Sam Smith, Jordan Van Veen, Chris Andison, Geoff Clarke, John Daley, Hunter George, Andrew Kasza, Chris Mehak, Delaire Nicholson, Morgan Oliver, Rebecca Yoshida, Kate Pennyfather, Catherine Penney, Michelle Olson, Makenna Humes and Sarah Nagy also won gold. Colleen Nicholson and Kim Stephen placed second and third, respectively, in the inaugural master women's C-1 500-metres. Bray-Lougheed earned Burloak's only kayak medals at the meet, a silver and a bronze in singles competition. 31 | Thursday, September 5, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Pictured left to right, Oakville Blades president Rob Campbell, Hamilton Bulldogs mascot Bruiser, Bulldogs president Stephen Ostaszewicz and Oakville mayor Rob Burton are all excited about the Bulldogs' upcoming preseason game against the Toronto Marlies at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. | photo by Nikki Wesley -- Oakville Beaver -- @Halton_Photog Both teams likely to dress strong lineups continued from p.30 but we're quite confident we'll paint the town red, white and blue by the time we're done," Bulldogs president Stephen Ostaszewicz said at a press conference yesterday (Wednesday). "I expect this game will sell out relatively quickly, given the scarcity of tickets. It will be a tremendous event and I'm confident people who will experience a game here will become greater fans of AHL hockey." Ostaszewicz said there's a good chance that fans will see strong lineups from both sides in the exhibition contest. "I can't say what our roster will look like, but rookie camp opened today in Montreal and main camp opens next week," he said. "Opening night for the NHL is Oct. 1 and our opening night isn't until Oct. 11. There's a strong probability that we'll have a complete lineup, or as complete as we can." Last year, during the NHL lockout, Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner were among the Marlies skaters for Toronto's preseason opener in Cobourg against Hamilton. Brendan Gallagher, a finalist for NHL rookie of the year last season, began the year with the Bulldogs. Toronto and Hamilton will face off again the following evening in Cobourg, a game hosted by the Marlies. Ostaszewicz said the Sixteen Mile venue was perhaps the biggest factor in luring the Bulldogs to Oakville. "Our owner lives nearby, saw the facility first-hand and was raving about it. We had follow-up discussions and were able to put something together," Ostaszewicz added. "This is quite honestly the crown jewel of community rinks. I've seen a lot of rinks through the course of my career throughout North America and have never seen anything quite like this, let alone for junior hockey." Following tomorrow's Blades contest, tickets for the Bulldogs/Marlies game will be available for purchase online at www. oakvilleblades.com, at Puckz Pub (located inside Sixteen Mile Sports Complex) and at Corbett's Source For Sports, 480 South Service Rd. W. Fans who attend the Sept. 27 game between the Bulldogs and Marlies will receive a two-for-one voucher for a future Bulldogs home game at Copps Coliseum. -- Jon Kuiperij Olympic champion at Oakville Curling Club event Olympic gold medalist Brad Gushue is among the skips leading their rinks into the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard this week at the Oakville Curling Club. The international field of 60 men's and women's teams, which includes teams from Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States, is competing for a $60,000 purse. Many of the teams taking part are looking to prepare for the upcoming Olympic trials. That includes Oakville's Erika Brown. The Madison, Wis. native is squaring off against two of the main rivals she will have to beat later this year to earn her third trip to the Olympics. Oakville is also being represented by skips Julie Reddick and Paul Madgett. Play begins Wednesday and wraps up Sunday.