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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, June 26, 2015 | 36 Team was a national finalist last year Former high school rivals team up on Canadian hoops squad by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff continued from p.35 roes lost in the first elimination round in 2011 and the second elimination round in 2012 (when they had to play without goaltender Chris Festarini, due to a conflict with his Ontario Hockey League schedule). Two years ago, a lack of finances prevented them from participating in nationals in Yarmouth, N.S., but they returned to the tournament last year -- when they were sponsored by Sherwin-Williams -- and reached the national final in Kingston. They're optimistic they'll have a chance to take the next step in Lethbridge, where the national championships will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 3. "We are still working out how we will finance it," Lyon said. The Hardy Hotshots, a team largely made up of younger brothers of the Hardy Heroes, won their first game at the Toronto tournament before bowing out in the second round against the team the Heroes beat in the semifinals. The Hotshots, who feature Alex Festarini, Matt Lyon, John Carney, Anthony Salis, Vincent Romaniw, Michael Romaniw and James Smith, were making their debut in the adult division this year. Halton Minor Ball Hockey League CONGRATULATIONS! Halton Minor Ball Hockey League has completed its 2015 Season They would like to congratulate the winners in each division. Playoff-Atom B Championship The Wave Shop (3) Fitness Firm (1) Playoff-Atom A Championship Granite Ridge Golf Club (5) Vegas (1) Playoff-Peewee B Championship Team Green (4) SHOOTOUT Team Light Blue (3) Playoff-Peewee A Championship Vegas (7) TheCoverGuy (4) Playoff-Tyke Championship Goal Diggers (4) Mainway Sports & Game Center (2) Playoff-Novice Championship Team Light Blue (8) Tripemco Insurance Group (1) Playoff-Bt/Jr Championship Burlington Ball Hockey League (4) Vegas (2) Final results for 2015 season They played for rival schools less than two kilometres apart, two big men fighting each other for precious space in the paint. It was a rare opportunity for Mike Andrews of Loyola and Chris McLaughlin of Abbey Park, a pair of 6-foot-10, 230-pound centres, to match up against someone of the same physical stature. When the two finished high school, both looked outside of the province to continue their education and basketball careers. Andrews headed east to the Bishop's University Gaiters, McLaughlin went west to the University of Victoria. They met three more times over their university careers. "We had some good battles," Andrews said. "I always looked forward to playing Chris. It was good competition and he always played hard. He was not going to take any plays off." Over their five years of university hoops, both earned conference playerof-the-year honours. They played in national championships tournaments and both led their team to conference championships in their final year. Now the two will finish their university careers as teammates for the first time. Andrews and McLaughlin will suit up for Canada at the Universiade (World University Games) in Gwangju, South Korea. Andrews will be the lone representative of the Quebec university league (RSEQ) and is looking forward to the opportunity to continue his basketball career and represent his country. "It's an honour to get selected," said Andrews, winner of the 2013 RSEQ most valuable player and best defensive Mike Andrews (left), pictured in action with the Bishop's Gaiters this past season. | photo courtesy of Bishop's University player awards. "It's going to be a great learning experience, a chance to play with a new team with new chemistry. It's going to keep me working my butt off." The World Universiade will be Andrews' last chance to play at a high level for at least a year. He is returning to Bishop's next year to complete a triple major next year and while he'll still be with the Gaiters basketball team, it will be in a coaching role. Andrews' last games in a Bishop's jersey are memories he will cherish. McGill had beaten the Gaiters in the RSEQ the previous two years, but after an 8-8 regular season Bishop's didn't exactly look poised to dethrone the Redmen. "We had an up-and-down season, but nobody knew the talent we had," Andrews said. "It was our most experienced team and the regular season didn't go as planned, but that didn't matter to us. We won the games that mattered." That included the championship game in which Andrews had 15 points in a 68-63 win over McGill. That sent Bishop's, a team that won just two games in Andrews' first season, to the national championship tournament. At nationals, the Ottawa Gee-Gees needed a late rally to force overtime and edge Bishop's 91-85. Andrews contributed 17 points and 18 rebounds against Ottawa, which went on to reach the championship game. A 29-point effort by Andrews against Windsor couldn't stop the Gaiters from being eliminated. The losses could not taint how far Andrews and Bishop's had come. "It was the best way I could have ended my career," he said. "I couldn't have asked for a better final five games." Now Andrews will have a chance to add a medal with Canada, which has earned four silvers and three bronze in the last 12 Universiades dating back to 1991. After a training camp at the University of Kansas where the Canadian players will scrimmage against the Jayhawks, an elite NCAA program, the team will head to South Korea. Canada begins play July 4 against Sweden and will wrap up pool play against defending champion Russia on July 9. Canada will also play Mexico, Montenegro and Mongolia. Ex-Hawk returning to Jack Crosby tournament, this time as coach Nearly two decades after competing in the Jack Crosby Novice All-Star Tournament, Dylan MacDougall still has fond memories. He'll get to relive some of them next week as the 27-yearold Oakville resident becomes the first alumnus in the 30-year history of the prestigious Burnaby, B.C, lacrosse tournament to return as a head coach of a participating team. "Novice was special," said MacDougall, a local Realtor who coaches the Oakville Hawks novice squad. "At 10 years old, you're not so corrupted. We made friends with a lot of other teams. We played a team in Kamloops in an exhibition game and then ended up staying in the same lodging, and a lot of us became friends." That wasn't the case six years later when MacDougall, then a member of the midget Hawks, competed in another tournament in B.C. "When we were 16, we were full of piss and vinegar, and we didn't really get along with anyone too much," he said. "But it's pretty cool to experience playing against kids from across the country. You're also experiencing the culture. I think it's important to experience both." MacDougall got into coaching this year because of his father, Rob, who had coached him all the way up through the Oakville minor system. When Rob took the midget Hawks out to B.C., he brought them to visit Terry Fox's gravesite in Port Coquitlam, which Dylan will do once again this year with the novices. "(I) didn't see the full power of what (Terry Fox) did... until I got to the grave and saw the fact he did exist," Dylan said of his first visit to the grave, when he and his teammates emptied their pockets and left approximately $100 in coins -- and also saw a fox run through the cemetery. "It probably doesn't resonate as much with 10-year-olds, but maybe some of them have had some experience knowing people with cancer... It's good to expose them early and get them thinking." The Jack Crosby tournament will take place July 2-5. Members of the Hawks, who recently won their own tournament and have also finished third at competitions in Peterborough and Brampton, are Quaid Beaudry, Jacob Reigate, Tyler Henshaw, Bronson Ride, Calum Ritchie, Douglas Bonden, Graydon Foulon, Jeffrey Klinck, Thomas Colaco, Cody O'Neill, Brendan Bloom, Alan Arbuthnot, Luke Misa, Samson Desormeaux, Thomas Rowntree, Connor Thacker, Simon Ainslie, Jacob Crisp and Keith Allan. Dylan MacDougall's assistant coaches are Rob MacDougall, John Salerno, Tom O'Neill and Mich Desormeaux. Scott Ainslie is the trainer and Mike Klinck is the manager. -- Jon Kuiperij Congratulations to all of the players and coaches on an excellent season. Thank you to our many sponsors for your ongoing support. We look forward to the 2016 season. This ad is courtesy of & ­ Proud Supporters ­