Raiders to open playoffs Saturday

With the OHA Provincial Jr. A Hockey League playoffs slated to start this weekend, it appears as though the Georgetown Raiders will play a team that has had their number during the regular season. The Streetsville Derbys won the season series with Georgetown 4-1, capped by a 10 piece of thievery at the Mold-Masters SportsPlex on Saturday night. Derby goalie Tyler Gordon stopped all 39 shots directed his way and Streetsville got a late power-play goal from Felice Turano off a screened point shot that beat Georgetown goalie Ryan Gibb. Just when it seemed the third-place Raiders had overcome their scoring troubles, they were shut out for the first time on home ice during the 2005-06 campaign. The recent acquisitions of forwards Travis Kauffeldt, Jeremy Whelan and David Jarman have bolstered the club's offensive punch, but the Derbys, who will host the national championship tournament in May, looked like the more-determined group during Saturday's contest here. "We controlled the game and we just couldn't put them away, but things will be different in the playoffs," said veteran Raider winger Wade Finegan. "As long as we have Gibber in net, if we put in three or four goals for him, we're going to win."

Georgetown finished up the regular season with a 27-16-4-2 record, beating the last-place Sabres in Buffalo 10-3 Monday evening in a meaningless contest. The OPJAHL's West Conference firstround playoff matchups hadn't been set heading into the final night of the regular season last night (Tuesday), but it was likely that the Raiders, who won eight of their last nine games, will play Streetsville. Seventh-place Brampton had to defeat the Derbys on home ice last night in regulation time to grab the sixth playoff spot. The Raiders went 3-1-1 against the Capitals this year. The Derbys have played just as well recently, with just one loss in their last 10 outings. What is known is that the Raiders will host a playoff game Saturday at 7:30 p.m. In Georgetown's 7-3 win in Bramalea on Thursday, Kauffeldt and Whelan scored twice each as the visitors outshot the Blues 48-36. Erik Lundmark, Jarman and Frank DeAngelis rounded out the Raider scoring. Rookie George Lovatsis of Unionville notched a hat trick for Georgetown in Buffalo on Monday, with singles added by Kauffeldt, Mike Gurtler, Greg Lever, Jesse Adams, Jarman, Wade Finegan and Matt Sitko