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24 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, March 22, 1988 Port Perry Star Sports aa Will now face winner from Bowmanville-Wellington series The Port Perry MoJacks are on their way to the championship series in the Central Junior C Hockey League, thanks to a stun- ning four game sweep of the Lakefield Chiefs in the Divisional finals. : The MoJacks ended the Chiefs season Sunday night at the Scu- gog Arena in front of a standing room only crowd with-a 7-4 vic- tory. And as they have done so of- ten this season, the MoJacks turned on the jets in the third peri- od to score three un-answered goals and completely shut down the Lakefield scoring machine. On Friday night in Lakefield, the MoJacks scored late in the game to take a 6-5 win and last Wednesday night in Port Perry, they nipped the Chiefs 4-3. The team will now have the luxury of a few days rest before tangling with the winner of the Bowmanville-Wellington series with the Eagles holding a 2-1 lead in games. Following Sunday night's 7-4 win, MoJack head coach George Burnett had high words of praise for the strong team effort. "It's just a super feeling to de- throne the (all-Ontario defending Jr. C) champions." He said the depth, which al- lowed him to deploy four lines during the series was the key, and he felt the team got stronger as it was March Break last week and when these guys were not able to head south for some fun in the sun, they did the next best thing: donned their wildest - Hawalin shirts, shades and Thursday Club t-shirts and went curling In the annual Mudcat Bonsplel In Port Perry. Sixteen student rinks took part In this compe- tition and when It was all over, Scott Rankin and his crew were the winners, with 44 points. That's Scott front left with Steve Sears. At back are Kevin Cearns and Ken Wilson. Runner up was the Jason Guindon rink with 39.5 points. Scott and the guys sald the co- loured shirts made all the difference. the series progressed. He admitted the four game sweep came as a very pleasant surprise, but added he was confi- dent at the outset the MoJacks would win the series, but it prob- "ably would take six games. "We are on a bit of a roll. We got super goaltending (from Brian Tarleton in all four games) and it's just a great feeling," Burnett said. At the conclusion of the game Sunday night, Central Jr. C league convenor Andy McLauch- lan presented the Walter Crowley Division plaque to MoJack Darren Nesbitt. The MoJacks obviously were hoping to wind up the series on home ice Sunday evening, and for a while in the first period it - looked like the game was going to be a blow-out. The MolJacks struck early on goals by defensemen Jeff McColl and Chris Edmondson before the game was five minutes old. Then at 6:20, Rob Baker swept a puck in the side door to make it 3-0, and at the 13 minute mark, Steve Fountain upped the count to four as he drilled a shot along the ice on a two on one rush. But the Chiefs were not ready to concede anything, and in the second period it was their turn to score four straight, including two on the power play. Pat Bruce- Lockhart had two, while singles came from Scott Wainman and Scott Rogers. The MoJacks were held to just seven shots on goal, and the game was up for grabs af- ter 40 minutes. But at the 54 second mark of the final frame, Rob Baker scored one that seemed to break the hearts of the Lakefield players. "And what a goal it was. Taking passes deep in his own zone, Bak- er gathered s , brushed around the Chief defense and calmly slid the back-hand under John Cole. No. 22 makes these spectacu- - lar plays appear almost routine, and if there was one MoJack who broke the backs of the Chiefs in this series it was Baker. The Chiefs never recovered from that goal. In fact just a min- ute later, Jeff McColl went coast to coast on a rush, but Cole just managed to get a glove on the ris- ing shot. At 15:56, Dean Smethurst de- flected a Darren Nesbitt shot from the point for an insurance marker, and with 13 seconds left, Thane Ellis added double insurance with an empty netter that scttled the is- sue once and for all. It was Ellis who scored late in Friday's game in Lakefield to give the MoJacks a 4-3 victory. The team opened a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by Kevin Long, Len Giacalone and Dcan Smethurst, while Tim McCor- mick replied late for the Chicfs. They tied it in the second, and then both teams added two carly in the third, with Nesbitt and Steve Ashby scoring for Port Per- ry. Overtime was distinct possi- bility until 16:39 when Ellis took a pass from Nesbitt and snapped a wrist shot past Scott Scheller in the Lakefield cage. Brian Tarleton faced 39 shots in Friday's game and made a su- perlative glove save in the third on a slap shot that had corner written all over it. The MoJacks took a two games to none lead in the series with a 4-3 come-from-behind win March 16 in front of a large crowd at the Scugog Arena.. Some fine work deep in the Chief zone by Jeff McColl, Dean Smethurst and Rob Baker allowed Dave Burnett to tip in the win- ning goal with less than two min- utes to play in the game. McColl was able to flag down a high clearing shot at the Chief line and move the puck behind the net where Smethurst and Baker worked it free to Burnett at the side of the Chief cage where he tipped it across the line. That one came just 50 sec- onds after the Chiefs had tied the game at 3-3 when a shot by Chris Delaney deflected off a MoJack stick and slithered between Brian Tarleton's pads. This was a typical, Junior C playoff game with plenty of tight checking, some hard hitting and fine goaltending by Brian Tarleton and the Chiefs diminutive Scott Scheller. The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead at 17:05 of the first on a shot by Sullivan McMahon from the deep slot area. Early in the second, the MolJacks captain Darren Nesbitt tied it up when he beat Scheller cleanly with a rising slap shot from 25 feet out. Kevin Long and Len Giacalone drew the assists. The Chiefs were on a power play at the mid-point when Chris Heffernan made it 2-1 and that's the way the period ended. At 6:36, Steve Ashby put the MolJacks even when he cashed in a shot after a wild scramble around the Chief net, with Giaca- lone picking up the assist. Less than two minutes later, it was Rob Baker's turn to weave his magic with his 9th goal of the playoffs. It was an un-assisted ef- fort as Baker carried the puck around the Chief net, fought off a couple of checkers and muscled his way in front where he finally rapped it past Scheller. Baker's two points on the night gave him 16 in five playoff games. This was a hard hitting game, but for the most part, the teams stuck to hockey with the MoJacks MoJacks sweep aside the Chiefs picking up ten minors and the Chiefs eight. Late in the third per- iod, the crowd came alive when heavyweights Steve Fountain and Chuck Freeburn got into a lively scrap along the boards. Both got fighting majors for their efforts with the bout ending in a draw. In Sunday night's game, John Hartford and Greg Warriner were tossed out early in the first when they tangled with Chuck Freeburn and Todd Scott. Freeburn picked up an aggressor penalty for his troubles. When coach George Burnett said his team is "on a bit of a roll." he was slightly under- stating the way the MoJacks have been playing lately, and especially the way they have played against the Lakefield team. Going back through this series, the roiind rob- in and the final game of the regu- lar schedule, the MoJacks defeated the Chiefs seven straight times, something that not even the most optimistic MoJack supporters be- lieve was possible. In fact, counting regular sea- son and playoffs, the MoJacks have lost just one game in their last 16 outings. What has carried the team this far has been the depth and the bal- ance. There are no "weak links." Coach Burnett has been using four lines, and this probably ac- counts for the strong showings late in hockey games. Individually, Rob Baker has scored some critical goals. Thane Ellis is playing the best hockey of the season. Dean Smethurst, Kevin Long, John Hartford and Greg Warriner have killed penal- ties and caused the opposition all kinds of trouble with their strong fore-checking. Along the blue line, the pres- ence of Jeff McColl and Steve Fountain has given the MoJacks the strongest defensive corps in ~ the league. They have helped to take the pressure off Darren Nes- bitt, Chris Edmondson and Rob Metcalfe. Clay Dempsey is seeing duty on the forward lines. In four games, the MoJacks held the Chiefs to just 14 goals, thanks to some fine goaltending, strong fore-checking and the strength along the blue line. It's not known at this time just when the MoJacks will hit the ice against either Wellington or Bowmanville. Fans should watch for posters at the Arena and around the community. If the Mo- Jacks can win the next series and capture the Central Jr. League championship, it will give them a berth in the all-Ontario semi- finals. Utica fights back Utica has tied the broomball playoff finals at one game each. Goreskis were never in this game losing 4-0. Ian Down and Kevin Ibbitson scored two goals each. Dermont Doyle, Greg Lepine and Jack Monsma drew the assist, Mark Mason earned a well deserved shut-out. i - The next and final game will be Sunday, March 27 at 4:00 p.m., so come out and support your favourite team at the Scugog Arena. =