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ee msi: Seabee Biag' ="; Oy a ty ON Mountain Viewing Midland's Mountain View Ski Resort opened up to test the moguls with some early-season for both alpine and cross-country enthusiasts Saturday, and several daring locals showed > ad Ce SE" 7 SP vel se) af BS ot acrobatics. -- a ie I > ae Athletics file protest over Barrie game The Midland Athletics will have a good op- portunity to move out of the OHA Major Inter- mediate A Hockey League basement tonight -- and they won't have to lace on a skate. The A's are currently two points behind the Barrie Flyers in the seven-team league as a result of a 9-6 win by the Flyers over Midland in Barrie last Friday. But A's manager Shawn Stewart filed a protest immediately after the game, claiming Flyers' coach observer noted, just as the A's seemed to be getting their act together, they forgot where they put it. Port Elgin won 4-3. Stewart says the Athletics notified referee Ron Sparks of the Flyers' infraction twice during Friday's game - the first time before the opening whistle was sounded. Stewart said OHA of- ficials told him there "shouldn't be any problem"' if the referee noted the protest on the game sheet. Port Elgin 4,Athletics3 Paul Regan was coaching the club in violation of league rules. The Ontario Hockey Association's Appeals Committee will discuss the protest tonight, and if the A's win the protest -- as Stewart fully ex- pects they will -- Friday's two points will go to the A's and Barrie will be in the league basement. The Athletics had a chance at moving up without help from the rule book when - they travelled to Port Elgin Sunday. But, as one Regan, normally the playing-coach of the Flyers, wasn't dressed because he was under a one-game league suspension for fighting in the last ten minutes of the previous game. He coached the club from behind the bench throughout Friday's game, and even signed the game sheet as home team coach. Realizing later there might be a problem, Regan's name was scratched out and manager Gary Lyte's name was written in above. Sidelines will appear in Thursday's Sports Report o \ if Stewart quoted Rule 207 of the Ontario Hockey Association rule book in his letter to the OHA. The rule states that "A coach suspended by the Association will not be permitted to direct the team during a game for the duration of the suspension. A suspended manager, coach, playing coach or trainer, must not be in or about the dressing room before, during or after any, game, nor between periods of any game during his suspension; nor be situated in the arena in a position to direct his team. The penalty for violation of this rule shall be an additional two games suspension for each game in which the infraction occurs. A playing coach suspended for any aetion loses his rights as a player and coach." Stewart says a precedent was set for flagrant violation of the rule such as happened Friday when a recent 11-1 Junior B score was changed to a 1-0 decision in favor of _ the protesting club after an OHA ruling. The A's manager says he spoke to a Barrie player about it over the weekend, and says the Flyer told him that they "looked for the rate, but couldn't find it anywhere in the book."' It's on page 37. If tonight's OHA decision favors the Athletics, all scoring stats from Friday's game will be nullified. Terry Spiker, the A's assistant captain who originally informed the referee of the violation, scored three goals and added an assist. Other Midland goals came from Larry Cowan, " z Centennials burned by hot goaltenders/18 Kings clobber Bears at 'noise night'/19 Group ready for the long hike/21 SPORTSCENE/22 Garry Forbes * Sports editor * Claus on ice Chris Graham is greeted by a surprise . visitor at the Midland Recreational Hockey League's annual Christmas Midland Arena Sunday bash at morning. Players and their families filled the arena for a skate and an exchange of gifts. Tony Stone and team captain Ken Knapton. Midland goaltender Paul Goodine faced 45 shots and Barrie net- minder Dune Brownell faced 51. Each team collected nine minor penalties. In Sunday's game, the A's were surprised by a two-goal outburst within the first minute and 20 seconds of the third- period which gave Port Elgin a 4-2 jump from «which the Midlanders failed to recover. Doug McMann had the Athletics' first two goals in that game and Knapton added the third in the final minute of the game. Spiker con- tributed two assists. Craig Watson faced 33 shots in the Midland net; his teammates fired the same number at the other end. Port Elgin picked up 18 minutes in minors and Midland was assessed 14 minutes. Next game for the A's is slated for Sunday in Owen Sound. Next home matchup is set for Jan. 10, also against the Greys. A NOTES: Ross Cousineau should be back Sunday from a long shoulder-injury layoff...Craig Watson will be away for Sun- day's game, so the A's will be going only with Goodine...Andy Zur- awski, out for the past couple of weeks with a shoulder injury, may not be returning to the club...The A's got a few smiles back after Friday's protested loss in Barrie when the Flyers took the most devastating loss of the season the next night in Georgetown. The Raiders ate the Flyers 22-3... Cents , Kings set to tangle The Midland Cen- tennials and the Penetanguishene Kings will tangle tonight at Midland Arena in the first of a holiday home- and-away matchup between the two Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League rivals. Tonight's game begins at 8 p.m., and the next, slated for Sunday, will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Penetanguishene Arena. Sunday's matinee has been billed as the Kings' Family Day, and a $3 maximum admission will be charged for the group when students or children are ac- companied by one or both parents. For details on the Centennials and Kings weekend action, see inside today's Sports Report. Wednesday, December 23, 1981, Page 17