'The Canadiani Champion, Friday, March 18, 2005-21 sleblanechaltonsearch.com Gooding's Golden Hawks soar to national title Sophomore centre sface-off and defensive prowess plays key role in Laurier s champ ionship-rich season By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion It's tough to figure what's more note- worthy - winning a national cham- pionship or beating a perenni'al pow- erhouse with a 1 lO-game undefeated streak. For Milton's Nicole Gooditig. Ilîce wvas no real need 10 decide, sînce lieî Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks did both in Montreai Sunday evening, with a 4- i îecisioin over tihe seeiîtgly unstoppable Alberta Pandas bo clinch tIhe CIS titie. 'li's pretty hard bo put 1110 wxordsjust boss great tis i'eels.'«said the sophomore cetître, who helped Laurier cari its seventîs national bannet and first n svomen's hockey. Sunday's vits was pay-back lor a 5-2 loss Io the Pandas in the 2002 isatonal finai. Alberia xvas gunnitsg for a fouth straight chanspionshîp. and nso doubt had bujît up a psyclsologîcal edge over nsany teams svitb ais unheaten streak that had recently stretclscd muso triple- digit doîssaits. But Gooding said she arîd her leliow Golden Hawks refused t0 let ail of hype gel li, them. "We had a chance te, go sec their last game before the finals, but 1 choose not 10 go," said the local leen, who's overcome quite a lot un her 19 ycars, including a serious car accident when she was 10 and the loss of her father 10 stomach cancer un 1998. "I figurcd it Wjuld4.cg ùiuda.ig (watchisg Albea jjayX .so.I dccided to stay away and just concenîrale on what an Nicole Goodlng shows off the matchlng provincial and national glold miedals she won wlth the Golden Hawks this paet season. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Parker and Preds eyeing Eastern titie Kevin Parker harely won aI aIl lant season, but is now in position 10 win a championship. As of lasI night, the 17-year-oîd Milton left Winger and his Port Hope Predators were lhree viclories away from capturing the Provincial Jr. A League's Eastern Conference tille - after blaîsking Wellington 3-0 Sunday evening 10 lie the series aI one win apiece. Picked up by the Predators after gaining Iheir interent during camp wiîh the OHL's Oshawa Generals, Parker is part of an up-from-the-ashes îcamn that won the regular-season conference championship wiîh a 38-5-3-3 record and reached the East finals wiîh sweeps of Lindsay and Trenton. That's a far cry from his 2003/04 campaign, which alongaide fellow Miltonian Matt Chuchmach was spent with the laat-pîace Jr. B Orangeville Thunder. "Yeah, iî's definilely a nice change," said the 62", 202-pounder. Parker had six goals and 15 total pointa in 48 games this year and has added Oive nsore helpers through play- off action, including one un last Friday's 4-2 Ioss 10 the Dukes. Port Hope would regroup un con- vincing fashion lwo nighîs laler 10 even Ihingu up. Stressed Parker, "We've got a lot of heari and character on Ibis teara." The series continues tonighl un Wellington, while gamne five is set for Sunday evening in Port Hope. "When we needed to play that almost perfect defensive game, she'd (Gooding) answer the cali." LAINIER COACH RNCK OUUUNE incredibie icain sse had." The strategy obviousiy worked. as Lauier buili up a 3-0 second period iead and svas pretty mnuch ni control the rest of the wxay. -l svas pieased and irnpressed xvith our perlormn anceý . said head coach Rick Osborne, sshomn local l'as %viii recail as an assistant xvith the Merchanîs' 1997/98 Ail Ontarto charnpionship) squad. -Like ail scason. our appioach was to win. not flot to lose'." Contributing to the charnpionship win at both ends of the ice. Gooding helpcd shut down a thoroughly- potent Alberta attack and set up goal number three by Jessica Judges late in the second. -l ons the tace-off cleanly and Jessica had it in the net hefore 1 even realizd what happened," she recailed. "11 was a hard low shot thai didn't give their goalie any time te, react." However, Goodings' defensive prowess is what's boosîed her stock considerably sînce joining the teamn as a walk-on hopeful last season. 'Nicole realjy worked hard ast sjàp.airr anld came.. int camp as one of the best condiîioned players. When we needed to play that almost perfect defensîve game. she'd answer the cali," said Osborne. Added Gooding, -Last summer waa the firsi sînce 1 was five that 1 didn'î play baseball. 1 decîded 10 focus jusî on hockey, and 1 think it paid off." She admits that prevenîing goals rather than helping score thern wasn't always her forté - although you xvon't catch her complaining about the switch. "It's a role I've gotten comfortable wilh and amn quite proud of." It's one she's become awfuly effective at as well, having helpedý Laurier 10 an incredible 0.82 goals- against average through regular season play -which ended wjth a 17-2-2-I record. From there, the Golden Hawks delivered back-to- back champîonshîp Sundays, tiraI defending their OUA tille with a 3-0 whitewaah of the Toronto Varsity Blues and then securing the crowning jewel against Alberta. Laurier kicked off the nationals wiih a 6-0 hlanking of the University of Manitoba - its i 7th shutout of the season - and reached the finals with a 3-2 squeak- er over Concordia. "We had so, much depth this year and just a great bunch of girls," said Gooding. 10 oz.ý NEW YORK STEAK inctudes: Vegatables Your choica cf potato onyS 09 ~'5~ *WW~ I * e MoTa/lyljght AIL YOU CAN EAu Chicken Wings! h olS.99 KI n l M AS WE ARE OPEN... 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