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The Panthers also claimed during Friday’s game the Clippers had two play- ers wearing No. 4. But to distinguish the two players before the game began, one of the jerseys had a strip of tape used to make it No. 14. “It’s up to the referee’s discretion if they feel comfortable enough to distinâ€" Ropchan said Pelham based its argu- ment on a 2003 OMHA rulebook in which a player who did not wear a mouthguard in a proper manner was given a ver- bal warning first. But under the current rules, a player is now assessed a 10-min- ute misconduct. USED OLD RULEBOOK “We dealt with the facts and the series is over. Pelham’s protest is denied. The game stands. Stouffville are the cham- pions,” Richard Ropchan, OMHA execu- tive director, said Wednesday. After documents in a con- ference telephone call Tuesday night, the OMHA ruled in favour of the Clippers. The Clippers were officially declared champions yesterday when a protest filed by the Pelham Panthers after Fri- day's third game in their first-to-six- point final series at the Stoufi'ville Arena was tossed out by the OMHA. During the game, which the Clippers won 4-2 to take a five points to one series lead, a Panthers’ player was assessed a 10-minute misconduct for not wearing a mouthguard properly. The Clippers filed a defence, which was sent to the OMHA offices in Rich- mond Hill Tuesday. The Panthers felt the referee made an error in judgement and should have sent the player to the bench and not the penalty box. BY MIKE HAYAKAWA Staff Writer It’s now oflicial: the Stoufiville juve- nile Clippers are indeed Ontario Minor Hockey Association champions. Juvenfles win OMHAs on ice, in boardroom Pelham coach ‘not told’ game was being played soccEn TRY-001's Fun unnEn 12 GIRLS COMPETITIVE TEAM FOR GIRLS BORN IN 1996 /2 Panthers’ head coach Jim Bona- die said there was miscommunicaâ€" tion between his organization and The Clippers, who showed up on the Stouffville Arena ice, won the game on a 1-0 forfeit after team captain Landon Wideman took the opening faceoff and were awarded the Mitchell F. Hepburn Ti‘ophy before their hometown fans. However, during their trip home, they were informed a fifth game was to be played Sunday in Stouffville. Pelham, however, did not make the trip. Technically, the Clippers wrapped up the series Saturday when they won 3-2 in Pelham. In making their official protest to the OMHA, in which they had to choose one or the other, Pelham elected to question the mouth- guard ruling. guish between the two players," Josie Robinson, the Whitchurch Stoufivifle Minor Hockey Associ- ation’s vice-president and OMHA rep, said. “They (Pelham) asked the referees about the two No. 45 and the referee said he could guish between the two players." StouflviMe juvenile Clippers celebrate their OMHA A championship Sunday. The OMHA confirmed the win yesterday when made by their opponents from Pelham, who failed to show for Sunday’s game. For Jim Mason’s take on the series, see his column on page 6. SPORTS Stouffville Sun-Tribune “But I feel sorry for their players. I think their coaching staff made a wrong decision," he said. “In my 18 years of being involved in coaching minor hock- ey I’ve never seen anything like this. It had everybody’s heads spin- ning. They (Pelham) kind of put us through hell and back. Clippers' head coach Brent Gibson was relieved upon hearing the OMHA’s final verdict. “I was in shock just as the peo- ple in Stoufiville were, too. I first heard about it at around 7 or 7:30 pm. that night when I was out- side of my home playing a road hockey game with a bunch of the players and I got a call from our ice scheduler who got a call from Stoufiville’s ice scheduler asking if we were stuck in traffic in getting to Stoufiville,” he said. ‘THROUGH HELL AND BACK' “I got concerned, since no one informed me.” an OMHA director. Bonadie was told if he had not heard from the OMHA by 2 pm. Sunday he was not to take the team to Stoufiville. “I’ve got to give my kids credit. They played well with big hearts," he said. In Saturday's finale, Miller, Mdeman and midget call-up Brad Maxwell scored for the Clippers. Wideman, Selmanovski and Payn- ter collected assists. Andrew Stewart, Nathan James, VVldeman and Jimiel Selmanovski each had one assist. Despite the controversy, Gib- son was proud of what his club accomplished. Matt Easter and Devin Paynter each had a goal and one assist for the Clippers in Friday’s win. Kyle Miller and Nathan James added single tallies. Gibson was also head coach of the 2005 champion Clippers. Robinson was also delighted. “As an association, we’re thrilled with the ruling. It was the only way the OMHA could have and should have ruled," she said. “It was in black and white,” she said of the regulations. Ropchan said he had never heard of a team not showing up to play a game in the final. Stouffville Sun-'l'ribune I Thursday, April 3, 2008 8088 teams perfect at provincial finals The Stouflville District Secondary School Spartans boys' and girls' hockey teams got ofito good starts at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations A/ AA touma- ments Wednesday. In the girls’ tourney in Pembroke, the two-time defending and top- seeded Spartans cruised to a 1H) win in their opening game over the 20th-seeded North Grenville Secâ€" ondary School Knights (Kemptville) then defeated Nth-seeded Roland Michener Secondary School Predaâ€" tors (South Porcupine) 6-0. Playoffs begin today and end Friday In the boys’ event at Ottawa, the top-seeded and defending OFSAA champion Spartans won 5-1 over Marc Gameau Secondary School (Ottawa) and 61 over Father Redmond Catholic High School (Toronto). For more information on the events, go to: ofsaa.on.ca STAFF PHOTO/JIM MASON