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18 Smufl'ville Sun~Tribune l Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 Tough decisions for GM as Spirit season looms BY MIKE HAYAKAWA Staff Writer When Mark loslin became general manager of the Stouffville Spirit earlier this year, he knew there would be challenges. That included the end of the preâ€"season when the roster has to be pared down. It’s. especially hard on players who dedicate themselves to train- ing camp over going with a rival club, only to be cut While those moments do not present sleepless nights for los- lin, he acknowledged they can be tough to handle. . “It’s definitely a tough time of the year for sure because a player has committed themselves over the summer and, even at the end of the day, if you don’t see the player as a fit for your team you don’t want to leave them high and dry. You Want to get them some- where," Ioslin said. “It can be a nerve-wracking time. But it’s a part of the territory. It comes with the job." SMALLER, YOUNGER ROSTERS And there’s the new Central Division's rule that each club must have two 1992-bom players. . “That will make things difliâ€" cult to put our puzzle together. It changes the entire outlook of our team," )oslin said. “If a player isn’t a top-six guy, he might have to sit out a game for a 1992-bom player." VPlus, each team will only be allowed to dress 19 players per game, down from 20 last year. _ Ioslin is leaning towards going with 11 forwards and six bluelin- ers, but could use 12 forwards and five defencemen. “What we have to do now is to sit down and talk with each of the players and explain their roles with the team,” he said. “I might have a 1989-b0m guy who won't accept being a third- or fourth- line guy." Since the Spirit do not begin their regular season until next Thursday. Ioslin has some time to Whittle down his final roster. He has finalized his goaltending situation by naming Mike D'Angelo as the back Ioe Moore. D’Angelo played last season with the Markham Majors midg- ets and recently returned from the Barrie Colts’ Ontario Hockey League camp. “We feel he’s a young kid who is willing to work at trying to make the next level. We want him to push Joe Moore and learn from him as wellf' loslin said of the 1991-born D'Angelo. The Spirit will take part in three home openers in four days next week Stouffville and Newmarket open their season Sept. 11 at the Stouffville Arena then do it again Sept. 14 at the Ray Twinney in Newmarket. The Spirit helps Markham kick off its home schedule Sept. 12 at Markham Centennial arena. The Spirit concluded its preâ€" season last Friday with a 7-5 road loss against the Aurora Tigors. _ Don Maloney scored three goals for the Spirit, who led 4-1 with 10 minutes left in the sec- ond period before they collapsed. Bryant Doerrsam and Matt Viola added singles. The dag! before, the Spirit played host to the Tigers and skated off with a 4-2 win. Viola, Josh McIntosh, Chad'Beal and Maloney scored for the Spirit. The Spirit went 3â€"1 in the pre- season. b For more on the Spirit, log on to www.5touffvillespirit.com “No question I was happy," los- lin said. “If we had played a full game Friday in Aurora we would have gone undefeated. But someâ€" times it’s not bad to lose because it puts things in perspective. All in all. I thought we had an excellent preâ€"season.” While loslin expected big things from his goaltending and defence during the pre-season, what pleased him foremost was the per- formance of the young forwards. “The young guys stepped up and exceeded my expectations because I thought with all of the firepower that we lost from last up to Michigan native SPORTS year we would have been chal- lenged. They played well," he said of his first-year players. OHL PROSPECTS RETURN The Spirit received some wel- come news with the retum of Jason Heyden and Matt Neal from OHL camps. Heyden was with the Owen Sound Attack while Neal returned from the London Knights. The Spirit will be holding its annual Terry Fox car wash Satur- day at Houston Ford from 10 am. mlpm. All Spirit players will be on hand with: proceeds going to the Terry Fox Foundation. Matt Viola (right) of the Stoufiville Spirit battles for the puck with Jon Memme of the Aurora Tigers during the Tigers’ 7-5 win in Aurora Friday. The Spirit, which went 3-1 in the pre-season, opens the regular season next Thursday at home to the Newmarket Hurricanes. Stouffville Sun-Tribune YOUR COMMUNITY it v , Join our celebration of Canada’s Itch literary heritage on the beautiful and hlstorlc gounds of the Sharon Temple. Take In author readlngs, workshops, poetry, music, and art Sponsored by. NOTEBOOK: Former Spirit 'netâ€" minder Neil Conway is back in the Ontario Hockey League with the Oshawa Generals. The 20â€" year-old Cleveland, Ohio. native played last year with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. Prior to his stay in Green Bay, he was with the Owen Sound Attack. Conway played for the Spirit as a 15-year-old before Hockey Canada barred under- agers from Jr. A. The Generals needed a veteran goalkeeper after Daryl Borden, 19, suddenly left the club for St. Mary’s Ir. B and college this summer. STAFF PHOTO/SUSIE KOCKERSCHEIDT Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 with files from lim Mason yorkreglon.com www.mrdsalive.ca The Stouffville Mennos began their best-ofâ€"three Oshaâ€" wa City and District Fastball league quarter-finals by edging the host Oshawa Intermediates 6â€"5 Tuesday. The Mennos jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their first trip to the plate when Rich Burkholder doubled and scored on a triple by Dale Boadway. A fielder’s choice would eventually score Mennos’ lead to 2- 0nd inning on a from pitcher Ryan Boadway. Mennos’ lead to 2â€"1 in the secâ€" ond inning on a solo homer from pitcher Ryan Swift. But a single by Burkholder, triple from Boadway, single by Chris Burkholder along with an Intermediates’ error and single by Brett Boyd generated three runs to stake the Mennos to what appeared to be a com- manding 5-1 advantage in the third inning. HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE Wrong. The lead was short-lived as the Intermediates stormed back to tie the game in the fourth inning. \Mth the score knotted at 5â€"5 in the fifth inning, the Men- nos scored what would be the gameâ€"winning run when Jeff Boadway tripled and scored on a double by Boyd. Greg Dalgamo came in relief of starter lay Nesbitt in the fourth inning and blanked the Intermediates to earn the win. The Mennos can wrap up the series tonight in Memorial Park at 8:30 pm. A third game, if necessary, would return to Memorial Park. It's tentatively scheduled for Sept. 11. Mennos win first game of playoffs For more, go to ocdfl. ca Intermediates 7 lead to 2â€"1 in CUt