sign in sign up
<<
Home , John Tavares, Sam Gagner

SportsOakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email [email protected] • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2009 37 All-out effort Tavares set to make NHL debut

The wait is almost over. Mason is hoping to duplicate the stellar fresh- will make his much-antici- man season he enjoyed last year. pated debut Mason and the tomorrow (Saturday), when he and also open the season tomorrow with a home the are game against the . home to the defending Mason went 33-20-7 with a 2.29 champion goals-against average in 61 games last . year, helping the Blue Jackets reach Tavares, the first the for the first time in fran- overall pick in this sum- chise history. Those numbers, along mer’s NHL Entry Draft, with his .916 save percentage and scored a record 215 goals dur- seven shutouts, earned the Abbey ing his four years in the Park grad the Calder Trophy as Hockey League. His 72 goals in the NHL’s top rookie. the 2006-07 season broke Wayne Former Oakville Trafalgar Gretzky’s record for goals in a season by student will a 16-year-old. begin his third NHL sea- Last winter, the former St. Thomas son tomorrow as his Aquinas student led to gold at the Oilers host World Junior Hockey Championships, earn- the Flames. ing tournament MVP and top forward hon- Gagner had 16 goals and 25 ours. assists in 76 games last year. He scored While Tavares is looking to make his mark 13 goals and added 36 helpers in 79 games as as a rookie, fellow Oakville resident Steve a rookie two years ago. Golfer wins amateur tour national title Pekka Ojapalo wasn’t taking anything for “I felt bad for him,” he said. “He was play- granted. ing very well to that .” The Oakville golfer took an 11- advan- As it turned out, Ojapalo didn’t even need tage into the fourth and final round at last his opponent’s misfortune. He birdied 16 and weekend’s Golf Channel Amateur Tour finished with a 95 to win the tournament. He National Championship in La Quinta, could definitely relate to Daughtrey, though. California. Unlike low handicappers where a Ojapalo had been in contention the previous bogey can make or break a round, Ojapalo — year but fell out of the running after “a very playing in the Senior Division, Snead Flight bad round” on the final day. (for players with a handicap of 20 or higher) This year, Ojapalo bought himself some — knew how quickly things could change. breathing room with consistent play over the “You have to expect anything,” he said. “A first three days, opening with back-to-back big number can come very fast.” 91s. Ojapalo, whose best round is a 79 at Ojapalo had already watched his lead whit- Hidden Lake in Burlington, then shot an 85 tle to three strokes and danger was lurking — a great score for him under tournament with an island green at the end of the par-5 conditions, he said. 15th hole. The 56-year-old tried to set up his “Playing in a tournament is so much dif- third shot at 100 yards where he was comfort- ferent,” he said. “Those short putts become a able with his club selection. His strategy paid lot harder.” off as he hit the green. His closest rival, Steve And while he struggled on the greens in MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER Daughtrey of California, wasn’t so lucky. His the final round, Ojapalo compensated shot splashed into the water. And then again. throughout the tournament with his accura- TIGHT D: Abbey Park’s Kayla Goodhoofd (in blue) and Holy Trinity’s Selena Singh go to And again. cy off the tee. That was essential, particularly the floor for a loose ball during Wednesday’s Halton high school senior girls’ basketball By the end of the hole, Daughtrey had an on the final day on a tight course with narrow game at Abbey Park. Trinity improved to 2-0 on the season with a 55-36 victory over the unlucky 13 while Ojapalo had a par, restoring fairways. Eagles. his double-digit advantage. — Herb Garbutt

www.icesports.com 905-845-6989