16 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, March 14, 2007 SPORTS & LEISURE Raiders hope to shake bad habit of losing in OT EAMONN MAHER opponent that was swept by Oakville Staff Writer in the 2006 West Division champi- onship series. The Raiders are mak- Losing a playoff game in overtime ing their fourth appearance in the in Steeltown is becoming a bad habit conference final in the past five that the Georgetown Raiders will years. have to shake if their intentions of “I’m fortunate to have been on moving on in the OHA Provincial Jr. some great teams in Georgetown, A Hockey League’s post-season tour- going to the Royal Bank Cup two nament are to be realized. years ago, and this year’s team can After falling twice in extra time go just as far,” Sgarbossa added. “We during last year’s second-round West know that if we’re going to win in Division semifinal matchup to the Hamilton we’re going to have to not host Hamilton Red Wings on their only beat their team, but their fans way to a six-game elimination, the and the refereeing too.” hard-working Raiders dropped the The Raiders felt aggrieved by the officiating of referee Glen McBryde opening game of the 2006-07 confer- Greg Lever (5) and Evan Zych of the Georgetown Raiders hold off another ence championship series 3-2 on throughout the evening, having a called back in the first period Hamilton offensive rush before Keaton Hartigan can smother the loose puck in Saturday night in the second over- the first overtime period of their OPJAHL West Division series-opening game Saturday night time frame. and losing veteran Adam DeJong to a checking-from-behind at the Mountain Arena. Frankie Grandits completed his hat trick in the second OT period to Game two of the best-of-seven clinch a 3-2 win for the host Red Wings. Photo by Eamonn Maher matchup was slated for the Alcott game misconduct. Arena last night (Tuesday). Then in the late stages of the first Former Red Wing grinder Frankie overtime period, Georgetown’s Matt Grandits has turned into a playoff Carter was in the penalty box serv- Rep hockey roundup scoring hero, notching his second ing a too-many-men-on-the-ice straight hat trick Saturday, beating infraction and when it expired, he Georgetown goalie Keaton Hartigan was unable to leave because the latch Novices earn split in playoff action with a shot off a 3-on-2 break. on the door was stuck. The Raider bench was in an uproar, trying to get Georgetown’s Bestcorr Raiders earned a split Raiders advanced to the OMHA Minor Bantam Hartigan faced 60 shots in total of games in the Novice AA Tri-County playoffs. AA championship series to play Richmond Hill before Grandits clinched the opener the attention of the officials, and someone threw a water bottle onto Georgetown 1, Oakville 0: Trevor Jenkins after prevailing over Guelph in five games. midway through the second OT peri- (G); Christian Buchan, Ryan O’Connell (A); Guelph 3, Georgetown 2: Kyle Kutlesa, od, while Hamilton netminder the ice, incurring another bench minor, although Hamilton wasn’t Nicholas Hinz (SO). Brendan Krivec (G); Derek Kessel (2A). Cameron Talbot was in MVP form, Flamborough 3, Georgetown 1: Nicholas Georgetown 3, Guelph 2: Jordan Dance, blocking several quality Raider able to score on the ensuing power play. Aquilina (G); Cole Besworth (A). Andrew Smith, Bradley Knox (G); Tyler Shippel, chances, making 55 saves in total. Flamborough 3, Georgetown 2: Tyler Biles, Tyler Nieuwendyk (A); Cameron Jenkins (W). “There’s no quit or panicking Defender Matt Thomson got the Raiders off to a 1-0 lead with his Jenkins (G); Elinesky, David Collins (A). Georgetown 2, Guelph 1: Hayden Mancini, with this team. It’s just one game Georgetown 2, Oakville 1: O’Connell, Jack Nieuwendyk (G); Chris Guerette, Knox (A); and that could have easily been a sixth of the playoffs halfway through the first period. Despite outshooting Hennigan (G); Bryn Williams, Adam Farrugia, Tyler McRae (W). win for us,” said fifth-year Raider Besworth (A). Georgetown 1, Guelph 1: Shippel (G); Kessel, centre Rob Sgarbossa of the hosts 22-15 in the second period, Georgetown trailed 2-1 heading into Dance (A). Campbellville. “We’ve got plenty of Minor Midget AA Raiders Georgetown 5, Guelph 1: Nieuwendyk (G, character and experience in our the intermission as Grandits scored Tri-County playdowns continue for on a softie at the 19:52 mark. Raider A); Kessel, Krivec, Guerette, Dance (G); Shippel, dressing room and we’ve shown that Georgetown’s Minor Midget AA Raiders. Moffatt (A); McRae (W). we can bounce back and play well Matt Carter forced overtime Georgetown 3, Caledon 3: Marc Drake (3G); thanks to a top-corner wrister with Quarterfinals after a loss.” Kamil Burghardt, Robert Turner, Matt Sargent (A). Georgetown 5, Caledon 1: Krivec (3G); Sgarbossa, one of several Raiders just over 10 minutes left in the third Georgetown 7, Oakville 2: Trevor Hill (3G, stanza. Shippel, Warren Brayne (G); Kessel, Hayden in their final year of junior eligibility, A); Colin Dickson (G, 3A); Turner, Dylan Mancini (3A); Dance, Smith, Nieuwendyk (A); has accepted an offer to attend Game three of the series is set for Chalmers (G, A); Brandon Usher (G); Burghardt the Dave Andreychuk Mountain Jenkins (W). Fredonia State University in western (2A); Patrick White, Robbie Robertson, Colin Georgetown 2, Caledon 0: Dance (2G); New York on a hockey scholarship Arena on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Shajgec, Brandon Medeiros (A). with game four at the Alcott Arena Shippel (2A); Kyle Speers, Kessel (A); Jenkins (W). in the fall. Fredonia State was a sur- Georgetown 3, Caledon 1: White (G, 2A); Caledon 4, Georgetown 1: Shippel (G). prise winner of the 2007 New York Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Chalmers (G, A); Dickson (G). Fans will be supplied with white Georgetown 3, Caledon 3: Smith, Kessel, State title earlier this month, beating Georgetown 5, Milton 0: Turner, Brandon Mancini (G); Krivec, Shippel, Jake Tousignant, former Raider Ryan Busby’s towels for the Georgetown home Uberig (2G); Jason Skweres (G); Hill (3A); games and a commemorative St. Nieuwendyk (A). Plattsburgh squad to earn a trip to Medeiros (2A); White, Chalmers, Usher, Georgetown 3, Caledon 1: Krivec (2G); the NCAA Division III Frozen Four. Patrick’s Day/Raiders t-shirt will be Robertson, Will Cook (A); Marcus Rees (SO). available for $5 at Saturday’s game. Mancini (G, A); Smith, Nieuwendyk (A); Jenkins For now, however, Sgarbossa is (W). focused on helping his current club (Eamonn Maher can be reached at Minor Bantam AA Raiders get past a formidable Hamilton [email protected]) Georgetown’s Most Valuable Puck.com See MIDGET, pg. 17

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