SportsOakville Beaver 42 SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email [email protected] • FRIDAY,APRIL 24, 2009 Mason a Calder finalist Oakville may soon boast its first-ever since Tony Esposito recorded 15 shutouts in National Hockey League award winner. 1970. HIGH-FLYING Local resident Steve Mason has been Mason ranked second in the league with a ’HAWK: selected as one of the finalists for the National 2.29 goals-against average, eighth with Assad Bahrm of Hockey League’s rook- 3,664 minutes played, ninth with 33 wins, the W.H. Morden ie-of-the-year award, 10th with 61 games played, and 11th with a Seahawks (in the NHL announced .916 save percentage. He led all rookie goal- black) goes up Wednesday. The tenders in all categories except save percent- for a shot as Sir Columbus Blue Jackets age, where he finished second to Nashville’s E. MacMillan goaltender, Anaheim Pekka Rinne (.917). Mustangs oppo- Ducks forward Bobby Coming off knee surgery the previous nent Jordan Ryan and Chicago spring, Mason started the season with the Murray contests Blackhawks forward American Hockey League’s Syracuse during Tuesday’s Kris Versteeg are the Crunch. The Minor Oaks Hockey Association Halton District Steve Mason three finalists chosen by product was called up after six games and School Board ele- the Professional Hockey won his first three starts, stopped a season- mentary boys’ Writers for Calder Trophy consideration. high 48 shots in a Dec. 17 win over the San basketball cham- The winner of the Calder Trophy will be Jose Sharks, and posted three shutouts in a pionship game at unveiled during the 2009 NHL Awards, which four-game span from Dec. 27-Jan. 2. Abbey Park High will be broadcast live from the Palms Hotel “It’s a huge honour,” Mason told School. Bahrm Las Vegas June 18 on CBC. NHL.com. “You look at some of the players scored 24 points Mason, 20, led the NHL in shutouts this who have won it in previous seasons, like to lead the past season with 10, making him the first (Chicago Blackhawks’) Patrick Kane last Seahawks to rookie to lead the league in that department ■ See Mason page 45 their first basket- ball title in more than 40 years. LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER Historic win for W.H. Morden ■ By Herb Garbutt how excited everyone is — the players, the OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF teachers, the parents.” Helping build that school spirit was a BURLINGTON — When Sue McBay Morden graduate, Albert Shoihet. Like the coached the W.H. Morden Seahawks to the players he coached, Morden’s basketball Halton East elementary boys’ basketball title drought was more than a quarter-century old in 1967, she had every reason to believe she before he was even born. The T.A. Blakelock would see many more pennants decorating student took on the task of coaching the Outdoor Clinics the walls of the school’s gym in the years to Morden team, which included his brother and come. Caleb, as a way of earning his community The school was blessed with a great group service hours for school. But it quickly Evaluation Day of young athletes and Morden also earned became more than a way of fulfilling a grad- This Weekend. Halton titles in volleyball, track and girls’ uation requirement. basketball that year. “It was a great experience,” said the Tuesday night, McBay watched with great Seahawks’ 16-year-old coach, “more than I Vist our website for ages/times and pleasure as the Seahawks earned another could have asked for.” park directions boys’ basketball pennant by defeating Shoihet has had success in individual Burlington’s Sir Ernest MacMillan Mustangs sports — he is an Ontario champion in On-Site Registration available from 9am - 12pm 54-41 in the Halton final at Abbey Park High squash and is the third-ranked under-17 play- Equipment Available School. er in Canada — but motivating a group of “This is just fantastic. I’m very proud of kids just three years younger than him was TEAM SPONSORS ARE NEEDED NOW CALL 905-825-5848 OR them,” said the now-retired teacher, 42 years an entirely different challenge. He proved to VISIT WWW.OGSA.MYSPORTSITE.COM FOR MORE INFO after Morden’s last basketball triumph. “This be up to the task. is a huge thing for the school. You can just “Our first winning streak got us excited. Register now online - go to www.ogsa.mysportsite.com see the school spirit building and you can see ■ See Offensive page 43.