HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-03-14, Page 10Spotlight
By Ross Haugh
Times-Advocpte, March 14, 1979
HAWKS DO IT AGAIN
Good signs
Although the weather at the time of writing of this
column is far from spring like there are a few signs
that better days are ahead.
In addition to several robin sightings two recrea
tion groups are making plans for their upcoming
summer programs.
The Crediton Baseball Association is holding their
annual meeting Monday, March 26 at the Stephen Cen
tral School at 8 p.m.
All players, parents, coaches and interested per
sons are asked to come out and help organize baseball
activities for this summer.
Parents are asked to be prepared to register their
youngsters at the March 26 meeting. Registration
forms are being sent home this week with students of
Stephen Central.
Included in the registration night program will be
the showing of a film entitled “Tools of Ignorance’’
starring Johnny Bench.
Anyone wishing further information on the
Crediton baseball program for 1979 should contact
Eleanor Roeszler at 234-6319.
The other group ready to organize is the Exeter
and district men's recreation fastball league.
A meeting is planned for sometime within the next
month to organize for the coming season. Teams or in
dividual players wishing to participate and needing
further information are asked to contact any of the
following: Scott Morgan 235-2300; Jim DeBlock 235-
2946 or Tom Creech 235-1331.
The teams involved last year were Hensail, Mt.
Carmel, Dinney’s, T-A; Crescent Rolls, Gord’s Varie
ty, Dashwood Industries and Usborne.
Last week, Exeter Hawks
coach Ron Bogart said it
was “almost unbelievable”
as his team had taken a 3-1
lead in their group final with
Mitchell. This week he
suggested it was “totally un
believable” that they had
come back from' two
straight defeats to nip the
loop champions 4-3 in the se
cond period of overtime
right on the loser’s home ice
to win the seventh and
deciding game.
Most local fans had given
their Hawks little chance
after Mitchell had come
back to even the series with
a 3-2 win on Tuesday and a 6-
3 overtime victory in Exeter
on Friday.
In fact, many had been
merely hoping the local
squad wouldn’t get blown
out of the final game as
xMitchell appeared to have
the momentum heading
home for the deciding game.
But, as they have for the
past three seasons. Exeter
won the series away from
home and again in dramatic
fashion.
The win puts them into the
OHA quarter-final against
Belmont, another rematch
from last year. The Hawks
have won all three meetings
with the Bombers this year
The series opened in Exeter
last night and the second is
in Belmont tonight
(Wednesday). Exeter hosts
the third game on Friday
and the next two games will
- 1- ___i as- thev won
Leafs in high gear
Our recent visit to Maple Leaf Gardens which
came in conjunction with Harold Ballard’s supposed
hoax and the rehiring of coach Roger Neilson sepms to
have rejuvenated the Maple Leafs.
The Leafs have run their current winning streak
to five games and appear to be playing with authority.
One of the big reasons for not only the resurgence
of the Toronto team but the fact they were still in
playoff contention before the big fuss began was the
superb play of goalie Mike Palmateer.
Unless Mr. Ballard loosens the rubber band on his
payroll Palmateer may be playing his second last
season with the Leafs.
Palmateer is in the final year of his current con
tract and according to his agent Allan Eagleson will
be playing out his option in 1979-80 if the Leafs don’t
come up with a large increase in salary.
It might be interesting to note that their are 18
National Hockey League goalies who are collecting
larger salaries than Palmateer.
Of these five are paid at least twice as much as
the Toronto netminder. Palmateer’s basic salary this
year is in the range of $75,000. With bonus clauses that
could increase by another $25,000.
Right, not a bad salary. But, nowhere near the
$300,000 pulled down by Rogie Vachon for only inter
mittent appearances with t|ie Detroit Red Wings or
the monies the Montreal Canadiens shell out to Ken
Dryden.
Probably the most ironic fact is that Wayne
Thomas who was replaced in Toronto by Palmateer is
getting $105,000 per year with the New York Rangers.
We would hope that Ballard take immediate steps
to offer Palmateer a new contract. The way he has
been playing lately compared to some of the more ex
perienced backstoppers and the way some owners are
throwing money around, Mike should be good for at
least a million dollars over a five year pact.
If the Leaf brass don’t do this and Palmateer
would become a free agent, we would imagine the up
roar by the fans a few weeks ago over the Neilson inci
dent would look like a firecracker as opposed to a
nuclear explosion.
Eagleson has said he is counting on that type of
fan reaction to get a fair deal for his client.
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five times to pace the win.
Mike Arts, Jamie Bond and
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singles.
Mike Arts and Steve Neil
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2 win against St. Marys in
the tournament semi-final.
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NOT THIS TIME — Mitchell netminder Tom Chessell stopped Dave Kinsman (20) after he took a pass from Brian Mercer (4) in
Friday's game in Exeter, but he failed to stop the duo on Sunday as they reversed roles and Mercer banged home the overtime
winner on a pass from Kinsman. The other Hawk in the photo is their linemate Preston Dearing. Staff photo
Three local teams fail in try for
Shamrock minor championships
The Exeter atoms, ban
tams and midgets qll failed
in their bids for Shamrock
playoff honors on the
weekend.
The bantams blew a 2-0
lead to Lambeth in their se
cond game of a round-robin
at the rec centre, sending
the London area entry into a
final with St. Marys via a 3-2
margin over the locals.
Exeter midgets, playing in
St. Marys, lost both their
games by decisive 6-0'and 6-
SKATERSWIN
Elizabeth Datars and
Missy Sandilands of the
Zurich-Grand Bend figure
skating club won a gold
medal in the junior bronze
dance competition
Parkhill, Sunday.
Right or wrong?
There are many thoughts and reactions to the
latest rejection by the NHL governors of a merger
with the WHA. The main objection by at least the
owners df the three present Canadian teams is that it
would cut down on attendance as fans don’t want any
more bad attractions added to the schedule.
This could be true in Vancouver, but the stadiums
in Toronto and Montreal would continue to sell-out
regardless of the opposition.
Maple Leaf Gardens in particular has thousands
of requests for season tickets and will likely sell out
for eternity.
Reason for opposition from Toronto and Montreal
could well be different. The Canadiens own the NHL
rights to a lot of WHA players while the Maple Leafs
biggest loss would likely come in television revenue
rights with three of the proposed new teams eligible
for Canadian telecasting.
The Los Angeles Kings big objection was they
would likely lose at least two appearances in their rink
of the top teams in the league with a dillution of the
schedule.
So, it appears almost everybody has a different
reason for keeping the WHA out.
One idea proposed by a WHA representative last
week after merger was rejected has potential and
would be good for the gate.
It would have the WHA go into an interlocking
schedule with European teams. Suggested were the
Soviet Union, Czechoslovokia and Sweden for a start.
The suggester said travel costs would not be in
creased considerably for overseas play and the Euro
pean clubs in for one or two trips a year would pack
every arena in the league. Three games could be
played against at least three WHA teams during each
two: week visit.
Female darters
to provincials
A team from the R. E.
Pooley Exeter Royal
Canadian Legion branch
placed third in a Ladies
Auxiliary dart tournament
in Bothwell, Saturday.
The team composed of
Anita Hunter, Bernice
Shipman, Linda Webber
and Barb Hearn will be ad
vancing to the provincial
playoffs in Bramalea in the
fall.
the flip and will have a
Saturday and Wednesday
night home game.
Coach Bogart admitted his
team had been lucky to get
past Mitchell, noting that
any of the final three games
could have gone either way.
"Our guys came out to win
(Sunday) but it was
anyone’s' game,” he said
Monday morning.
He credited his chargers
with coming up with a se
cond effort on many oc
casions to stay in the
emotionally-filled finale.
The game was so intense
that the Mitchell goal judge
had to be relieved of his
duties in the overtime and
he went outside to be sick.
Mitchell jumped into a 1-0
lead at the 7:09 mark of the
first when Jay Heinbuck
continued his brilliant play
to get one past Randy Lovie'
Don McKellar got'that one
back three minutes later on
a play with Fred
Mommersteeg and Jamie
Caldwell and then Caldwell
scored a dramatic un
assisted tally at the 15:41
mark to give Exeter their
first lead
They upped the margin to
3-1 at the 7:53 mark of the
second when Dave Bogart
found the range on a play
with Brian Mercer.
Mitchell whittled the lead
back to a single goal in less
than two minutes on a goal
by Murray Elliott and they
popped the equalizer early
in the third on a power plav
1 margins as they were
short-handed for both.
The local atoms dropped a
close 2-1 decision to St.
Marys to get knocked out of
contention in their tourna
ment at the rec centre and
then lost in the consolation
final as well.
Sean Whiteford scored in
the first period for Exeter in
the contest with St. Marys,
but the local lads deflected
two shots into their own net
as the visitors maintained
their, supremacy with their
seventh straight win this
season in meetings between
the two clubs.
Exeter then faced
Dorchester in the consola
tion side and came up with a
3-1 win.
Sean Whiteford potted all
three tallies, with Brett
Batten and Ron Loucks help
ing out on two each and a
single assist going to Dave
Russell.
In their third game of the
day, the locals were stopped
2-0 by Ilderton.
Oakridge won the atom
“B“ championship with
wins over Ilderton and
Lucan.
Lucan made it to the final
with wins over St. Marys
and Dorchester.
They bombed Dorchester
by an 8-3 count in their first
outing. Chris Hughes scored
with Ron Bilcke off for
cross-checking.
Both teams missed
chances in regulation time
to get the winner and again
in the first 10-minute over
time Randy Lovie and Tom
Chessell came up with big
saves to force the sudden
death session.
Mitchell took the offensive
right off the opening whistle
and came close to winning
it, but Lovie made two spec
tacular saves on shots by
veteran Dennis Fischer.
This play .then moved into
the Mitchell end where con
verted defenceman Dave
Kinsman dug the puck out of
the corner and fed it to
Brian Mercer who blasted a
shot through the legs of
Chessell for the dramatic
and sudden conclusion of
another tight Exeter-
Mitchell playoff series.
Mitchell enjoyed five
power plays to Exeter’s
four, the best opportunity
coming when Dave Kinsman
picked up a ^questionable
elbowing penalty in the first
overtime. However, Exeter
held off the attack.
Lovie ended up with 36
saves, while Chessell had 42
at the other end of the rink
in the game played before
just over 1,200 fans.
Lose at Home
The Exeter ship appeared
to be sunk when they lost a 6-
3 tilt on their home ice, Fri
day, as Mitchell scored
three times in overtime to
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gain home advantage for the
seventh game.
The visitors drew first
blood with a goal at the 5:45
mark of the second, but Ex
eter evened the count late in
the period and then took a 2-
1 lead early in the third.
Phil Knight scored the
first one on a power play
with veterans Ken Pinder
and Fred Mommersteeg,
while Rookie Preston Dear
ing potted the second with
Dave Kinsman and Brian
Mercer drawing the assists.
Mitchell rapped in two
goals in a space of less than
three minutes shortly after
Dearing’s goal, but Dave
Bogart got the equalizer at
the 15:33 mark with Don
McKellar and Jamie
Caldwell setting up the play
that forced the overtime.
Mike Avery scored at 3:01
of the extra session and Jay
Heinbuck added another
with two and a half minutes
left. Avery potted the third
into an empty net in the final
seconds.
Play was even throughout
the contest, as'’Randy Lovie
and Tom Chessell each
stopped 36 shots. Mitchell
picked up seven of the 13
penalties called in the ex
citing tilt.
Bad game
In Tuesday’s game in
Mitchell, the local Hawks
were plagued by several
miscues as they dropped a 4-
2 verdict to the league
champs.
Exeter gave up one short-
handed goal, had a goal of
their own disallowed by the
referee and were finally
beaten on a play that they
thought they had under con
trol.
The teams battled through
a slow first period without a
goal, but Exeter finally hit
the mark early in the second
when Dave kinsman con
verted a pass from Preston
Dearing.
They had a golden oppor
tunity to move farther ahead
when they enjoyed a power
play seconds later, but that
one backfired as Jay Hein
buck scored for Mitchell as
both Exeter defenders went
after the puck carrier and
left the young winger all
alone for the pass in front.
At the 8:31 mark,
Kinsman came back with his
second of the night on a play
with Brian Mercer and Phil
Knight, but again the local
fans had hardly settled down
before Mitchell evened the
count 40 seconds later on a
goal by Mike Avery.
Mitchell scored the
winner at the 6:50 mark of
the third after Randy Lovie
had blocked the original
shot. He fell to smother the
puck and defenceman Ron
Silcke fell into the pile as
well and they thought they
had it controlled. However,
with a late referee’s whistle,
Phjl Avery dug the disc
loose and flipped it over the
pileup.
The referee waved off one
Exeter goal that crossed the
crease after a scramble in
front of the Mitchell net,
giving fans no indication of
his reasoning.
Mitchell’s final goal came
with eight seconds left in the
game with the net open as
Exeter attempted to get the
equalizer. The ganging at
tack produced some chances
for them in the last minute,
but they couldn’t find the
range.
The teams served only
three
game which saw Randy
Lovie
Tom Chessell, 29.
earns served only
minors each in the
make 31 saves and
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SHHL
Semi Final
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Goderich Merchants
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Thurs., Mar.l5th
Mon., Mar. 19th
8:30
HURON PARK ARENA
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Hockey Playoffs
OMHA Bantam 'B' Semi-Final
TILBURY VS EXETER