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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-03-30, Page 10Page 10 Sports Spotlight Times-Advocate March 30, 1978 By Ross Haugh Carnival coming The most important event of the year for the Ex­ eter figure skating club will be held this coming Satur­ day. The local skating club will be staging their annual carnival and it is being presented in two shows at 2 and 7 p.m. Club president Gaylen Josephson tells us the car­ nival will feature MacDonald Land and all of the television characters connected with the popular ham­ burger chain. Authentic costumes used for commercials are be­ ing brought to Exeter through the courtesy of MacDonald’s. With the special costumes, carnival spectators will be able to watch characters likeBigMac, Mayor MacCheese, Grimace. Captain Crook, The Professor and Hamburgler. All 140 members of the skating club will be seen in at least one number. Several special attractions will be included on the program. Senior members will be presenting a salute to the new South Huron Rec Centre and seniors and in­ termediates will take part in a football game on ice. The guest skater will be Western Ontario sec­ tional novice champion Lori Jolley from Strathroy. A couple of anonymous skaters will provide a bit of comedy (hopefully). Dressed as a member of the armed forces and a nurse the two will present “Forward March.’’ We have been unable to learn the identity of the two comics but have heard rumours one is gaining municipal experience and the other has engineered many projects. Our hope is that the South Huron Rec Centre will be filled to capacity for both shows^Saturday. This is the main fund raising project of the club and helps keep registration fees down. We know that the enthusiastic executive and club pros Brad Loosley and Marg Carey will present an in­ teresting and entertaining show. See you there. Preparing colts The latest issue of the Standardbred magazine lists the two year old colts which are now in training for the 1978 summer racing season and a number from this area are included. The Wheeling By Stable of Grand Bend owned by Doug Courtney has no less than 10 colts in training at Western Fair Raceway. Three of these are owned by Courtney while he has one in partnership with Ray Webb of Dashwood and another with Paul Johnson and Lloyd Fahner, Grand Bend. Mount Carmel native Dennis Morrissey has three in training. They are owned by himself, his brother Dave and Bob Hamather, Zurich and are also stabled at London. A large number of colts under the control of Ken McElroy at London includes one owned jointly by Bill Ellerington, Exeter and Lee Paul, Kirkton. Updating at Barrie Harness racing trainers and spectators will find the most modern totalizator equipment when the Barrie Raceway opens April 15. The new wagering board will give “will pay” prices in exact dollars and cents, total pools and a rotating feature display board, the first of its kind in Canada. The new ticket issuing machines will ac­ commodate any type of wager. A series replay The 1968 World Series is one that rabid Detroit Tiger fans will never forget. They may get a chance this summer to relive these pleasant memories. After initially dismissing the idea, the Tigers have appointed a committee to study the possibility of bringing the 1968 world championship club back for a reunion at Tiger Stadium. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Tigers World Series win over the St. Louis Cardinals who would be invited back for an exhibition game to mark the occasion. No date has been set. but, August 27 when the Tigers will host the Milwaukee Brewers seems the logical choice. This would likely be the last chance to see fellows like Al Kaline, Norm Cash, Mickey Lolich, Bill Freehan, etc. in active baseball action. Plan minor sports Attempts are being made to establish a minor sports association in Dashwood. An organizational meeting will be held Tuesday, April 11 at the Dashwood Community Centre at 8 p.m. Spokesman Bob Hoffman said the new association would try to make a variety of sports available to boys and girls. He emphasized it was not just for baseball. At least three minor ball teams are planned for this summer. Bob Hayter and Earl Horner will coach a bantam team, Angela Dittmer and Ted Ducharme will be in charge of the pee wees and coaches are be­ ing sought for a tyke team. Two slo pitch leagues will again be active. The ladies will play Wednesday nights and the men Thurs­ day nights. Boost YOUR HOME TOWN It's Good For You Hawks oust Belmont in four Midgets help in wins It was no major surprise that the Exeter Hawks ousted Belmont in their OH A * quarter-final series. However, it was a bit of a surprise that they were able to accomplish the task in four games and even more of a surprise that they did it with seven regulars on the sidelines. Even local fans needed a program to identify the Hawks as the series progressed and coach Ron Bogart dipped deeper into the local midget lineup to get enough bodies to fill the roster. However, the “kids” and some of the “fringe” players came through in style to oust Brian Abbey’s Bombers. Missing from the Hawks lineup from the start of the series were goalie Randy Lovie, out with injuries, Brad Taylor and Jamie Caldwell away on spring break trips. Steve Jennison was ousted with a twisted knee in the second game, while Don McKellar was sidelined with a broken ankle in the opener. Fred Mommersteeg saw only limited duty after in­ juring his back in the second game and Phil Knight missed the final contest after being gashed for 12 stitches on his upper leg when he was cut by a skate in Friday’s contest in Exeter. With the exception of Lovie and McKellar, the injured and vacationing players are expected back for the next series and Bogart’s problem could then turn from one of famine to feast. In the three games this week, the Hawks opened with a 6-5 overtime win in Belmont and then came home on Friday to easily outscore the opposition by a 7-1 margin. In the fourth game, the most exciting of the series, the teams battled into a sudden death overtime before Ken Pinder scored to give the Hawks a 4-3 verdict, Saturday. Despite the make-shift arrangements, all three lines and defensive corps played well and they received some steady netminding from Steve Beer and Scott McNair. Each of the lines powered one of the trio of victories that sends the Hawks into the semi-final series. Pinder settles it During the rest period before Saturday’s sudden death overtime, the Hawks decided to go after the winning tally on the first shift, and while such plans are not always possible to complete, they ”'ere in this case. Ken Pinder told his two wingers he’d dump the opening faceoff into the Belmont end and he did just that with a high flip shot that Wayne Boughner had to steer to a corner. Brian Taylor raced into get the puck and after it had been kept in by the efforts of Randy Fisher, Jim Ferguson and John Van Gerwen, the puck ended up back on Pinder’s stick and his quick wrist shot was into the net. The goal took less than 30 seconds and quickly brought the marathon to a halt. Scott McNair, making his second start in the series, played some sensational goal to keep the Hawks in the game, especially in the latter part of the second when he deftly turned aside several hard shots among the 52 peppered at him by the Bombers. The home team took a 1-0 lead in the first, but Randy Fisher knotted the count in the second when he was left alone in front of an empty net and a loose puck. Pinder scored his first of three on a power play at the 19:18 mark with Taylor and VanGerwen assisting. Early in the third he came back again after being sent into the clear by passes from Ron Bilcke and Preston Dearing. The lanky centre made one of his patented moves at the side ' of Boughner to tuck the disc into a corner. The Hawks appeared to be heading for the win as they maintained the 3-1 margin, but Belmont scored at the 15:14 mark on a scramble around the Exeter net and they potted the equalizer two minutes later when the defence got caught up ice. The overtime was one of the most exciting 10 minutes of hockey the teams produced, racing end to end, only to have Boughner and’ McNair come up with some key saves to force the sudden death session. Turn it on In Friday night’s contest played before 1,050 at the rec centre, the “Brian” line paced the attack. Midget centre Brian Mercer started it off at the 4:55 mark when he took a pass from Brion Penhale and cooly side-stepped Boughner’s checking at­ tempt to backhand the puck into the net. Mercer and Brian Taylor set Penhale up for the second tally of the period and John Van Gerwen then converted passes from Pinder and Mommersteeg to score on a power play near the mid-way mark. Belmont scored the only goal of the second period, it coming with the Hawks playing two men short. However, the Hawks came out flying in the final period to quickly pull the game out of reach. Taylor scored the first on a play with Penhale and Fisher, while Penhale scored his second with the other two Brians assisting. Randy Parsons then took over the scoring chores as he blinked the light twice. Midget linemate Dave Bogart helped on both goals, while drawing one assist each were Taylor and Muller. Steve Beer made 21 stops in the Exeter net for his second series win. Muller is hot In the Wednesday night 6-5 overtime win in Belmont, Matt Muller paced the attack with a four-goal per­ formance, including the shots that sent the game into overtime and the winner. It was his second four-goal playoff performance. After Belmont took a one- goal lead on a powerplay, Muller notched his first two with linemates Bogart and Parsons helping on the first and Phil Knight setting up the second when he sent the speedy winger into the clear. Belmont moved ahead by one early in the second, with Dave Kinsman getting the tie on a play with Steve j Jennison. After Belmont went up by a 4-3 margin, Parsons hit the range on a pass from Muller to send the teams off the ice with a tie at the end of two. Belmont again took the upper hand with a goal early in the third and they held it until the 17:41 mark when Muller scored on a play with Parsons and Bogart to send the game into the extra session. Muller continued his heroics in the overtime when he scored the winner at the 7:53 mark on a play with Bogart and Fisher. The Hawks fired 56 shots at Boughner in addition to the six goals, while Steve Beer handled 35 shots suc­ cessfully, including nine in overtime. SERIES NOTES-Altho- ugh four Hawks were ousted from the series with injuries, it was not a rough set. In total, Exeter picked up 17 minors in the four games, while Belmont served 18...the Hawks picked up four power play tallies...colorful hat-wearing Abbey was one of the first into the Hawks room after his team was ousted. When some of his players started to leave the ice, he ordered them back to shake hands with the defending OHA champs...Abbey never did exhibit any of the antics that he displayed in the Mt. Brydges series ...several Exeter fans showed up in Belmont on Saturday with colorful headgear, the most noticeable being former Hawk defenceman Joe O’Rourke. He told fans he had an easter suit to match the gay, flowered hat...Beer and McNair finished the series with a combined goals-agaihst average of only 2.5...the players plan to handcuff manager Fred Mommersteeg to the screen so he’ll have to watch their next overtime session, if there is one. He has a habit of getting “lost during the nerve-wracking sessions ... Local fans won’t have any trouble identifying coach Bogart in the first game of the next series. His attire will be the same as he’s worn for the last five victories and he’ll again tie his shoes in the same order and start the same five p)ayers..Exeter fans out-numbered Belmont fans at the latter’s two home games, despite treacherous road conditions for the last encounter. HOW SWEET IT IS — Matt Muller was a one-man scoring at tack against Belmont in Wednesday's second game. He potted four goals, including the one that sent the game into overtime late in the third period and the one that gave the Hawks a 6-5 overtime win. He raises his arms in victory after one of those tallies. T-A photo Midgets win awards in Wingham event The Exeter midgets picked up one team trophy and an individual award as they competed in the annual Wingham tournament during the spring break. The locals scored wins over St. Marys and Mooretwon to win the con­ solation “B” trophy, after losing their opener to Merritton. Brian Mercer was named top player in the division and received a week’s scholarship to a hockey school for his efforts. Merritton doubled the score 8-4 against Exeter in the opener, breaking an early 2-2 tie with three straight tallies in the first. Doug Brooks was the scoring leader for Exeter with two goals, while singles were fired by Mercer and Dave Atthill. Preston Dearing had three assists. In the first game in the consolation on Thursday, the locals gained some revenge against St. Marys, the team that had ousted them from OMHA playoffs. Exeter scored a 6-3 win. Dearing paced the attack with a hat trick per­ formance, while Dave Bogart fired a pair. The other tally was registered by Dave Atthill. Mercer, Wayne Parsons, Atthill, and Brooks had two assists each. Playing Mooretown for the consolation trophy, Exeter jumped into a quick 3-0 lead and were never headed as they posted an 11-5 triumph. Dearing was again the top marksman with a four-goal outburst, while Mercer contributed three goals and Brooks had a pair. The singles were rifled into the cage by Bogart and Dave Bell. Brooks had five assists, Jeff Fuller helped out on three and picking up a pair each were Bogart, Atthill and Parsons. Doug Fletcher and Larry Dawson had one apiece. Steve Wells picked up the win. He shared netminding duties in the first two games with Doug Hoffman. Bantams drubbed The Exeter bantam 11 squad ended their play in the Strathroy Olympics on a rather sad note as they were drubbed 17-3 by Southwest London, Saturday. Playing in Glencoe, the locals actually led the game with a goal by Steve Prout early in the first, but from then on it was all down hill for the team. • Southwest scored seven before Mike Murray potted Exeter’s second tally and they led by an 11-2 margin when Murray scored his second tally of the day late in the second. Four of the London tallies came on power plays as Exeter picked up eight of the 13 penalties called in the chippy contest. Mike Murray and Mike Clark of the Exeter 11 team were chosen to participate in the all-star game. PIONEER Home Stereo Components ON THE SPOT FINANCING GET OUR PRICE BEFORE YOU BUY Jerry MacLean Sk Son r AUTOMOTIVE LTD. „,e no.AExcler 235-0800 OUR STORE IS DiG ENOUGH TO SERVE YOUR NEEDS out small Enough to be friendly Authorized Dealer for RADIO SHACK Open at home Sunday The Exeter Hawks open their best-of-seven OHA semi-final round pt home Sunday night, but they’re still not certain which team they’ll be facing when they skate onto the ice at 8:00 p.m. The opposition will be provided by either the Stayner Siskins or the St. George Lions. Those two are currently tied at three games each in their quarter­ final series with the deciding game to be played tonight in St. George. Each team has won its home games, giving a slight advantage to the Lions. Hawks coach Ron Bogart, along with manager Fred Mommersteeg and Bob Drummond, were in Stayner Monday night to see the sixth game, won 5-4 by the Siskins. On the basis of the two teams’ performance, Bogart said he is optimistic about his club’s chances against either one. He said neither team is as good as Mitchell or Lucan, who were earlier sidelined by the Hawks. “I’d be disappointed if we didn’t beat either one of them,” he said in reference to the pending opposition, adding that if his chargers put their minds to it, they could win in four or five games. Only five players from last year’s Stayner team are on this year’s season, the Stayner in squad. Last Hawks ousted four straight Please turn to Page 11 1 the BIG BIKE on SERVICE... Or rather the big service on bikes. At Rollie's we offer you service by trained and experienced technicians. We offer all our customers a FREE service ' a "break in" period. inspection on every new bike sold after By famous brands as Raleigh, C.C.M., or Windsor. Plus parts and accessories. SUZUKI EVERYBODY WINS! 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