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The Citizen, 1998-10-28, Page 8Sticking close Novice players from several towns and villages showed up in Brussels on Saturday to compete in the annual tournament. Here a Clinton player is dogged by two from Lucan in game three of the tournament. Lucan came out on top by 12-1, then went on to defeat Brussels for the championship. (Ashley Gropp photo) Brussels battles Lucan for tourney A CO-ED N DOOR SOCCER at F.E. Madill Secondary School starting on THURSDAY, Nov. 26TH at 7:15 Minimum age 15 years & Up To register and for more info phone Maxine Houston 887-6816 n a NEI • Lucan scored once again only to be quickly answered by a goal from Cronin on a pass from Campbell. Lucan went on to take a two-goal, lead which Brussels was unable to reciprocate. Once again Lucan went home with the championship trophy. Each player received a mini- hockey stick and the two winning teams earned medallions. TRAILBLAZERS Buy your trail permit by November 1, and qualify for the Early Bird Arctic Cat Draw Put your money on your local trails Available: In Mitchell at Faust Home Hardware, Mitchell Tire & Ward's Yamaha; in Seaforth - Vincent's Farm Equipment & Middegaal Sports; in Walton at McGavin's Farm Equipment; in Monkton at John's Repair Shop & Todd's Auto Sales; in Brodhagen at B & K Tire & Battery; in Brussels at G & M Auto Parts. PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1998. ports From the sidelines Putting a face on the WOAA By Hugh Nichol Have you ever visited the Wes- tern Ontario Athletic Asso- ciation (WOAA) office in Wingham? If not, it is the penthouse suite high atop the PUC building at the corners of John and Josephine Street. Behind the glass-plated door is the control centre of Western Ontario sports under the watchful eye of its secretary-manager- known to all as Linda. Information on the everyday facets of sport is gathered here, received from the underground network of convenors, town contacts, and volunteers. The WOAA operates in relative obscurity, its proud heritage and continuous battle to remain a separate identity in the Ontario sports world overlooked or misunderstood by the general public. People fail to realize its immense magnitude and success. Did you know that there are more Senior Hockey teams registered in the WOAA than the rest of Ontario combined? Or that the Minor Hockey program of Ontario is divided into seven regions of which six are under direct control of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA)? The exception is the WOAA which is also the largest geographic area within the OMHA boundaries and that last hockey season 19 of their teams reached the All-Ontario finals. The WOAA is seldom mentioned in terms of endearment and is usually preceded by an adjective based on profanity. No one speaks of the WOAA unless they or their team have been wronged and since we are never at fault blame must be shifted. The Western provides the perfect outlet from the frustration of defeat for it is perceived as faceless and non-emotional. But is it? The WOAA was founded in 1942 by Doc Cruickshank, Tory Gregg and Alf Lockridge, three local sports enthusiasts whose vision was to promote sports in the "small communities and rural areas" of Western Ontario. It is a community- oriented organization unique in that it has its own board of directors which oversees the operation of not one, but several, sports under its umbrella. Minor Hockey is the bread and butter sport but ladies' hockey, senior hockey and softball are all separate indemnities within the Association. The WOAA is a democratic Blyth Minor Hockey and Blyth Figure and Power Skating Clubs arc kicking off the season with a major fundraising skate-athon. Set for Oct. 31, everyone with pledges is invited to participate in the Saturday skate, providing funds for the ever-increasing cost of run- ning the clubs. Registration will be held from 8:30 to 9 a.m. with skating from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Children under operation in that every year there is a general meeting at which a board of directors is elected. This group of individuals is assigned to various committees whose duties include the day-to-day operation of their respective sport. Each chairman has full governing powers, however all correspondence is discussed at a monthly board meeting. • Forgotten long ago is the fact the board of directors are volunteers who donate their time for the betterment of sport. (The WOAA is a non-profit organization whose expenses are funded through entry fees, playoff dues and registration of officials on a break even margin). They follow the guidelines as set forth in the Manual of Operation of the individual event and base their decisions on black and white not personal feelings. Changes or amendments to the manual are voted on at the general meeting so in reality they are enforcing your rules which unfortunately individuals, teams, and associations continue to abuse. Off the field the WOAA is involved in the organizing and hosting of coach, .trainer, referee and umpire clinics and has developed its own supervisory committees to monitor the progress of the above individuals. A bursary award has been established providing financial assistance to a WOAA registered participant pursuing post-secondary education while the office itself is a strong supporter of the F. E. Madill Co-op program giving students a first-hand look at the administration side of sports. A part of WOAA history since 1954 is the Mike Weichel Trophy awarded annually "in recognition of outstanding efforts in minor sports". How many people know Jim Prior of Brussels was honoured with the award in 1979? Volunteers of the WOAA, from president to statistician, have been verbally thrown out of a sports facility in Western Ontario, and while the hours and conflicts are numerous and time-consuming the success of their teams makes the job both gratifying and rewarding. Just ask Joyce McClure of Winthrop, who has given 20 plus years of service to the association and remains actively involved in the Western today. So before you utter the WOAA word, remember, everyone has the right to stand for election at the general meeting. Unfortunately the idea of serving a term on the executive usually receives the same amount of enthusiasm as a call to jury duty. seven will skate until 11 a.m. Games and prizes, donated by groups and businesses, will be handed out during the event. Breaks arc scheduled for each hour with refreshments and snacks available. The booth will also be open. For the safety of all skaters, traf- fic controllers will be on duty. Pledge sheets are available at Blyth arena or by calling 523-4815 or 526-7537. Brussels Minor Hockey hosted its third annual Novice tournament on Oct. 24. Teams came from Brussels, Blyth, Elma-Logan, Wingham, Clinton, Lucan and Ilderton. In the first game, Blyth was defeated by Elma-Logan 3 - 1. Scoring for Blyth was Blake Hesselwood, assisted by Kendall Whitfield and Brittney Peters. Scoring for Elma was Nathan Vain Herk, Dawson Smith and Connor O'Rourke. Wingham played Ilderton in the second game and was defeated 10 - I. Scoring for Wingham was Brandon Simmons: Danny Ryan managed to score or assist on seven of Ilderton's goals. In game three, Lucan defeated Clinton 12 - 1. Scoring for Clinton was David Dykstra, assisted by Adam Doupe. Brussels defeated Elma-Logan 10 - 1 in game four. Chris Corbett led the scoring with three goals and three assists. Christopher Jutzi got two goals and two assists. Tommy Cronin had two goals and one assist. Adam Corbett had two goals while Alyssa Gowing had one goal and two assists. Wade Stephenson, Ryan Jutzi, William King, Jordan Campbell and Chase Chapman each assisted on at least one of the goals. Shane Gibson made spectacular saves while in net. Scoring for Elma-Logan was Van Herk. In the second round of play, the games were a lot closer. Wingham just managed to pull off a win against Clinton in game five. Scoring the lone goal_ of the game was Greg Tiffin, assisted by Brandon Simmons and Kyle Ritchie. The two rival teams from the Shamrock League played against each other in game six. The fast paced game was back and forth and at the end of the game the score was tied at three. Three and a half minutes into the overtime period, Lucan's Logan Couture scored his third goal of the game. Skate-a-thon set for Saturday In the consolation game, Blyth played off with Wingham. There was no scoring in the first period. Wingham's Greg Munday started the scoring which was quickly answered by Blyth's Tony Bean. In less than two minutes, Wingham had scored two more goals-,(Cory MacDonald and Irran'don Simmons); Cameron Chaffe and Greg Tiffin each scored for Wingham to finish off the second period. Blyth's Anthony Peters started the scoring in the last period but they were unable to stop Cory MacDonald from pushing one more past the Blyth goalie. The final score was 6 - 2 for Wingham in the consolation game. The final game of the day was Brussels against the returning champs for the last two years, Lucan. Late in the first period, Lucan started the scoring. With seconds left, the crowd cheered as Chris Corbett lit up the scoreboard for Brussels. The crowd went wild as the two teams made excellent saves and aggressive plays.