HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-02-10, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2005. PAGE 9.
Jim
Brown
Jim
Class
Wheeler tied for first in GAA
How about hyping the Grey Cup
The Canadian Football League is
unique in North America.
Not only that, it’s Canadian.
The CFL has been around longer
than the NFL, and the Grey Cup is
one of the oldest competitive
trophies in North America, along
with the Stanley Cup, the Memorial
Cup (both hockey) and the
America’s Cup (yachting).
And, what do Canadians think
about the CFL.
Apparently they’d rather lose it
and have Canadian cities, especially
Toronto, compete in the NFL. After
all, the NFL competes for the Super
Bowl, which is the most watched
event on television. A 30-second
commercial on the big game cost
$2.4 million.
With New England winning its
third Super Bowl in four years they
are probably considered a dynasty.
And, with a 24-21 decision over
Philadelphia, it was probably one of
the better games played in the 39-
year history of the event.
If Canadian brewing companies,
large and small, spent as much
money on the Grey Cup game as
they do the Super Bowl, the CFL
would not be beset by financial
difficulties and the league could
even expand.
During the past number of years,
the CFL has talked about
expansion. While the Maritimes
seems to be the number one
destination for a IOth team in the
league, other cities mentioned most
recently include Quebec City and
London.
The only drawback is that none of
the three locations has an ideal
stadium, although if the Maritimes
were awarded a franchise there has
been talk of getting a proper
stadium within five years either in
Halifax or Moncton. Halifax would
be the ideal location, with its larger
population base, but Moncton is
more centrally situated.
The CFL evolved from the game
of rugby and there is still evidence
of that around, at least there has
been in the recert past. There was a
senior football league in the
province called the Ontario Rugby
Football Union. At one time there
was the ORFU and the Northern
ORFU. I remember teams from
North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste.
Marie and Kirkland Lake
competing in the NORFU.
I first remember North Bay being
called the Rough Riders, but then
become the Tiger Cats.
However, in the early 1970s, the
East York Argonauts were added to
the NORFU schedule as they did
not have a league to play in.
Who knows from where the NFL
evolved — perhaps European
football (soccer), hence the 11
players.
Back in the 1960s, the CFL was
divided into two divisions and did
not play an inter-locking schedule.
There was the Big Four league —
Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and
Montreal and the Western Canadian
Football League — Winnipeg,
Saskatchewan, Calgary, Edmonton
and British Columbia.
The CFL has withstood
difficulties in the past and hopefully
will withstand this crazed notion,
mostly from people in Toronto, that
the NFL should expand to the
Ontario capital.
Although the overall attendance
for the CFL has been on the increase
in recent years, the game is more
widely accepted and promoted in
Western Canada than it is in the
east.
But, if Canadians aren’t careful,
this unique Canadian game will go
the way of the Quebec Nordiques,
the Winnipeg Jets, the North Bay
Centennials, the team behind the
Avro Aero and the dinosaur.
After not playing for seven
consecutive games, Brook Wheeler of
Brussels came up big for the Colgate
Raiders as they played the seventh
ranked Mercyhurst on Sunday.
Wheeler turned aside 43 shots,
including a pair of third-period
breakaway opportunities, to backstop
the Colgate women’s hockey team to
a 3-0 decision over Mercyhurst. The
day before, Mercyhurst ran its win
streak to eight games, with a 4-1
decision over the Raiders.
Mercyhurst became the third ranked
school the Raiders have been able to
defeat. Against ranked teams, the
Raiders are 3-9-1, having defeated
Providence, Brown, Mercyhurst and
playing Princeton to a draw. With the BROOK WHEELER
win, Colgate improved to 12-13-2.
The weekend effort moved
Wheeler, a sophomore, into a two-
way tie for first place amongst ECAC
goaltenders with a goals-against
average of 1.70. She shares the mark
with junior Roxanne Gaudiel of
Princeton. Junior Kate Lane
Dartmouth is eighth with a GAA of
2.16.
Wheeler is first for save percentage
at .947 and is ninth in winning
percentage at .455. She has recorded
three shutouts. /
With their 1.70 GAA, Wheeler and
Gaudiel are tied for fifth nationally,
and Wheeler has the second best save
percentage in the country.
Novice Bulldogs win 2 of 3
The Blyth Novice Bulldogs won two of the three
games played in league competition last week.
After suffering a 10-4 setback at the hands of
Milverton on Jan. 31, the Novices edged past Minto 3-2
in a game played at the Blyth and District Community
Centre last Thursday then romped to an 8-0 decision
over host Wingham on Sunday.
Alex Peters and Trystan Weber scored three goals
apiece in the decision over Wingham. Spencer
Stevenson scored twice and added an assist. Dylan
Bromley and Wyatt Carey had two assists apiece, with
Mike VanWyk earning one helper.
Peters scored two goals, including the winner with
under four minutes to play in the game, as the Novices
edged Minto 3-2 on Feb. 3.
Dalton Richmond netted the first goal for Blyth.
Earning single assists were Braydon Whitfield, Weber,
Carey, Mike VanWyk and Matt VanWyk.
Dalton Carey earned the victory in the Blyth goal.
Peters scored three goals in the loss to Milverton in a
game played in Milverton.
Bromley had a goal and two assists, with Wyatt Carey
and Stevenson each collecting a pair of helpers.
Richmond and Whitfield had one assist apiece.
Matt VanWyk took the setback in the Blyth
goal.
Brussels Midgets lose in OT
The Brussels Midgets find themselves down by one
game after losing 4-3 in overtime to Zurich in game three
of their WOAA semi-final series.
The game was played Sunday evening at the Brussels,
Morris and Grey Community Centre. Game four in the
series was played last night. Wednesday, in Zurich, with
game five, if necessary, going Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in
Brussels.
The teams were deadlocked at 1-1 after the first
period, with Chase Chapman scoring
for Brussels, with help from Greg
Bowers and Tate Stephenson.
Brent Wheeler gave Brussels a 2-1
lead in the second period, with the
assists going to Chris Jutzi and
Shayne Cochrane.
Matt White made it 3-1 for Brussels in the opening
minute of the third period. Wheeler earned the
assist.
Zurich scored with more than five minutes in the game
and then netted the equalizer with 1:15 remaining in
regulation time.
The winning goal was scored a 1:50 of the 10-minute
overtime period.
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