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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-02-05, Page 13conadian Special Olympics Elsie Swan heads to nationals By Adrlai Harte EXETER - An Exeter woman will beeampetmg at the Canadian Bpseisl°Olympics in Saskatoon this IPebniery. A gold medal performance at the Provincial Special Olympics in Windsor last year tamed Elsie Swan a cbaace to compete at the national level this year. She will be only one of four on the 60.E Ontario team in the figure skating compel ion. "I've been practising hard," said Swan, who now skates with the Ex - Elsie Swan, shown here with her gold medal from last year's provincial competiton, will be rep- re3'enting Team Ontario at the Canadian Special Olympics . Mohawks win three -of -four By Fred Groves EXETER - Four games in .six nights is a lot of hockey but when you can come away with seven of a bible _eight _paints, it -he s to ease the pain a bit. Last week, the Exeter Mohawks beat Aylmer twice, topped Walpole Island and lost in overtime to Dunnville to move into first place in the Southern Counties Senior 'A' Hockey League. At home Sunday night, fatigue was en obvious factor for the locals but, a strong third period saw them beat the Aylmer Hornets 4-2, im- proving their record to 19- Although 9 Although Exeter hit the post twice and Kevin McArter was stopped on a breakaway, the Fust period was scoreless. It took a scor- ing spurt by .forward Mark Bannon to cinch the victory. Bannon bad two goals, including the game winner while Greg Snyd- er and Jeff Shipley also oonnecitd. "It's a lot of games to play in six nights," said Bannon who got his fourth and fifth goals of the season. Mike Haines gave the visitors a 1-0 dead in the seated period and it held asp and' 40 seconds into the third when Bannonijunnped on a re- bound. A Dustin Bellyou breaka- way repined the Hornets toed be- fore the Mohawks Wok cotarol. Snyder scored and then Bannon let go with a wrist shot that bit the . aefslsher .a d dropped info the net babied Fred Mabee. Shipley put a shot op high to faith the scoring with less that four milieus left. Bannon commented that coach Dave Revington gave the Mohawks a bit of a pep talk during the second intermission. . "He just id .we _bave_,4D _ xp working bard. He said dig a little deeper, keep the shifts shat and try and not get too tired out there." Two of the four games week were makeups, prior to thaae Mo- hawks had been idle since January 19. "We haven't played a lot the two .previous weeks. They were makeup games and we had to get them in," said Revington. While Exeter was trying to put the puck past Mabee, Mohawks rookie neuninder Jeff Hill was spectacular making several key saves. With Shipley taking four minutes in the penalty box sad then Barry Bayottam being slapped with a five-minute high sticking .purity, back-to-back in the stood period, Hill had to come up big. "Hill was the difference. He held us in the second period when we're short," said Reviogton. Fester 8, WalpokMood 4 Saturday night on the Iliad, Joe SCbaer fired another* irk** added an mist for a 1atttfpoint eight. Also sooting -for the Mo- hawks were Wyyae Whalen, S11lp1ey, McArter, Bannon, #nd . Soyda ' Rookie Craig Oster was given a pmt atiacoodur:t andan.ias igatrr ,penalty near the cod of the: sane when be was involved ins skim - tion with Brad Crawford. Dunnville 6, Exeter 5 (OT) Early in the overtime period, Tim Shields was hauled down on a birakaway,_no_penalty was called and while the Mohawks were pro- testing, Mudcats' Dale Kelly scored. Down by two goals a couple of times in this one, .Exeter got a pair from Scherer with singles to Snyd- er and .Bannon. Osier had a goal and four assists. Exeter forward Andre Prevost was sent to the hospital after he_ took a stick above the eye from Rod Mina. Revington felt even though his team came up short, they can beat the Mudcats. "It should give us more motiva- tion. We know we can heat them. I think the referee was intimidated." Euler 8, Aylmer 4 This one started as a shootout, but last 'fteeaday night the visiting Mohawks beat the Hae>Aets 8-4: It was 4-4 at the cod of the fusttpSti- od before Esser netininder Paul Woolford was able to keep the Hor- tense or- t elss e bay for the rest of the game. Gad. Brooks and Shields bad abonthanded ,,osis for the winners while Snyder paced\ the offence with two goad and a pair of militia. Rookie Scott Pfaff and captain Shipley also had twit each. . Malsawk moments: -.League axteener Bob Habkirk was at the ,prof in Dunnville and said whin Shields was hauled down it should have .been a penalty hitelPigure Skating Club after mov- it so town but year. APietne skating is one of the more *Beth events in the Special Olympics, and these will only be 17 lranpetitors from across Canada. Hien an, Swan sin expected to do awn by her coaches, mainly be- anie she performs well under pres- Swan will have to perform both mandatory figures and her solo time, which has to include at least !len of 10 "elements". As she de- tdiibes it, Swan's routine will make lade of a spiral, hinges, cross cuts, a Maltz jump, and bunny hops. Should she find herself with a "Physically, she has come a long way" medal after the games wrap up, she will then be qualified to enter inter- national competition at the World Special Olympics in Austria next year. - After epilepsy left the right side of her body urnespousive in her late teens, Swan's parents, who now live in Zurich, encouraged her to try figure skating as a form of ther- apy. Now more than 10 years later, Swan has not only overcome much of her disability, but has canted sovaral medals and awards for her ming,1111 .of. which she proudly • ;displays by her bed. . "Pty+atca q. slat has tttltme fleNtg way," says Swan's support worker Spaan.Nigh, adding that the Special Olympics. e=fforts "snowballed" out of the therapeutic intent of the skat- ing; Swan's efforts with the Special Olympics have been supported by the Huron local which meets in Va- nastra each month. * ' • annual OPP torch nun• •, money for the Special 01 u d . Swan was one of the torch bearers in 1991's nun. . Although figure skating competi- tion is nothing new to her, Swan says she is still "nervous" about her upcoming challenge in Saskatoon. She says those nerves won't go away right up until she steps out onto the ice and the music begins. Stanley Cup visits Grand Bend hat do Bobby Comte, Wayne lean Batti- veau, Zte+icW: Pat OveAtolt and yours Indy have in com- mon? . We've ell field the Stanley Cup. I'm a hockey fan and on ¶i4 edrteeday afternoon I went to Gland Bald to see the NHL Legends on Ice. More specifically, it was Legends on Wheels as aweOtey4sound buses Ailed -with-memories hem the Hock- ey Hall of Fame gave the public a glimpse at hockey's past. At the end of one of the buses, was the Stanley Cup. North America's oldest trophy and the reward for being the best team In the NHL. Some may consider it the prize for the best team in the world. That's debatable as you constantly have. makeshift groups which enter the Olympics, World C?tampionships, Canada Cup, etc. Vet for me, Site Stanley Cup is soltymbol. A symbe1 of excellence. Pat and I took each others picture with the large silver tro- phy which was donated by Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston; thus the name Stanley Cup. For hockey trivia fans,. guessing the name of the man who donated the cup is a toughie. Well you know now, ifs Frede- rick Arthur. If you ask the question to someone and they say, Lord Stanley, remember they are only half right. It was kind of fitting I was standing on a little ice at the Grand Bei : Chrysler dealership while holding the cup. Hock- ey captains from as far back as the tum of the century have lofted it high above their heads. I didn't try it, to tell you the truth I was a tad worried I might drop it. Afterall this is an antique, and I was nervous. The cup isn't that heavy but I can imagine Mark Messier and Lanny MacDonald holding it for display to their fans mo- ments after they had won it. Blood pumping, exhausted both physically -and emotionally, it could soon be a heavy piece of hardware. The test of the Legends on Ice, I am afraid to say, was not as spectacular. It's tough to top the Stanley Cup. But just like everyone else, I was able to step back in time and relive some of hockey's highlights. The displays were divided into different eras. Beginning. with the earl,' days from 1880 to 1925, this included Frank Foyston's, hockey skates. He played for the Toronto Blue- shirts, the 1914 Stanley Cup Champions. There's Percy LeSueur's goalie stick. The same one he used when he was in net for Smith Falls in.1904-and the same one he used for five full years with the 1909 champion Ottawa Senators. Next year when the new_ edition of the Senators play in .the NHL, don't expect come kid from Smith Falls to appear on the rink and use a goalie stick for five years. They simply don't make them to last that long anymore. Pro hockey for me is divided into three easy categories. Pre 1967 when I have things like the Legends of Ice to remind me of early days. Then then; is the expansion year 1967 to about 19$0, for and BOWS the best of hockey. Guys like Bobby Mull, Bobby Orr and Ken Dryden. After 1980 a new age of hockey was bom. Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bob Probert. Hockey is changing, from the days of the Montreal Wander- ers to the re-creation of the Senators. It's history and hopeful- ly we will be able to always wander through a bus full of memories to dream and pretend we are the greatest idell by G roves Hockey with or without ice, you can have it either way. RSD Sports Den of Exeter is trying something new on Satur- day, February 15 when it will be hosting a Floor Hockey Tournament. The single day event will begin at 8 a.m. at the South Huron District High School. Scott Bogart of RSD tells me that the tournament will be divided into two age groups, 16 -and -under and over 16. Entry forms can be picked up at the store. Exeter Mohawks forward Joe Scherer, left; and Kris Muscut of the Aylmer Horents may have looked like they were going to dance on Sunday but they had something else in mind which was qulcky broken up by the referee.