Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-04-07, Page 19Times4Advooate, :April7,11 19 CaQatmyeiontiortim Masiler lbsolion out in finals By Fred Groves T -A staff WALPOLE ISLAND - les been 17 years since a team from Zurich made it to the Ontario Minor•Hock- ey Association championships. In 1976, the peewees ended upas finalists. Thursday night on Walpole Is- land, the Zurich Thunder returned home •with the finalists trophy in the midget 'E' division. In what will be knownrformany years as an interesting and some- what controversial series, the Thun- der bowed to Walpole Island in five games. "1 was getting preuy discouraged, to me hockey is played on the icc," said Zurich coach Bud Markham. He was referring to the fact that he was told just moments prior to the third game, he had received a three -game suspension, Markham was given the suspen- sion after he entered the Thunder dressing room between periods . of game two in Walpole Island. His team accumulated too many penal- ty minutes in the first game, prohib- iting him from communicating with his team in the second one. Not only •wes:.he-suspended, but game two:was awarded as a victory to Walpoleisland. "I should have been suspended and not the team. Palling me out two minutes before game three be- fore the appeal was not right," said Markham. "The politics in sport is getting to be more -than the game." After a very successful season in which they won the °PIMA semi- furals in three straight over Tarn - worth the Thunder saw :its :season come to an end on Thursday in a 5- 3 loss. Throughout this game, Zirich 4was always in it despite trailing 3-1 MK the end of the first period and 4-2 Z*fter the second. Dwight Gingerich scored in the first period from Jeff McLaren while later in the game Dave Rath - well teamed with linemate Steve Geiger for a pair of goals while Ste- phen Regier also drew an assist on the third Zurich goal. Three games were played last 'meek including a long 6-1 Walpole :Mand win Wednesday 'night. The Visiting Thunder's only goal came rin the second period when Dan Taylor scored from Pat Regier. •.Defenseman Martin Regier suf- -.1feeed a serious injury after Mon- t llay's:game•which resulted in sever- -ael ualtches to his elbow. He did not 'MASS the next two games despite be- ing in a lot of pain. His blueline partner Adam Du - sand missed two games because he -was sick and captain Ben Geiger wash= tri• Thursday's game. -"Waled a lot of key -people get- ghurt,.we ran out of steam. Istill 4don't -think ...they were ,the -better 'Starabutabey-did cane on_ at the 'SW," . said Markham. '3he'hunder won :the Western Ontario Hockey Association title this season for the second straight year under Markham's guidance. (As a result of the controversial aeries, Markham has written a letter to the editor, see below). Luoan bantam goalie Denver England gets help from team members Mike Wragg, lett, Mike Brady, during the third game of the OMHA DD finals on Saturday. Liman Tmewees stili playin LUCAN - A win and ate -on she weekend means Lucan is still in the hunt for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association peewee DD' title. Facing elimination on both Satur- :slay and Sunday, the peewees won 6-3 and battled to a 2-2 overtime 'deadlock in Lucan .against Frank - ;:ford. Saturday afternoon, Chad Green- lee had two goals in the 6-3 win while Ryan Carroll end Scott Thompson scored onceraad set up another. Also scoring avariatibbie "Silver amid Carey Smith -while Fat Conlin :shad twoassistswith one each from Matt Porter, Mike Herbert and Erie Yeo. It was Carroll's overtime which kept the team alive on Sunday as Smith also connected in the 2-2 tie with assists to Greenlee, Porter and 'Brett Fairweather. The:next:game of the series is in Prankford .on Saturday and if nec- !essary, -muni(, o .Lucan on .Sundayat 3.pxrt. Bantams aunt: Nt th =Frontenac was simplyto.tongh tor Lucan ban- tams as:they were beaten in the fi- nal series on Saturday by a 4-2 score. The local bantams saw their out- standing season come to an : end in a game 'which saw Ryan sHerbert :and Steve Greenlee score the goals .moi Thunder vs. [Walpole Island Dear3duor. Tothe irieodsriad smatters oftheZmrich-Ti oader • Now that the series with' Walpole Island is over.and it appears.all the issuesare being put to rest, I would like to present my side of what happened. Game one: Zurich wins 4-2 in.an extremely _hard _fought, emotional game; but receives over 46 minutes in penalties. Game two: Zurich wins 9-8.in Walpole Island. again anotheraaao- tionai game. At the end of genie two a protest was filed by Walpole Island based on:the following information: Rule ..49(f) "The .coach: of _any OMHA team whose taiam ..accumulatcs more than the allowable minutes in penalties in any gameshall.be auto- matically suspended frim the next ©MHA game, but shallbeallowed to -lake part in exhibition games played by his/her team. The allowa- ble amount for Pee Wee and below is 26 minutes and for Minor Ban- ' tam and°abovc - 36 minutes. Because of this rule I was not on the bench in game two. However, in game two 1 did enter the dressing room between the second and third periods to use the washroom, and I did voice some encouragement to the boys. The total time in the dressing room may have been two to four minutes. Walpole •island had .theseferee come out to see this "in- -iunCtion" .and note it on the game sheet. -The-protest was based on Rule 752(c) "A player under suspension, ether ihan:automatic game suspen- sions, shall neither play, or practice with his/her team, or associatewith ".i» s/her team within the confines of she arena, and.an official under sus - ;pension for a period of time shall :.mot travel .with his/her team, enter :Alta dressing room, or carry on any of the duties of his or her office, during the full term of his/her sus- pension." The protest was allowed by the OMHA and a victory and two Points for game two were given to Walpole Island. I had made a mistake - I misinter- preted the rule in the book. I had made the assumption that under Rule 49(1) I was under an "auto- matic" game suspension and there- fore Rule 52(c) did not apply in this case, as the term "other than auto- maticgame suspension" is included within the same sentence, and I in- terpreted "a period of tune" as meaning multiple game suspension. I was wrong, they were correct, ac- cording to the OMHA. The reason for being in the dress- ing room washroom as opposed to a public washroom...well, for those people who were.atithe..game and heard and saw the teatment given - to anyone with team jackets, I hope you understand. As far as all the other accusations and rumours of electronic equipment, sending mes- sengers to the bench, or players re- ceiving instructions over the glass during the game, that's all they are - rumours and accusations Needless to say, this all had a huge impact on our team, and. the emotions and morale became over- loaded. Walpole Island came back in game three and won in overtime. The momentum had changed, and they won gaines four and five. I admit that I made a mistake of interpretation and have no problem accepting that. I was assessed a three game suspension; but to have the points taken away for a game victory and given to the other team seems extremely unfair in the con- text-. of a -provincial championship esscs. However, what was done is done and it is over. I hope that we can still appreciate where we were - a provincial chatnpionship finalist - and all die work of the last seven months was not a waste, as we did have a great season. My personal thoughts on .the protest were initially that of disbe- lief and anger. I had never thought of hockey being played in the rule .:books,. Knowing -igratikesCit, ,is for ,aany team to makeitdom'pkovincial championship, 1assumed that the coaching staff of :the Alliipole Is- land team had no honour or respect for hockey, that the game should -be played, and the series won :or lost on the ice. Time is a great healer,,and this weekend I had some time to reflect. Perhaps what we experienced was more than just aJhockey series. To Walpole island this may have.been .more than just hockey. They have, .as Native Canadians, been forced lime and time again to adapt their /lifestyles to our society's rules_and regulations. They may never have :agreed.4todhern but in most cases .were forced to.,acept :them based -on our interpretatipoh lkeppears,lhat -,in this case . theysme noticing urs ,to ..accept the "rules and regulations" as prestaNed. In any case, we must accept Ate ,-fact that Walpole Island are dhc :champions; but that,anakesdhe:7u- :rich Thunder OM11A: pr ttjtailal fi- .,;aalists and we have muctl do ,be ,:proud of. As any hockey ..fart !knows, there is always "next,ysar" for the Thunder. r Respectfully, Bud Markham, Coach of the Zurich Thunder and - white Daryl Boshart, Kurt ::Handy, Marty McClaughlin and 'Denton Hackney had the assists. series tO continuo Hl?NSAl.1, - The C3ntan° i nor Hockey Asea iation has de- cided that the juvenile final se- ries between the Hensall Mustangs and Ennismore, will continue. Following a week»and-a=half long delay in the series, the OMIJA has decided the nazi,»; game of the series will he playe'f Friday in Lucan at 5 p.m. 'fiii .• ice is now out of the Ilett': Arena. The ONIFIA has also indicated to bosh teams the series is no ongcr a best -of -seven, but, has 'lbw been reduced to a best -of - Wive. ?Ennisrnore won the first two Vannes of the 'series and there- fore, only need one more victory to clinch the championship. If a fotuthgame is necessary, it'will be'" ti in Int( 1t'hn Saturday at 8:30'p.tn. It was the O? 1J IA who decid- ed'to atop the seriesfollowing u complaint that the Ennismorc team was too rough. In the first two .'games of the series played in Ennismore, Hensall su ...... 14 injuries, at serious. Prior to the OMHA waiving • thplaint• ftril, Ux ' rtii ge and 41I, Ito were iDiim'it d to fffler f #res` y i nismore talipseveral of their tiilayers injured Its well. BEAT THE HIGH COST OF WATER HEATING ELECTKICALLY! 30. GAL OIL produces 100 gal. hot water per hour ,, Fj� Jlli flu I (not miliklt>11Rtsr Mur li fit taiaes a 66:fliALELECTRIC WATER ilEAT title premium 4 ;,aliens iaotivaller per Mur VMRAGE HEATING FUEI COSTS PERYEAi BASED ON AFAMILY OFFOUR -Electric $634.00 Propane $439.0( Oil $296.00 ARO • paving one ALL'REYmN'ToDA :IItOit<DE AMI S::OF ;OUR>WATER Ttil<t RErfr.:A►ta; DAVE MOORS FUELS LTD. 315 Main St. N. Exeter 235-0853 or 1-800-265-2931 "The Best'Service When You Need It Most" IIIIIIIIIIIIIUittiIIiiii1111111111UII1tuiIUlllllulllll'' GR� /SR9g� se $,24 i" ATTENTION All team league baseball players and coaches. Stop and SAVE here at Canadian Tire for all your baseball needs We have a good selection on baseballs, bass, gloves, bases, helmets. COME IN EARLY and order your uniforms & equipment for the season. \i) —.) 4389 r dozen Now 69.99 dozen. Reg $113.88 Rawlings official hardball. Top quality. 80-1016-6 %;rail nv". Red Dor • ftPFTTALLSBY THE DOZEN SAVE 2389 dozen Now 59.99 doz-en. Reg $83.88 Spalding Tournament Plus softball. Real value!. 80-1133-6 1 1. DR model 105. 2. Worth Green Dot. 3. Worth Red Dot. 4. Worth Blue Dot. 5. Spalding 177. 80-1129-8 80-1134-4 80-1128-0 80-1135.2 80-1131-0 ,lHUH UIP . Ok A.DIA TIRE EXETER • UKr t1OUtt. ?.'.S'•