Times Advocate, 1993-06-23, Page 13junior 'D' hockey
Hawks will have a team
BURLINGTON - Representatives of the Exeter Junior Hawks attended
the annual Ontario Hockey Association meetings in Burlington last week
and they returned with a very good outlook on the future of their hockey
club.
Past president Wayne Dickins who was at the meeting with general man-
ager -coach George Pratt, said the local Junior 'D' teani_will be ready for
the 1993-94 season come this fall.
"We've had quite a few'inquiries, people want to help out," said Dickins.
At the Hawks recent annual meeting, there was a very poor turnout and
the club looked as though it was on the edge of folding.
"We're still alive and we will be icing a team," added Dickins.
In Burlington, there were talks about stick curvature and whether certain
teams will still be in the Junior Development League come the fall.
Dickins said the Belmont Pests were not represented and the future of
that team is uncertain.
"They're going to have a meeting to see if they are in or out."
Another team with an uncertain Junior 'D' future is the Alvinston Flyers
who are trying to move up into the Junior 'C' league.
"They were turned down their first try," said Lucan Irish general manag `
er Ken Freeman who also attended the meetings. "Wed rather they stay in
our league. _ -- -- --- _...
Once again the league will have to'Our+crese sticks"frvm the OHA but it
was pointed out that manufacturers {lave to make sure the sticks don't
have more than a half inch curve.
There was a major rule change madtlt as there will be no more 10 minute
overtime periods in the playoffs as it will now just be sudden death.
There was also a lot of concern over the length of the season and as a re-
sult, the OHA will work its Junior schedule so the season, including
playoffs will be completely over by -April.
Teams will still play 40 games, but y will be closer together.
25th Annual Grand Bend 100
Them were 27 boats including the Retribution, left, which started Friday night's Grand Bend 100 yacht race.
Sailors beat bad weather
By Fred Groves
T -A staff
GRAND BEND - It's a beautiful
sight to see.
Sails up high, crews at their ready
and all concentrating on winning
the race.
Friday night. 27 sail boats in five
The Times Ad vocate
would like to thank
Grand Bend's Cam
Ivey and his son
Adam for volunteer-
ing their boat
on Friday.
Kc.%UIIV
,'GRAND:END • The following
arc results of the 25th Annual
Grand Bend 100 Yacht Race held
this past weekend in Grand Bend:
In the Cruising Class, Oliver's
boat Timing was first followed by
Suyaema of Bayfield and Cheers of
Godcrich. Chine' Rose and Roci-
nante did not finish.
The PIJRD class had three en-
tries as God Speed went over the
starting line to quickly and did not
finish while Moonshadow and Chi -
quite did not finish.
Loon Magic of Port Huron won
JIte P}IRC class which had seven
*tries and all but one, Great Ex-
pect did not finish. Silver Bullet
from Bafield was third and the Pe-
ter Englert skippered boat Event
Horizon from Grand Bend was
fourth.
All eight boats in the PHRB class
finished the race and it was Re -
Marc from Bayfield winning ahead
of Outrageous also of Bayfield.
Rowdy from Port Huron won the
PHR A class with Major Detail of
Port Huron was second,
different classes left the Grand
Bend harbour for a trip which
would take some of them nearly 18
hours to complete.
The next morning, the faster of
the boats returned and awaited. the
word if they had won the Grand
Bend 100.
Celebrating 25 years, the race at-
tracts sailors and their boats from
across both Ontario and Michigan.
"Most people think of the Grand
Bend 100 as a leadup to the Maci-
nac race," said organizer Bill New-
ton, past commodore o the Grand
Bend Yarg1t Club whit hosted the,
event. ,
'Although there is a lo of sports-
manship displayed at the race, it's
quite serious sailing out on Lake
Huron between crews which no
doubt will go sail -to -sail in other
races this summer.
This year, the organizers .decided
to star the racc Friday night instead
of Saturday morning in order for
the crews to be back in Grand Bend
in the afternoon so they could enjoy
an awards banquet together.
"It's to have more of a.fun-time,"
said Newton. "Traditionally we've
been finishing in the moming."
An earlier finish also gives crews
a chance to rest up and head back
to their home ports.
"We've set up a party aunospherc
at night. They have the whole day
to head back to where they are go-
ing," noted Newton.
Friday night at 8 p.m. just near
the mouth of the entrance to the
Grand Bend Harbour, Newton
watched as the boats jockeyed for
position on the staring line before
he fired the shot which sent them
north towards Bayfield.
The weather did not co-operate
especially at the start of the race as
crews and spectators had to go rac-
ing for slickers and rain gear.
Interesting sailing: While the
weather conditions may have
looked bad to those on the shore,
Newton said there wasn't really that
much 10 worry about.
/
"It's more
convenient
for
sailors"
"Sail boats are a lot more stable
than powerboats. They just de-
crease their sail and most of them
can handle winds up to gale force."
But the bad weather didn't seem
to bother the sailors. It did however
mean they had to do some adjusting
during the night.
Dennis Oliver and his crew on
the 'Timing' ran into some rather in-
teresting conditions during the
night.
"There was no wind but there
were two line squalls," explained
Oliver.
Winds would start at about 10
knots, stop, and then come in from
another direction at 25 knots.
"You just make sure everything is
tied down and you have the right
sail up." said Oliver.
On his 38 -foot boat which was
entered in the cruising class, Oliver
skippered a seven -man crew. Some
were on their first overnight race so
it became quite an adventure.
In his fifth Grand Bend 100, Oli-
ver said he came across a situation
for the first time in those five year.
He said about 12 miles away from
Sandalak, Michigan one of the
crew spotted a small bat flying
mound the boats
The bat eventually landed on the
deck arid went for a bit of a ride.
Oliver, a member of the Grand
Bend Yacht Club said he rather pre-
fers having the race start on the Fri-
day night.
"It's more convenient for sailors.
They get to come in and before
they sail home."
When crews returned to Grand
Bend, some as long as 18 hours af-
ter the start of the race, they were
tired and wet but they felt a sense
of accomplishment as they put
themselves against conditions Lake
Huron had to offer.
Mohawks looking
for some help
jn about a month's
time,the Exeter Mo-
hawks will be mak-
ing a major decision
- whether or not to ice a team
for the 1993-94 season.
Although this has been a ru-
mour for a couple of years
now, this time it looks seri-
ous.
President Stewart Taylor, who attended the Ontario Hockey
Association general meetings in Burlington last week, said it
simply depends on the support he gets.
"It will depend on if I have an executive. I won't run it my-
self," said Taylor.
It appears as though the Mohawks are in a similar situation
that the Exeter Junior 'D' Hawks are in. That is, after many
years of running a successful program, the bank of volunteer
help, in this town has run dry.
Taylor said he will be attending an OHA Senior 'A' meeting
later next month and by then we'll know the future ofthe club
that won the provincial title two years ago.
"There is a meeting that I sort of requested so I could tell
them if we'll have a team."
He said the Mohawks need new blood and added he was the
only representative from the club who went to the meetings in
Burlington.
And how does the rest of the Senior 'A' league look which
two years ago saw the merging of the Southwestern League
and the Seaway cyclone loop.
"Dorchester is strong, they've got a 20 -man executive. Pe-
trolia is iffy, Ingersoll wouldn't say. Everyone has a wait-and-
seeattitude," he said.
Last year the Mohawks bowed out of the playoffs a lot
quicker than they usually do .and it was a team which really
didn't seem to be that enthusiastic.
By that, I mean they would work their tails off, especially
guys like defensemen Ron Elliott and Barry Baynham but
some nights they'd be on the road with a dozen players.
If you are, say, Dorchester or Aylmer and the Mohawks
came to visit your arena last year, you'd have to wonder what
..future of one of the best senior-pttaograms in the province
was.
A lot of people have ptua lot of dedication and effort into
the Mohawks and the Hawks .and for them to take some time
off is alright.
I've said that before, but hopefully, we will see some new
blood on the executive and of not, maybe it's time for us to
take a break from senior hockey.
Sidelines
by
Fred
Groves
Former Canadian hmior Tennis champion Sue Hatch is
planning =to come to Exeter on Saturday . foram instructional
clinicat the Eimer Ramis courts neartepttidic school. She is
scheduled to:be'there from 9 a.m. to norm.
-However, :as of press time. the local tennis club had only
about a dozen players willing10 take the .clinic offered by the
Londoner who viten'.a seholenehip 3oneside ate a few years
i titer Tennis.121111*-10.19rOftle ` trthis
community and them is no club j o T . surprising be-
cause very few small facilities can affor�ra pm.
"Last year we didn't have instruction, we have to keep that
up," admitted Hockey.
According to president Dennis Hockey, the courts are in
desperate need of repairs.
"It's hard to promote it when your courts aren't in great
shape," said Hockey.
He said that there needs to be patchttig and paving done on
the two cou and it could cost as much ars S 15,000 to repair.
"Once we g t a price, we'll go to the rec centre and service
clubs," s ockey on ways to fund the project.
The Exeter Tennis Club seems to take the recreational ap-
proach to tennis rather than competitive, and there is nothing
wrong with that. Stretch the muscles, have a good time and
keep score if you want to.
Sometimes that is what sports should be about...
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