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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-11-10, Page 14Page 14 limes -Advocate, November 10,1993 CHAMP/ONS AGAIN. Panthers beat Lorne Park 1-0 to win OFSAA Stories and photos . by Fred Groves, EXETER - Last year it wasn't supposed to happen. This year it was, and it did. Like they did in early November of 1992, the South Huron District High School Panthers rode on the fire truck Saturday as they celebrat- ed winning the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association girls field hockey championship. Six games, six wins and no goals against is how the Panthers did it and when Danielle Miners scored early in the second half, South Hu- ron had become the first team since Stephen Leacock in 1986 and 1987 to put together back-to-back titles. The Panthers beat Lorne Park of Mississauga 1-0 in a dramatic, emotional game which will be re- membered in Exeter for many, many years. Taking home the bronze medal was Agincourt as they beat Lake - field College 3-2 in overtime. Lake - field was not ranked in the top eight and for their first OFSAA tournament, showed many they are • a team of the future. Lorne Park did not know they were coming to OFSAA until late :last Tuesday afternoon when they beat Port Credit to win the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association. That association suspended all athletic activities due to a couple of deaths by meningitis. For a while it looked as though that association would not be represented in Exeter. "1 think we had a let down in our fitness because we couldn't practice for a week," said Lorne Park Spar- tans coach Adrian Stanowski. The Spartans who won the OF - SAA title in 1980 and 1981, came out quick in the finale of this year's tournament, hitting the goal post. But the ' dominating Panthers brushed that near goal off and hung on to battle the Spartans to a score- less first half draw. One and two in the final: Lorne Park was ranked number two at the start of the tournament behind host- ing South Huron. Stanowski said through last week's tournament, her team did not look past the game they were playing in. "I always want to take one game at a time. We've been burned look- ing too far ahead," she said. Few people can say they've been on a provincial winner, but for cap- tains Lynn Workman and Lisa For- rest it was their third in the five years thcy have worn the red and black. The years 1989, 1992 and 1993 will always be special to them. "Out of all the teams I've played on, this is the closest," said Lynn Workman of the Panthers ability to South Huron's teammate Toni Mills. Jo Dee Rowe, left; goes after'the ball DeJong looking on in the game against with Don T -A staff ACCOMPLISHMENTS: OFSAA Champions (second straight) WOSSA (Champions (7th straighi) Huron -Perth Champions (12th straight) Overall record: 25 Wins, 1 Loss, :3 Tics Goals Fur: 84, Goals Against: 5 HURON -PF RTII SEASON South Huron 5, Stratford Central 0 South Huron 6, Stratford North- west 0 South Huron 7, St. Marys 0 South Huron 4, :Stratford North- west 0 South Huron .3, Listowel 0 South Huron 2, Mitchel! 0 South Huron 3, Listowel (1 South Huron 0 St. Marys 0 South Huron 8, Stratford Central (1 South Huron 2, Mitchell 0 Playoffs: South Huron 4. Listowel 0 South Huron 3, St. Marys 0 TOURNAMF\T5 South lltuon4, Kitchener St. Mar- ys 0 South I luron 3, Kitchener Glen- view 1 South Huron 3, Kitchener Cotle. giate0 North Middlesex 2, South Huron South Huron 3, Toronto Havengal Scutt Huron 2, Ridley College 0 South Huron 1, Adam Scott 11 South 1luron 1, Agincourt 1 WOSSA South Huron 0, Medway 0 South Huron 3, Central Elgin 0 South Huron 3, North Middlesex 0 OFSAA South Huron 3, O'Neil 0 South Huron2 Q,E. Park 0 South Hu n:..L on Mills 0 South Hii>er'Aliddicscx 0 South Htm,court 0 Suuz}t H ;a111111'''T'''k 0 get along so well both on and off the field. When the final game of 1993 was over, and hundreds of fans cheered and ran onto t►'^ field, Lynn went quic ly to her .er Jim the Pan- thers coach arn,. convenor of this year's tournament. Jim Workman was always yelling at the girls to be aggressive and to go after the ball instead of waiting for it to come to you. "It's the most important part of the game," said Lynn. That aggressiveness is what helped the Panthers to beat not only Lorne Park but Agincourt 1-0 in the Panthers' Carla Taylor, left; Lynn Workman, Danielle Miners, Jo Dee Rowe, Carolyn Quinn and Kristin Strang show off their banner and trophy. semi-finals, North Middlesex 2-0 in the quarter -finals and win ad three of their pool games. From the beginning of the sea- son, with only two players graduat- ing from last year's champions, the Panthers were contenders to repeat. 'it was a possibility all along," said Lynn. Afterthe win against North Mid- dlesex, Jim said that although the tfarauders outhustled them in the first half, he simply told the girls that if they wanted to play on Satur- day, instead of watching on the sidelines, they had to win. Probably the toughest game the Panthers played at this year's tour- nament was.the semi-final against Agincourt which they won 1-0 on a penalty shot. In the first minute of the game, the Agincourt goalie laid on top of the ball which set up the penalty shot. Taking the crucial flick, and put- ting it up high into the corner for what would be the lone goal of the game, was Panthers' Cara Gardner. "We had a few (penalty shots during the year) but I choked every time," said Gardner of missing oth- er chances. But she made two of them in this year's tournament, the other against O'Neil when she also went up high with the shot. Against Agincourt, Gardner said there was a lot going through her head. .,t:ttu "I was thinking where I was go- ing to put it," she said. No goals: Through OFSAA, the WOSSA tournament and their own Huron -Perth Conference, the Pan- thers did not allow a goal. Good de- fence, teamed with an explosive of- fence was what made the Panthers champions in 1993. Although she was tested by the Spartans, South Huron goalie Jana Webster did not allow a goal. That's surprising because it is the fust year the Grade 11 student has played field hockey. She tried OW for the team back in September because she wanted to have "fun". That's what she had. After the game, in the halls of South Huron, Webster said it was those girls in front of her that helped in all those shutouts. "Our defence really helped us out. We didn't have many shots during the year." While fans will always remem- ber Danielle Miners, Cara Gardner and Brenyn Baynham for their quickness and Oleic •pbi[ity„to score, they t should also remember Lisa Forrest, Carrie Simpson, Kristin Strang and Carla Taylor whose de- fensive abilities were the key to winning the 1993 OFSAA tide. Six big points: After pool play of the 16 -team tournament, the Pan- thers came out with three wins. They opened with a 2-0 win over Queen Elizabeth Park as Baynham and Kim Farquhar scored. Later on Thursday, South Huron handled O'Neil C.V.I. 3-0 as Miners scored twice and Gardner got the other. Friday morning, Jenny Acton scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Don Mills. Throughout the tournament, the cheering never stopped EXETER - It never stopped. The enthusiasm, the energy and the spirit. While much can be said for Jim Workman and his hard working committee which made the 1993 OFSAA tournament possible, the residents of Exeter and surrounding area should also be congratulated. Wednesday night at Oakwood Inn, hundreds of girls from across Ontario were amassed with their goody bags which were filled of items donated by local merchants. The teams were greheled during registration at the Grand Bend re- sort facility and they quickly began to realize this would be a tourna- ment like no other. Thursday morning at the South Huron District High School, the student body, many with their faces painted to show their support of the Panthers, gathered for a pep rally. Monday afternoon the student body gathered once again, this time to apngratulate the champions. Some said the spirit showed by the stutTents has not been seen since the old football rivalry between the Panthers and the Goderich Vikings. They waved banners, the bottles were shaking and a large roar could be heard whenever the Panthers were on the move. Thursday night at the banquet, those visiting Exeter were amazed at the auention to details which were made like balloons and nu- merous door prizes. "1 never would have dreamed we would have that much support," said Workman. The banquet was long, as most of them are, but it was capped off with short skits performed by each team. South Huron's girls won the best skit award and for those who saw it, it was creative and very funny. Outside on the fields enough praise cannot be said for such peo- ple as Janice Walker, Kay Gardner, Scott Ha'penny and Michelle Hod- gert who spent hour after chilling hour, bundled up, their feet freez- ing and making sure everything went right on the fields. A human pyramid, left, and cheers from the sidelines, all part of student involvement. ;It A "I think we have a better appreci- ation of field hockey; said Work- man. Former players *turned to cheer on their school, 'some, like cx- captain Kendra Arthur were always on the sidelines helping with first aide. George McEwan may be known for coaching soccer and basketball but as he said after the tournament, he became very familiar with the sport of field hockey - as we all did. He made sure every small detail was perfect, and that brought re- spect from visiting coaches and OFSAA executive members. From the ball people to the band, to the Triple Trio, to the Exeter Fire Department who made sure the girls had a ride on the fire truck, to the pipers who were part_,of the opening ceremonies, it was a great tournament. Workman was concerned about the condition of the fields and the nets. Both were top notch. Those who worked on the fields, cutting and rolling, donating their time and equipment - the fields were. excel - For everyone who showed they cared about the South Huron girls field hockey team; the'students, the Parents. local merchants, teachers and everyone else, you shouts all be proud. It snowed, it was cold, but throughtout it all the cheering nev- er stopped. November 4-6 1993 will always be remembered.