The Times Advocate, 2004-04-21, Page 21THIS WEEK IN SPORTS
Panthers win consolation. Page 22
Midget tier two girls. Page 23
TIMES ADVOCATE
SPORTS TIPS?
Contact Exeter Times Advocate
Tel: Pat Bolen
(519) 235-1336 x113
Fax: (519) 235-0766
E-mail: sports@southhuron.com
Exeter Times -Advocate
Exeter Hawks OHA Junior D champions
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — For the second
time in three years, the Exeter
Hawks are OHA champions
after defeating the Tavistock
Braves 5-4 Friday night in
Exeter.
The Hawks came from
behind in both the game and
the series, being down 2-1 in
the series and 3-1 Friday night
before winning three straight
to claim the championship.
Exeter evened the series
Wednesday night with a 9-4
rout of the Braves in Exeter,
before blanking Tavistock 5-0
on home ice April 15 and
scratching out the hard fought
one -goal victory Friday night.
Looking to even the series,
the Hawks came out flying
Wednesday night and put the
game away with three goals in
the first five minutes to build a
3-0 lead.
Matt Vlemmix, Jason
Stuckless and Pat Clark scored
two minutes apart in the first
five minutes as the Hawks
never gave the Braves a
chance to get in the game.
Davies made it a 4-0 lead
with eight seconds left in the
period, beating Tavistock
goalie Kris Yungblut on a
breakaway.
With Yungblut replaced by
Mike Davidson at the start of
the second, the Braves got
back in the game with a pair of
goals in the first two minutes.
Matt Trahan got the Braves
on the board just 52 seconds
into the period, sliding a back-
hander past Exeter goalie Cam
Becker before Brad Witzel
deflected a shot past Becker a
minute later.
But Davidson didn't have any
better luck
than Yungblut
did, as the
Hawks fired
four goals past
him to restore
their four -goal
lead.
Just two min-
utes after
Tavistock had
cut the lead,
Exeter took
advantage of a
power play, when Travis Elder
broke in and scored on his own
rebound for a 5-2 lead.
The teams continued to trade
goals as Tavistock again cut
the lead with a power play of
their own
But just 20 seconds later
Elder had his second of the
period for a 6-3 Exeter lead.
Exeter continued to press
with two more goals a minute
apart.
Pat Clark ripped a shot over
the glove hand of Davidson at
7:33 and Shawn Sherwood's
low shot from the faceoff dot
made it 8-3.
Tavistock tried to get back in
the game with a goal late in
the period, but it was all they
would get and Jeff Finkbeiner
capped the scoring early in the
third for the 9-4 win.
The 2004 OHA Junior D champion Exeter Hawks, who defeated Tavistock in six games with a 5-4 win Friday night in Exeter. Front L-
R: Justin Hayter, Justin LaPorte, Jeff Finkbeiner, Mark Smith, Pat Clark, Joe Nesbitt. Middle Adam Hartman, Scott Davies, Shawn
Sherwood,Travis elder, Daryl Bourne, Justin Knee, Chad Deman, MattVlemmix, Evan Lutz, Michael Carnegie, Mike Soldan (trainer), Joe
Bloomaert. Back, Barry Baynham (assistant coach), Brandon Wedlock, Kellen Hefley, Hawkeye, Larry Northover, Dan Moir, Can
Becker, Darcy McCutcheon, Henny Pfaff, Jason Stuckless, John Rasenberg (General Manager) Kenney Aphayvong, Bill Brock, Jason
Heywood (assistant coach), Dave Revington (coach). (photo/PatBolen)
Leading the attack in the win
was Sherwood with three
assists to go with his goal, and
Elder and Finkbeiner each
with three points.
Picking up single assists were
Smith, Becker, Chad Deman,
Clark, Justin Knee, Vlemmix
and Davies.
Justin Hayter was perfect in
net Thursday night for the
Hawks, stopping all 32 shots
he faced.
Exeter got a pair of goals in
the first period from
Finkbeiner and continued to
press the attack in the second
more goals from
Darcy McCutcheon
for a 4-0 lead
before Vlemmix
finished the scor-
ing in the third.
Sherwood had
two more assists
in the win with
singles from
Finkbeiner, Evan
Lutz, McCutcheon,
Jason Stuckless
and Adam
Hartman.
Looking to close out the
series Friday night, the Hawks
had a chance to take the lead
early in the first period with a
power play.
But it was Tavistock getting
the best chance shorthanded
on a breakaway, forcing
Hayter to make the stop to
keep it scoreless.
Exeter took advantage just
two minutes later, taking the
lead when Stuckless jammed a
loose puck past Yungblut for a
1-0 lead.
Tavistock struck back five
minutes later on a power play
with Jeff Roes lifting a back-
hand over Hayter.
The Braves grabbed the lead
with a goal in the dying sec-
onds of the period on a shot off
a two on one Hayter stopped,
but Arik O'Connell knocked the
with two
Elder and
"They all have
different
different
different
casts,
stories,
routes to
get there. Each one
is unique unto itself."
EXETER HAWK COACH
DAVE REVINGTON
loose puck into the net for a 2-
1 lead.
Tavistock built a 3-1 lead
seven minutes into the second
period as Chris Berwick broke
in alone and fired a shot that
trickled through Hayter for a
3-1 lead.
But five minutes later
Stuckless picked up his second
of the game, picking up a
rebound and outwaiting
Yungblut to make it 3-2.
With momentum on their
side, the Hawks pressed for
the equalizer on a power play,
throwing it around the
Tavistock zone, but unable to
score despite several chances.
The Hawks got the equalizer
with Stuckless driving hard to
the net and taking a pass from
Pat Clark to beat Yungblut for
the 3-3 tie.
And with 45 seconds left in
the period, Finkbeiner put the
Hawks ahead, snapping a wrist
shot over the blocker of
Yungblut.
But the Braves responded
just 50 seconds into the third,
as they controlled the play in
the Exeter zone for the first
minute before O'Connell
picked up his own rebound
and tied the score.
The teams went end to end
for much of the period,
exchanging chances, with the
Hawks coming close as
Stuckless slammed a shot off
the goalpost.
Dan Moir finally broke the tie
midway through the period,
getting loose in front and
putting a shot underneath the
crossbar for the go-ahead goal.
As the clock ticked down, the
Hawks withstood Tavistock's
attempts to get the equalizer.
McCutcheon prevented a last
ditch Braves rush in the dying
moments, tying up his man to
prevent a breakaway.
And as time ran out, the
Hawks went over the boards
as the 2004 OHA Junior D
champions.
Exeter coach Dave Revington
said the Hawks responded well
whenever they needed to over
the course of the playoffs.
"Whenever we got a little cor-
nered, we seemed to play bet-
ter."
Revington credited his
goalies for always giving the
Hawks a chance to win.
"When you play three con-
secutive nights, everyone has
to contribute. It got a little tick-
lish with Chad, Henny and
Wedlock out of the lineup and
it gave some of the younger
guys a chance to play. And we
needed everybody."
Despite losing players to
injuries through the season
and in the playoffs, the Hawks
continued to win. "You just
carry on, there's nothing else
you can do. Somebody else
gets handed the assignment
and you hope they can do as
well."
"It hurt losing Henny,
because they're a big physical
team and he's our biggest,
most physical guy. Then Chad
went down with the knee
injury, our leading penalty
killer and second line centre
and a key guy in our lineup.
But someone else is given the
assignment."
Revington said starting the
season with only around 14
players was a positive for the
team, with everyone getting a
chance to play.
"There wasn't one point in
the season which stood out as
a flashpoint for us where it
came together. But probably
game four against Lucan, we
were down 2-1 in the series
and beat them there in over-
time, that's when we really
turned the corner."
After winning four Junior D
championships and two Senior
A titles, Revington said each
one is still special.
"They all have different
casts, different stories, differ-
ent routes to get there. Each
one is unique unto itself."
3 All POINTS.
FESTIVAL CITY
REALTY
1
Exeter Hawk Dan Moir puts the Hawks ahead to stay Friday in
game six against the Tavistock Braves. Moir's goal gave the Hawks
a 5-4 lead they held onto to claim the OHA Junior D champi-
onship for the second time in three years. (photo/PatBolen)