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The Times Advocate, 2005-02-23, Page 18THIS WEEK IN SPORTS Jets lose overtime game. Page I9 Junior Development awards. Page 20 18 Exeter rebounds to even series TIMES ADVOCATE Ort By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — The Exeter Hawks rebounded Sunday night in Mitchell after being blanked at home Friday night in game one of their opening round series of the playoffs. The Hawks were shutout 4-0 Friday night but came back Sunday with a 5-2 win to tie the series 1-1 with game three Friday night in Exeter at 8:30 p.m. Game four will be in Mitchell Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. Exeter coach Derek Macnair said the team had a better effort Sunday after losing Friday. "I wasn't totally disap- pointed with the way we played Friday...I thought we got a little selfish Friday but it was a team effort last night. Now you approach Friday like it is three out five and we have home ice advantage back." Friday in Exeter, Mitchell did all its scoring in the second period after a scoreless first period, firing four goals in the second period, including a power play marker and a shorthanded goal. Mitchell outshot the Hawks by a 36-26 margin. Sunday night in Mitchell it was Exeter's turn get- ting on the board first with a pair of goals in the first Exeter Hawk MattVlemmix takes DaveVerberne out of the play Friday night in Exeter. Mitchell took game one of the series with a 4-0 win, but Exeter rebounded with a 5-2 win Sunday to even the series. (photo/ Scott Nixon) from Dan Moir and Joe Nesbitt. The teams traded goals in the second period with Justin LaPorte extending Exeter's lead to 3-0 before Mitchell got on the board three min- utes later. Jason Stuckless restored the three -goal margin before the period was over but Mitchell responded again to make it a 4-2 lead for Exeter going into the third. It was all Mitchell would "They're the defending champions and everyone wants to beat them.That's the price you pay for being a winner?' - EXETER HAWK COACH DEREK MACNAIR get as LaPorte gave Exeter some insurance with his second of the night mid- way through the period. With the game being the first Junior D playoff game for some of the players, Macnair said it was an eye opener for some. "Especially playing Mitchell, you've got the rivalry there...they're a lit- tle bigger and play more aggressive than most teams in the league. "We've just got to keep doing what we did last night. Once we cycle the puck against these guys and shoot the puck and get traffic, we can score five a game on them, no problem." Macnair also credited his penalty killers' work after Exeter was down two men for the last two minutes of the game and killed it off. "We basically played the last four minutes short- handed, so a lot of credit goes to the penalty killers for holding them off. "They're talking about what they're supposed to be doing, in between peri- ods and before the game...they're the defend- ing champions and every- one wants to beat them. That's the price you pay for being a winner." Irish take 2-0 lead on Bombers By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF LUCAN — The Lucan Irish took a 2-0 lead in their best of seven series against the Belmont Bombers last week with a pair of wins, includingan 8-2 win Sunday. Lucan will attempt to eliminate the Bombers this week with a pair of games in Belmont, start- ing with game three tonight (Wednesday) in Belmont at 8:30 p.m. before game four Feb. 26 in Belmont at 7:30 p.m. After the Irish opened the series with a 7-3 win Feb. 16 in Lucan, the Bombers were looking to even the series Sunday afternoon in Lucan. Outshooting the Bombers 40-32, the Irish were led by a pair of goals each from Aaron Whitcomb and Trevor Liddle and with singles from Dan Crowley, Steve Wells, Bob Martin and Mark Read. Picking up assists in the win were Trevor Medeiros with three, Tyson Dejong and Whitcomb with two each and singles from Tyler French and Kyle Smith. Kyle Smith Lucan.The avoids a check for the Lucan Irish against Belmont Sunday afternoon in Irish took a 2-0 lead in their series with an 8-2 win. (photo/Scott Nixon) 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 Lights almost ready to go up By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — "You have to really believe in what you're doing, but when you get the cheque for $45,000 it's worth it." After two years of work, South Huron Minor Baseball Association is close to its goal of lighting up Alvin Willert Field. With the aid of a grant it just received from the Trillium Foundation, the association has raised $91,000 of its $100,000 goal for lights at the field and is hoping to have them up by the middle of the summer. The Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, annually receives $100 million of government funding generated through Ontario's charity casino initiative. Association co -chairperson Jeff Keller said the Trillium Foundation grant was the key and when it came through, the association was excited. Other members of the committee include Dave Reid, Jeff Pfaff, Gerald Merner, Brad Gregus and Doug Fairbairn. The lighting has also been helped by money from the Economic Development Fund as well as the Exeter Lions. The association has also sold 4' by 8' signs hang on the fences that will be up by the end of March or early April. Keller said the response to the signs has been good and they are hoping to sell another 10 to 15. One of the advantages for the association getting the Trillium money was the location of the ball diamond, which Keller described as a "Mecca of South Huron" with recreational facilities and events all around it, including the soccer field, trail, schools and the Exeter Rodeo. Keller said when the area was looked at by a Trillium representative "he was blown away with it being in the centre of the community. They had never seen anything like it." The reason for lights being needed at the dia- mond, according to Keller is to allow more time to be freed up. In early spring and late fall, Keller said it is hard to get a full game in. He added that with lights at the diamond, play- ers won't have to rush to try and make 6:30 p.m. games, allowing for more time with families and more flexibility for employers. Lights will also give Exeter a chance for more tournaments. "It's a money maker for the association and the town," said Keller. There will be seven 70 -foot poles in all, and installing them will take only a couple of days, with no impact on the facilities around them, according to Keller. The lighting system, which will be state of the art with minimal leakage upward and onto neigh- bouring homes, has been modeled by computer to minimize the number of poles and prevent dark spots. In order to qualify for the grant, the association had to be a charitable organization and can now issue tax receipts. After the lights are installed, an official "turning on the lights" night is planned, with entertainment and possibly an alumni game. With the money almost all raised, Keller said all that is left to do is "order the lights, then go play." SR. AA HOCKEY AT ITS BEST! QUARTER FINALS HENSALL SHERWOODS VS CLINTON RADARS GAME ONE - WED. FEB. 23 - HENSALL ARENA - 8:30 p.m. GAME TWO - FRI. FEB. 25 - CLINTON ARENA - 8:30 p.m. GAME THREE - SAT. FEB. 26 - HENSALL ARENA - 7:30 p.m.