Loading...
The Times Advocate, 2008-12-31, Page 88 Times -Advocate Wednesday, December 31, 2008 THIS WEEK IN SPORTS... Former Leafs goalie coach visits Exeter PAGE 9 Lucan Ilderton Jets still flying high PAGE 9 SPORTS TIP CONTACT TIMES -ADVOCATE Ben Forrest • 519-235-1336 ext. 114 Fax 519-235-0766 • E-mail bforrest@southhuron.com SPORTS LEISL"RE Centralia native flying high with Junior 'B' Siskins By Ben Forrest TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF CAMBRIDGE Centralia native Justin Knee is among the top offensive performers in the Junior 'B' Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) this season. It was not always this way. Knee, who played minor hockey in Stephen Township and is a former Huron -Perth Laker and Exeter Hawk, scored just 14 points in the first 47 games of his Junior 'B' career playing then as a member of the Strathroy Rockets. For his second season the 2007-2008 campaign Knee moved to the Waterloo Siskins, and signs of promise began to show. Knee netted 17 goals and had 17 assists in 43 games as a 19 year-old, adding nine points in five playoff games for a team that exited in the first round and has done so every year for more than a decade. Last year was the first year I started playing well, Knee said in an interview. This year I don't know it all came together. Indeed, Knee was the GOJHL's fifh-leading scorer at press time, sitting with 20 goals and 42 assists through 35 games. The Siskins, a once -great fran- chise given to mediocrity in recent years, own the sixth -best record in the league. Knee attributes his success pri- marily to conditioning during the offsea- son, and sees himself mainly as a play - maker who gets as much satisfaction out of setting up a goal as scoring one him- self. He is also an assistant captain this year, a role he has embraced. Only a few players have matched Knee's offensive output this year, and Knee admits he finds it important to approach each game with a certain confi- dence. Asked if he approaches each game with the notion he can compete with anyone, he said: I think you have to. The Siskins are well behind the Brantford Golden Eagles for the top record in the GOJHL, and the top spot in the Mid -West Division. Knee expressed doubts Waterloo can Justin Knee catch up before the regular season is over but said he thinks the Siskins could get the better of Brantford in a playoff series. The two teams have tan- gled five times this year, with Waterloo winning three of those contests. This will be Knee s final year at the Junior B level, though he hopes to continue playing elsewhere in the future hopefully on scholarship at an American college. Knee listed a number of Division III schools that have expressed interest, but said he has yet to choose which one he 11 attend. Knee s schooling in Canada is still under way he has one more semester to complete in the police foundations program at Conestoga College, he said. Knee admitted his dream would be to go from the American college ranks to NHL draft but suggested a more realistic goal is to play in a lesser pro league. He is studying police foundations at Conestoga and said he would like to pur- sue a career in law enforcement once his playing days are over. Panthers make a roar as they earn two wins T.J. Zielman TIMES ADVOCATE CO-OP STUDENT EXE 1hR On Dec 4, the South Huron boys hockey team went to Listowel and c.ame away with a 5-0 win. The game started off relatively quiet as neither team was able to get on the scoresheet. However in the second period, the Panthers came alive as Josh Brideau opened the scoring at 8:22 with the only assist go- ing to Brett Oud. The Panthers then added to the score as John Hall netted an- other (assists Scott Overholt and Jarrett Johns). Kalvin Thorton scored 41 seconds later to give the team a three -goal cushion. But the Panthers continued to press, as the Panthers scored again before the period ended. Darren Parker scored with 25 seconds left in the middle frame to end the period with a 4-0 lead. Despite 11 penalties given out to the Panthers in the second period, the team was able to hold off the visitors with their pen- alty killing. Panther juniors edged out Toward the end of the third period, with 2:07 left in the game, Josh Brideau scored his second goal of the game, putting an ex- clamation mark on the win. On Dec. 12 the South Huron boy s hockey team hosted the St. Mike s Warriors and came away with a 2-1 victory. It was a relatively quiet and close match with both teams playing hard. St. Mike s opened the scoring with 6:41 minutes left in the first period. However the Panthers answered back, roughly two minutes later (4:35 left in the first period) to score a tally of their own. Jon Hall tied the game at one a piece with the assist going to Matt Bilcke. Both teams kept the penalties under control as there were only six penalties given throughout the game. It wasn t until 8:22 left in the third frame that teams would see another goal scored. The Panthers got the game -winning goal from Steve Morgan with the lone assist on the play awarded to Ty Bilcke. The Panthers will play their next game in the new year against the St. Anne s Eagles. Start time will be at 2 p.m. Close, but ... — Koedi Bryson (above left) and Josh Den Otter of the South Huron District High School Junior Boys basketball team are seen here during a recent game against Mitchell. South Huron lost the game 53-51, though the senior team fared better, beating Mitchell 50 - 49. Both teams followed up with victories over St.Annes recently. (photos/Ben Forrest) Exeter Hawks hope to remain in playoff picture By Ben Forrest TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF PARKHILL The Exeter Hawks hope to remain in the playoff picture in the weeks ahead but failed to make up ground Saturday, losing 5-4 to the North Middlesex Stars. Exeter sat in last place in their division at press time but within striking distance of a playoff spot. North Middlesex opened the scoring Saturday with a goal from Alex Augily. Exeter s Jake Jeffrey evened the score with 51 seconds remaining, but North Middlesex pulled ahead one second before the period ended. Jeffrey scored 6:35 into the second frame but Augily struck back roughly 20 seconds later. Exeter s Thomas Harnett scored a power play goal with 4:04 remaining, leaving the score 3-3 after 40 min- utes. North Middlesex scored two goals in quick succes- sion in the first eight minutes of the third period. Exeter s Glen Bilyea answered with 4:13 remaining but the Hawks failed to score again. Hawks coach Jamie Pearce said Monday he feels the team played well other than a 10 -minute stretch at the start of the third period. It was a game that we felt we should have won and played well enough to win, he said. The Hawks have been hamstrung by injuries of late, though two players Josh Geoffrey and Jake Schmidt returned to the linup for Saturday s game. Pearce anticipates having a full lineup for the team s next game (Jan. 7 against the Lucan Irish), something that will allow him to use playing time to motivate his players. If somebody s not playing well they can sit on the bench, he said. The kids realize that that if they don t play well, don t give 100 per cent, I won t hesitate to go down to two lines or three lines. That s always a good position for a coach, because now I ve got 12 forwards and six defencemen that are going to give 100 per cent every time they re out there. The Hawks must catch fourth -place Lambeth if they hope to make the playoffs this season, and Pearce is convinced they can do it. I think we can catch them, he said. I have not given up on this season not even dose. Neither have the guys. After [Saturday sJ game, they recognized that was one of their better efforts for the year. Injury problems have forced some Hawks players to play out of position, and Pearce sought to recognize their efforts. I ve got a couple of kids that are forwards that are playing defence and a couple of defence that I ve got playing forward, he said. What I d like to do is recognize that these guys are doing a great job in their transition. Among those who have been required to change are defenceman Shane Mudge, Kenney Allen, Justin Anstett, Brandon Dymond and Brandon Babbage. The Hawks have an 11 -day layoff before their next game. They will play Lambeth two days later, a chance to make up room in the standings in front of a home- town crowd. Ringette Novice C Ringette Dec. 20 Exeter (7) vs. Mitchell White (2) Goals: Rachelle Keys (4), Kyla Chapman, Reagan Vandewalle, Emma Haines. Assists: Hannah Stephens(2), Madison Livermore(2), Rachelle Keys Goalie: Phylicia Krainz Comments: The girls played shorthanded but skated hard and worked together to take the win. Special thanks to Vanessa Krupka for coming out to help the girls. Great job girls and super job in net, Phylicia. scores Exeter Bunny Dec. 28 St. Marys (1) vs. Exeter (13) Goals: Morgan Lewis (2), Emma Keller, Allison Gorman (2), Erika Foran, Vanessa Krupka (3), Erin Bjelan (2), Megan Taylor and Madie McClinchey. Assists: Morgan Lewis (2), Emma Keller, Erika Foran. Comments: This was the girls first win of the sea- son. The girls all played hard and did lots of pass- ing to get the ring into the net. Good luck next week- end in Tillsonburg, girls.