Novice Bs comeback with 3-3 tie

 

For Morrisburg and District figure skater Ali VanHoof, it’s been a season of ups and downs. But with a hugely solid performance behind her at the, February 15-17, EOSIC at Whitby, Ontario, the 16 year old, grade 10 student at Seaway District High School is exactly where she wanted to be when it started…training for the upcoming 2013 Ontario Starskate Championships in Fort Erie, Ontario.

For a period of several weeks last fall, Ali’s hope of qualifying at EOSIC for a spot at the Ontario Championship wasn’t looking good.

“Ali started her season by training over the summer (2012), developing new programs with the goal of qualifying at EOSIC in the Triathlon event to go on to the Skate Ontario StarSkate Championship,” explains her coach Louise Dimmick. “It all seemed on track until she suffered an injury to her ankle warming up at a competition at the end of September. That kept her off the ice for five weeks, and limited her as to what she could practice for an additional three weeks once she came back.”

It resulted in her planned 4.5 month pre-competition preparation time being cut in half.

“She had just over two months to get back into competition shape both physically and mentally, as well as finish the preparation and polish of four programs,” says Dimmick. “We were faced with a daunting challenge.”

But, says Dimmick, “it is amazing what can be accomplished by the human spirit with perseverance and support.”

Despite the injury-plagued season, Van Hoof worked hard and her results were impressive at the Eastern Ontario Section Inter Club event (EOSIC) in Whitby, which allowed her to qualify for the upcoming Ontario Starskate competition from March 22-24.

The Triathlon is a three part event with skaters competing in Skills, Interpretive and Freeskating.

Ali started the Triathlon at EOSIC with a personal best skate in her Skills program. “She demonstrated good edges, turns and spirals and filled the boardless ice surface with her speed and power,” says Dimmick.

Her performance put her in fourth place with only 1/100th of a point separating her from third spot going into the Interpretive program.

“Her Interpretive program, admittedly her weakest part of the Triathlon, was the true breakthrough of the weekend,” says Dimmick explaining that Interpretive requires that the skater communicate a theme to the audience through performing skating moves to music.

“Cleopatra’s Conquest was a fitting theme for Ali this season as it signifies the fight and determination she has demonstrated in order to challenge for her goals given the obstacles she has faced.”

In skating her Interpretive, Ali shattered her previous score by over 12 points to earn a fifth place finish in the Interpretive segment. This moved her into third place with her strongest event, Freeskate, yet to come.

“I knew going into the Triathlon that the Freeskate would be my strongest. I knew that it could be the one that could lift me up,” says Ali. “I was fairly confident going in, but after I was finished I knew there were a few things I could have done better. I felt that I had skated well enough though to be in the top somewhere.”

And indeed she had. An excellent performance placed her first in the Freeskate segment and landed her an overall second place finish in the Silver Triathlon Event to qualify for this month’s Ontario Starskate Championship.

During her EOSIC Freeskate, VanHoof landed five double jumps, two double, double combinations, a double lutz and a third jump combination-Axel plus loop.

She performed three great spins including a death drop flying spin and two combinations which included difficult variations.

As for the upcoming Starskate Championship, VanHoof says she is now training hard. “I’m going to try to add to my Interpretive, and I am working on cleaner turns in my skills.”

“I am trying to up my mark a bit in all of my programs.”

Ali has been skating since she was a wee tot. She is a very motivated skater and works very hard. She successfully balances her skating with her school studies, school athletics and a part-time job.

She is one of only a few local skaters to earn the opportunity to skate at provincial levels. 

[…]

 

Christmas is nearly here. We have no better indication of this than the weekend completion of our Christmas bonspiel. 

Fortunately for our health when discussing such matters with our iceman, there were no turkeys tossed down the ice, as happened when we used to call this a “turkey” bonspiel. It was fun though.

Wally McDonald and his cousin Kathy Kritchlow respectively won the door prizes on Saturday for the “guess the number of candy canes in the jar” prize and for the lovely basket of goodies. In addition there were a number of fine matches. 

The best score of the day came from prize winners Andy Patenaude, Greta McGann, Maurice Kolff and Denis Thibault. Also winning two games were Susan McIntosh, Betty Locke, Dave McIntosh and Jim Locke, while honourable mentions are owed to Al Herriman’s and Paul St. Pierre’s foursomes. The lunch was great, everyone admired the “new” kitchen, the ice was fast, and the rocks curled beautifully. Thanks to all who organized the event and helped pull things off.

Last Friday our senior men hosted three Cornwall teams in a friendly bonspiel. Andy Patenaude, Ted Herriman, Ron Beaupre and Peter Byvelds lost to the visitors, while Don O’Brien, Arnold Barkley, Wayne Pulfer and Lynn Loucks trounced their opponents. Raymond Benoit, Bud Perry, Sam Locke and Bob Bechard did their best, but let victory slip from their grasp to appear “friendly” to their big city opposition. 

The usual fine meal after the bonspiel was served and enjoyed by all, as was the humour. By the way, I called the matching counters “granite”, and they look like it, but I’ve been assured that our executive wouldn’t overspend. They do look great, though.

Four of our little rockers were in Manotick recently for their bonspiel and had a very good day. James Szuky, J.J. Charette, Tommy Derickz and Ewan Wilson beat Winchester 6-1 in their first game, and tied Vankleek Hill 2-2 in their second. Their final match, for first place, was a heartbreaker, a 4-2 loss to Navan. 

The win was soured for some when the Navan coach was caught giving signals to his team during the match. This is forbidden, since a time-out must be called for discussions with players during a match. The convenor spoke to the Navan coach, who promised never to do it again.

Sometimes people forget how they are supposed to behave when coaching young people. Hope the message is remembered. 

Anyway, our little rockers are off now until January 18, when they travel to Metcalfe. Well done folks! Good luck in Metcalfe.

There are still a few openings for the annual New Year’s Eve bonspiel, dance, and party. Sign up at the club if interested.

With wind-up matches and league parties coming up, some are thinking ahead to curling in the new year. We’ll have any details about the current draw, etc., next week, and that write-up will likely be the last until January.

Not that we’re boasting, but with the completion of the kitchen, entry ramp, and main floor handicapped washroom, the clubhouse is ready to entertain all renters for bonspiels, staff parties and other events as desired.

 

[…]

With the end of the regular season now just a few weeks away, the Morrisburg Junior B Lions continue to entertain one of the longest losing streaks in team history.

This past weekend a pair of losses to the Prescott Flyers, 4-1 and the Gananoque Islanders, 4-2 brought their St. Lawrence Division stats to 27 losses in 30 games.

Friday night on home ice, the Lions managed just one goal against the visiting Prescott Flyers.

Drew Veenstra got that one on the Lions power play, with help from Chris Pearson and Michael Paquette, at 13:18 of the first period.

The 1-0 Lions advantage lasted until well into the second period, when the Flyers Patrick Rock evened it at 14:18 and Andrew DeKroom gave them a 2-1 lead at 15:41.

Early in the third, the Flyers went up 4-1 on goals by Ryan Romans and Trevor Kelecher.

Jarerett Pitt was in the Flyers net for the win, and John Gilmer handled the Lions loss. Pitt handled just 23 shots on net while Gilmer gave up four goals on 36 shots.

The Lions sat out seven minor penalties, while the Flyers were assessed  eight and a 10 minute misconduct for checking to the head.

Sunday night in Gananoque, the Islanders were first on the scoreboard with a Matt Tustin goal. 

In the last minute of the first period Liam Morrow, with help from A.J. Jarvis, counted for the Lions to even it.

The Islanders took charge in the second period with two unanswered counters, and went up 4-1 at 9:28 of the third.

Steven Savage scored on the Lions power play at 17:17 of the third to cut the gap to 4-2, but that was it.

Cole Blanchard and Drew Veenstra got the assists on the Savage goal.

Ryan Kaszuba was in net for the Islanders win, and John Gilmer handled the loss. Shots on net were 35 for the Islanders and 31 for the Lions.

The Lions were assessed eight minor penalties, a five minute fighting major and a game misconduct for checking from behind.

The Islanders sat out 12 minors, two five minute fighting majors, and a 10 minute misconduct.

Coming up this Friday night, January 10 the Lions are on the road to Westport. Sunday, January 12 they host the Char-Lan Rebels. 

[…]