Morrisburg Junior Lions 40 year hockey reunion

Although it was certainly far from the largest track and field team Seaway District High School has fielded, it had its moments, particularly at the senior girls level.

Leading this year’s Seaway team were veteran athletes Jessica Thompson and  Gillian Beatson who won the top one and two spots at the SD&G meeting held at St. Lawrence High School in May.

Both are established track and field athletes and both train with the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club.

Thompson scored the overall top senior girl award at the SD&G with gold medal finishes in the sprint hurdles, the 400m hurdles and the 400m.

Beatson was second with gold medal wins in long jump and the 200m, and a second behind her teammate in the sprint hurdles.

“They are both athletic kids” said Seaway track and field coach Trevor Thompson. “They are very talented and very good at individual sports. Both are successful figure skaters.”

Unfortunately, Seaway’s track team will be saying goodbye to Thompson who is in her final high school year.

According to coach Thompson, she is planning to attend the University of Windsor, “and is hoping to run track and field with them next year.”

Both of the girls advanced from the SD&G to EOSSAA which was held in Belleville.

Thompson qualified for the East  Regional with a third in the 400m hurdles at EOSSAA and a fourth in sprints.

Although she competed at Regional, she wasn’t feeling well and did not complete her events.

Beatson claimed a third place finish in long jump at EOS
SAA but did not compete at Regionals.

Another highlight for Seaway was an SD&G gold medal win by Brodie Casselman in the senior boys 200m. Casselman also qualified for EOSSAA in the 100m. He competed in both at EOSSAA but did not claim a East Region qualifying position. 

Also at the SD&G senior boys level, Monty Hamadi qualified for EOSSAA in the 400m. He did not compete at EOSSAA.

Ryan Douma qualified in shotput and the 400m hurdles at the SD&G and distance runner Denzil Barkley qualified in the 1500m and 3000m.

Neither was able to advance out of their EOSSAA  events.

At the midget level, runner Riley Barry won the SD&G 100m and qualified in the 200 and 400m runs.

Matching him was Ali VanHoof who picked up a gold medal in triple jump and qualifying finishes in the 300 and 800m hurdles.

Neither of the two advanced past EOSSAA.

Overall, the kids worked hard,” said Thompson. “We started in the second week of March and travelled to three invitational meets.”

“For the most part, they all achieved personal bests. I really enjoyed working with them all. They are all great kids.

[…]

The Dundas Midget 2 Lions were undefeated in round robin play to finish first in their pool at the 2014 Kingston Midget Girls Invitational Tournament on the weekend of January 3-5, but then ran into a road block against the Kingston Ice Wolves.

The roadblock came in the form of a 4-3, Wolves victory which shut down the Lions in the tournament.

The Wolves mounted a 2-0 first period lead, and then went up 3-0 in the second period before the Lions got on board.

That was with 2:21 left in the second period on a Brynne Gilmour goal assisted by Sierra Swindells.

Early in the third period, it was Gilmour again, this time unassisted.

One minute later, Emma Barkley tied the game, 3-3, with help from Janis Hall.

Play was intense for the remaining eight minutes of the game with Camille Pearson counting, what would be the winner,  for the Wolves with 4:31 left on the clock.

The Lions played some great hockey at the tournament to finish first in their pool, undefeated. They claimed round robin wins over the OGHA No. Ones, 3-1, and the Ice Wolves Blue, 2-1, and a 2-2 tie against the Cornwall Black Typhoons.

Gilmour (from Mallorie Dejong and Melissa Stevens), Emma Barkley (from Peyton Bradford) and Bradford (from Mackenzie Barkley and Emma Barkley) scored the three Lions goals against the OGHA Ones.

Melissa Stevens (from Cassie Hummel) and Brynn Gilmour scored against the Ice Wolves Blue.

Taylor Casselman (from Emma Barkley and Sierra Swindells) and Stevens (from Janis Hall) provided the goals against the Typhoons.

[…]

While many feet are making for some really great soccer, South Dundas Minor Soccer President, Phillip Blancher is looking for “many hands to make less work.”

According to Blancher, the South Dundas Minor Soccer Association, which has been providing soccer for hundreds of kids for the last 18 years, is in desperate need of new volunteers and board members.

Last year, the association provided soccer for 450 children who were taught the game by 80 coaches.

In the past couple of years, the association has seen a major changeover in the organizing committee.

“A lot of the long-time committee members had been there for 10 plus years, and after that long it kind of takes its toll,” says Blancher. “Their kids were no longer in the program, and they wanted to move on.”

“So over the last couple of years, the organizing committee was involved in a gradual transition, and last year we had a totally new group. It was a bit of a bumpy year for us, but we got through it.”

Heading into the 2014 soccer season, Blancher says the committee’s major concern is “trying to get people to commit to helping out. And because we can’t get help, the few who are helping are beginning to burn out.”

“We have a very good group of volunteer coaches, which is great. What we really need is two key people, one for field maintenance and the other to handle the canteen, in addition to volunteers who will help out with both.”

“We have a really great and very successful association, but it’s all the parts that make it work.”

Minor soccer currently has just four committee volunteers including Blancher, Stephanie Lough secretary/vice-president, Jennifer Byvelds treasurer/registrar and Cindy Peters who represents the separately run Seaway Kickers Soccer Association which offers competitive league play soccer.

Blancher explains that field maintenance involves mowing and lining the fields. The association owns a riding mower used to touch up mowing when needed as regular mowing is provided by the school board on the school fields and the municipality on the south fields.

The association mowing is on a ‘needed basis’ affected by the growing season and rainfall. “It takes about one half hour per field, and we have five fields. But we don’t always have to do all of the fields, and if we had enough adult volunteers, we could divide it up. Three pieces of equipment are available to line the fields, again opening up multi-person (adult or student) possibilities”

The canteen manager stocks the snack bar and schedules workers for the four hours it is open each Saturday morning during the season. This year the season kicks off on Saturday, May 24, and will wrap up with the World Cup tournament on the weekend of July 25-26.

 “All of the money from the canteen goes back into the program, and it is important to players and parents to have it open,” says Blancher. “We do most of our buying locally as we make it a policy to support our local businesses as much as possible. Last year we split the canteen work into one hour shifts, but this was difficult especially during the tournament. We really could have used more people.”

 “We have a good group of student volunteers, and it is great for them as they are able to get community hours. We would welcome anyone who would like to help us out this year and into the future. They can be grandparents, parents, students or a member of the South Dundas community simply interested in helping the program, perhaps a soccer fan.”

 “If we don’t get someone to set up and run the canteen, then we fear it will be closed on Saturdays.”

The South Dundas Soccer Association offers soccer to children beginning at the Little Squirts U7 level (born 2008-09) and running up to Midget at U19.

The biggest numbers of children are in the two younger groups with 100 to 120 kids per group making up about eight full teams each.

Blancher says that if there is anyone who can find a few hours to help the organization, they can let organizers know at the upcoming registrations or by calling him at 613-543-2168 or Stephanie at 613-543-3006. The two positions (field maintenance and canteen are committee members).

Registrations for the 2014 South. Dundas soccer season are set for Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Friday, March 21st from 6-9 p.m. Both will be held at the Iroquois Civic Centre. The cost is $40 per child

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