Sports

 

“We had fun.” That expression by player Jack Cole sums up the Morrisburg Combines performance at the Canada Senior Games in Edmonton from August 27-29. 

Each game was close, but the Combines lost all four. 

The 2014 version of the Canadian Senior Games attracted over 2000 participants setting for itself a new record in attendance. 

The Morrisburg Combines qualified for the Canadian Games by winning a hockey gold medal in the 2013 Ontario Senior Games in the 65-plus age division. 

“This national event itself was a quite a big, well-organized deal with impressive opening and closing events, quality entertainment and darn good food,” says Jake Cole of Ottawa who was enjoying his first time at the games with the Combines.

Accompanied by several of the players’ wives, the Combines made some noise both on and off the ice.”

“It was super encouraging to hear the cheers from our fans when we scored or goalie Les McAllister made a great save,” says Cole. “It was also a fine time of laughing and teasing during the dressing room time before and after each game. In fact, as most old timers players will undoubtedly agree, hockey dressing room banter has basically not changed since we were teenagers, with the same corny jokes and everyone taunting and poking fun at each other mercilessly.”

The Combines arrived in Edmonton as a team that had only played together for four exhibition games back home. 

“We learned that our competition had been playing regularly all summer and also that they had played together for years. Right away, we could tell we were up against some very good hockey teams.”

The Combines first game was against the Rocky Mountain Elks. The Elks scored first, but the Combines recovered to tie it. Alberta went up 3-1 with the Combines getting a late one back and then pulling goaltender Les McAllister only to have their goalie make a terrific save off Fern Gauvreau in the dying seconds to preserve the 3-2 win. 

The second game put the Combines against Calgary’s Jeff Bowles, “a team that seemed to know just how far to bend the rules without getting penalized” says Cole. Bowles got some early goals and the Combines never really got going until near the end, losing 5-2. 

The Combines final two games were close, with leads see-sawing back and forth but they lost both games identical 4-2 scores to the Elks and to Bowles. The Bowles team won the championship with a 5-2 victory over the Elks.

The Combines’ tournament scoring leaders were Lester Holmes and Jack Haines (who scored an outstanding goal on a howitzer-like shot in the Combines last game). 

Special recognition was given to Combines defencemen, Bryan Helmer, Alvin Darling, Wally Ryan, and Ron Alguire, who, along with Les McAllister kept out many potential goals and basically kept the team in every game.

The “Combines”, are now a 65-plus team (with players up to 78 years old) that been competing in the Senior Games, at the provincial and national levels since 2000. 

While never winning gold nationally, the team has won several provincial titles and expects to be back competing again next February in Haliburton, Ontario for another provincial gold.

[…]

 

Despite cold, heavy rain, and the decision to stop play on Saturday, Kirk Barkley and Vicki Boivin hung in to claim the 2014 Morrisburg Golf Club’s men’s and ladies’ championships on the weekend.

Barkley charged out of the men’s B flight  for his win, while Boivin put together 18-hole rounds of 93-86 for her 11th club championship win, her ninth consecutive.

The heavy rains on Saturday were a big factor in this year’s club championship. The ladies had the early start and had to call it a day late in the round. They finished up their four holes Sunday morning, took a break and then headed out for the second 18 hole round.

For the men who had the late Saturday tee-off, the weather forced them to call it after nine holes. For the championship they counted their nine holes played Saturday, and the 18 hole round on Sunday.

A flight’s Blake Barry had the lead after Saturday’s nine with a 39, while Barkley was three strokes back in B flight with a 42. Barry posted a 78 in Sunday’s play for a 117 total, while Barkley added a 74, for a 116 which gave him the men’s championship.

Defending 2013 champ, Ron Lapier did not play. 

The ladies B flight was highly contested with Linda Barclay claiming the win on retrogression.

Barclay, for her fourth consecutive B championship, posted rounds of 103-96 for a 199 total. Her effort was matched by Judy Laurin who posted 101-98, for a 199 total.

That forced a one-hole sudden death playoff between the two, and after three sudden deaths and still tied, the two agreed to go to retrogression to decide a winner. That gave Barclay, with her 48 front nine score, the win over Laurin, by one stroke.

The ladies section C flight, was not contested and the winner of the D flight championship was Candace Jamieson with 118-123.

In mens play, after Barkley at 116, and Barry at 117 the low shooters, both in B flight were Lee Beaupre at 120 and Don Mabo at 133.

Beaupre got the nod for the senior club champion with his nine hole 43 added to a 77 on Sunday, and Mabo won the B championship, for the second consecutive year (45-88).

In C flight, Bob Barclay and Doug Warner finished tied with 140s. Barclay shot a 48 Saturday and added a 92, while Warner posted a 50 Saturday and added a 90 on Sunday.

Using retrogression Barclay won the C flight championship for the second consecutive year.

[…]

 

The Morrisburg Junior B Lions produced one win in three tries in exhibition action this past weekend, and coach Mark Evans says they are looking forward to the start of the season this coming weekend.

“It looked very good on the weekend,” says Evans. “We had a couple of break downs, but overall we are very happy with where the team is right now. We are more talented and have way more potential than last year. Things are really looking up.”

On the weekend, the Lions played in three exhibition games. They won Friday night against Akwesasne 3-0 and were handed two losses, 7-2 by the Brockville Tikis, Saturday and 5-1 by the Char-Lan Rebels, Sunday.

At this early stage Evans is not worried about the losses and says the Lions will be making good use of two practises on home ice (last night Tuesday, September 16 and tonight) to “go over our specialty teams. In  Junior B hockey you can really make a difference when you successfully kill penalties, as well as being successful on your power plays.”

The Lions have now signed eight returning veteran players. They are running with upwards of 12 first year players and have signed overagers (and all former Lions) Dallas Blacksmith, Justin Lefebvre and Michael Paquette.

Also back on a card is veteran goaltender John Gilmour, who kept in shape this summer playing in the newly formed CDHL development league for the Nepean Jr. A Raiders.

Gilmour is joined by newcomer Kieran Weir, an 18 year old goaltender from Ottawa who came up through the Ottawa West Golden Knights Minor Hockey and Ottawa Sting AA programs. Last year, Weir played for the West End Wolverines Major Midget A team and this past summer he played CDHL development league for the Ottawa Jr. A Senators.

The Lions have signed four, 16-year-olds to cards including defenceman Brody Barkley and defence/forward Cole Fowler, both from the South Dundas Minor Hockey system, forward Landon Veenstra from the South Stormont system and Jacob Kendrick a forward who comes from Ottawa. 

“We are going to be focussing on our systems and specialty teams this week, and see if we can’t start off the season on a good note,” says Evans.

The Lions open the 2014-15 season on the road this Friday night, September 19 when they travel to Alexandria to take on the Glens at 8 p.m.

They open their home season Saturday night, when their longtime rivals from the north, the Winchester Hawks come to town. Game time this Saturday night is 7:30 p.m. 

“We are looking to be very competitive this year,” says Evans.

[…]

 

Andy Lee and his team of volleyball enthusiasts are once again hosting the popular Spikes Volleyball program for girls at Seaway District High School beginning in October.

The program will run on Thursday nights from early October until mid December from 7-8:30 nightly.

“This year we are opening it up to girls in grade seven, and it will run up to grade 12,” says Lee. 

“We are working on the same core philosophy of providing the girls the right skills to play the game and have some fun in the process.”

Included in the programming will be a clinic hosted by Ottawa University players/coaches. “We hope to have an Ottawa U alumni work with some of the older girls in their hitting, and we plan to squeeze a Shanna Dawley workout evening into the schedule as well.”

As in years past, the group will be provided the opportunity to travel to Ottawa, for an Ottawa U versus a University of Toronto game.

The program has become a key component in developing volleyball players for the Seaway District High School program and with it now expanded to include the grade 7s, it now becomes a valuable asset to Seaway’s Intermediate School volleyball program.

Lee is grateful to both the Upper Canada District School Board and the Seaway District High School (the school and staff) for their support.

Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. The program cost is $50 per participant or $75 for two sisters. Space is limited to 32 participants.

For more information or to register please contact Andy Lee at 613-543-3649 or andylee@sympatico.ca

For online registration forms, Google South Dundas Volleyball.

Registrations may be done in person through Lilace McIntyre at Seaway District High School or Andy Lee in Morrisburg

[…]

 

Bingo, bango, bongo was the name of the game for the weekly ladies night on Wednesday, September 1.

There was no sponsor for the evening which was organized by Alice McNairn, Lydia Eamon and Betty Lou Casselman.

The evening was judged by the size of teams playing. Winning for most points were teams captained by Donne Dillabough, Gisele Hooles, Yvonne Mabo and Chris McNairn.

Least point wins went to Diane Gallinger, Denis Lebrun, Nelda Hickman and Vicki Boivin.

Coming up tonight, Wednesday, September 10, the ladies will participate in a skills competition.

The September 4 men’s night, was sponsored by Canadian Tire. Leading the field was Lance LePage who shot a 36 for the A flight win. Dave McClenaghan won B flight with a 41, and Ken Rundle won C with a 45.

Net wins went to Gord Dillabough in A flight, Mick Mabo in B flight and Gus Dickson in C flight.

Lance LePage dropped the closest to the pin shot on the par three 11th hole and Derick Casselman was closest on the par three 17th.

This weekend, September 13-14, the Club Championships will be played and the final men’s night is scheduled for Saturday, September 27.

[…]

 

It’s early, but Morrisburg Junior Lions coach, Mark Evans says, “we have had a respectable showing and have some good potential.”

The Lions were on Finch ice this past weekend for their main camp which included ice time on both Friday and Sunday nights and a pre-season game against the Char-Lan Rebels, Saturday night. Although the Lions led the Rebels 2-0, the Rebels charged back for a 9-3 win. 

Evans says he went with about 95 percent first year players and wasn’t disappointed with what he saw.

“I am very positive with what I have seen so far. We are hovering around eight to nine veterans, and everyone is excited about the season.”

With the mood very “upbeat”, Evans says the Lions will start the season where they left off last year, steadily improving and becoming more competitive in the St. Lawrence Division.

The Lions were to be on the ice two hours last night (Tuesday, September 9) in Finch, and Evans was expecting that Lions General manager Kevin Casselman would be signing some players by the end of this week.

Goaltending he says is looking good.  “We had nine goaltenders in camp, and we have narrowed it down to four.”

Evans says John Gilmour is the familiar face from last year, and he is taking a serious look at the other three, some of whom have come to the Lions camp via A clubs.

In addition to talent in goal, Evans says the defensive line up is looking solid with a good mix of experienced veterans and new players.

“I am really happy with what I have seen so far. We have released some who were young that we felt would best benefit from playing midget for another year. We are pretty thick with defense actually. Cole Blanchard and Steven Savage are both back, and we have some defencemen in camp who played as affiliates last year.”

Evans says the defence lineup shows good mix of size and speed and “they all have good puck moving skills”.

Currently in the forward lineup, the coaching staff is looking at different line combinations, “to see what we can come up with, from the returning players and new players.”

“We haven’t signed any overage players yet,  but Justin Lefevbre and Dallas Blacksmith are both in camp.”

Evans says the Lions are not in a hurry to fill the four overage cards. “The junior As are still going to manoeuvre, so there are still options, and we won’t fill all of our cards right now.”

Overall Evans says he is happy with the players currently in camp. “We are going to come up with a talented lineup,” certainly, “we are going to start higher than we finished last year. We have a good mix of young kids and veterans.”

Evans also points out there is a good crop of local players from the South Dundas and South Stormont Minor Hockey systems in camp.

The Lions have three exhibition games scheduled to be played in Finch this weekend. Friday night, September 12 they will meet the Akwesasne Wolves at 7 p.m., and on Saturday night they will play the Brockville Tikis. Game time is 5 p.m.

Their fifth pre-season game will be played Sunday night starting at 7 p.m. against Char-Lan.

They are scheduled for their first home-ice practise next Tuesday, September 16 beginning at 8 p.m.

The Lions will open the 2014-15 season on the road to Alexandria, Friday night, September 19 at 8:15 p.m. and will host the Winchester Hawks for their first home game on Saturday night, September 20 at 7:30 p.m.

With the exception of just one or two Friday nights, the Lions will be playing their home games on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons this year.

[…]

The coolest place in town these days is the arena in Morrisburg. That’s right. The ice is in, and a new season of skating and hockey is just a little more than a week away.

South Dundas manger of Recreation and Facilities, Donnie Lewis reports the ice plant was turned on Monday, August 25th, “but it was a slow start. It was really hot and muggy, so everything took longer.”

The suction valve was opened Wednesday, August 27 (removes air from the lines) and the ice making process began Thursday morning at 9 a.m. 

This past Saturday, the ice was painted and floods, using hoses, were put down until about 7 p.m. Saturday night and again on Sunday.

The first floods with the Zamboni were done Tuesday morning, and the ice-hockey lines were to be put down today, Wednesday, September 3.

“We have about a half inch of ice now,” said Lewis at lunchtime on Tuesday. “We are looking for about an inch of ice, and I expect we should be there by early next week.”

The first use of the 2014-15 ice will be by the Morrisburg and District Figure Skate Club at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, September 13.

Minor hockey will get its season start at 11:30 a.m. on that same day, and the Junior B Lions will have their first practice on home ice on Tuesday night, the 16th.

The Lions launched their camp on Sunday, August 24 in Brockville. Their main camp took place this past weekend.

The Jr. B Lions have an exhibition game set for Friday, September 12, in Finch against the Akwesasne Wolves. Game time is 7 p.m.

[…]

Good weather, good course conditions and some difficult pin placements were keys to the annual Cedar Glen Men’s Open golf competition on Monday, said Kurtis Barley, who posted a solid two-under-par 68 to easily walk away with the championship.

Despite the tough pin placements, 12 golfers broke the 80 barrier in a field of 72 golfers.

“The course is in really great shape,” said Barkley following his win.”The greens were a little quick and some of the pins were tricky. If you were putting downhill, there was the possibility of it rolling off the green. I only made one really good putt all day, and had two stupid bogies [both from three putts], but I played well.”

A pair of birdies on the front combined with one of Barkley’s bogies put him one under (33) at the turn. His only difficulty on the front was on the par four, 401 yard seventh hole when he caught a tree with his tee-shot. “That left me about 220 yards out.” A three-wood got him to the fringe and “I three putted from there.”

Then on the back, he collected a pair of bogies on the par four, 12th and 16th holes. On 16, “I three-putted from six feet. It lipped out twice.” He finished the back at one under with birdies on 13, 15 and 18 for the one under 35 and his 68 total.

In addition to Barkley’s 68 there were a number of solid rounds in the 26-player A flight.

Next up was Upper Canada’s Tom Thompson with a 73. Thompson’s 73 gave him the low net in A flight with a 65. 

Lance LePage of Morrisburg  was just one stroke back with a 74, and Fabian Adams and Craig Nooyen tied with 76’s.

James Morrell, Lonnie McIntosh and Rick Barkley posted 78s, and Brad Mayhew and Mike Guy tied with 79s.

Three-year defending champ, Paul Nooyen was out of this year’s race with an 80.

The second big story of the day came out of B class with Cedar Glen’s Greg VanDellen picking up a solid win with a 74. VanDellen used birdies on the first two holes, and then added a third on the par three sixth for a strong even par 34 front. He added a 40 back nine for his 74 finish.

Next up was Morrisburg’s Kirk Barkley with a 77, followed by Cedar Glen’s Chris Phifer at 79. Barkley’s 77 gave him the B flight low net win with a 63.

The three B flight players, brought the total to 12 golfers for the day to break the 80 barrier.

Next up in B flight were Mike Laurin (Upper Canada) with an 81, Bruce Whitteker (Cedar Glen) at 82, Daryl Shelp (Cedar Glen) at 83 and Dave MacLenaghan (Morrisburg) 84.

Cedar Glen players John Macpherson and Lawrence Larocque and Iroquois’ Don Poland tied with 85s in the 36 player B division.

Doug Warner (Morrisburg) was the top shooter in the 10-player C flight with an 89. Low net in C flight went to Jason McIntosh who shot a 91 for the low net score of 70.

Next up were Francis Barkley with a 94 and Ben Macpherson with a 95.  Byron Brunt shot a 98 and two-year defending C champion, Mike Berube was next with a 100. 

[…]

The annual Ryder Cup competition was played at the Morrisburg Golf Club on Saturday, and when the battle between the Patenaude teams was all over it was the Andy teaming winning over the Monique team 10 points to four.

Andy Patenaude who is the men’s captain and Monique Patenaude who captains the ladies section selected their teams on Friday night from the 29 participating golfers and then matched up their pairing for the Saturday competition.

Then on Saturday morning, the teams hit the links, following pep talks from their respective captains to compete in two player match plays. Holes 1-6 were played as a better ball (low ball), holes 7-12 as alternate shot and holes 13-18 as a scramble. 

The twosomes earned two points for a win against their opponents and one point for ties.

Picking up two points for the Andy team were Linda Barclay and Larry Cooper against Len Arksey,  Charlie Moore and Linda Henderson; Dave McClenaghan and Barry Henderson against Donnie Mabo and Kitty Moore; Bob Barclay and Anita Cooper against Bryan Cochrane and Laurie Dillabough; Andy Patenaude two points against Monique Patenaude and Vicki Boivin.

Splitting their two available points were the pairings of: Lori Davies and Judy Laurin versus Phil Dillabough and Donna Dillabough; Jim Jamieson and Doug Warner against Lee Beaupre and Terry Laurin.

The team of Candace Jamieson and Ken Rundle scored the lone two pointer for the Monique team, playing against Wayne Hutt and Elsie Guindon.

“It was a lot of fun for everyone,” said the losing captain Monique.

And winners or losers, each team got their cake, and got to eat it too.

[…]

 

Just one stroke, maybe a missed putt or a drive that went astray, was all that separated the first place Iroquois team from the second place Cedar Glen team at the 49th running of the Men’s Valley League Golf Competition, here Sunday.

The Iroquois team claimed the 2014 championship and the D. MacLennan Trophy with a 1,236 stroke total on their home turf. It was a slim, one stroke win over second place Cedar Glen at 1,237 strokes.

Summer Heights was third with 1,274 strokes, Morrisburg fourth at 1,285 and Sandy Row claimed the basement position with 1,427.

With the handicaps factored in, Summer Heights earned the low net team win to claim the Comrie-Blakely Trophy.

The top shooter in the tournament, and the winner of the Millard Trophy for low gross in A flight, was Cedar Glen’s Kurtis Barkley with a three-under-par 69. 

It was the second consecutive win for Barkley who shot the low gross (one-under-par 71) at last year’s Valley League played in Sandy Row and won by Summer Heights.

Cedar Glen finished second in that one too.

This time out, Barkley had another solid round turning the corner with an even par 37. His only blemish was on the par three 175 yard, par three fourth hole which he double bogeyed. He fought back with birdies on five and eight for the even par 37.

On the back, he turned it up a notch and went three under with birdies on 10, 12 and 14. 

The Iroquois team had an incredibly strong effort from their A flight players as they worked their way to the team championship.

Just five players in the field of 70, broke the 80 barrier and three of them were playing in the Iroquois team’s A flight.

They were Mike Tobin with a 74, Les Gilmour with a 75 and Paul McCaslin with a 79. 

Barkley posted his 69 and Morrisburg’s Matt O’Neil carded a 79.

Also contributing to the strong Iroquois A flight results was Shawn Lapier who posted an 81.

Chipping in for the Iroquois victory in B flight were Nick McCaslin 86, Don Poland 88, Kent McDermid 89 and Maurice Kolff with a 91.

The Iroquois C flight players were Les Craig with a 96, Ed Orlicky 97, Rick MacKenzie 100 and Ross Ferguson 104. Chris Barkley shot an 87 in the senior position, and due to a no show for the junior golfer, David Cherry’s score of 89 counted.

In the individual awards, the low gross shooter and winner of the Sports Unlimited B flight trophy was Peter Hurrell of Summer Heights with an 82.

Summers Heights’ Gerry Sabourin shot a 92 for the win in C flight and the Summer Heights Fun Night trophy.

Cedar Glen took over in the senior and junior categories with Rick Barkley winning senior with an 81, and Liam Morrow winning junior, also with an 81.

Barkley was presented the T. Parker Trophy and Morrow the Highlands Trophy.

The Julien low net A flight trophy went to Mike Tobin of Iroquois whose 74 gave him a 68 net, while Jim Mooney (Summer Heights) won B low net and the Cedar Glen Trophy shooting a 95 for a 68 net. The winner of the Lorne Barkley Memorial C net trophy was Kevin Barkley of Sandy Row who shot a 98 for a 71 net.

The tournament also includes club captain and president categories, although their scores do not count in the team total. Both are recognized using their net scores.

Andy Patenaude of Morrisburg won the Fader Trophy (low net president) with a 91 score for a 72 net, and Danny Youmelle, also of Morrisburg shot a 102 for a 74 net to win the Hugh Hutchison Memorial trophy in the club captain play.

Top shooters for Cedar Glen were Barkley in A flight, Larry Harper with an 87 in B flight and Dale Whitteker in C flight with a 96.

Top shooters for Summer Heights were Bob Johnson with an 80 in A flight, Hurrell with an 82 in B and Gerry Sabourin with a 92 in C. Senior Roger Leduc shot a 92 and junior Alex Menard a 96.

Matt O’Neill led Morrisburg with a 79 in A flight, Kirk Barkley shot an 87 in B and Doug Warner was low in C with a 101. Lee Beaupre senior shot an 84 and Jordan St. Louis, junior also shot an 84.

Bill Hogaboam and Shane Vahey shots 90’s to lead the Sandy Row a flight, while Greg Chamberlain shot a 96 in B and Kevin Barkley a 98 in C.

Next year the men’s Valley League will celebrate its 50th anniversary. The tournament will be played at Summer Heights.

The first Valley League was played at Summer Heights with teams from Brockville Highlands, Iroquois, Morrisburg and Summer Heights competing. The Summer Heights team was the first to have their club name engraved on the McLennan Trophy.

[…]