Sports

 

Certainly there were people in Iroquois keeping an eye on the Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection, on Saturday, April 11, all eagerly awaiting to hear the name of Brady Gilmour announced.

And it was the Saginaw Spirit who ended the suspense when they selected 15-year-old Gilmour sixth overall.

Gilmour who turned 16 this past Saturday, April 18 is the son of Troy and Shannon Gilmour. His uncle and aunt Les and Anita Gilmour live in Iroquois, and his grandmother, originally from Iroquois, is now living in Smiths Falls.

This past season, Gilmour played for the Quinte Red Devils minor midget AAA. A 5’9” centreman and the Red Devil’s team captain, he led the Quinte team with 61 points in the 36 game regular season.

He also played for the Ontario Gold Medal winning team at the 2015 Canada Winter games in Prince George, B.C.

The Red Devils had some big successes at the 15 round draft with another 10 players being chosen.

A total of 302 players were selected from 90 teams across Ontario and parts of the United States. 

From the Ontario East Minor Hockey League, 27 players were selected from six teams including 10 from the OEMHL Champion Ottawa Valley Titans and nine from the league finalists Ottawa Jr. 67s.

Locally, right winger, Konnor MacCormick of Ingleside was selected in Round 14 by Barrie.

[…]

 

Word has come down from the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League that the Morrisburg Junior (B) Lions are not being included in the re-configuration that will see the current 22 team league chopped to 16 teams.

So ends, close to 50 years of Junior B Lions history in Morrisburg, that began with the purchase of the franchise by John Rice, who, with Hosea Droppo and Blake Cruickshank, revamped junior hockey in the village.

The announcement that the Lions have been cut from the proposed EOJHL league was made by Lions president/general manager Kevin Casselman, Monday night, April 13.

“We must say that following 10 months of rumours, we were not really surprised with the decision,” said Casselman on behalf of owners, Rick Gilmer, Dale Lewis and  Gary Brownlee.  “Although difficult to accept at first, the decision might very well be for the best!”

“The landscape of junior hockey is changing, and within their vision [EOJHL] for the new league, comes a rapid incline in operational expenses,” says Casselman. “With the continuing decline in the number of players choosing to play, it will only compound into an expensive business venture to operate a junior hockey team within the reconfiguration of the league.”    

“We wish to make everyone aware, and we are pleased to inform our loyal supporters, players, and parents, that we have applied for membership to the executive committee of the National Capital Junior Hockey League (NCJHL). Our objective is to continue providing junior hockey here in Morrisburg, and by all accounts, we are hoping that everything will be approved in the near future.”

The Lions organization is encouraging everyone to “remove the negative perceptions, and stereotypes that we are being demoted. As mentioned, the landscape of junior hockey is changing.”

Casselman points out that the  NCJHL is a very good and solid league, and is only going to continue to improve.

“Reflecting back on the decades and heritage of the Morrisburg Lions organization, it took courage, faith, endurance, determination, and pride to surmount all obstacles that built this organization, and with those same characters we will once again be successful.”

Casselman says he is confident the Lions’ fan base will be energized with new teams coming in. Players will see a reduction in travel, and most importantly, “we should be in a good position to offer local kids more opportunities to play junior hockey in their home town.” 

The move for us to NCJHL will maintain our organization’s strategic plan for our Vision .. Goals .. Objectives.  

“We are proud of our community, proud of our organization past and present, and are looking positively towards a continuation of providing junior hockey in our community.”

Should the Lions be accepted, the teams listed with the NCJHL last season were the Cumberland Bandits, Embrun Panthers, Olympiques Jr. de Gatineau, Predateurs de La Peche, North Dundas Rockets, Papineauville Vikings, Rockland Nationals, St. Isidore Eagles and VanKleek Hill Cougars.

[…]

 

The stands were empty for the annual general meeting of the South Dundas Minor Hockey Association held at the Morrisburg Golf Club, last Tuesday, April 07.

“The attendance tonight is not very good, and I’m happy to say it is likely because we have no issues,” said minor hockey president David Lapier.

With just a couple of interested parents joining the eight executive members on hand, the various reports were wrapped up quickly, and the South Dundas Minor Hockey Association executive for the upcoming 2015/16 season was elected.

David Lapier was returned as president and Jeff VanMoorsel remains past president. Mike Domanko remained first vice-president and will also handle the duties of the Head Coach position.

Jamie Smith was returned as second vice, Johanna Kronstal as secretary, Mike Barclay as treasurer and John Connors as equipment manager.

Also returned were Matt McCooeye as Electronics Communication Coordinator, Lisa Swerdtfeger as Referee-in-Chief and Jason Broad as Ice Scheduler.

Cassandra Barry was returned as Rules and Discipline Coordinator and will also fill the Registrar position which she held for many years. Barry is replacing Jennifer Veldhoven-Lyle who is leaving the area.

The new face to the board is that of Kristy Connors who is taking over the position of fundraising coordinator from Joanne Backes, who, after several seasons, is retiring.

“Overall, we had an excellent year,” said Lapier. “We had three league champs, three playoff champs, and the peewee Bs won the whole league. We also had three sportsmanship awards which I am very proud of.”

Inhouse Skating and Coaching Clinics and Goalie in the Net Vouchers were both new this year and both were well-received.

Lapier thanked the executive for their hard work and commitment throughout the season. “If you have good people then all runs well.”

“Jason [Broad] did an excellent job handling the ice scheduling again this year. He has it right down to the minute and everyone is getting equal ice time. We had no issues with our referees, and the IP program is in very good hands. The guys are doing a great job with it. They are very detailed, and it is very well done. We also had minimal parent problems this year.”

New for the association was the purchase of a goaltender net target for practise. This was augmented by the loan of Lapier’s privately owned net. “They were very well received because a lot of our teams only have one goalie, and it’s better to have something there in the net at the practises.”

Also new and successful was a player exchange with the North Dundas Minor Hockey Association. This exchange, which saw two players come to South Dundas and four players go to North Dundas, enabled the Morrisburg Association to ice a Bantam Rep team and North Dundas to ice a Minor Midget team.

“It worked very well,” said Lapier. “We’ll both always maintain our house levels, but our associations don’t have the numbers to make us strong enough to ice rep teams. It was excellent, and hopefully we will be able to build on it, in the future.”

Referee in chief, Lisa Swerdtfeger reported, “a good year. I think it went well. I’ll be contacting everyone to see who will be coming back and will probably look at getting at least three more.”

“I think we have the most consistent quality referees of anywhere,” said Lapier. “I think the South Dundas referees are the best in the area.”

“It is great that we have a level five referee who is willing to be a linesman for a Novice C game,” noted Mike Domanko.

Treasurer Mike Barclay reported the association was down about $6,000 in revenue, mainly because there were fewer players. With all ice and referee bills paid, and only a few banners yet to be purchased, Barclay stated it is likely the association will end the year with a surplus of $3-4,000.

There were 191 minor hockey players this year, down three kids from the year before. 

Because of the small surplus and the association’s diligence in keep a good financial safety net, Barclay said it would not be necessary to increase fees for the 2015-16 hockey season.

The Association’s main revenue is from registrations which this year totalled $75, 334. The annual fundraising lottery draw brought in $38,200 and Lions Day raised $1,209. Donations to the minor hockey organization totaled $2,650.

Major expenses were: ice rental at $74,661; Referee pay of $16,092; Insurance for team officials and players $8,914; $8,018 for Lottery prizes and licencing; League Fees $2,090.

[…]

 

The South Dundas Peewee B House Lions came up with a big 6-3 victory on home ice last Thursday, March 26 to stay alive in their five point UCMHL Championship series against the Brockville Braves and force a fifth game.

Monday night, the fifth game was played in Brockville, and the Lions completed a wildly exciting series and season with a 3-1 win to claim the UCMHL playoff championship.

“We just kept moving our feet,” said coach Jason Broad following Monday night’s championship win. “We won the battles and forced the issue and the net. It was a team effort for sure. Our defence played well, and our goalies even better.”

“We did run into trouble with too many penalties, but Brendan Shaver who started in net played great and made many tough saves. Then Michaela [Mustard] came in and faced a lot of shots as well. It was the best game Brockville played in the series.”

The five-point championship series opened on Thursday, March 12, in Morrisburg, with a 1-0 Braves win.

It resumed in Brockville following March Break, with a 4-1 Lions win on Monday, March 23, and a 3-2 Brockville win on Tuesday, March 24.

That put the Lions in the situation that they had to win the Thursday, March 26 game on home ice to stay alive and force the fifth game.

They played tough in Morrisburg. They went up 2-0 in the first period before the Braves got one back with 22 seconds left in the first period.

Just over three minutes into the second, the Lions stretched it to 3-1, but less than one minute later the Braves countered to keep it closes at 3-2.

It was in the final five minutes of the second period that the Lions were able to take charge of the game with three unanswered goals to move ahead 6-2.

The Braves got one back midway into the third period, but the Lions held on for the 6-3 win, and one more road trip to Brockville.

Monday night in Brockville, the Lions went up 2-0 in the first period.

Keiren Geurkink kicked it off with a short-handed goal when Brody Fairbairn iced it and he beat the Brockville defence to the puck.

The went up 2-0, still in the first period, when Jaeden Phifer-Shaver buried the puck off a Ben Lapier pass.

The Lions goal number three was scored in the second period during a scramble in front of the Brockville net. Jack Connors and Jaeden Phifer-Shaver took their turns jamming at the puck which came loose to Ben Lapier who put it home for the 3-0 lead.

The Braves got their lone goal on their power play early in the third period when a point shot was deflected past Mustard and that is the way it stayed.

The Lions hung on to come from behind a four point to two deficit with consecutive wins to claim the series and championship series, six points to four.

[…]

 

After a big night on the ice at the Morrisburg Arena, where they dazzled hundreds of figure skate fans and family members at their annual skate show, the Canskate skaters of the Morrisburg and District Skating Club put the final spin on their season, Sunday afternoon, March 29.

The young skaters hung up their skates for the season to attend a gala ice cream party at the Operating Engineers facility east of Morrisburg where each of them were recognized for their accomplishments and treated to some heaping helpings of ice cream and all sorts of trimmings.

After each of the skaters was presented the ribbons and badges they had earned this year, three CanSkate individuals were recognized with Skate Canada Awards.

Each year, Skate Canada CanSkate Champion awards are presented to deserving skaters within the club who demonstrate the qualities that embody the “Spirt of a Champion”–determination, discipline, perseverance and a positive attitude.

This year’s awards were presented to Grace Smail and Kerri Kelly.

Also each year a skateris recognized as “CanSkater of the year” and this year the honour was awarded to Allison Eamon.

The Skate Canada CanSkater of the Year Award recognizes a skater who demonstrates talent and passion for the sport of figure skating.

This year Allison, who is completing her second year of skating, worked hard to pass Stage One and Stage Two badges.

In being selected as this year’s winner, the Club noted that “Allison is a good representative for the CanSkate Athlete Award because of her eagerness to learn and to improve her skills. She participates actively at each CanSkate station and always has a positive attitude, even when something is challenging. She’s always one of the first skaters on the ice with her bubbly personality and a great big smile.”

As Allison’s coach, Ali Van Hoof said, “It is a pleasure to coach her. She is a very determined young skater  who truly enjoys the sport of skating. She always listens to my instructions and focuses on improving her skills. It’s clearly evident that Allison will be skating for many years to come.”

[…]

 

The South Dundas Peewee B Lions were on a mission when they headed to Brockville, Monday night, March 23 for game two of their five point Upper Canada Minor Hockey League championship series against the Braves.

The series, which opened in Morrisburg on Wednesday, March 11, with a 1-0 Braves win, was on hold over March break and resumed Monday night, with the charged up Lions skating to an impressive 4-1 win.

With the two teams now tied at two points apiece in the five point series, game three was played last night, March 24 in Brockville, and game four is scheduled for Morrisburg, tonight, Wednesday, March 25, starting at 7 p.m.

Monday night in Brockville, the Lions took a 2-0 lead late in the first period on goals from Jaeden Phifer-Shaver (from Ben Lapier) and Kieran Geurkink (from Joshua Broad).

Reid Cassidy scored the lone Braves goal against Lions goaltender, Michaela Mustard, with 1:44 left in the first period.

Midway into the second period, Nolan Henry beat Braves goalie Cole Trickey with help from Ben Lapier, to put the Lions in the driver’s seat with a 3-1 lead.

With 4:01 left on the clock in the second period, Jaeden Phifer-Shaver counted his second goal to put the Lions up 4-1.

Lapier collected his third assist and Nolan Henry added his help.

The Lions goaltending duties were shared by Mustard who started and Brendan Shaver who came in, in the second period.

The goaltenders took over in the third period to keep it scoreless, and the Lions held on for the 4-1 win to tie the series at two points. 

[…]

 

Despite a two win-one loss record, the Morrisburg Combines were unable to defend their 2013 Ontario Championship title at the Ontario Senior Winter games held in Haliburton, Ontario, from February 17-19. 

“The team came in as the defending champion, having won the gold medal in the previous games in 2013. While not making it to the medal round, they put in a good performance and proved again, that they stack up well with the best hockey players of their vintage (65-plus years), from across the province,” says team member Jake Cole. 

The Combines won two games out of three in their pool, and failed to make it to the medal round by the slimmest of margins. 

They kicked it off with a 2-0 win against Brampton and then lost to York, 4-1.

They followed the loss to York with a 5-2 win against Ottawa. 

The standings were based on points and when it was tallied Morrisburg, Brampton and York  were tied with 27 points. Ten points were earned for a win, five for a tie, two points awarded for each period win (two-period games) and one point for a tie.

“We came very close to getting into the medal round,” says Combines goaltender Les McAllister. “But they went to a series of tie breakers, and we didn’t make it. It was a tough way to lose out. All we needed was one more goal.”

Fern Gauvreau led the team in scoring with five goals, and Guy D’Aloisio added two. 

As always, the team leader and goalie, 79-year-old Les McAllister kept the team in every game making countless big saves. 

The Combines were dealt some bad luck when player/coach Doug Casselman popped a muscle in his bicep early in the second game, and then was limited to the coaching duties for the remainder of that game, plus the final game. 

Sorely missed from this year’s lineup was Jack Haines. Always one of the top scorers in the games, Jack could not accompany the team for the first time this year because of health issues.

“This is my second time playing with the Morrisburg Combines, and I can say with enthusiasm that it is a very positive experience,” says Cole. 

The Ontario Senior Games provide an opportunity for athletes at all levels and in various sports, to compete in a very well organized series of games in an Olympics-style format. 

“The Ontario and Canadian games are the main reason I continue to play,” says 79-year-old McAllister. “They treat the participants so well. The lodging is good, and the food is good.”

“I very much enjoy the fellowship and the humour in our dressing room. We only get together for these games, and usually play a couple of exhibition games to get ready. It’s always a fun time.”

District 8 was represented by the Combines in the 65 plus years category and by Cornwall in the 55 plus grouping. The Cornwall team also failed to advance after finishing tied in their pool.

[…]

 

The Morrisburg Curling Club’s athletes are ending the season in a flurry of bonspiels. 

Our women have been especially active, although in some cases they took men along with them. On Wednesday, Alice Thompson, Penny Davidson, Linda Murphy and Nelda Hickman travelled to Alexandria where they defeated a foursome from Ormestown in the morning. After a fine lunch, they went out and did the same to a Cornwall quartet. With the scores computed, our ladies were declared the overall champions, and got their names in Alexandria’s local paper.

Thursday saw three of our teams in Winchester’s Grandmothers’ Bonspiel. Alice Thompson, Betty Locke, Sharon Van Allen and Janie Connelly played matches against Russell and Navy, while Ruth Kelly, Joan McKinnon, Penny Charlebois and Nelda Hickman played Navy in the morning, and after lunch did battle with an R. A. team. 

Susan McIntosh, Kathy Norg, Joanne Baker and Claire Locke defeated a Carleton Heights foursome in the morning, and gave the same treatment to an R.A. team from Ottawa in the afternoon. After the evening banquet, the overall winners for the 12-team competition were declared, and Susan’s team took home the championship prizes.

Then on Friday our local ladies took some men along with them to Kemptville’s 2-2-2 Bonspiel. Keith Robinson, Kathy Hardy, Rick MacKenzie and Marie Fawcett dropped their morning match to the eventual champions of the competition, led by Lynne Stacey from Navan. Our other team, Dave King, Ruth Kelly, Bert Smail and Joan McKinnon lost their morning match 7-5 to a foursome from Huntley and came back in the p.m. to defeat Metcalfe 12-2, finishing third overall.

Our Thursday morning mixed curlers have their season wind-up and banquet this week and our senior men have one last Friendly bonspiel in Winchester. We’ll have those results next time.

On Monday, March 23, Lynn Kreviazuk, long-time lead for Rachel Homan, and multi-bonspiel and competitive champion, visited our local elementary schools in the daytime to work with Grades 4, 5 and 6 with the “Rocks and Rings” program. Our curling club made the arrangements for the visit to help ensure the success of our sport in South Dundas. 

The Little Rocks program has been growing in recent years, and we hope to see it expand to form bantam and junior leagues. 

Lynn is a former Ontario Bantam Champion, Ontario Winter Games Gold Medalist, Provincial and Canadian Champion and World Junior Champion, to name but a few. She also dropped by the club to speak on the CCA’s “Getting Started for Adults” program, aimed at potential members of curling clubs, and speak on curling aids for adults. Monday’s events were a wonderful opportunity in our schools and at our club. 

Finally, the closing bonspiel will be Saturday, March 28, and that evening will end with a roast beef banquet. For the entertainment of those present, the club championship, the Thursday night final, will be on, and two teams from the ladies and from the senior men will also compete. 

See you there.

[…]

 

–With the help of nationally and internationally acclaimed curler Lynn Kreviazuk, the Morrisburg Curling Club delivered its game to potential young curlers at Morrisburg Public and St. Mary-St. Cecilia schools on Monday. And it was a lot of fun.

Kreviazuk, 23, along with her older sister Allison and younger sister Cheryl, began curling in Ottawa in the Little Rocks program. From that start, she became a member of teams skipped by Rachel Homan, Clancy Grady and Allison Flaxey and has, under her broom, a Canada Winter Games championship, and various national championships at the Junior and Bantam curling levels.

Most recently, in February of this year, she was a member of Team Canada skipped by Breanne Menkin, who won the Universiade Silver Medal in Spain.

Monday, Kreviazuk delivered The Curling Canada Rocks and Rings program to three grades at each of Morrisburg P.S and SMSC. The program introduces curling to elementary school children by taking the curling rink to the gym in the form of FloorCurl kits which include rocks (on wheels) and target mats.

Kreviazuk, who graduated from Carleton University in December with a political science degree, has been delivering the program  “as part time work throughout university.”

Having started curling at the age of six years, she recommends that children start curling at a young age in the Little Rocks program.

The Rocks and Rings program, “helps to familiarize kids with the sport,” she explains. “A lot of kids might not have any other opportunity to try it. Curling is a great sport and anybody can play…tall, short, male, female. The cost is fairly inexpensive when compared to other sports, and there is very little equipment required.  Everyone and anyone can play.”

Kreviazuk was accompanied to the schools on Monday, by Morrisburg Curling Club president Ruth Kelly and club member Jack Barkley.

The Morrisburg Curling Club has been proactive in recruiting members this season, and Kelly looks forward to growing the membership in the younger age category next year.

“This year we had just Little Rocks, and next year we will have Bantam Curling,” says Kelly who is a Level Three Curling Coach and has coached at International curling levels. “Ian and Kathy Wilson have been running our Little Rocks program, and they have been very successful with it. The kids have stayed with it, and some will be graduating to bantam next year.”

Kelly too promotes the game as “an excellent sport for children. It’s full of etiquette and teaches social skills. It’s played in a safe environment and provides an overall good learning experience. Even at the young level, the curlers sit down with their opponents after a game.”

Following the presentations at the schools, Kreviazuk dropped by the Morrisburg Curling Club to meet and discuss coaching strategies with a number of club members who have volunteered to assist in the Curling Canada Getting Started for Adults program which the club will launch on Monday nights next season.

This has been prompted by Kelly who ran a casual Monday evening program for non-curlers, this past year. 

“It was a casual drop in and the same group came back each week,” says Kelly. “We learned something new each week. We did one half hour of instruction and then went right into a game. Our first game took two hours to play two ends, but we continued on and it got better. Then at Christmas they all joined leagues in the club. We got 20 new members out of it.”

Kreviazuk met with would-be volunteer instructors for next season’s Getting Started for Adults program. She discussed the program and offered up various tips for coaching with emphasis and tips on how to help new curlers with balance, setup and throwing momentum. 

Kelly stresses that curling clubs today, to be successful, must be proactive in attracting people to curling, and Monday’s presentations by the very talented Kreviazuk were a sweep in the right direction.

[…]

 

The South Dundas Bantam B Rep Lions charged back from an opening game 5-1 loss, with a 4-0 win here Monday night to even the UCMHL championship series against the South Grenville Rangers at two points apiece.

The championship series is a five point affair. Game three goes to Prescott tonight, Wednesday, March 25 (6 p.m.) and the series returns to Morrisburg, Thursday night, March 26 at 8 p.m.

The Lions had a tough start in Prescott, Sunday. They held the Rangers to a 1-1 first period tie, but that was it. The Rangers struck for three unanswered goals in the second period to carry a formidable 4-1 advantage into the third period, as they headed for the opening game 5-1 victory. 

Austin Selleck, Simon Watt, Jack Doris, Riley Hildebrandt and Tanner Thomson provided the Ranger goals.

Justin Shay collected the lone Lions goal assisted by affiliate Caleb Jaquemet and Grants Wells.

In front of a big crowd Monday night in Morrisburg, the Lions went to work on the 4-0 victory, with Sam Waytowich having a big game in net.

After a scoreless first period, Lucas Bennis stepped up in the second for a pair of counters for a 2-0, Lions lead. On the first goal, Grant Wells started a great passing play from behind the Rangers net to Kasper Furo who made a quick pass to Bennis out front.

Bennis scored the Lions second goal, unassisted, after fighting for possession of a rebound behind the Rangers net.

The Rangers turned it up to apply the pressure late in the second period, but big saves from Waytowich allowed the Lions to hold on to the comfortable two goal lead.

Lucas Bennis got the Lions third goal started midway into the third period with a pass to Oakley Beavers.  Beavers slid the puck to Dean Lapier whose blast from the top of the face off circle beat Rangers goaltender Tyler Watkins cleanly for a 3-0 Lions lead.

The fourth and final Lions goal was scored by Jonah Bennis, from Connor Dumoulin and Justin Shay, with 6:38 left in the game.

While that was the end of the scoring, it wasn’t the end of the excitement, as the Lions drew a minor penalty with more than four minutes left in the game.

That resulted in the South Grenville coach pulling Watkins for a two man advantage. The move was not successful but it did make Waytowich work a little harder for his shutout.

[…]