Sports

 

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. 

[…]

 

Thanks to a solid performance from goaltender Les McAllister throughout the tournament and a two goal effort from Fern Gauvreau in the final, the Morrisburg Senior Combines skated away from the Ontario 55 plus Senior Winter Games with gold medals.

The games were held in Huntsville, Ontario February 26-28, and the Morrisburg-based Combines laced up as representatives of the local District 8 which includes Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott, Russell and Akwesasne.

They were one of 12 teams that played in the 65 year plus division and one of two teams representing District 8 in hockey.

The other was the Cornwall Seaway Blades who captured Bronze Medals in the 55 plus division.

The Combines opened with a 6-0 win over Windsor/Essex and then tied York 3-3 to qualify for the quarter finals. Providing the opposition in the quarter final was Grey Bruce, who fell to the Combines 4-0, a second shut out for McAllister in three games.

Next up was Muskoka/Nipissing in semi-final action. In this game, the Combines jumped into an early 4-0 lead, and never looked back as they cruised to an 8-0 win.

The Combines now found themselves in the gold medal game, with London providing the opposition. This time out it was a much closer encounter, but thanks to the two goal effort from Gauvreau, the Combines edged out their opponents, 2-1.

The win qualifies the Combines to compete in the upcoming Canadian Games in Edmonton.

The Cornwall Seaway Blades lost their opener 3-2 to London. They followed that with a 3-0 win over Haliburton to advance to quarter finals play where they defeated Huntsville 6-1.

A loss to Brampton in the quarter finals put them into the bronze medal game against York. A 2-0 win, with goaltender Dave Alguire in net, earned them the bronze medals. 

[…]

 

 It was a tough series from start to finish as the South Dundas Bantam C House Lions used a pair of ties and one win to scrape out a victory over the South Stormont Selects in Upper Canada Minor Hockey league East Division play last week.

The four point series got rolling on Saturday, March 2, in Long Sault, where a late third period goal from Lion Ewen Baril tied the game 3-3 and sent each of the teams home with a single point.

Tyler Nelson gave the Lions a 1-0 first period lead, but the Selects charged back in the second to go up 2-1 on a pair of Griffin Martel counters, both assisted by Nolan Thompson. 

With 4:12 left in the frame, Lion Tyler Rae found the mark to again balance the playing field.

The Martel-Nolan Thompson combination wouldn’t give up and midway into the third period, Martel completed his hat trick with Thompson adding his third consecutive assist.

The Selects lead held until Baril’s unassisted marker late in the frame.

Baril had a big game, assisting on the two earlier counters before hitting for the tying goal.

Peewee B affiliate goaltender, Wes Alexander was between the Lions pipes.

The Lions were back home for game two, and this time they took charge with a big three-goal first period in the 3-1 win.

Early into the first period, Tyler Nelson got it rolling with help from Matt Backes and Jane Van Moorsel.

Kody Arsenault, from Jonathan Mayhew, put the Lions up 2-0 less than a minute later and that was it until late in the frame when Teisha Mullin struck, unassisted, for a commanding 3-0 Lions lead.

It was late in the third period that goaltender Sam Waytowich had his shut out spoiled by the Selects Martel.

With the win, the Lions went into game three needing at least a tie to end the series and a tie was all they got.

The game kept the fans for both teams on the edge of their seats as a scoreless first period was followed by a scoreless second period.

Then began what would be a seesaw battle until Tyler Nelson’s unassisted tying goal in the last minute of the game.

The Lions struck first with Tyler Rae and Ewen Baril providing the setup on a Nick Woolley goal.

The Lions’ advantage held for several minutes until, with the clock showing 5:25 left in the game, Nolan Thompson beat Waytowich unassisted to even it.

Just over two minutes later Rae gave the Lions a 2-1 lead, this time with help from Mitchell Woodward and Woolley, but again the charged up Selects pushed ahead for the win to stay alive in the series.

This time it was Alex Winters getting the goal with 1:59 left on the clock.

That set the stage for Nelson’s tying marker, assisted by Baril, with 42 seconds left in the game.

The South Dundas Bantam C Lions now advance to play NGS in the East Division final series. The series will open in Maxville on March 17 at 12:30 p.m. and return to Morrisburg for game two, on Tuesday, March 19 at 8 p.m.

The West Division final will see Smiths Falls and Kemptville square off.

The winners of the two divisions will advance for the UCMHL championship series.

[…]

 

The South Dundas Peewee B1 Lions were quick out of the starting gate on Friday, March 1, when they claimed a decisive 5-1 victory over the visiting NGS Braves in game one of their UCMHL East Division playoff series. 

The Braves put up more of a fuss in game two, holding the Lions from the scoreboard until the second period, but it wasn’t enough, as the Lions skated to a 2-1 victory to wrap up the series four points to zero.

In game one, the Lions went up 2-0 in the first period. Jonah Bennis got it rolling with an unassisted goal just over six minutes in and two minutes later, Lucas Bennis put the Lions up 2-0 with help from Devin Dumoulin and Aden Casselman.

The Braves Connor MacMillan put one goal by Lions goaltender Wes Alexander in the second period, but that was it.

Before the buzzer sounded to end the second Jonah Bennis (from Brady Smith) made it 3-1 for the Lions.

Two unanswered third period goals gave the Lions the 5-1 win.

Jonah Bennis completed a three goal performance (assisted by Dumoulin and Noah Keeler) and Lucas Bennis applied the finishing touch 20 seconds later with help from Keeler for the 5-1 win.

Game two was a much tighter match. After a scoreless first period, Jonah Bennis got it rolling with help from brother Lucas early in the second.

Devin Dumoulin counted what would be the winner at 5:20 of the second with Smith and Connor Dumoulin providing the assists.

The Braves put their lone goal past Wes Alexander in the third period to get to within striking distance but that was it.

The Lions held on for the 2-1 win to take the series in two games straight.

The Lions will now meet Brockville in the East Division final.

Game one is set for March 17 in Morrisburg at 4:30 p.m. and game two will be played March 18, in Brockville at 8:30 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will be in Morrisburg, March 20, at 7 p.m.

[…]

 

Our senior men are still curling up a storm, and have begun their fifth and final draw of the season. 

In the last one, Sid Morrell, Glenn Cougler, Keith Robinson and Earl Jeacle finished in first place, with Pete Zeran’s team right behind, and a number of other teams within a point or two. Actually Sid’s and Pete’s teams had the same number of wins, and the tie had to be broken by a check of game scores in the draw.

Still with our seniors, Cornwall’s annual McLennan Cup was run last Friday. This is always held in Cornwall, and is a two-team bonspiel. 

Our entries were Sid Morrell, Neil Williams, George Rutley and Rick MacKenzie, and Pete Zeran, Sam Locke, Earl Jeacle and Keith Robinson. It was a very tight competition among the four clubs involved, with our fellows each winning their first games and losing their afternoon matches. 

The total scores for each club are tallied to determine a winner, and our boys finished second by one point to Cornwall and tied with Prescott. Lancaster was the fourth club involved.

In senior friendly matches, our fellows are hosting their last group of curlers, from Winchester, this week. Pete Zeran’s, George Rutley’s and Don O’Brien’s foursomes are defending our honour in this one. We’ll have the results next time.

Four of our senior curlers competed in one of the last 222 bonspiels of the season. This one was in Navan, and Keith Robinson, Alice Thompson, Fred “Boomer” Langlotz and Sandra Beckstead represented us well. They defeated their morning competitors, a Navan foursome. Their high score tied them for first place at that time, and pitted them against a top team from North Grenville. When the dust settled, North Grenville won the afternoon match, and their curlers were the overall champions in the bonspiel. Well done anyway, folks.

There’s one more 222 bonspiel our curlers have entered, in Kemptville, and we’ll have three teams in the single draw competition. Results to follow.

It’s a bit early for league winners, but the score sheets on the wall show the Locke and McIntosh teams in the Thursday morning league are running one-two. The end is near, folks. Carry on.

     It’s been a rough time for many of our senior curlers, some with fairly serious medical problems. A few have had to retire from the game, and we wish them well. Hopefully they’ll drop in from time to time to share a coffee with us after the games. 

Special thoughts are with Raymond Benoit, who is due home this week, and is recovering nicely from his surgery. In another month we’ll all have the summer to recuperate, and hopefully we’ll see everyone back in the fall.

We note that Sue McIntosh’s last two-person bonspiel of the year is filled. For anyone who missed getting a team entered, it might be a good idea to put your name down as spares. Often someone has to drop out, and having a team to call on in an emergency allows for a balanced number of entries. It should be a good bonspiel on St. Patrick’s Day.

The men’s City of Ottawa Bonspiel, the largest in the world, begins this Thursday, and the schedule is available on the internet. Robert Houze from our club is competing, and we wish him well. Those interested in curling have enjoyed the national men’s and women’s Canadian championships, await their progress in world competition.

Good Curling to all.

[…]

 

Some 36 skaters wearing the Morrisburg and District Figure Skating Club colours on Saturday, February 23, put it together with some big skates to bring home the District 4 Interclub trophy with a team total of 176 points. It was a clear-cut victory for the Morrisburg skaters over second place Athens skaters who posted 72 points.

Along the road to the win, the Morrisburg skaters, as a group, collected 20 gold medals and two gold certificates, 11 silver medals and nine silver certificates, eight bronze medals and one bronze certificate. Points were also added to the team total with six fourth place finishes.

Twelve young skaters represented the club at the Canskate level  with each competing in Elements at their respective stages.

Leading their charge were Sarah Stewart and Abigail Smail who both skated to a Gold level certificate in stage 3 Elements.

Silver Certificates: Stage 2-Emma Morrow; Stage 3-Lilly Napier, Olivia Chafe, Miriam Biemond; Stage 4-Marin Morrow, Shianne Johnson; Stage 5-Jesssica Groves, Hannah Biemond, Hannah Warren.

Bronze Certificates: Stage 3-Madison Johnson.

Gold Medals

Team Elements: Introductory-Abby Smith, Xandra Furo and Mikaela Furo; Pre-Preliminary Elements–(Flight 3)-Erika Jordan, Cameryn Broad and Ashley Bouwman–(Flight 1) Reagan Belanger, Katie Buter and Olivia Hart.

Pairs (routine): Pre-Preliminary–Erika Jordan & Reagan Belanger; Preliminary (Flight 1)–Kendra Buter & Cameryn Broad, (Flight 2)–Taylor Pilon & Kaitlyn Stewart; Sr. Bronze–Abby MacMillan & Alexis Engwerda.

Team Spins: Pre-Preliminary–Olivia Hart, Reagan Belanger & Katie Buter; Preliminary (Fl 1) Abigail Jordan, Taylor Pilon & Kaitlyn Stewart, (Fl 2) Trina Dykstra-MacPherson & Kendra Buter; Junior Bronze–Abby MacMillan & Alexis Engwerda.

Shadow Skills: Preliminary-Erika Jordan & Reagan Belanger; Jr. Bronze-Abigail Jordan & Kristyn Van Hoof; Sr. Bronze-Kaitlyn Stewart & Alexis Engwerda.

Shadow Dance: Jr. Bronze-Kaitlyn Stewart & Alexis Engwerda; Preliminary-Erika Jordan & Reagan Belanger.

Gold Medals in Solo Spirals: Pre-preliminary-Erika Jordan; Jr. Bronze-Kristyn Van Hoof; Open-Ali Van Hoof; Pre-Prelimminary-Olivia Hart.

Silver Medals

Team Elements: Preliminary-Kendra Buter & Trina Dykstra-MacPherson.

Pairs: Intro-Xandra & Mikaela Furo; Pre-preliminary-Olivia Hart &Katie Buter; Sr. Bronze-Kristyn Van Hoof & Abigail Jordan.

Team Spins: Pre-preliminary-Cameryn Broad, Erika Jordan &Ashley Bouwman.

Shadow Dance: Junior Bronze-Abby MacMillan & Taylor Pilon (Fl 2); Kendra Buter & Mackenna Kyle (Fl 1).

Solo Spiral: Mackenna Kyle-Jr. Bronze.

Team Spiral: Intermediate. Tied for first place, two teams. Abby MacMillan, Alexis Engwerda, Taylor Pilon & Kaitlyn Stewart; Kristyn Van Hoof, Mackenna Kyle, Kendra Buter & Trina Dykstra-MacPherson.

Silver Medals

Relay: Junior Relay Team-Erika Jordan, Reagan Belanger, Katie Buter, Olivia Hart & Cameryn Broad.

Bronze Medals

Solo Elements: Madison Hart-Stage 6.

Team Elements: Preliminary-Kaitlyn Stewart, Taylor Pilon, Abigail Jordan; Junior Bronze-Abby MacMillan & Alexis Engwerda (Fl-2), Kristyn Van Hoof & Mackenna Kyle (Fl-3); Open-Gillian Beatson, Ali Van Hoof, Alyssa MacMillan.

Pairs: Intro-Abby Smith & Madison Hart

Solo Spiral: Open-Gillian Beatson

Shadow Dance: Jr. Bronze-Kristyn Van Hoof & Abigail Jordan.

Fourth Place Ribbon

Team Elements: Open-Gillian Beatson, Ali Van Hoof, Alyssa MacMillan.

Pairs: Pre-preliminary-Alice Cameron & Katie McCaffrey.

Team Spins: Jr. Bronze-Kristyn Van Hoof & Mackenna Kyle.

Pre-preliminary Solo Spins: Reagan Belanger (Fl-3), Mikaela Furo (Fl-6), Abby Smith(Fl-5).

[…]

 

They were awesome says Morrisburg Curling Club Little Rocks coach Ian Wilson of his young players who competed recently in the annual Big Four curling competition in Russell and the Ran Wiley Memorial Bonspiel in Winchester. 

The Morrisburg Little Rocks program was represented by two teams in Russell, with one team going all the way to the A final. The second team lost in an extra end in their second game, which had they won, would have put them in the A final as well. 

With just one 11 year old and one 12 year old on the two teams, Wilson, who with his wife Kathyrun the Morrisburg program, says his players did very well in Russell. 

“If these guys stick with it for another couple of years, you can’t help but think how much better they are going to be. In two years, they are going to be fantastic.” 

Wearing the Morrisburg colours and going all the way to the A final where they lost to an older Metcalfe team were Aiden White, Abby Trizisky, Tommy Derikx and Kyra Lewis.

The second Morrisburg team consisted of Ewan Wilson, Martina Lewis, Nolan Belanger and James Szuky.

At the very popular 12-team Ran Wiley Memorial in Winchester, the Morrisburg teams collected third and eighth place finishes.

Teamed for this bonspiel and the third place finish were Wilson, Emily MacPherson, Johnathon Charette and James Szuky.

Playing to eighth were Aiden White, Martina Lewis, Christian Keeler and Kyra Lewis.

The Morrisburg Little Rocks program has one team competing at the upcoming Zone 1 Playdowns. That team includes White, Wilson, Belanger and Lewis.

The Little Rocks Curling at the Morrisburg club will wrap up on Monday, March 18th.

[…]

 

Thanks to a pair of third period goals, the South Dundas Atom C Lions wrapped up their four point Upper Canada Minor Hockey league series against the North Dundas Demons with a 2-1 victory here, Sunday afternoon (March 3).

After a scoreless first period, the Demons collected an unassisted goal from Brandon Toll late in the second period, and that goal did the talking until well into the third.

With just over seven minutes left in the game, the Lions T.J. Barnhardt finally put one past Demons goaltender Adrianna VanBreugel to even the game at a goal apiece. Providing the setup were Derrick Jansen and Mackenzie McKee-Markell.

Four minutes later Maclean Machan, with help from McKee-Markell, put the Lions ahead for the first time in the game.

With Olivia Salmon unbeatable in the remainder of the game, the Lions held on to claim the third game win, 2-1, and the series, four points to two.

The four point series between opened on Morrisburg ice, last Thursday, February 28.

The Lions came out strong in the opener to claim the first two points with a 4-1 victory.

They headed to Winchester, Friday night, March 1 with the hopes of putting it away, but the Demons fought back to stay alive with a 4-2 victory.

In the series opener, the Lions went up 2-0 in the first period. 

With 2:58 left on the clock Kolby Latulippe counted the first goal with Scott Brooks assisting.

Then, just 13 seconds later, Latulippe set up Trent Rae, and the Lions very quickly found themselves in command of the game.

Another two goals in the second period from Barnhardt and Devon Swindells (unassisted), gave them a 4-0 advantage.

McKee-Markell provided the assist on the Barnhardt goal.

The Demons got one back late in the third period from Justin Dagenais.

In game number two in Winchester, the Demons struck back with a 4-2 win.

The Lions were first on the scoreboard with a first period goal from Callahan Stave assisted by Swindells, but they couldn’t hold on.

Before the first period ended the Hawks evened it with a Brandon Toll counter.

Early in the second period, the Lions again took the lead, this time on a Derrick Jansen goal assisted by Scott Brooks.

But again they couldn’t hold on, and Toll with his second, made it a 2-2 tie.

With just 39 seconds left in the period Justin Dagenais struck for the Hawks to send them into the final frame with a 3-2 lead.

The Demons held on to their advantage until late in the frame when Dagenais put them up 4-2, and that was how it ended.

The Lions now advance to playoff round three against South Grenville. Game dates have not yet been announced.

[…]

 

The Seaway District High School senior girls volleyball team is having a big season. On Friday, February 14 at a tournament played at L’Heritage, the Spartans won the “A” Senior Girls Volleyball SD&G Championships and with it the right to compete at the OFSAA qualifier tournament at Plantagenet Catholic High School on Friday, February 22. With their second place finish at the qualifier, the girls are competing at OFSSA this week in Peterborough. Pictured above are team members, l-r, Terran Hall, Sarah Dickey and Vicki Van Hoof. Back, l-r, are Lilace McIntyre, Jessica Hartle, Kaitlyn Geurkink, Casey McNairn, Shannon Van Moorsel, Sophia Currier, Danielle Quenneville, Maggie Perry, Tiffany Roskell and Jamie Webster. Coach Liz Dickie was not available for the photo.

[…]

 

Morrisburg Curling Club member Wendy Casselman, who curls with the Winchester LaPierre provincial senior finalists, is back from the Annadale Curling Club in Ajax.

The team was in elite company, and although they didn’t win the championship, a noteworthy foursome that also fell by the wayside was the St. Catharines’ Marilyn Bodogh quartet. 

Curlers with long memories may remember Marilyn as Provincial, Canadian and World champion in 1986 (defeating former world champion Linda Moore – since then a commentator for TSN curling coverage). Marilyn won everything again in 1996. 

Other teams in the mix this year with Wendy were from Oshawa, Leaside, Guelph, Galt (the eventual winner), Burlington, and Rideau, who the Winchester team defeated. 

Wendy’s team, skipped by Janet LaPierre, also included Janet Levere and Janet Thompson. They had close matches in four of their seven competitions. Hope you make it to the final again next year, folks. Well done!

Other events upcoming at our local club are a men’s senior friendly match, March 13, a two-person bonspiel on March 17, various rentals, and our closing bonspiels on Saturday, April 6. League play continues, and we’ll have final results when they become available. Several teams are out at bonspiels in succeeding weeks and we’ll get their results to you as well. So far we are aware of little rockers’ events, the City of Ottawa bonspiel, a 222 in Navan, the McLennan Cup in Cornwall, as well as a Grandmothers’ Bonspiel in Winchester. Keep us posted on results, and let us know of any events we have missed.

We expect our closing bonspiel this year will again feature a lunch, banquet, annual meeting and a chance to see the club championship match. Don’t forget to sign up for our closing ‘spiel and the banquet. It’s a wonderful way to close out the season.

Susan McIntosh reports that the final two-person bonspiel will be held on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17. Irish stew is promised for the 12 teams that will be needed to make this another successful fundraiser for the club. The sign-up sheet is in the lounge. Irish colours, anyone? Hope to see you there.

Little Rockers Ewan Wilson, Aiden White, Martina Lewis and Nolan Belanger competed in the Zone 1 playdowns last weekend, and we’ll have the final results next time.

And finally, on Monday the executive held another in their series of open meetings to assist in planning the summer upgrading of the club. 

Details of the relocation of the bar near the kitchen, entrance to the new upstairs washroom, improvements to the kitchen and modified storage space, as well as thoughts on the ramp at the front door were clarified. Our thanks to the Federal and Provincial governments for the grants the club has received to assist in this work. 

Good curling to all!

[…]