Sports

 On Monday, April 2, the Bank of Montreal (BMO) Financial Group launched the second season of its nationwide youth soccer program, BMO Team of the Week. 

The contest, open to youth soccer players ages seven-12, recognizes 15 weekly winners who demonstrate team pride, spirit, community commitment and passion for the game.

The 2012 Champion will be crowned this summer when Canadians cast their vote to select their favourite team from the 15 weekly winners. 

The winning team will receive: $125,000 towards a field refurbishment; a trip to see a Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Montreal Impact or Canadian National Team home match; and a $5,000 donation to the team’s charity of choice.

“The response we had last year to the BMO Team of the Week program was truly amazing, as 300,000 Canadians from communities across Canada – from Whitehorse, Yukon to Gabriola Island, B.C. to Hunter River, P.E.I. and everywhere in between – voted for their favourite teams,” said Sandy Bourne, Vice-President, Corporate Advertising & Sponsorships, BMO Financial Group. 

“We’ve heard from people across the country who have told us that the program has done anexcellent job in promoting the value of participating in sport, along with the importance of being involved in the community. Our hope is that the achievements of last year’s winners will encourage other youth soccer teams across Canada to rise to the challenge and participate.”

For the next 15 weeks, Canadian soccer coaches, parents and community members can nominate their favourite youth soccer team aged 7-12 at BMOsoccer.com. BMO Team of the Week winners will be announced weekly starting on April 18th, and will receive $500, Team of the Week tracksuits, and a donation to a local charity. 

Each of the winning teams will become finalists for the grand prize and Canadians can vote for the winner starting on August 13th atBMOsoccer.com.

Last year’s BMO Team of the Week champion, the Glen Shields Sun Devils, U – 11 girls team from Vaughan, Ontario, have since put their title – and the prize – to good use. 

In addition to raising money of their own, the team successfully rallied the community and the City of Vaughan council to help with a larger refurbishment of their local soccer field. 

They also generously gave the $5,000 donation from BMO to the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

BMO supports soccer across Canada from youth players in local neighbourhoods and communities all the way up to the professional level. 

BMO’s deep commitment to ‘The Beautiful Game’ is evident from the beginning of the curve with its grassroots sponsorship of more than 900 youth teams nationally. 

The relationship continues with support of Canada’s men’s and women’s national teams, professional teams (Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Montreal Impact) and   its soccer venue title sponsorship (BMO Field).

[…]

The South Dundas Atom B 2 Lions went all the way to the finish line before they gave up a loss in the Annual Kids for Kids Hockey tournament played here on the weekend of March 30-April 1. 

The annual Kids for Kids tournament attracted 32 Atom B House team.

The South Dundas Atom B2 Lions finished first in their pool at the end of round robin play with victories against the Petawawa Jets, Athens Aeros and CAL Fort Henry Wings.  

Sunday morning quarter final action saw the South Dundas Lions defeat the Carleton Place Kings 6-1.  

They then faced the Brockville Jr. Braves, who had narrowly defeated the Lions in league playoff action in March. 

The Lions came out motivated against the Braves to dominate the play from the opening face-off and were rewarded with a 2-0 victory and a berth in the finals against the  Pembroke Panthers.  

Pembroke opened the scoring in the first period of the championship game, but the Lions soon countered to tie it 1-1.  

The teams continued to trade goals in a fast paced, evenly matched game. In the third period, the Panthers went up 4-3.  

Although the Lions pressed hard for several minutes, they were unable to score a fourth goal. The Panthers added one more in the final minutes to win the game and the tournament with a 5-3 score.

Coach David Lapier said after the game, “The kids played absolutely amazing this weekend and as a coach it was very rewarding to see the effort that each player put forth in an attempt to win.”

[…]

 

A visit to Canada has been a dream come true for 13-year-old Swedish hockey player Douglas Palm. 

And a stay with his host family in Morrisburg has been a wonderful experience.

Palm is a goaltender for a visiting Skargarden hockey club from Ockero, Sweden one of 10 islands in the municipality of Gothenburg.

The team arrived in Montreal on Thursday, March 29 to start the first leg of a trip they have been saving and fund raising for, for three years.

From Montreal, it was a bus trip to Brockville where each of the players met with their host families on Friday night, March 30.

For Palm, who speaks three languages (Swedish, English and German), it was a meeting with his host player Cole Beckstead of Morrisburg and his family Ernie and Lisa and big brother Marc.

For the next three days, Palm lived with the Beckstead family and this past Monday, visited with Cole, at his school, St. Mary/St. Cecilia’s in Morrisburg.

Also over the weekend, Palm’s Swedish team played Cole’s Rideau St. Lawrence Minor Bantam AA team twice.

In their series opener, with Palm in net and vowing not to let his new ‘best buddy’ Cole score, the Swedish team collected a 6-2 victory in Brockville, Saturday night.

In game two, the Kings revenged themselves (and Ernie suspects took advantage of a bit of jet lag) with an 8-0 win.

That has set the stage for tonight’s third and final game in Kemptville at 7:30 p.m.

The two games to date have attracted several hundred hockey fans to add to the excitement and the nervousness of the players.

“I was pretty nervous,” said Palm. “But we had a pretty long warm up, so that helped.”

According to Cole, the Kings too were experiencing cases of nerves. “There were lots of people, lots of scouts.”

After two games, Palm says, “I think we are both just the same high level of play.”

Cole agrees, but explains, “we play a different style. They pass a lot and have really good puck control. We do a lot of forechecking.”

Off the ice, Palm says his visit to Canada has been wonderful. He even likes Poutine.

“At the food store, everything is bigger and cheaper, like your Coca Cola. We have two litres, but that is not usual. And ice cream. You have four litres and we just get one litre.”

Palm was delighted to buy a cable for his computer and has become a big fan of the Canadian Dollar stores. “At home my cable would cost 99 to 300 crowners (Swedish currency is Krona). A dollar is about seven crowner, he said of his $2 cable purchase.

Palm says he is impressed by the trucks and cars he has seen. “In Sweden they are ugly. Here they are nice. We don’t have so many pick up trucks and vans, we have smaller cars, like the Volvo.”

Palm indicated the main hockey difference is in the ice size. “The ice is much smaller here in Canada. As a goalie, I will have to play a bit different. Everything goes faster. It’s more hits here in Canada, but my team will like that,” he said with a grin.

Palm’s team plays in an 11 team league in a 22 game schedule in addition to several tournaments. With most of the teams having the numbers for two teams (similar setup to a B and C team in Canada). Palm’s island team with just enough players for one team were pleased with this year’s fourth place finish.

Palm also had a good season highlighted by his selection to an all star team.

“You can tell he is well coached and he’s a great kid too,” said Cole’s dad Ernie. “He loves it here. It’s just been a great experience for all of us. I think Cole has made a friend for life. They are going to keep in touch for a long time.”

Palm said goodbye to the Beckstead family Monday night, to join the rest of his team in Ottawa. Last night, Tuesday, they attended an Ottawa Senators game.

Tonight, Wednesday, April 4 they play the third game against  the Kings and then it’s off to New York City, for relaxation and a New York Rangers game.

Cole claimed Monday that if he gets the chance he is going to score against his buddy.

Palm answered with complete confidence, and a slight smile, “He won’t score.”

Time will tell.

[…]

 

Saturday night in front of a packed house, the Morrisburg and District Figure Skating Club hosted its annual ice show, skated to the theme, For the Love of Skating. The show included 81 skaters who used the opportunity to demonstrate the skating skills they acquired and perfected during the season.

For the Love of Skating kicked off with a Senior Line and ended with a line of Intermediate Skaters. In between, senior solo skaters were Teisha Mullin, Abby MacMillan, Gillian Beatson, Katherine Lee, Ali VanHoof and Jessica Thompson.

Giving some great performances as pairs skaters were Ashley Bouwman and Madisyn Hart, Kendra and Katie Buter, Cameryn and Alice Cameron, Trina Dykstra-Macpherson and Olivia Hart and Reagan Belanger and Erika Jordan at the Intermediate Level.

Senior pairs skaters included Kathleen Nicolaassen and Tayler Pilon, Kristyn Van Hoof and Abigail Jordan, Jessica Bass and Logan Patterson, Kaitlyn Stewart and Alexis Engwerda and Alyssa MacMillan and Allison Lee.

There was no shortage of love for the Canskate Groups who skated to Chapel of Love (Lilly Napier, Abigail Smail, Sarah Stewart, Emma Morrow, Megan McDonell and Taryn Crooke); Puppy Love (Payten Sommerdyk, Dominic Caines, Zoe Jamieson, Kennedy Lacroix, Madison Johnson, Charlie Chafe and Kerri Kelly; Love Potion #9-Carly Cutler, Abbey Robinson, Talia Crooke, Reyen VanBeilan, Jaden Casselman Emily Biemond; Love Shack-Shianne Johnson, Ella Mallett-Seuymour, Olivia MacDonald, Ava Orendi, Paige Cutler, Hannah Mallett-Seymour, Olivia Chafe, Hannah Warren, Marin Morrow, Amalie Furo, Jessica Groves and Hayden Napier; Love Train-Kade VanBeilan, Mateo Lacroix, Ryder Kelly, Anthony Walsh, Addison Thompson, Ashablr Weegar, Manraj Cheema and Owen Conlin; Jump for My Love-Madison Denneny, Melody Dunning, Hailey Steward, Kimberley Walsh, Mia Serviss and Rachel Jamieson; Love is Like a Heatwave-Kylie Schell, Shayna Markell, Grace Morrow, Emma Benoit, Miriam Biemond, Tala Brant-Berry and Emerson McMillan; Junior Group Give Me All Your Love-Gracie Fairbairn, Hannah Biemond, Mikaela Furo, Madisyn Hart and Xandra Furo. 

[…]

 

Three of our mixed teams were in Winchester last weekend for their club’s annual shrimp and steak bonspiel. Teams were from Ottawa, Cornwall, Toronto, and several valley towns. 

Mahlon Locke, Kathy Norg, Bill Doornward and Janet Levere won both of their games, finishing first overall. Sam Locke, Wendy and Jim Casselman and Claire Locke won both of their games also, finishing fifth. Our third team, Robert Houze, Mandy Pedle, Robbie Stitt and Rhonda Mark, defeated Thornhill, but lost their second game in the last end to a Prescott foursome. Well done, folks! 

In the Thursday mixed curling league, Ruth Kelly, Bill Magee, Rosemary Laurin and Eleanor Allison won the final draw of the season. The league finale finished with a meal catered by Subway. 

After several years of organizing the league, including friendly bonspiels and other social activities, Ron Beaupre has decided to turn the task over to someone else, and Ruth Kelly will take on the job. Ron was thanked for his efforts, and after presenting the trophy to the champions, he indicated that he will continue with his other club responsibilities, including his work as club secretary, arranging for commercial signage, and finding ways to minimizing the cost of electrical service. Thanks, Ron and Jeanine!

The Friday night league has completed its draw, with Sam and Claire Locke, Jenna Harrington and Rob Crombie emerging victorious. Garry Beckstead, Chris Moran and Wendy and Jim Casselman finished second. The final evening involved a rotational bonspiel, with Claire Locke skipping her team to victory. Thanks for taking care of the league again, Mahlon.

Tuesday night, Larry Cooper’s team won the men’s league title. Other members of his team were Rick MacKenzie, Jody Cryderman and Jeffrey Crooke. Larry had also won the early draw, with Sam Decker, Henry Looyen and Steve Summers. Thanks to Joe McCooyee for looking after the league again.

Ten teams took part in our closing bonspiel Saturday. The first draw was won by Ron Beaupre, Kathy Hardy, Robert Martin and Jim Locke, with Wally McDonald, Alice Thompson, Ron Brown and Glen Cougler a close second. In the late draw, Greta McGann, Rick MacKenzie and Keith Robinson tied for top honours with Wally Baker, Paul St. Pierre and Peter Byvelds. 

The curlers enjoyed a fine pot luck luncheon, and the teams and other interested curlers, friends and family sat down for a sumptuous banquet catered again by Sam Laurin. Our thanks to Sam and the volunteers who helped. 

A business meeting followed, with Jack Barkley outlining winners through the year, and other on-ice highlights. He also thanked all league conveners and outlined summer plans. While the club has about $30,000 in its contingency fund, he cautioned that major expenses could be a problem. Treasurer Kathy Johnston presented a healthy financial report. Jack invited volunteers for the board of directors, and indicated all current executive members were willing to stay on, including President Mahlon Locke, Secretary Ron Beaupre, our treasurer, and the bar, house, and ice chairs. Various draws were held, and then the top two teams in the competitive league squared off for the club championship.

Steve Boucher, Amy, Peter and Ashly McCooeye defeated Joe and Leanne McCooeye, Jack Barkley and John Allison for the Dodge Trophy.

Watch the Leader for the date in September for the open house and registration night, with curling beginning in October. 

See you then!

Editor’s Note: The Leader would like to take this opportunity to thank Steve Thompson for the time he spends each week gathering the local curling news and penning this column. The column is a wonderful asset to the Leader and very much appreciated by our readers and our local curlers.    BMc

[…]

 

The South Dundas Novice B Lions capped off a hugely successful season in Brockville, on Monday, March 26, when they played to a 1-1 tie against the Brockville #1 Braves to win the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League Championship, five points to three. The win capped a playoff run in which the Lions did not lose a game.  Their final five point series went four games, with three of the games ending in a tie and the Lions scoring the lone victory in Brockville on Friday, night March 23. Pictured are the champs. In front is goaltender Brendan Shaver. Kneeling, l-r, are  Nolan Henry (East Division playoff championship plaque), Kolby Latulippe, Spencer Barclay, Joshua Broad (league playoff championship plaque) and Ben Lapier. Standing, l-r, are Cassidy Bilmer, Emytt Fetterly, Owen Fetterly, Trent Rae and Kayne McCadden. The coaching staff, l-r includes Jason Broad, Ben Henry, Chris Fetterly, Bob Fetterly, Brian Shaver and Mike Barclay. 

[…]

 

After an opening game wake-up call, the charged-up South Dundas Bantam Rep Lions answered with three consecutive victories to claim the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League championship in four games against the Perth/Lanark Wings.

The Lions lost the series opener on home ice on Wednesday, March 21, 4-1, but rebounded with a 5-2 win in game two and a 3-1 win in game three in Morrisburg on Sunday, March 22.

That gave the Lions a four points to two advantage heading into the Wings’ barn on Monday night, March 23.

This time out, the Lions left little doubt, building a 2-0 first period lead and doubling it to 4-0 in the second. They went up 6-0 early in the third, with the Wings finally getting on the scoreboard with two goals against Lions goaltender Zack Frawley, late in the frame.

That was it, and the Lions hung on for the 6-2 game four win and the UCMHL championship.

Randy Fawcett and Riley Barry led the Lions’ scoring with two goals each and singles came from the sticks of Andrew Jarvis and Evan Mullin.

[…]

After a crushing opening game, 4-1 loss to the Perth/Lanark Wings, the South Dundas Bantam Rep Lions regrouped and battled their way back into contention with three consecutive wins for the UCMHL 2011/12 playoff championship.

Monday night, in game four of the five point series played in Lanark, they locked it up with a  6-2 victory to take the series six points to two.

The series opened in Morrisburg last Wednesday, March 21 with a tough 4-1 loss to the visiting wings.

Perth had just come off a big win to defeat Smith Falls on Monday, March 19, to advance to the league championship against the Lions, and they carried their momentum forward to the waiting Lions.

The lone goal in the series openere for the Lions came from the stick of Aaron Smith assisted by Randy Fawcett and Quinn Bennis in the first period.

Game two was played in Lanark on Friday night, March 23rd, and despite a slow start the Lions were able to put it together for a 5-2 victory.

The first period saw the Wings take a 1-0 lead on a rebound goal by Alex Echlin.

Then just six minutes into the second period the Lions were able to even it with a short-handed goal by Randy Fawcett, assisted by Andrew Jarvis.

One minute later, Jarvis struck, unassisted to put the Lions up 2-1.

The Lions lead held until the dying minutes of the frame when Quinn Bennis scored on the Lions power play with help from Randy Fawcett and Spencer Heldens to give the Lions a 3-1 edge heading into the third period.

In the third period, the Black boys combined for the Lions fourth goal when Josh Black  set it up for Riley Black who beat Micheal Saumur on the gloveside.

The Wings closed the gap to 4-2 one minute later when Noah Greer slipped one past Lions goaltender Zach Frawley.

The Lions ended it when Ben Michels picked up a Riley Barry rebound for the 5-2 victory.

With the five point series even at two point apiece, it was back to Morrisburg for a Saturday afternoon game, in front of a huge hometown crowd that saw the Lions claim a 3-1 win.

Six minutes into the first period, Andrew Jarvis scored unassisted on the Lions power play.

The Lions lead, however didn’t last, as before the period ended Tyler Murphy collected his own rebound to beat Frawley and even it at 1-1.

It took the Lions until late in the second period to get ahead, once again with Jarvis scoring on their power play with help from Evan Mullin.

Frawley was solid in the Lions net as the Lions worked to hold on to their one-goal advantage.

With 4:08 left on the clock Mullin counted with help from Riley Black and Randy Fawcett for the Lions third goal.

The Lions win in game three sent the series back to Lanark this past Monday night with a four points to two advantage. 

Details of the 6-2 win that gave them the championship were not available at press time.

[…]

With a hard fought, and well-earned 1-1 tie, Monday night here, the South Dundas Novice B Lions captured the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League playoff championships defeating the Brockville #1 Braves  five points to three. 

The two, evenly matched teams battled hard for four games and the difference in the series was the game two Lions’ 3-1 win on the road Friday night. 

The teams ended up  tying three of the four games, including Monday night’s series clinching fourth game in Brockville.

Going into game four, the Lions needed a win or tie to claim the title, meaning the pressure was on the Braves who absolutely needed a win.

The Braves scored early on Lions goaltender Brendan Shaver on a broken play when Garret Hough ended up with the puck and found the five hole on Shaver.

That would be Shaver’s only blemish on the night. 

Although the Lions dominated play the rest of the way and out-played the Braves, they were unable to beat their goalie, who like Shaver, had an outstanding series.

The Lions, however, didn’t give up and they continued to pressure for the tying goal which finally came on their power play late in the third period. 

Doing the Lions counting was Kayne McCadden who deflected a Ben Lapier shot into an open right side of the Brockville net to tie the game 1-1. 

With the tie, the  Lions then dug in to defend the surge the Braves mounted with their season now on the ropes. 

The clock, however, ticked to zero without a shot and the Lions skated away with the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League’s 2011/12 Novice B championship.

The championship series opened last Wednesday night, on Morrisburg ice and the Lions came out to play after coming off three series sweeps. 

The Lions built a 3-1 third period lead, but would be unable to hold on, as the Braves pressured and netted two goals in the last two minutes of the game to settle it in a 3-1 tie and a point apiece for each team.

 Ben Lapier, Nolan Henry and Joshua Broad scored the Lion’s goals with assists to Kayne McCadden, Owen Fetterly, Kolby Latulippe, Henry and Lapier. 

In game two on Braves ice Friday night, the Lions again buile a 3-1 lead, but this time they held on to go up three points to the Braves one in the five point series. 

Kayne McCadden scored early in the first from a pass from Owen Fetterly that would stand up until the third. 

In the third, Ben Lapier and Braves Garret Hough exchanged goals before Nolan Henry scored with three minutes left for the two goal lead. 

The Lions then killed the clock for what would be the only win in the series.

In game three, in front of a big crowd in Morrisburg on Saturday afternoon the Lions were looking for a win for the championship but again they would settle for a tie.

With the Braves playing their best game of the series and grabbing a first period 1-0 lead which they would hold onto late in the third, the Lions found themselves in a catch-up situation until the final minute of the game.

With the game clock ticking away, the Lions pulled Shaver in favour of an extra attacker to  press for the tying goal. 

After a huge scramble in front of the net with forwards, Nolan Henry, Joshua Broad, Kayne McCadden and Ben Lapier pressing, Nolan Henry finally got a shot past the Braves goalie for the tying goal. 

During the series the Braves forwards were held at bay rush after rush by the defence pairings of Spencer Barclay and Trent Rae and Cassidy Bilmer and Trent Rae. 

The Lions had a hugely successful season and for the playoffs put together an enviable undefeated record consisting of seven wins and three ties. 

They met up with and eliminated North Dundas, Kemptville #2, Brockville #2 to win the East Division Championship before defeating Brockville #1 for the overall league championship.

[…]

Canskaters, the little guys of the Morrisburg and District Figure Skate Club, turned out in good numbers Saturday, to celebrate the successes of their skate season and to reminisce over a bowl or two of ice cream.

“This is new this year,” said club president, Julie VanHoof, as the young skaters made their way to the ice cream table to scoop up their bowls and decorate their treats with a huge assortment of ice cream toppings. “We wanted to do something for our Canskaters, so we thought we would try an ice cream party.”

According to VanHoof, this year’s Canskate Program attracted approximately 80 young skaters. “Our numbers were up this year, so we are very happy with that. And I think we have at least 75 per cent of them here today.”

VanHoof explained that while the club holds a formal awards banquet at year end, often the young Canskaters and their parents don’t attend.

Although the Canskaters receive their achievement badges as they are earned throughout the season, Saturday, each of the skaters was recognized with a certificate of achievement.

Scooping the ice cream and assisting with the presentations of the certificates were this year’s program assistants (PA’s): Brenna German, Alyssa MacMillan, Abby MacMillan, Ali VanHoof, Kristyn VanHoof, Allison Lee, Katherine Lee, Jessica Bass, Kendra Buter, Kaitlyn Stewart, Tayler Pilon, Alexis Engwerda, Teisha Mullin, Toby Mullin, Alice Cameron, Kathleen Nicolaasson and Sandy Scott.

The PAs are a valuable part of the local club as it is these more advanced skaters who run the Canskate groups under the supervision of the club’s professional coaches. “They are the ones who actually work with the young skaters,” explained VanHoof.

“As part of the Canskate Program, our PA’s are trained at the beginning of each season by the professional coaches. They have to take part in an on ice and off ice training session. They really enjoy it. We have criteria that they have to be 10 years old and have to have passed their preliminary free skate. So they are eager to become PA’s once they hit 10 years. You can see it on their faces.”

“And of course the Canskaters look up to them because they are the older skaters.”

This year’s Canskate program was chaired by Tracey Yalden and Ellen Biemond. Co-chairs were Trisha Morrow and Joanne Johnson.

Although they will officially receive their awards at the upcoming year-end club banquet…three individuals were named award winners on Saturday.

Winning this year’s Canskate Program Assistant Award was Brenna German.

This award is presented annually to an assistant who is a great asset to the coaching team on the ice and shows commitment off the ice by providing support and assistance to the club. The winner imparts passion, spirit and triumph of skating on those with whom they work.

Named as this year’s Canskater of the Year, which is awarded for talent and skill achievements coupled with passion for skating, was Marin Morrow.

This year’s Canskate Champion Award went to co-winners Sara Stewart and Ella Mallett-Seymour. 

These skaters demonstrate the value of determination, discipline, perseverance and positive attitude.

This week, members of the Morrisburg and District Figure Skate Club are busy preparing for their annual ice show Saturday night, March 31.

Open to all skate fans in the community, this year’s theme is Love of Skating. Show time is 7 p.m.

[…]