The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Sports Oakville Beaver www.aplushomes.ca Adam Campbell 905-844-4444 I N D E P E N D E N T LY O W N E D A N D O P E R AT E D Broker of Record B R O K E R A G E SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2009 19 Hare slows down Blades Cougars' MVP goalie returns to put Burlington back in series Andrew Hare was desperate to make amends. Suspended for the first two games of his team's Ontario Junior Hockey League playoff series against the Oakville Blades, the Burlington Cougars goaltender watched helplessly from the stands as Oakville won both contests. Hare returned to the ice Sunday and immediately made his presence felt, backstopping Burlington to a 2-1 victory at Joshua's Creek Arenas and giving the Cougars a chance to even up the MacKinnon Division semifinal series last night (Tuesday) in Burlington. "It felt really good to get back in," said Hare, the MacKinnon Division's most valuable player during the regular season. "I was (at the rink) at 4:30 (three hours before game time) and couldn't wait to get on the ice. I was shaking all day." He was far from shaky once he got on the ice. The 18-year-old made 29 saves, 11 of them coming in the third period as the Blades tried to rally from a 2-0 deficit, and clinched the Cougars' victory by stopping Dan Hunt's onetimer from the slot in the final minute. Hare couldn't be faulted on the Blades' lone goal, either. Shortly after Cougars captain Daniel Koudys gave Burlington a two-goal lead with a nifty backhand deke, Oakville's Braden Birch banked a centering pass off a sprawling Cougars defender and into the Burlington net with 13 minutes to go in regulation. "Hare stood on his head like always," said Burlington defenceman Drew McAvoy, who opened the scoring in the second period. "Even though he doesn't have a letter on his jersey, you picture an `A' or a `C' on him. He gets us going. It gives the guys a confidence boost to see our starter back in the net." Hare regretted the suspension, one he received after mocking the Milton IceHawks by pretending to swing a golf club in the final game of the Burlington/Milton first-round series. "It wasn't really worth it. It was just me being stupid," said Hare, who has received a scholarship from Niagara University that begins in the fall. "When I look back at it now, I don't think it was worth a two-game suspension, but I deserved what I got. If I'm stupid enough to do it, I deserve it." Birch credited Hare and the Cougars for their victory, but felt the Blades could have made things more difficult for Burlington in Game 3. "He's only another goalie. We have forwards who can score on anyone. We just need to keep shooting and we'll get some in," said the defenceman. "I think we just had a bad night, but I'm not saying anything against Burlington. They had a good game and capitalized against us. "Everyone knows Burlington is a good team, no doubt about it, but I think we're a better team." Game 5 of the series is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Friday at Joshua's Creek Arenas, with Game 6 (if necessary) to be played at 8 p.m. Saturday in Burlington. -- Jon Kuiperij RIZIERO VERTOLLI / OAKVILLE BEAVER JUST OUT OF REACH: Oakville Blades defenceman Taylor Farris (in white) stretches for the puck while being tightly checked by Burlington's Scott Godfrey-Wilson Sunday at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Burlington earned a 2-1 win to cut the Blades' MacKinnon Division semifinal series lead to 21 entering last night's action. OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB www.oakvillesoccer.ca SUMMER SOCCER CAMP PROGRAM WHY CHOOSE THE OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB SUMMER CAMP? Young players will improve their soccer skills and understanding of the game under the supervision of our certified coaching staff along with having fun during our out of park adventures throughout the week! DATES AVAILABLE: JULY 6 - 10 JULY 13 - 17 AUGUST 4 - 7 AUGUST 10 - 14 AUGUST 17 - 21 AUGUST 24 - 28 CAMP DETAILS: · Soccer Ball & Camp T-Shirt for Each Player · Quality Coerver Soccer Instruction Daily · *A Minimum Two Out-of-Park Activities (Including Bowling & Movie Day) · Splash Pad Water Park Fun · Friday Camp Lunch Included* (*Full Day Campers Only) Half Day Campers: U4 (2005) ­ U6 (2003): .............................................. $150.00 Half Day Campers Short Week: (Aug4-7): ............................................... $120.00 Full Day Campers: U7 (2002) +: ............................................................... $250.00 Full Day Campers Short Week: (Aug4-7): ............................................... $200.00 COST: TORONTO FC PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE VISIT www.oakvillesoccer.ca for complete details The Oakville Beaver A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club Sponsored by: