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Ringwald and team `felt like rock stars' Continued from page 24 25 · Friday, April 2, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com was still cause for concern. But the Tigers rolled into the tournament on a 10game winning streak after a convincing 6-1 victory over Sacred Heart in the AHA championship game. Given little chance against Denver, RIT jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held off the Pioneers for a 2-1 victory, with Ringwald setting up Cameron Burt's game-winning goal. "We proved to ourselves we were capable of beating anyone and we carried that into the game against UNH," said Haltigin, who had a goal and an assist in the 6-2 win over New Hampshire. "We surprised ourselves." While the Tigers may have flown under the radar nationally, their accomplishments have been appreciated at home. Upon returning from the regionals in Albany, their bus was met on campus at 2 a.m. by 400 fans. "We felt like rock stars," Ringwald said. "The whole community of Rochester has been buzzing the last couple of weeks." Though the Tigers were still decided underdogs heading into the semifinal, at least one member of the Wisconsin team was not taking them lightly. "It's going to be a tough game against any team, no matter what round you meet them in," said Badgers defenceman Cody Goloubef, another local resident in the Frozen Four. "Especially a team that gets hot." Wisconsin isn't doing badly itself. It finished the season on a 12-3-0 run, including a 3-2 win over Vermont and 5-3 victory over St. Cloud State in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin is looking for its first title since 2006. "We knew we had a good chance," said the junior defenceman, who trains with Ringwald in the summer. "It was just a matter of being consistent and now that our goal (of reaching the Frozen Four). One advantage Wisconsin held in yesterday's semifinal is that it is not their first game in a football stadium. The Badgers edged Michigan 3-2 playing in front of 60,000 fans in an outdoor game at Camp Randall Stadium. Haltigin was also hoping to have two chances to play on a football field. "It's pretty cool. I never imagined playing on a football THE RINGLEADER: Oakville's Dan Ringwald is the captain of the RIT Tigers. Ringwald is one of several former Oakville Blades competing in the NCAA Frozen Four. MIKE BRADLEY/ COURTESY OF THE ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY field. It's going to be a week full of distractions. It's on a national scale, the games are televised, it's almost like getting to the Super Bowl of hockey," he said. "It's going to be a fun experience, but at the end of the day, we're there to play hockey." Other local connections There are several other Oakville connections to the Frozen Four. Former Oakville Blades defenceman Trevor Eckenswiller is also a member of the RIT squad, though he is currently sidelined with a knee injury. Last night's other semifinal featured a pair of former Oakville Rangers. Anaheim Ducks draft pick Justin Vaive is in his third season with Miami, while Matt Price of Milton is the captain of Boston College. Young fencer claims provincial epee gold Wyatt Weatherson is the first to admit he is no expert when it comes to fencing. But he has learned the most important part of the sport. "Sometimes it even confuses me," the 13-year-old said. "But I know how to get the points and the medals so that's all I concern myself with." Weatherson, who picked up the sport less than three years ago, recently won his second straight Ontario title, claiming the youth under-14 epee title at the provincials in Newmarket. The Grade 8 student at Eastview Public School finished atop his pool in the preliminary round and then won four bouts to claim the title. The final was a tough battle, though, as he pulled out a 15-13 victory. "I got a little help from my coach (Andrew Hu). He was giving me pointers and I managed to get the win," said Weatherson, who also credited club director Kyle Foster for contributing to his success. Last year, Weatherson took gold in the youth under12 epee division. Weatherson was looking for something different when he decided to give fencing a try. "I wasn't really good at any other sports and I always liked swords," he said. "(Fencing) is kind of out there, which is why I picked it. It's a little strange and bizarre." He wasn't very confident he would succeed in the sport after attending his first beginner class at Oakville's Canadian Fencing Academy, though. "The first day, I got in there and there were a whole bunch of kids three feet taller than me," he said "I thought, `I'm never going to be good at this." He has since proved himself wrong. -- Herb Garbutt www. com Depend on the largest High Efficiency NO INTEREST NO PAYMENT FOR 6 MONTHS OAC AIRE ONE MADNESS SALE Gas Furnace Dealer in the Golden Triangle. 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