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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, October 3, 2012 · 18 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 Blades mix of youth, veterans sparks third-period comeback By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Every team can use a bit of youthful enthusiasm. Not only can young players breath new life into a team, but contributions by rookies can often be the difference for a team with championship aspirations. Sunday, the performance of a pair of 16-yearolds made the difference in preventing what could have been a miserable weekend for the Oakville Blades. With Oakville coming off a pair of one-goal losses -- to Burlington Friday and Georgetown Saturday -- Kris Bennett and Matt Alvaro each scored a pair of goals as the Blades made an unlikely third-period comeback from a 4-1 deficit to stun the Milton IceHawks 5-4 in overtime. "We knew we could come back," Alvaro said. "It's funny, we worked hard and we were doing well on the forecheck and sticking to the system. We knew the goals would come. They came a little late, but they came." Oakville outshot Milton in every period and had a 45-30 advantage in the game but until Alvaro lifted a puck over Milton goalie Justin Urquhart from the side of the net with 10:20 remaining in the third, it looked like the Blades were on their way to a third straight defeat. Then, just 14 seconds later, the puck came to Alvaro in the slot and he fired a wrist shot by past Urquhart. After playing with midget with the Mississauga Rebels last year, Alvaro wasn't sure what to expect when he joined the Jr. A ranks. "Until you play that first game, you really don't know what it's going to be like," he said. "It's been a bit of an adjustment but I'm starting to feel more comfortable." In just 14 seconds, he doubled his season goal total and now has four goals and seven points in 10 games with the Blades. Bennett has also shown the ability to score in bunches. Sunday was his third two-goal game, boosting his season totals to six goals and 11 points. He has also shown a knack for timely goals. He already has two game winners and Sunday tipped home Vince Palermo's point shot with 2:56 to play to tie the game. Of course, youth will only take you so far. A team also needs some veterans with experience to make a playoff run. And the Blades just added some more of that with the addition of Spencer Green, who continued to make a great first impression by scoring the overtime winner Sunday. Green played with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League last season. This year he was in the Sudbury Wolves training camp. When it looked like he didn't figure into the team's plans, he had asked for a trade. He got into his first game action of the year Friday and then scored both Oakville goals in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Georgetown. "I had been sitting at home for a month so I was a little rusty; the legs were a little heavy," Green said. "My agent suggested it might be good to get a whole new start and I'm ecstatic to be here. It was nice personally getting those goals but I'd rather get two points than two goals." Sunday, he got the best of both worlds -- an overtime winner and the two points for the team. And he has made an immediate impression on his rookie linemates. "You can see his calmness with the puck," Alvaro said. Notes: Nathan and Jonah Renouf were held in check by their former team in regulation but they set up Green's overtime winner. The goal came on the powerplay after Blades' captain Aidan Orbinski was clipped with a high stick...Nathan Renouf had the lone Oakville goal in the 2-1 overtime loss to Burlington Friday....Saturday's loss to Georgetown is the only road game in which Oakville (5-1-1) has not earned a point. GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER / @HALTON_PHOTOG DENIED...FOR NOW: Matt Alvaro of the Oakville Blades is turned away by Milton goalie Justin Urquhart on this scoring opportunity but Alvaro would later score goals 14 seconds apart to spark a Blades' comeback. Down 4-1 with 11 minutes to play, Oakville rallied to tie the game and then won 5-4 on Spencer Green's goal in overtime. Young Titans determined to prove they belong among Halton's best By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF OK, let's get this out of the way -- they're young, really young. The Holy Trinity Titans senior girls' basketball team's starting five includes only one player even old enough to drive. Apart from captain Lauren Jamieson, the Titans' starting lineup could still be playing junior. But the Titans refuse to be defined by their birthdates. "We don't want to be know as the young team," said Jamieson, a Grade 11 student. "That doesn't say anything about us. We want to be known as a team that can compete at the senior level and as one of the top teams in Halton." Holy Trinity's play on the court has done nothing to prove Jamieson's statement wrong. They're 4-0, putting them in the midst of what is shaping up to be a three-way Oakville battle for the Halton title. Defending champion Loyola is also 4-0, as is Abbey Park. Holy Trinity will host both team this month -- Abbey Park Oct. 17 and Loyola Oct. 29. While they may be the youngest team in Halton, they may very well be one of the most experienced as well. The Titans have four returning starters -- Tiffany McNeil, Delaney Hughes and Liana Hughes all started in Grade 9. While they lost Meaghan Perrotta to graduation, Jamieson has stepped in to fill the leadership role. The 5-foot-11 forward has played in the last two Ontario Summer Games, winning gold with the Central West team in 2010. In the season opener against St. Thomas Aquinas, she hit a three-pointer in the final 30 seconds to tie the game. After the Raiders regained the lead with six seconds to play, McNeil was fouled in the final seconds and made both free throws to give the Titans a 43-42 victory. A year at the senior level has helped prepare players like McNeil for those pressure situations. "We learned mostly to work as a team," she said. "The girls talk a lot more on the court. We've calmed down. We're not panicking a lot if we're pressed or double teamed." Like Jamieson, McNeil sees the Titans as a legitimate contender for the Halton championship. "We're really working hard," she said. "We were so close last year; I honestly think I would die for it." How close was Holy Trinity last year? Consider this: The Titans lost to the Notre Dame Fightin' Irish in overtime in the semifinals. Notre Dame lost to Loyola by two points in See Titans, page 19