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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, February 23, 2017 | 3 8 No major changes planned for newCatholic high school sports league By Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver staff High school athletes com peting in the new Halton Catholic Athletic Association next year shouldn't notice m uch of a difference says a Halton Catholic District Board super intendent of education. "W e're looking at rules and regulations in keeping with what students are used to," said Anna Prkacin. "We w ill be drafting by laws and hope to finalize them by the end of April. W e're hoping to have as little change to provide continuity and consistency." The HCDSB announced last w eek that it w ould begin operating its ow n high school sports leagues beginning in the fall. Board staff presented a report to the board last Tuesday, though the decision did not require a vote by trustees. The HCDSB had operated a joint league, the Halton Secondary School Athletic Association, with the Halton Dis trict School Board for more than 30 years. Prkacin said it was not a desire to make major changes to the operation of high school sports, simply that the board was now big enough to support its ow n league. "We started out with one school. N ow we have nine," she said. "If you look at future planning w e're looking at 10, potentially 11 in the next few years." The HCAA w ill include Assumption, Cor pus Christi and Notre Dame in Burlington, Holy Trinity, Loyola and St. Thomas Aquinas in Oakville, Bishop Reding and Jean Vanier in Milton and Christ the King in Georgetown. Catholic boards in Niagara, Waterloo and Hamilton also operate their ow n sports leagues, although Dufferin-Peel, w ith more than 20 Catholic high schools, operates the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association with the public board. Prkacin said the idea for the board' s own league had been around for a w hile and it was som ething both staff and department heads wanted. "The discussion has always been ongo ing," she said. "Staff wanted to do it for a long time, so w e had to figure out how to go about doing it to ensure w e could financially support such a plan." The board, which has been contributing to the salary of the HSSAA convener, will hire a full-time, 10-month convener. Prka- cin said the m ove w ill have many benefits. In addition, to overseeing the operation of the high school league, the new convener also w ill look after sports for the board' s el ementary schools. Prkacin said that w ill help consolidate many roles within the board. "In some cases w e were dependent on vol unteers," she said. "N ow w e'll have our own individual dedicated to the needs of the board." Prkacin said there is much anticipation at the board about the new league. "W e're very excited. It' s a new beginning," she said. "We've done good work w ith the Halton District School Board and look for ward to continued collaboration with them and now w e're m oving forward with the best interest of our students at heart." Hornets match team records in wins, points The Oakville Hornets capped the regular season with a 3-0 w in over Cambridge to match the team record for w ins and points in a season. Oakville finished the season with a record of 31-3-4, the same mark the team posted during the 2014/15 season w hen it w on the Ontario W om en' s Hockey Association championship. Laura Cote scored just 41 seconds into the game and that proved to be the only goal the Hornets needed as Maddy McArthur made 18 saves for her second straight shutout and her seventh of the season. Emma Maltais scored for the fifth straight game and Victoria Klimek added a powerplay goal in the final minute. Maltais, w ho will attend Ohio State next season, claimed the league scoring title with 56 points. She finishes her Provincial Wom en' s Hockey League career with 147 points in to rank eighth all-time. She also is third all time in assists with 92. After finishing first in the PWHL, Oakville w ill face Burlington in the opening round of the playoffs. Blades upset Trenton, clinch divison title Tyler Hildebrandt broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as the Oakville Blades edged the country' s seventh-ranked team, the Trenton Golden Hawks, 2-1 Monday. Hildebrandt' s power-play goal eight min utes into the third proved to be the winner as Trenton lost in regulation for just the eighth time in 52 games. Ryan Foss scored 36 seconds into the game and Blades' goalie Brendan McGlynn made 27 saves, 18 of them in the first period. Bryce Misley drew assists on both Oakville goals. The Blades have earned points in five straight games after suffering a pair of over time losses on the weekend. Foss scored twice and set up Christian Rajic for the Blades' other goal in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Patriots Saturday. Sal Filice and Misley each had two assists. Friday, Burlington scored with seven sec onds left to force overtime and then scored with two seconds to play in the extra period to hand the Blades a 5-4 loss. Despite the loss, the point allowed Oakville to clinch the South Division title for the second year in a row. Brendan McGlynn made 2 7 saves in a 2-1 win over the Trenton Golden Hawks Monday. | photo by Ray MacAloney / OJHL Images * metrolandmedia · « · C o n n e c te d to y o u r c o m m u n ity ® We are giving away up to Rajic, Chris Brill-Morgan, Peyton Reeves and Drew Worrad scored for Oakville and Daniel Jelic had two assists. Oakville, 31-14-7, plays its final two games of the Ontario Junior Hockey League regular season at home. The Blades host Milton Friday and Markham Saturday. Both games are 7:30 p.m. starts at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. 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